Improvements in and connected with Pneumatic Tyres for Cycles and other Vehicles.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Aug., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 26th June, 1897--Accepted, 26th Oct., 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Pneumatic Tyres for Cycles
and other Vehicles.
I, JAMES HIGGINBOTTOM, of 32 Seel Street Liverpool, Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The first part of this invention is applicable to that class of pneumatic tyres
in which there is an outer detachable cover and an inner inflated pneumatic
tube, and to that class of pneumatic tyres in which there is used a single
detachable inflated tyre, and it has the following objects:-
To make a single pneumatic detachable tube or au outer cover placed over au
inner pneumatic tube which by means of the air pressure will retain its position
on the flanged rim of the wheel when subjected to rough usage without the use
of cement or the use of wires or hooks or inclined or dovetailed surfaces on the
flanges of the rim, also to make such tyres so that a maximum of resilience may
be obtained from a given diameter of tyre.
In carrying out this first part of my invention I form the detachable lyre of
flexible material such as canvas and indiarubber.
To obtain the maximum of resilience I form the tyre of a circular shape in
cross section and I form the interior of the tube so that as large a portion as
possible of such circle is inflated, also I thicken out and form the portion of
the detachable tyre or outer cover which rests upon and is in contact with the
rim and its flanges upon the outside of such circle.
In the case of a single detachable pneumatic tyre I cause the ends of the
circle to butt against each other preferably in an annular vertical joint upon
the rim and between its flanges aud I thicken out the portion of the tyre to
depth sufficient so that a pulling out strain arising from the deflection of the
inflated tyre during use will have the effect of causing such thickened out portions
to abut against the flanges of the rim and against each other at the annular
joint in such a manner that the thickened out portions are pressed against the
flanges of the rim and thereby they are prevented from becoming detached from
the rim.
In applying the thickened out portions to the outer cover of an inner pneumatic
tyre I may form the inner pneumatic tube with an annular thickened portion
lying between the thickened edges of the cover.
I arrange a branch pipe with valve for inflating the inner tube by passing
the same through the rim and through the thickened out annular portion of the
inner tube, or I may pass the branch tube through the rim and the thickened
out portion of the detachable cover to the inner tube. In the case of the single
detachable pneumatic tyre I pass the branch tube through the rim to one side
of the cover.
The second portion of my invention applies to the cases where a detachable
inflated tyre is used without any pneumatic inner tube, and the object of this

page_text: part of my invention is to make an air tight annular joint between the ends of
the circle of the tyre where they butt against each other.
To accomplish this I make a prolongation of the above mentioned annular
vertical or nearly vertical joint in the interior of the tube, also I make the
surfaces of this annular joint to be flexible and I arrange the joint in such a
manner that the air pressure in the tube or tyre causes the annular joint to
become air tight.
.
190
Improvements in and connected with Pneumatic Tyres for Cycles
and other Vehicles.
I, JAMES HIGGINBOTTOM of 32 Seel Street, Liverpool in the County of Lancaster,
Milling 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:-
The first part of this invention is applicable to that class of pneumatic tyres
in which there is an outer detachable cover and an inner inflated pneumatic
tube, and to that class of pneumatic tyres in which there is used a single
detachable inflated tyre, and it has the following objects:--
To make a single pneumatic detachable tube or an outer cover placed over an
inner pneumatic tube which by means of the air pressure will retain its position
on the flanged rim of the whool when subjected to rough usage without the use
of cement or the use of wires or hooks or inclined or dovetailed surfaces on the
flanges of the rim, also to make such tyres so that a maximum of resilience may
be obtained from a given diameter of tyre.
In carrying out this first part of my invention I form the detachable tyre of
flexible material such as canvas and indiarubber.
To obtain the maximum of resilience I form the tyre of a circular shapo in
cross section and I form the interior of the tube so that as large a portion as
possible of such circle is inflated, also I thicken out and form the portion of
the detachable tyre or outer cover which rests upon and is in contact with the
rim and its flanges mainly upon the outside of such circle.
In ue case of a single detachable pneumatic tyre I cause the ends of the
circle to butt against each other preferably in an annular vertical joint upon
the rim and between its flanges and I thicken out this portion of the tyre to
depth sufficient so that a pulling out strain arising from the deflection of the
inflated tyre during use will have the effect of causing such thickened out portions
to abut against the flanges of the rim and against each other at the annular
joint in such a manner that the thickened out portions are pressed against the
Hanges of the rim and thereby they are prevented from becoming detached from
the rim.
In applying the thickened out portions to the outer cover of an inner pneumatic
tyre I may formn the inner pneumatio tube with an aunular thickened portion
lying between the thickened edges of the cover.
I arrange a branch pipe with valve for inflating the inner tube by passing
the same through the rim and through the thickened out annular portion of the
inner tube, or I may pass the branch tube through the rim and the thickened

