An Improved Tyre for the Wheels of Cycles and other Vehicles.
Year: 1896

page_text: This Print is in accordance with the Original Specification as it stands after
Amendment (under Section 18 of the Patents, &c. Act, 1883) as allowed by
the decision of the Comptroller General of the 24th day of March 1898.
Date of Application, 19th Feb., 1896-Accepted, 21st Mar., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION (AMENDED).
An Improved Tyre for the Wheels of Cycles and other Vehicles.
I, ARTHUR ALEXANDER CROZIER, of 43 Gibson, Square, Islington, in the
County of London, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said 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 an improved pneumatic tyre for cycles and other
vehicles; the invention having for its main object, to produce a pneumatic tyre
the tread of which will be rendered both non-slipping and puncture-proof, without
the resiliency or speed of the tyre being lessened or its weight increased.
The invention has special reference to the tread of the tyre, and consists in the
formation thereof, and in the application thereto of a non-puncturable flexible
band, of the nature hereinafter referred to, and in the improved manner hereinafter
described.
In carrying out the invention, I form the tread a of the tyre for about the width
of the inflated air space j, of the tyre, of a much greater thickness than the sides c.
of the tyre, and with its road surface relatively flat, as compared with that of an
ordinary inflated tyre, making it in cross section of a curvature struck with a radius
about equal to the diameter of the tyre, when inflated. The road surface of the
tread may be ribbed or grooved, or may be. otherwise adapted in any suitable
manner to increase its frictional hold on the ground.
The thickened formation of the tread a, enables the sides c, of the tyre being
made of much thinner material than is customarily used in an ordinary pneumatic
tyre, as the thickened tread maintains a constant shape, and also a constant position
on the roadway under all conditions of the road, or all ordinary inclinations of the
cycle, when turning a corner, or taking a sweeping movement, and consequently the
sides of the tyre do not come into contact with the road; the underside laterally
distending or bulging and the upper side straightening to accommodate the constant
position of the tread; whereby the liability of side slip is avoided to the greatest
possible extent. Owing to the thinner sides of the tyre, the tread thereof can be
thickened in manner aforesaid without increasing the total weight, and with the
advantage of increasing the resiliency of the tyre, by reason of a greater portion
thereof being above the wheel rim, than is the case in ordinary pneumatic tyres.
Within the substance of the tread a, of the tyre, formed as aforesaid, so as to be
entirely surrounded by the rubber thereof, I locate a band b of 'the leather com-
mercially known as rawhide, which possesses the peculiar advantages of being
very tough, but at the same time very flexible. Such rawhide band being of any
suitable thickness, and of a sufficient width to protect the air space of the tyre from
puncture through the tread.
I have by experience found that if the tyre be vulcanized with the rawhide

page_text: within the substance of the rubber, the rawhide is entirely destroyed by the process
of vulcanization. I overcome this difficulty by moulding or otherwise forming the
under surface of the rubber tread of the tyre with a cavity e, (Fig. 2.) formed
with flaps f; such cavity is of the same dimensions as the rawhide band 6. After
the rubber of the tyre has been vulcanized, I then lay open the flaps f, and cement
with any suitable adhesive the rawhide band b, within the cavity e; this being done,
the flaps f, are pressed down and cemented over the rawhide; thus entirely
embedding the rawhide within the rubber of the tread; then the canvas or other
fabric backing g, is cemented to the tyre in the usual manner so as to form one
adherent mass.
As represented in Fig. 3, the cavity e, may be made without flaps, and filled up
with a loose piece of rubber h, cemented over the rawhide after it has been cemented
in the cavity, the canvas or the like is then applied in the usual manner.
The invention is illustrated on the accompanying drawings in which:-
Fig. 1. represents a cross section of the improved tyre, in the form of a
detachable tyre, showing the rawhide band embedded in the tread.
Fig. 2, represents a like view of the rubber part of the tyre, before the rawhide
band is applied, or the canvas or other backing applied, and showing the flaps f
of the cavity e, pulled down to allow of the insertion of the rawhide band b, the
dotted lines representing the position of the flaps when in their normal position.
Fig. 3, is a like view of a modification.
Fig. 4, is a like view of the improved tyre made as a single tube tyre.
By the hereinbefore described improved means, the rawhide is embedded and
fixed within the substance of the rubber of the tread of the tyre, without
destroying the desired properties of flexibility and toughness of the rawhide.
The tyre may be fitted with an inflating tube, in an ordinary manner, or may be
made as a single tube tyre (Fig. 4,) and may be connected to the rim of the wheel
in any suitable manner.
The improved tyre possesses the several important advantages of being light in
weight, and of being non-slipping and puncture-proof without its resiliency or
speed being lessened; the rawhide band not deadening the tyre, and cannot buckle
or break and injure the tread of the tyre, and being consequently of great
advantage in relation to steel or other metal protecting bands as hitherto proposed
to be applied, and which whether embedded in the tread or otherwise applied to
the tyre, buckle or break, deaden and cut the tyre.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
A pneumatic tyre formed with a flattened tread, of the peculiar shape illustrated,
and having embedded within the substance of such tread, in the improved manner
herein before described, a hard but flexible band of rawhide.
Dated this 17th day of February 1896
ARTHUR ALEXANDER CROZIER.