Improvements in India-rubber Tyres.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 27th June, 1891
Complete Specification Left, 9th Jan., 1892-1ccepted, 13th Feb., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in India-rubber Tyres.
1. HENRY NAPIER LEE, of 61 and 62, Barbican, in the City of London, India
Rubber Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention relates more particularly to india-rubber tyres for the wheels of
bicycles and other velocipedes, and it consists essentially in manufacturing such
tyres with internal cells containing compressed air or gas, the said cells being
thereby permanently inflated.
The cells may be produced in the tyres in any suitable manner such as the
following:
A number of tubes in a soft or plastic condition are filled with air under pressure
and are then compressed or indented at intervals so as to divide the tubes into a
number of cells; the said tubes are then placed together in a thicker tube of a
suitable thickness and the whole is then vulcanized and will join together in the
form of a compact cellular tyre.
Or the cells can be produced by introducing suitable chemicals at intervals into
the plastic compound which by their expansion would inflate the substance at the
required parts.
By my invention I provide a tyre which is considerably lighter than an ordinary
cushion tyre or a pneumatic tyre and which requires no inflation and will not
collapse nor have its elasticity affected if punctured. Besides which in consequence
of the air being retained in the portion of the tyre bearing the weight, instead of
being forced away by the compression, as it is in a cushion tyre, greater elasticity
is secured.
Deted the 27th day of June 1891
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in India-rubber Tyres.
I, HENRY NAPIER LEE, of 61 and 62, Barbican, in the City of London, India-
rubber Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
iu and by the following statement :-
My invention relates more particularly to india-rubber tyres for the wheels of
bicycles and other velocipedes, and it consists essentially in manufacturing such
tyres with internal cells containing compressed air or gas, the said cells being
thereby permanently inflated.
To enable my invention to be fully understood I will describe the same by
reference to the accompanying drawing, the figures of which are herein..fter
described.
In carrying out my invention I take a number of tubes a of unvulcanized in lia-
rubber in a soft or plastic condition and fill the same with compressed air preferably
at a low temperature; each tube is then compressed or indented at intervals (for
instance as at b, b, Figure 1, which is a longitudinal section through one of the said
tubes) so as to divide the tube into a number of cells c, c: a number of such inflated
tubes are now placed together in the form of a cable, and around the sanic is
tightly drawn an outer covering d also of unvulcanized india-rubber, as shewn in

page_text: Figure 2, which is a transverse section through such tubes and outer covering.
The tyre thus far formed is considerably larger than the finished tyre is required
to be. The two ends of this unfinished tyre are now joined together and the tyre
is introduced into a vulcanizing mould in such a manner that, when the two parts of
the mould are brought together, the diameter of the tyre will be considerably
reduced and, at the same time, the air contained in the cells will be further
compressed. The tyre is now vulcanized in the ordinary manner so that the india-
rubber of the various tubes and of the outer covering is amalgamated. Figure 3
shews a longitudinal section of a portion of a finished tyre, and Figure 4 is a
transverse section on the line a x, Figure 3.
In Figures 3 and 4 it will be noticed that spaces e, e are formed between the
tubes forming the tyre, but in practice it is found that, owing to the compression of
the tyre in the vulcanizing mould, these spaces are entirely filled up, or are of
exceedingly small dimensions.
By my invention I produce a tyre which is considerably lighter than an ordinary
cushion tyre or a pneumatic tyre and which requires no inflation and will not
collapse nor have its elasticity materially affected if punctured.
Besides which, in
consequence of the air being retained in the portion of the tyre bearing the weight,
instead of being forced away by the compression, as it is in a cushion tyre, greater
elasticity is secured.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The manufacture of a new kind of tyre having a series of cells filled with
compressed air or gas, substantially as described.
2. The method of forming a tyre having a series of cells filled with compressed
air or gas as described in the first claiming clause, consisting in inflating a series of
tubes with compressed air, forming indentations in the said tubes and then enclosing
a number of the same in an outer covering, the whole being then compressed into a
mould and vulcanized substantially in the manner described.
Dated the 9th day of January 1892.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.