Improvements in Means for Attaching Pneumatic Tyres to Vehicle Wheels.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Aug., 1894-Accepted, 6th Oct., 1894
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Means for Attaching Pneumatic Tyres to
Vehicle Wheels.
I, PARDON WILBUR TILLINGHAST, of Edgewood, in the County of Providence,
and State of Rhode Island, United States of America, Manufacturer of Pneumatic
Tyres, 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 relates to that type of pneumatic or air cushion tyres which are
slitted or divided at their inner sides, and have the edges of the slit provided with
annular lips to engage properly shaped annular seats in or on the rim of a bicycle
or other wheel.
The object of my invention is to improve the prior tyres of this type, and to
provide novel means whereby the tyre will be securely held and confined when
inflated, so that the elements required to produce a strong, durable and efficient
attachment of the tyre to the wheel will be materially simplified, and their manu-
facture economized, while enabling repairs to be conveniently effected by such
means that an unskilled person can readily remove and replace the tyre without the
provision of special tools and appliances, and without disturbing any part of the
wheel-rim.
To accomplish this object my invention consists in the features of construction
and the combination or arrangement of devices hereinafter described and claimed:
In the accompanying drawings:
Fig. 1, is a perspective view showing a section of the pneumatic tyre and the
rim of the wheel, the parts being in the position they occupy when the tyre is
inflated.
Fig. 2, is a similar view indicating that the tyre is collapsed, and deflected for
the purpose of detaching it from the rim of the wheel.
Fig. 3, represents an outer view of a portion of the rim of the wheel showing the
end joint of the metallic band which holds the elastic tyre.
Fig. 4, represents a longitudinal section taken in the line 4, 4, of Fig. 3.
Fig. 5, represents an inner side view of the joint of the metallic band.
Fig. 6, represents a transverse section showing a modification in the construction
of the rim of the wheel, and the metallic band.
In the drawings, Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive, A, represents the rim of the wheel,
which may be made of wood or any other suitable material, the said rim being
provided with the opposite annular grooves a, a, which are semi-circular in cross
section or approximately so, and with the intermediate annular groove b, which is
adapted to receive the corresponding annular ridge 6 of the metallic band B, the
said intermediate annular groove b, and the annular ridge b', serving to retain the
metallic band B laterally in place upon the rim A. The metallic band B is
provided with the outwardly projecting edges of curved cross section, as shown in
Figs. 1 and 2, the extreme outer edges c, c, being located at about the center of the
semi-circular arc of the cross section of the annular grooves a, a.
The pneumatic or air cushion tyre may be made of any material suitable for the
conditions required, and ordinarily it is composed of an external casing C made of
canvas and rubber, or any material suitable for the purpose; including an air
tube D of ordinary construction. The external casing or covering C, is vulcanized
and shaped in circular form, and it is so divided at its inner side as to provide two

page_text: opposite annular edge portions, designed to be connected with the wheel-rim, so
that the tyre can be readily removed and replaced.
The edge portions of the casing or covering, are each provided with an annular
bead or thickened rib e, having its rounded outer surface to fit one of the
grooves a, and the beads or thickened ribs e, are formed at their inner sides with
the rounded faces g, g, which fit into the circularly formed annular grooves h, h, of
the metallic band B, which project over the inner half of the annular grooves a, a,
of the rim A. When the parts of the external covering C are in this position, and
they can readily be placed in this position when the tyre is collapsed, the said parts
will be firmly and securely held to the wheel-rim when the tyre is inflated and
under pressure of confined air. If the tyre is first collapsed it can be quickly and
conveniently detached by deflecting it laterally as shown in Fig. 2, whereby one
of the ribs e will turn like a ball in a socket within the groove a, and it can be
withdrawn through the slot i created between the outer edge c of the annular
band B, and the outer edge of the annular groove a, in the rim A. The tyre
can be readily replaced by introducing one of the beads or ribs e and turning it in
a curved path until it fits the groove a, of the rim, and bears against the surface of
the reversely formed groove h, whereupon the opposite bead or rib e can be
introduced and seated in the same manner.
The construction and arrangement of the parts are such that the width of the
slots are about one-half the diameter of the circular arc d, and the form and
shape of the beads or ribs are such that while they can be readily introduced by
moving in curved pathways like a ball turning in a socket, they cannot be with-
drawn except by reverse movements in the same curved pathways, so that when
the tyre is applied to the wheel-rim as explained, and the tyre is inflated, it cannot
possibly become disarranged or detached, while if collapsed, it can be quickly and
readily removed for the purpose of repairing it.
In practice no leverage strain is placed upon the edges c' of the rim A, because
the bearing shoulder of the bead or rib e, engages with the edge portion of the
band B, and since these beads or thickened parts are molded and vulcanized into
definite shape they are stiff up to the corner or point of the tyre, and the edges c¹
of the rim A, so terminate that they never touch the tyre at or above the corner l,
so that the sides of the tyre are prevented from unduly pressing against the
edges c' and all liability to cutting or chafing the tyre is avoided. The abutting
ends m, m', of the band B, are preferably secured by means of the wire staple D¹,
the arms n, n, of which are provided with the notches o, o, adapted to receive the
hook ends p, p, of the button E, which is pivoted to the inner side of the end n of
the band, centrally of the button; the arms n, n, of the staple being placed in the
perforations q, q, made in the band to receive the same, and a suitable recess r,
made in the rim A to provide for the proper movement of the button E in fastening
or releasing the staple D', which connects the end of the band.
is
An approved form of construction when a metallic rim is employed for the
vehicle wheel, instead of the wooden rim above described, is shown in Fig. 6, and
in this case the rim A, and the band B, may be secured to each other by means of
the screw nipples 8, which serve to secure the spokes t to the rim; a shallow central
groove b, being preferably made in the rim A, to facilitate the proper connection of
the band B to the rim of the wheel.
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 18:
1. The combination with a wheel-rim provided with annular grooves at its
opposite edges, and an annular band secured to the rim and extending partially
over the said grooves, of a pneumatic tyre provided with an outer covering, having
its edges molded and vulcanized with stiff beads provided with rounded outer
surfaces, and adapted to enter the said grooves in an inward circular direction,
substantially as described.

page_text: 2. The combination with a wheel-rim provided with annular grooves at its
opposite edges, and an annular band secured to the rim and extending partially
over the said grooves, of a pneumatic tyre provided with an outer covering, having
its edges molded and vulcanized with stiff beads provided with rounded outer
surfaces and adapted to enter said grooves in an inward circular direction, and the
shoulders adapted to bear against the under side of the edges of the annular band,
substantially as described.
3. The combination with a wheel-rim provided with annular grooves at its
opposite edges, and an intervening annular groove, of the annular band provided
with the ridge adapted to enter the intervening annular grooves of the rim, and
having its edges extending partially over the annular grooves of the opposite edges
of the rim, of a pneumatic tyre provided with an outer covering, having its edges
molded and vulcanized with stiff beads provided with rounded outer surfaces
and adapted to enter said grooves in an inward circular direction, and the
shoulders adapted to bear against the edges of the annular band, substantially as
described.
4. The combination with a wheel-rim provided with annular grooves at its
opposite edges, and the annular band provided with the perforations at its ends, and
having its edges extending partially over the said grooves in the rim, of the button
pivoted to one end of the band, and the notched staple adapted to enter the
perforations of the band, for locking engagement with the button to fasten the
band to the rim, substantially as described.
Dated this 30th day of Avgust 1894
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.