Improvements in or connected with Wheels for Velocipedes and other Vehicles.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 11th June, 1893
Complete Specification Left, 10th Mar., 1896-Accepted, 18th Apr., 1896
Date of Application, 17th June, 1899
Complete Specification Left, 10th Mar., 1896-Accepted, 18th Apr., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Wheels for Velocipedes
and other Vehicles.
I MARIUS OTTO of 7 Quai de Seine Courbevoie (Seine) in the Republic of
France Chemist do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of all systems of pneumatic wheels, or wheels having pneumatic
tyres, is to prevent shocks being conveyed from the periphery to the axle whilst
securing the necessary stability of the wheel. When the pneumatic tyres, or air
chambers, are situated at the periphery of the wheel they are quickly worn out,
and are also very liable to rupture; but hitherto, it has not been practicable to
bring the pneumatic chamber inwards of the periphery and at the same time retain
the requisite stability of the wheel. The object of my invention is to provide
means whereby these objections are overcome and consists in applying the air
chamber at the hub of the wheel and in combining therewith means whereby the
necessary stability of the wheel is secured, so as to prevent oscillatory movement
thereof.
For this purpose I arrange a collar, or tube, upon the axle so that it can rotate
thercon but cannot shift its position lengthwise relatively thereto, ball bearings
being preferably interposed between the said collar or tube, and axle. Upon the
said collar, or tube, I mount a hollow hub to which the inner ends of the spokes of
the wheel are connected. The said hollow hub can move transversely to the axle,
but is retained in position so that it cannot move lengthwise of the axle. Guides
are provided on the said collar, or tube, and the said hollow hub, to guide and
support the parts, ball bearings preferably intervening.
The said guides inay take any suitable position and form; for example, they may
consist of deep flanges at each end of the said collar, or tube, and bearing surfaces
on the ends of the hub; or there may be a central deep flange projecting from the
said collar, or tube, engaging between two corresponding guiding surfaces projecting
from the inside of the hollow hub. A flexible air chamber (which may be of any
suitable construction, such as an india rubber bag enclosed in strengthening
material) is placed between the said collar, or tube, and the hollow hub, the said
air chamber having a filling orifice projecting to outside the hub for expanding the
chamber with air.
When motion is to be transmitted by gear to the wheel, as, for example, in
bicycles, the sleeve, or tube, around the axle, or the hollow hub, may be provided
with the necessary gear wheel.
In operation, shocks, applied at the periphery of the wheel, are not transmitted to
the axle but are absorbed by the air chamber being compressed between the said
hollow hub and the said collar, or tube, on the axle, whilst the aforesaid guides
ensure the stability of the wheel as a whole.
Dated this 11th day of June 1895
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.

page_text: improvements in or connected with wheels 1Or velocipedes
and other Vehicles.
I, MARIUS OTTO, of 7 Quai de Scine Courbevoie (Seine) in the Republic of
France Chemist, 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 object of all systems of pneumatic wheels, or wheels having pneumatic tyres,
is to prevent shocks being conveyed from the periphery to the axle whilst securing
the necessary stability of the wheel. When the pneumatic tyres, or air chambers,
are situated at the periphery of the wheel they are quickly worn out, and are also
very liable to rupture; but hitherto, it has not been practicable to bring the
pneumatic chamber inwards of the periphery and at the same time retain the
requisite stability of the wheel. The object of my invention is to provide means
whereby these objections are overcome and consists in applying the air chamber at
the hub of the wheel and in combining therewith means whereby the necessary
stability of the wheel is secured, so as to prevent oscillatory movement thereof.
The accompanying drawings illustrate in section by way of example two
arrangements of wheels constructed according to this invention. I arrange a
collar, or tube, C, upon the axle A so that it can rotate thereon but cannot shift its
position lengthwise relatively thereto, ball bearings B, being preferably interposed
between the said collar, or tube and axle. Upon the said collar, or tube, I mount
a hollow hub D, to which the inner ends of the spokes d of the wheel are connected.
The said hollow hub can move transversely to the axle but is retained in position so
that it cannot move lengthwise of the axle. Guides G are provided on the said
collar or tube C, and the said hollow hub D to guide and support the parts; ball
bearings d¹ preferably intervening.
The said guides may take any suitable position and form, for example, they may
consist of deep flanges G at each end of the said collar, or tube, and bearing
surfaces on the ends of the hub, as shewn in Figure 1, or there may be a central
deep flange G projecting from the said collar, or tube, engaging between two
corresponding guiding surfaces G³ projecting from the inside of the hollow hub as
shewn in Figure 2. A flexible air chamber P (which may be of any suitable
construction, such as an india rubber bag enclosed in strengthening material) is
placed between the said collar, or tube, and the hollow hub, the said air chamber
having a filling orifice O projecting to outside the hub for expanding the chamber
with air. In Figure 2 the central guide G is shewn perforated for the passage of
the narrow part E of the air chamber constituting the communication between the
two portions of the said chamber.
When motion is to be transmitted by gear to the wheel, as, for example, in
bicycles, the sleeve, or tube, around the axle, or the hollow hub, may be provided
with the necessary gear wheel.
In operation shocks, applied at the periphery of the wheels, are not transmitted
to the axle but are absorbed by the air chamber being compressed between the said
hollow hub and the said collar, or tube, on the axle, whilst the aforesaid guides
ensure the stability of the wheel as a whole.
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. In wheels for velocipedes and other vehicles a flexible or collapsible air
ehamber at the hub of the wheel and situated between parts mounted upon the

page_text: axles and secured to the wheel and provided with supports or guides for securing
the requisite stability of the wheel substantially as hereinbefore described.
2. Wheels for velocipedes and other vehicles the said wheels being constructed
substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in Figure 1 and in Figure 2:
of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 10th day of March 1896.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.