Improvements in and connected with the Wheels of Vehicles, Bicycles, Tricycles, and other Velocipedes.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 14th July, 1890
Complete Specification Left, 14th Apr., 1891-Accepted, 16th May, 1891
Improvements in and connected with the Wheels of Vehicles,
Bicycles, Tricycles, and other Velocipedes.
We, GEORGE BYNG LUKIN, of 23, Darnley Street, Gravesend, in the County
of Kent, Engineer, and HowARD FRANK BAKER, of Hamstead Road, Handsworth,
in the County of Stafford, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
This invention has reference in the first place to those wheel tyres which are made
of a series of detached pieces or short lengths of india-rubber which project at
certain distances apart through the rim of the wheel as described in the Specification
of Sheldon's Patent No. 7262 of A.D. 1888. Instead of making the said pieces or
short lengths of india rubber tyre solid as heretofore we make them hollow thereby
greatly increasing their elasticity and forming a better cushion. The said pieces or
short lengths of india rubber tyre may either be each formed with an enclosed
cavity or cavities or the said cavity or cavities may be open in communication with
those parts of the tyre which are enclosed in the rim of the wheel.
In order to secure the said solid or hollow pieces or short lengths of india rubber
tyre to the ordinary iron tyred wheels of common road vehicles, we make a false
tyre or rim (preferably of strip or sheet steel) in cross section somewhat resembling
the letter U, which embraces the usual iron tyre of the wheel and is there secured by
cross bolts passing through the felloes or by other means. This false tyre may be
and by preference is made in sections for convenience of manufacture and fixing to
the wheel. The periphery of the false tyre is perforated at equal distances apart
and as near together as possible and in these perforations the detached pieces or
short lengths of indiarubber tyre are inserted and held by being made of a shape to
swell out between the false tyre and the ordinary iron tyre of the wheel. Or the
false tyre may be made of a shape to fit on to and clip the ordinary tyre and be
either secured in position by cross bolts or not.
Another part of this invention consists in the following improved methods of
constructing the metallic rims of metallic spoked wheels of vehicles, bicycles,
tricycles and other velocipedes so as to facilitate the fixing of the said solid or
hollow detached pieces or short lengths of india rubber tyre and the metallic spokes
to the said rims. According to one method we make the metallic rim of trough
section with the edges turned inwardly towards each other. The detached pieces
or short lengths of india rubber tyre fit in the trough and project beyond the rim
at regular intervals and they are there secured by sheet metal distance pieces which
fit between the said projecting parts and take under and engage with the edges of
the rim. These distance pieces can very readily be fixed in place by being first
slightly bent longitudinally so as to pass between the edges of the rim and then
placed in position and flattened to engage with the edges of the rim. Or, instead
of being turned inwardly, the edges of the trough shaped rim may be turned out-
wardly for the edges of the distance pieces to engage with. Or the metallic rim
may be made of a strip which is bent to form a hollow rim of double thickness
where perforated for the detached pieces or short lengths of india rubber tyre thus
enabling very thin metal to be used.
According to another method of forming the metallic rim, for use with continuous
india rubber tyres of the ordinary kind, we bend a thin parallel metal strip into a
tube of a hollow crescent shape in cross section to take the india rubber tyre. The
edges of the strip which are preferably thicker than the central part, meet together
along the smaller periphery of the finished rim and then turn outwardly so as to

page_text: form annular flanges through which the headed spokes pass. We thus obtain a
hollow rim from which any spoke can be removed and replaced without disturbing
the indiarubber tyre.
Dated thie 10th day of July 1800
CUMI LEIE DIECINICATION.
Improvements in and connected with the Wheels of Vehicles,
Bicycles, Tricycles, and other Velocipedes.
We, GEORGE BYNG LUKIN, late of 23, Darnley Street, Gravesend, in the
County of Kent, now residing at Hamstead Road, Handsworth; in the County of
Stafford, Engineer, and HOWARD FRANK BAKER, of Hamstead Road, Hands-
worth, aforesaid, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :—
This invention has reference in the first place to those wheel tyres which are
made of a series of detached pieces or short lengths of india rubber which project
at certain distances apart through the rim of the wheel as described in the
Specification of Sheldon's Patent No. 7262 of A.D. 1888. Instead of making the
said pieces or short lengths of india rubber tyre solid as heretofore we make
them hollow thereby greatly increasing their elasticity and formning a better
cushion. The said pieces or short lengths of india rubber tyre may either be each
formed with an enclosed cavity or cavities or the said cavity or cavities may be
open in communication with those parts of the tyre which are enclosed in the rim of
the wheel.
