Improved Elastic Tire for Vehicle Wheels.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Apr., 1898-Accepted, 4th June, 1898
Improved Elastic Tire for Vehicle Wheels.
I, MICHAEL BRENDEL, of No. 509, West 28th Street, in the City of New York,
Borough of Manhattan, County of New York, State of New York, in the United
States of America, Metal Worker, 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 improvements in elastic tires for vehicle wheels, of that
class of tires that are hollow and contain a spring for the purpose of obtaining the
desired resiliency in contra-distinction to pneumatic or solid rubber tires.
Tires have been used heretofore, which consisted of a circular rubber tube
surrounding or enveloping a helical spring, but such springs invariably cut the
rubber tube, as the spring when subjected to pressure during use was compressed
radially and at the same time expanded laterally with the tire and its several
convolutions worked and shifted on the inner surface of the tube and in a short
time cut through the same.
The object of my invention is to provide a new and improved tire which is very
resilient, strong, light and durable.
In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and in which
like letters of reference indicate like parts in all the figures:
Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view through a part of my improved
tire and the rim to which it is attached.
Figure 2 is a vertical transverse sectional view of the same.
Figures 3 and 4 are detail views of the fastening device.
Figure 5 is a vertical transverse sectional view showing a somewhat modified
form of the spring.
The tire A made of rubber, canvas or leather, contains a spring wire B wound to
form a circular helix, which extends throughout the entire tire.
The several turns or convolutions of the helix do not each consist of a plain
circle but are formed in special way so that the pressure exerted radially on the
helix is taken up in such a manner that the convolutions or turns do not expand
laterally under such pressure.
Each turn or convolution of the helix is so shaped that the wire forming the
helix extends across the convolution or turn two or more times on curved lines.
For example the form shown in the drawings is as follows,
Beginning at a the wire extends down on the left on a curved line to about the
point b then across the circle on an S line c to about the point d, then describes
approximately a half circle e to near the point 6 then across the circle again on an
S line f to about the point and then up the point of beginning a to complete the
half circle h.
If such a spring is subjected to pressure on a line radial to the wheel and across
the crossed wires the upper and lower approximate half circles retain their shapes
but the crossed wires c and fare bent to a greater degree.
The cross wires c and ƒ need not necessarily have the shape shown as any other
similar curved shape will answer as well.

page_text: The top and bottom half circles must always retain their shape and only move
toward and from each other accordingly as pressure is applied or removed.
It is evident that a spring of this kind cannot expand laterally.
The tire A is thickened along its outer half, as shown in Figure 2 and this
thickened part is provided in the interior of the tire with a series of semi-circular
transverse grooves G for receiving and retaining the outer half of each convolution
to prevent the spring from shifting lengthwise in the tire.
A sheet metal strip H is placed against the convolutions and has tongues J
which are punched up and when the convolutions rest against this strip the said
tongues J are pressed over the convolutions as shown in Figures 1, 3 and 4 for the
purpose of holding the spring firmly on said strip H and for holding the
convolutions equal distances from each other.
When the tire has been placed into the groove of the wheel rim K screws M are
passed, suitable distances apart through the rim and their inner threaded ends are
screwed through holes in the strip H whereby the tire is held firmly and securely
on the wheel rim. This not only holds the tire firmly and securely in place but
greatly facilitates attaching and detaching the tire.
Instead of providing the tire G with the grooves and using the strip H the wire
forming the spring may be bent to form a small loop or eye N at the outer circum-
ference of the convolutions and a like loop or eye O at the inner circumference.
A wire P fitting quite snugly in the eyes or loops O' is passed through them and
a circumferentially corrugated rubber tube R is passed through the loops or eyes
N the said eyes passing into the circumferential grooves of the tube R.
The helical spring may be made of light or heavy spring wire, either round or
flat and the convolutions may be a greater or less distance apart as the desired
resiliency of the spring may require.
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. A. tubular spring for resilient tires, formed of spring wire bent to have circular
turns and the wire crossing each circular turn twice on curved lines, substantially
as herein shown and described.
2. A tubular spring for resilient tires, formed of spring wire bent to form a series
of continuous circular turns, the wire extending transversely across each turn on
curved lines, which curved lines cross each other within the circle, substantially as
herein shown and described.
3. A tubular spring for resilient tires formed of a spring wire bent to form a
series of continuous circular turns, and forming two diametrically opposite loops
within each circle, the wire of the circle extending across the same on curved lines
between said loops, substantially as herein shown and described.
4. A tubular spring for resilient tires formed of a spring wire bent to form a series
of continuous circular turns, the wire for each circular turn being bent to form a
half circle, then extending on a curved line across the open part of said half circle,
then forming the opposite half circle and extending on a curved line across the
open part of said second half circle and so on, substantially as herein shown and
described.
5. The combination with a tubular wire spring having continuous circular turns
each circle having two opposite interior loops and the wire of the circle crossing the
same on curved lines between said loops, a rod passed through one set of loops and
a rubber tube through the other set and a tubular rubber tire enveloping said
tubular spring, substantially as herein shown and described.
6. The combination with a hollow flexible tire, of a helically wound spring in the
same and a metal strip resting within the convolutions of the spring and held on
the same, substantially as herein shown and described.
7. The combination with a hollow elastic tire, of a helically wound spring in the
same, of a strip within the spring and having punched up tongues which tongues

page_text: are pressed down on the convolutions of the spring, substantially as herem
and described.
SHOW H
8. The combination with a wheel rim, of a tire on the same, a helically wound
spring within the tire, a metal strip within the spring and held on the same and
5 screws passed through the rim and screwed into said strip, substantially as herein
shown and described.
Dated this 26th day of April 1898.
TONGUE & BIRKBECK,
Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.