page_text: out portion of the detachable cover to the inner tube. In the case of the single
detachable pneumatic tyre I pass the branch tube through the rim to one side
of the cover.
The second portion of my invention applies to the cases where a detachable
inflated tyre is used without any pneumatic inner tube, and the object of this
part of my invention is to make an air tight annular joint between the ends of
the circle of the tyre where they butt against each other.
To accomplish this I make a prolongation of the above mentioned annular
vertical or nearly vertical joint in the interior of the tube, also I make the
surfaces of this annular joint to be flexible and I arrange the joint in such a
manner that the air pressure in the tube or tyre causes the annular joint to
become air tight.
The accompanying drawings illustrate my invention and the like letters and
figures on the drawings correspond to each other.
Figure 1 shows a single pneumatic tyre T having a vertical joint B' placed in
a groove on a rim R, such rim having flanges F and F', and such groove having
parallel sides C D and a depression A.
Figure 2 corresponds th Figure 1 and it approximately shows the position
assumed by the thickened edges of the tyre when inflated.
Figure 3 shows a single pneumatic tyre having a vertical joint B and a
hollowed out portion A¹ placed in a groove on a rim, such groove being flut ou
the bottom and having parallel sides C and D.
I prefer the grooved rim shown on Figure 1, because the depression A in the
rim facilitates the placing of the tyre on the rim.
When the tyre l'igure 1 is inflated the air presses the top surface B, B1, B
towards the rim and thus shortens the distance from B1 to C, and from B' to D;
thus the thickened out portion or edges of the tyre are caused to butt or press
against each other at the joint B and also to press against the sides C and D
of the flanges F F of the rim, whereby the tyre is firmly retained on the rim,
and at the same time the vertical joint B is placed under pressure and thus it
is rendered air tight.
Thus the thickened out edges of the tyre act like an arch which transmits the
pressure arising from its load through one or more joints in the arch to the
abutments, in Figure 1 the joint B is single and the abutments are the sides C
and D of the flanges F and F.
Figure 4 shows an outer tyre similar to Figure 1 but having an inner pneumatic
tube E.
By means of my invention a single detachable tyre may be firmly attached
to the rim and rendered air tight at the joint, and the detachable tyre may be
fitted with an inner pneumatic tube if so desired.
Figure 5 is a transverse section and Figure 6 a longitudinal section showing
the method of admitting air to the interior of the single detachable tyre; G is
the usual metal air valve communicating with H, which is an air tight tube
made of indiarubber lined with canvas communicating by the air tight india-
rubber tube L with one side of the inside of the tyre T.
Figure 7 is a transverse section and Figure 8 a longitudinal section showing
the air valve arrangement to the tyre when it is fitted with an inner pneumatic
tube.
The metal air valve G passes by means of a deep washer J through the thickened
edges of the tyre to the inner tube E.
The tyre T is constructed in the usual manner with outer vulcanised india-
rubber and with an inner canvas lining, I preferably form the thickened edges
of the tyre of layers of canvas firmly pressed and cemented together by means of
indiarubber and I place a layer of soft vulcanized indiarubber on each edge at
the joint B of such a thickness as will yield to the pressure arising from inflation
sufficiently to form an air tight joint.
It will be seen that my tyre is based upon a novel principle, whereby the tyre

page_text: is held tight without the use of grooved or hooked rims or of wires or inflated
hollow heads, namely, forming the edges of the cover or tyre so that they become
levers bearing against each other at one end, and against their abutments on
the rim at the other cud, like the rafters of a house, but differing from rafters
owing to the levers being themselves compressible in length, consequently the
heavier the pressure, the greater the compression forcing the edges together, and
the greater the resistance to escape of air.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:-
The improvement in or connected with pueumatic tyres for cycles and other vehicles
which consists in forming the edges of the cover or tyre and the sides and base
of the r'm in manner substantially as described, whereby the tyre or cover, as the
case may be, will hold tight without hooked rim, wires or the like, by the sub-
stantially vertical faces of the edges being compressed against each other and
against the rim, substantially as described.
Dated this 25th day of June 1897
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham and London, Patent Agents.