In Figs. 1 to 11 both inclusive we have illustrated several different forms of the
said india rubber studs or detached pieces all made hollow according to this part
of our invention. Of these Fig. 1 represents in front elevation and Fig. 2 in edge
view a metallic wheel rim c suitable for a bicycle or other velocipede furnished with
the said hollow india rubber detached pieces each of which has a cavity b com-
municating with its base. A portion of the hollow semi cylindrical rin c of this
wheel with the said studs a in position is represented on an enlarged scale in front
elevation by Fig. 3 and in cross section by Fig. 4 and a modified form of one of the
said hollow studs a is represented in part section and in side elevation on a still
larger scale by Fig. 5. In Fig. 5 the base of the stud has a transverse hole 62 in
addition to the hole b. Fig. shews a further modification in which the cavity
is wholly enclosed and in this case the said cavity may be filled with air under
pressure. Fig. 7 shews a reversible stud which is made with an enclosed cavity b.
Figs. 8 and 9 each represent a different form of india rubber stud with a cavity b
communicating with the base; Figs. 10 and 11 each represent a part of a detached
piece of the india rubber stud tyre which has several studs or domes upon its outer
surface each having a cavity 6 the cavities being either enclosed (Fig. 11) or open
at the base (Fig. 10).
In order to secure the said solid or hollow pieces or short lengths of india rubber
tyre to the ordinary iron tyred wheels of common road vehicles, we make a false
tyre or rim (preferably of strip or sheet steel) in cross section somewhat resembling
the letter U, which embraces the iron tyre which holds together the wooden felloes
of the wheel and is there secured by cross bolts passing through the felloes or by
other means. This false tyre may be and by preference is made in sections for
convenience of manufacture and fixing to the wheel. The periphery of the false
tyre is perforated at equal distances apart and as near together as possible and in
these perforations the detached pieces or short lengths of india rubber tyre are
inserted and held by being made of a shape to swell out between the false tyre and

page_text: the ordinary iron tyre of the wheel. Or the false tyre may be made of a shape to
fit on to and clip the ordinary tyre and be either..secured in position by cross bolts
or not.
[.
This part of this invention is illustrated: in the accompanying drawings by
Figs. 12 to 29 both inclusive in which the same letters of reference indicate the
same or corresponding parts in all the figures. Fig. 12 represents in front elevation
the felloes and part of the spokes of a wooden wheel furnished with a metallic rim
and india rubber stud tyre constructed according to this invention; Fig. 13 is a
cross section and Fig. 14 is a plan of the compound tyre of the same on an enlarged
scale; Fig. 15 is a cross section of the metallic tyre of the same separately and
Fig. 15 shews separately one of the india rubber studs for forming the tyre proper,
and Fig. 15** shews a modified form of the same. d is the iron or steel tyre which
is shrunk around the wooden felloes e to hold them together as usual and f is the
false tyre fitting in a grooved in the tyre d and perforated at g to take the india
rubber studs a. The tyres d and thus together form a hollow tyre in which the
enlarged bases of the solid or hollow india rubber pieces or studs a fit. The false
tyre can either be made in one piece or in sections. When made in one piece the
false tyre has to be expanded by heat to get it into the groove d¹ and the india
rubber studs inserted afterwards. When the tyre f is made in sections, the sections
can readily be fixed in place by tyre bolts passing through both tyres and the
felloes.
The sections of the rings d and f forming the compound hollow perforated tyre
above described for securing the felloes together and holding the india rubber
detached pieces or studs a thereto may be varied without departing from the nature
of this invention. For instance as shewn by Figs. 16, 17, 18 and 19 the side flanges
of the channel section ring d may be made deeper and the perforated ring or false
tyre made of flat section to fit between those flanges as before. A convenient
method of securing together the ends or sections of the ring f (when this ring is not
made whole) is shewn by Figs. 16 and 18 consisting of eyes formed at each end and
secured together by a cross pin y. When the ring f is made whole it can (instead
of being expanded) be placed in position by the ring a being made with one side
inclined to the dotted lines Fig. 19 and then bent up to the proper section after the
ring has been placed in position.
Or instead of the flat section perforated ring or false tyre fitting between the side
flanges of the ring d the perforated ring f may fit. upon the said side flanges as shewn
in Figs. 20 and 21 and have small pieces such as h pierced and bend down to fit
between the side flanges and thus keep or assist in keeping the ring f in position.
Or, as shewn by Fig. 22, the perforated ring may be of a shallow channel section
with flanges fitting outside the ring d. Or, as shewn by Figs. 23, 24 and 25, the
ring d, which is shrunk on to the felloes e (and secured by tyre bolts if necessary)
and the perforated ring ƒ may each he of section, the ring f being shrunk or
otherwise secured (as by screws) around the ring d as shewn in Figs. 23 and 24.
