Improvements in Pneumatic Tires.
Year: 1893

page_text: ate of Application, 4th Nov., 1893-Accepted, 9th Dec., 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Pneumatic Tires.
We, TAYLOR SCOTT BUCK, of 58 John Street, in the City of New York,
County and State of New York, U.S.A., Manufacturer, and BERNARD GODFREY
VOLGER, of 83 William Street, in the City of New York, County and State of
New York, U.S.A., Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of our invention,
for IMPROVEMENTS IN PNEUMATIC TIRES, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
Our invention relates to flexible tires made of india rubber for use on bicycles,
tricycles, vehicles, etc., and our object is to produce a flexible tire which shall
possess the advantages and obviate the evils of the so-called pneumatic or inflated
tires, now in common use.
This object we attain by forming the tire out of india rubber, or other suitable
flexible material, in lengths, or in hoop form, the same being constructed with a
series of internal flexible supports which yield with the compression of the outer
walls of the tire and return the walls to normal shape as soon as the compressing
force or weight is removed or shifted. The said internal supports are by preference
in the form of flexible partitions arranged to form small compartments or cells to
confine the air within them in small pockets which form air cushions to add to the
stability of the tire and enable it to be comparatively light and to maintain the
tire from collapse in case the outer wall be cut or punctured.
In one form of our invention the air cells are made on opposite sides of
a central strip by transverse and circumferential partitions, while in another
form the cells are continuous; and the cells may be round, angular or of any
desired form.
The tire may be of any desired form in cross-section, and we find it most con-
venient to form it in two halves which are cemented together, forming the complete
tire, and before cementing, we find it more satisfactory to secure a thin strip or
sheet of india rubber, or other suitable material, between the two halves thus
multiplying the cells and hermetically sealing them and strengthening the whole
tire, so that in case of cutting or puncturing the outer wall, the tire would have
to be punctured in each of the cells in the same section both above and below the
strip, before exhaustion of air would result in materially weakening the tire. The
central strip also serves to strengthen the entire tire; but the central sheet may be
omitted and the walls and interior supports or partitions cemented together edge to
edge. In case the tire is made of other form, the cells may be continuous and
closed by a separate outer sheet or strip of rubber cemented over them to the
edges of the tire.
In the accompanying drawings to which reference is made.
Fig. 1 is a broken side elevation of a portion of a tire made in accordance with
our invention.
Fig. 2 is an enlarged detailed perspective view of a portion of one-half of
the tire.
Fig. 3 is an enlarged transverse sectional view of the complete tire.
Fig. 4 is a sectional view showing the body of the tire made with continuous
cells closed by an outer strip cemented to the tire and by a canvas and rubber
covering or jacket.
Fig. 5 is a modification of the construction shown in Fig. 3.
The tire A of india rubber is preferably made of a straight length turned into
hoop form and the ends cemented together, the ends being preferably scarfed as
shown at a a to form a lap joint. The tire is formed with interior supports b b'
D

page_text: which form air cells c. The tire as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, is made of two
halves B B of rubber. These are duplicates of each other, and are formed in a
mold by pressing the raw rubber therein and there vulcanizing the rubber by
heat in the well known manner. When the tire is made complete in hoop form,
two molds will be required circular in form and of proper size so that the product
of one will fit within that of the other. The sections B B' when vulcanized and
removed from the mold are placed edge to edge and cemented firmly with rubber
or other suitable cement making the tubular formation and hermetically sealing
the cells. In most cases a strip d of india rubber or other suitable material will
be first cemented to one of the sections and to the edges of the supports or
cells, and then the other section will be secured to the strip d and hermetically
sealed so that there will be a set of cells and supports on each side of the central
strip.
In the form of tire shown in Fig. 4, the main inner rubber portion C is formed
by pressing the raw rubber in the mold and vulcanizing it therein, so that the edges
of the partitions 6 6' are flush with the edges ee of the outer wall, and upon the
edges of the partitions and the edges of the wall is cemented the strip of metal,
rubber, or other suitable material. The rubber portions B B' for the round tire,
and C for the D-shaped tire, constitutes the principal parts of our invention, and
if made of sufficient weight and of proper stock may be applied directly to the
wheel, but we prefer to jacket these rubber portions to give the tire additional
strength, which jacket in the preferred form of construction, is composed of a
wrapping g of canvas, calendered with rubber, several thicknesses being used, and
an outer covering h of rubber vulcanized upon the canvas.
By forming the tire as described it possesses the advantage of proper flexibility,
and the resistance being due to both the air confined in the tire and the partitions,
the tire may be made comparatively light and no cutting or puncturing of the
tire short of puncturing each cell in the diameter or width of the tire, which is
a remote contingency, will cause the tire to collapse to any harmful extent, and
if desired the interior of the sections may be formed as shown in Figure 5 in
which represent isolated posts or braces the resiliency of which in connection
with the confined air serve to return the walls of the tire to normal position after
compression.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :
1. An elastic tire formed of two circular sections each formed with flexible
supports or partitions and cemented together face to face, substantially as
described.
2. An elastic tire formed of two circular sections each formed with air cells and
cemented to opposite sides of a central strip, substantially as described.
3. An elastic tyre formed of two circular sections each formed with flexible
supports or partitions and cemented together with or without an interposed strip
and surrounded by a jacket, substantially as described.
4. A circular section formed of india rubber having integral longitudinal and
transverse partitions forming air cells on the interior of the section, substantially
as described.
5. A flexible tire formed of an outer circular wall having integral therewith and
with one another longitudinal and transverse partitions forming air cells two or
more being disposed between the edges of the outer wall and covered by an inner
strip cemented to the edges of the wall and the edges of the partitions, to be used
with or without a surrounding jacket, substantially as described.
Dated this 4th day of November 1893
DAY, DAVIES & HUNT,
321, High Holborn, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicants.