Improvements in and relating to Pneumatic Tyres.
Year: 1897

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Pneumatic Tyres.
I, WILLIAM HENRY JAMES, of "Rokeby," Christchurch Road, Tulse Hill, in
the County of Surrey, Mechanical Draughtsman, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
66
This invention relates to pneumatic tyres of the type generally known as
tubeless," that is to say, tyres which are not provided with independent inner
air tubes. Hitherto the great difficulty experienced with this class of tyre has
been to obtain an air tight joint or seal on commencing inflation, this difficulty
is effectually overcome by the present invention, the tyre is moreover capable
of being made with less rubber than heretofore so that it is not only lighter but
will be less costly to manufacture:
The present invention comprises a cover or tyre composed of the usual rubber.
and canvas and having an inner lining of pure rubber as is usual-divided cir-
cumferentially at its base or inner side and having lugs or ears formed on or near
its edges which are adapted to engage with corresponding recesses formed by the
recurved edges of the rim.
Encircling and lying within but not touching the face of the rim-which is
preferably of a concave section-is an endless band or strip of material, preferably
of rubber coated canvas or other textile material, each edge of which is furnished
with a wire or inextensible thickened edge. The width of said band or strip
is such that when the tyre is in position and inflated on the wheel rim, the edges
of the band will be just clear of the edges of the rim and also a space will be left
between the band and the face of the rim. It will thus be seen that the divided
base of the tyre or cover will be seated on the said band or strip, and as in the act of
mounting the tyre or cover on the rim, the edges or base of said tyre are pressed
into intimate contact with the band or strip, an air tight joint or seal is effectually
formed before inflation.
As a modification the band or strip may have soft rubber edges or lips instead
of wires or inextensible edges as before described, in which case the edges are so
shaped as to adapt them to form a second seal or joint between the edges of the
rim and the outside of the tyre or cover.
As a further modification one edge or part of the band or strip may be per-
manently attached to one of the edges of the tyre or cover.
Dated this 4th day of March 1897.
WILLIAM HENRY JAMES.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Pneumatic Tyres.
I, WILLIAM HENRY JAMES, of "Rokeby," Christchurch Road, Tulse Hill, in
the County of Surrey, Mechanical Draughtsman, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to he
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:
This invention relates to pneumatic tyres of the type generally known as
"tubeless," that is to say, tyres which are not provided with independent inner
air tubes. Hitherto the great difficulty experienced with this class of tyre has
been to obtain an air tight joint or seal on commencing inflation, which difficulty
is effectually overcome by the present invention.
The present invention comprises a cover or tyre-composed of rubber and
canvas and lined with pure rubber in the manner well-known-divided circum-
ferentially at its base or inner side and having lugs or ears formed on or near its
edges, a rim with inturned edges with which the lugs or ears on the cover engage,
and an endless band or strip of fabric-preferably of rubber coated canvas-en-
circling the groove in the rim and forming a diaphragm, the edges of the band or
strip being adapted to engage with the sides of the rim.
By this construction it will thus be seen that when the tyre is mounted in the
rim its base will seat itself on the band or strip which will cause the divided
edges of the base of the tyre to be pressed into intimate contact with each other
and also with the band or strip, thus making an air tight joint or seal formed
before inflation is commenced.
The accompanying drawing illustrates-by views in transverse section-some
methods of carrying this invention into practice.
The tyre consists of a tube A thickened on its inner side to form a base a which
is slit or divided circumferentially thus forming two enlarged edges a¹ a¹ on the
outer sides of which are formed ears or lugs a² a². The tube is constructed of
rubber reinforced with canvas or other suitable fabric in the well-known manner,
the said fabric being cut or arranged on the cross or bias so that a contractile
action is set up on inflation. This tube has its inner surface and also the abutting
faces of the enlarged edges a¹ a¹ faced or lined with pure rubber or other suitable
material to make it air-proof.
The wheel rim D has its edges d incurved to form grooves or recesses to receive
the ears or lugs a² a² on the base of the split tube A and the bottom part of its
groove d' preferably has sloping sides as shown in Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9
and 10 for a purpose that will presently be made clear.
In the groove of the wheel rim is placed a hoop or band B of canvas or other
suitable fabric preferably cut on the cross or bias. The edges 6 of this band
are adapted to engage with the edges d of the wheel rim D either by having
inextensible cores C of a slightly smaller diameter than the edges of the rim as
shown by Figure 3, or by means of hooks C¹ or their equivalents as shown in
Figure 11, and the width of the band is such that it cannot touch the bottom of the
groove in the rim but form a diaphragm or false bottom to it.'
As an alternative construction one or both of the edges b of the band B may be
permanently fixed or attached to the sides of the wheel rim D as shown in
Figure 10, or one of the edges of the band may be permanently fixed to one of
the edges of the tube A as shown in Figures 1, 2, 7 and 8.
As a further modification the edges of the band may lie within the groove d'
of the wheel rim and engage directly with the ears or lugs a² on the base of the
split tube A as shown in Figures 4, 5, 6 and 9, or one of the edges of the band B

page_text: may be permanently fixed to one side of the base a of the tube A, and the other
edge engage with the ear or lug on the other side of the base of the tube, the
engagement of the edge or edges of the band, with the ears or lugs a² being
effected in a similar manner to their engagement with the edges of the wheel
rim, that is to say, either by means of inextensible cores C or by means of
hooks C¹.
When the one or both of the edges b of the band B are intended to engage with
one or both edges of the wheel rim by reason of their being fitted with inex-
tensible cores I prefer to shape them so that they engage both with the edge
or edges of the rim and also with one or both sides of the tyre as shown in
Figures 7 and 8.
The divided edges a¹ a¹ of the split tube may be arranged either to abut one
against the other as shown in Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9 and 10 or to inter-
engage as shown in Figures 5 and 6 in order to make the seal of the tube.
A further modification consists in mounting a band or hoop BI of an inverted
wedge-shape in cross section in the centre of the band B and in shortening the
enlarged edges a¹ and a¹ of the tube so that they engage with the said band or
hoop B as shown in Figure 11.
The tube A is made of such a size with respect to the band B and wheel
rim D that its base a grips the band B tightly when mounted in the wheel rim,
which grip is intensified on inflation.
I sometimes construct the band B of rubber and fabric so as to make it air
proof and thus assist in effecting a perfect seal between the divided edges of the
split tube.
The action of the tyre is as follows: When the tube is mounted in the wheel
rim its divided edges are pressed into intimate contact whereby an initial seal or
air tight joint is attained by reason of the sphincter like grip of the base a of
the tube A on the band B due both to its elasticity and its contractile action.
This action is intensified by the use of rims having the bottoms of the grooves of
a wedge shape in cross section as shown in Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9 and 10.
I wish it to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise details of
construction herein specified but hold myself at liberty to make such changes and
alterations as fairly come within the spirit and scope of my invention.
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:-
(1) The improvements in and relating to pneumatic tyres substantially as
described and illustrated by the accompanying drawing.
(2) A tubeless pneumatic tyre, characterised by the fact that the seal or air
tight joint between its divided edges is made by reason of its base resting on
a diaphragm in the groove of the wheel rim, as set forth.
(3) In combination a pneumatic tyre consisting of a single tube having its
inner side or base thickened and split or divided circumferentially, the divided
edges being arranged to form a seal or air tight joint when they are in contact,
a wheel rim adapted to receive the base of the tyre and a band mounted in or fixed
to the sides of the wheel rim so as to form a diaphragm in or false bottom to
the groove of the rim on which the base of the tyre rests, as set forth.
(4) In combination a pneumatic tyre consisting of a single tube having its
inner side or base thickened and split or divided circumferentially, the divided
edges being arranged to form a seal or air tight joint, and of a band adapted to
form a diaphragm in or false bottom to the groove of the rim one edge of the said
band being permanently fixed to one edge of the tyre and the other edge engaging
with one of the edges of the wheel rim, as set forth.
(5) In combination a pneumatic tyre consisting of a single tube having
its inner side or base thickened and split or divided circumferentially,
the divided edges being arranged to form a seal or air tight joint, and

page_text: a band adapted to form a diaphragm in or false bottom to the groove of the
rim one edge of the said band being permanently fixed to one edge of the wheel
rim and the other edge engaging with the other edge of the wheel rim, as set
forth.
(6) In combination a pneumatic tyre consisting of a single tube having its
inner side or base thickened and split or divided circumferentially, the divided
edges being arranged to form a seal or air tight joint, and a band adapted to
form a diaphragm in or false bottom to the groove of the wheel rim, the edges of
the said band engaging with the sides of the thickened base of the tyre, as set
forth.
(7) In combination a pneumatic tyre consisting of a single tube having its
inner side or base thickened and split or divided circumferentially, the divided edges.
being arranged to form a seal or air tight joint, and a band adapted to form a
diaphragm in or false bottom to the groove of the wheel rim, one of the edges of
the band being permanently fixed to one edge of the tyre and the other edge
engaging with the side or outer margin of the other edge of the tyre, as set forth.
(8) In combination a pneumatic tyre consisting of a single tube having its
inner side or base thickened and split or divided circumferentially, a band adapted
to form a diaphragm in or false bottom to the groove of the wheel rim the edges
of which engage with or are fixed to the sides of the wheel rim, and a band or hoop,
of an inverted wedge shape in cross section with the sides of which the divided
edges of the split tube engage, as set forth.
(9) A pneumatic tyre consisting of a tube A having its inner side or base a
thickened and split or divided circumferentially the divided edges being adapted
to abut or interlock, and of a band B one edge of which is permanently fixed to
one side of the base of the split tube and the other edge of which engages with
an exterior ear or lug on the other side of the base of the split tube, as set forth.
(10) A pneumatic tyre consisting of a tube A having its inner side or base a
thickened and split or divided circumferentially the divided edges being adapted
to abut or interlock, and of a band B, the edges of which engage by means of
inextensible cores or hooks with ears or lugs on the sides of the base of the split
tube, as set forth.
P T
1000
VILID
ROBERT E. PHILLIPS, Assoc. M. Inst. C.E., M.I. Mech. E.,
Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent,
70, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.