Or, as shewn by Figs. 26, 27 and 28 two channel section rings d³ d may be used side
by side their two channels together forming the trough to take the enlarged bases
of the india rubber studs or detached pieces a which are pressed therein through the
holes g half in one ring and half in the other after the rings have been shrunk on to
the wooden felloes e. These rings may be secured together by cross rivets such as
at intervals and they may also be bolted or rivetted to the felloes e. Or a flat
sided rectangular tube Fig. 29 drilled at regular intervals at g may be used to form
the hollow tyre instead of the two channel rings d³ d. Or the flat perforated tyre f
may be shrunk directly upon the wooden felloes e as shewn, by Fig. 29* and a
groove e turned in the periphery of the felloes to take the bases of the studs a.
Another part of this invention consists in the following improved method of
constructing the metallic rims of metallic spoked wheels of vehicles, bicycles, tricycles
and other velocipedes so as to facilitate the fixing of the said solid or hollow
detached pieces or short lengths of india rubber tyre and the metallic spokes to the
said rims. This is illustrated on the accompanying drawings by Figs. 30 to 36 both

page_text: inclusive. According to one method as shewn by Figs. 30, 31, 32 and 33 we make
the metallic rim c of trough section (shewn separately by Fig. 33) with the edges
turned inwardly towards each other. The detached pieces or studs or short lengths a
of india rubber fit in the trough and project beyond the rim at regular intervals
apart and they are there secured by sheet metal distance pieces i (one of which is
shewn separately in plan and cross section by Fig. 32) which are shaped to fit
between the studs a and take under and engage with the edges of the rim c (see the
cross section Fig. 30 and part sectional plan Fig. 31 with the studs removed).
These distance pieces i can very readily be fixed in place by being first slightly bent
longitudinally so as to pass between the edges of the rim and then placed in position
and flattened to engage with the edges of the rim. Or, as shewn by Fig. 34,
instead of being turned inwardly the edges of the trough shaped rim c may be
turned outwardly for the edges of the distance pieces to engage with. Or, as
shewn by Figs. 35 and 36 the metallic rim a may be made of a strip which is bent
to form a hollow rim of double thickness where perforated for the detached pieces
or short lengths of india rubber tyre thus enabling very thin metal to be used.
The lap may be secured by brazing.
According to another method (see Fig. 37) of forming the metallic rim, for use
with continuous india rubber tyres of the ordinary. kind, we bend a thin parallel
metal strip into a tube of a hollow crescent shape in cross section to take the india
rubber tyre a¹. The edges of the strip which are preferably thicker than the
central part, meet together along the smaller periphery of the finished rim and then
turn outwardly so as to form annular flanges through which the headed spokes pass.
We thus obtain a very strong and light hollow rim from which any spoke can be
emoved and replaced without disturbing the indiarubber tyre.
r
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is :-
1. The construction of the india rubber studs a for formning an elastic tyre for a
wheel each said stud having an enclosed (Figs. 6, 7, 11, 15**) or an open
(Figs. 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10, 15*) cavity or cavities b by which an improved cushion is
obtained, substantially as herein before set forth.
'
2. The combination, with a hollow perforated wheel rim of a bicycle tricycle or
other velocipede or vehicle, of an elastic tyre composed of a series of hollow
detached pieces or short lengths of india rubber secured in the said perforations,
substantially as hereinbefore described.
3. Securing solid or hollow detached pieces or short lengths of india rubber
around the wooden felloes of the wheels of ordinary road vehicles so as to form the
elastic tyre thereof in the several ways substantially as herein before described
and illustrated by Figs. 12 to 29* both inclusive of the accompanying drawings.
4. Making the metallic rims or tyres of the wooden wheels of ordinary road
vehicles in the several ways substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated
by Figs. 12 to 29* both inclusive of the accompanying drawings so as to secure the
wooden felloes together and receive and hold a series of detached pieces or
studs of india rubber to form the elastic tyre of the wheel as hereinbefore set
forth.
"
5. Making the metallic rims of the wheels of vehicles bicycles tricycles and other
velocipedes of a hollow trough shaped ring c with inwardly turned edges engaging
with distance pieces i fitting above the bases of the detached pieces or studs of india
rubber a substantially as herein before described and illustrated by Figs. 30, 31, 32
and 33 and by Fig. 34 of the accompanying drawings.
6. Making the metallic rims of the wheels of vehicles bicycles tricycles and other
velocipedes of a semi-cylindrical tube with lapping over edges forming double
thicknesses on the flat-side which is perforated to receive the detached pieces or
studs of india rubber a substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated by
Figs. 35 and 36 of the accompanying drawings.

page_text: 7. Making the metallic rims of the wheels of vehicles, bicycles, tricycles and
other velocipedes of a thin parallel metallic strip bent into a hollow crescent section
with projecting flanges to receive the spokes substantially as herein before described
and illustrated by Fig. 37 of the accompanying drawings.
3041 Jan Anail 1901
CHARLES BOSWORTH KETLEY,
Agent for the Applicants.