Improvements relating to Pneumatic and like Tyres, the Rims of Wheels therefor, and to their Attachment one to the other.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Dec., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 22nd July, 1896-Accepted, 3rd Oct., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to Pneumatic and like Tyres, the Rims of
Wheels therefor, and to their Attachment one to the other.
I, JOSEPH WILFRED BOWLEY, of 56 St. John's Villas, Upper Holloway, in
the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
My invention relates to pneumatic and like tyres and to the rims of wheels
therefor. It has for its objects to provide improved means for the attachment
and detachment of the tyre cover to the wheel rim; to construct a wheel and tyre
in such way that should the pneumatic or like tyre become damaged, improved
means are provided whereby, upon its removal, the wheel has one or more service-
able solid or like tyres upon which to travel; to provide improved wheel rims, and
generally to effect the improvements hereinafter indicated.
In constructing a wheel rim according to my invention I provide it with means
for carrying in suitable positions one or more small solid rubber or other suitable
tyres which are available to travel upon in the event of the removal, after
becoming damaged, of the pneumatic or like tyre. For this purpose I construct
the rim of concave, channel, or other suitable section and I form with, or attach
to, the central part of such rim a raised portion which projects to a sufficient distance
beyond the edges of the rim and terminates in a bed for the said auxiliary tyre.
In some cases I may form the two edges of the rim with beds for similar tyres
which may be used in addition to, or in substitution for, the first-mentioned auxiliary
tyre.
For the purpose of facilitating the attachment of the tyre to the wheel rim, the
latter, according to my invention, is made with inwardly projecting edges and in
some cases is provided with extra flanges as hereinafter indicated. The tyre cover
is held in position within the wheel rim by means of a separate rubber or elastic
ring or cushioning buffer which is angular in cross-section. This ring may be
made of a size to fit within the inwardly projecting edges of the wheel rim and
may be sprung therein when the inflatable tyre and outer cover are in position
but before the tyre is inflated serving to clamp or retain the edges of the tyre
cover.
According to one method of carrying out my invention the edges of the tyre
cover are eyeletted and an internal Hange projecting laterally and having corre-
sponding apertures to the eyeletted edges of the tyre cover is provided within
the bed of the rim. Studs or the like pass respectively through the eyelets and
apertures and over them is placed the clamping ring or cushioning buffer.
According to another modification the wheel is provided at its base with two
outwardly projecting Hanges one on each side extending about half way up the
concave or channel bed of the rim. The tyre cover is provided with wedge-shaped
or other suitable thickened edges adapted to be placed between the last mentioned
projecting flanges and the sides of the rim. Over these is placed the before-
mentioned clamping ring or cushioning buffer which is thus wedged between the
inflatable tyre and the inwardly projecting edges of the wheel rim..
In this way the tyre is securely held to the wheel rim even when deflated and it
is easily detachable therefrom. Upon inflation, the clamping ring or cushioning
buffer is increasingly wedged between the tyre and the inwardly projecting edges

page_text: of the wheel rim and it so retains with increasing firmness the thickened edges of
the tyre cover in its wedged-in position."
Obviously my invention is applicable to road vehicles of the heavier classes as
well as to velocipedes, and the wheel rim may be considerably modified in section;
the above described clamping ring might be made of metal and have its ends
provided with suitable means for coupling them but I prefer to employ rubber
rings, and various other modifications may be made without departing from my
invention.
Dated this 7th day of December 1895.
Improvements relating to Pneumatic and like Tyres, the Rims of
Wheels therefor, and to their Attachment one to the other.
I, JOSEPH WILFRED BOWLEY, of 56 St. John's Villas, Upper Holloway, in
the County of London, Gentleman, 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 :-
My invention relates to pneumatic and like tyres and to the rims of wheels
therefor. It has for its objects to provide improved means for the attachment
and detachment of the tyre or tyre cover to or from the wheel rim; to provide
improved wheel rims; and generally to effect the improvements hereinafter
indicated.
In the accompanying drawings which illustrate my invention,
Figures 1 and 2 show in transverse section and part side elevation my improved
tyre attached to the wheel rim and inflated.
Figure 3 is a transverse section of a modification thereof, and
Figures 4 and 5 illustrate in transverse section the wheel rims.
In the drawings A is the wheel rim, B is the inflatable tube which may be made
of pure rubber or rubber combined with canvas or in any other suitable way, and C
is the outer cover which may be composed of rubber backed with canvas or made in
any other convenient manner.
According to my invention I provide means whereby the tyre may be readily
attached to the wheel rim and detached therefrom for the purpose of repairing
punctures and the like. These means consist essentially in providing the cover
with elastic thickened or flaring edges D adapted to be seated between flanges E
and the side walls of the rim, each said thickened or flaring edge being held in
position by a separate rubber or elastic ring or cushioning buffer Fin such manner
that, although the tyre is held in position when deflated, the more it is inflated the
tighter the attachment will be.
For the purposes of my invention, where the rim is of metal it may be rolled,
drawn or otherwise produced in a convenient way with inwardly projecting edge
flanges G and radially projecting flanges E. The said edge flanges G preferably
terminate in beaded edges to prevent cutting or chafing of the tyre and they extend
circumferentially beyond the radius of the said flauges E. Figures 1, 2, and 4
show these last-mentioned flanges formed in one with the rin but they may be
made independently of the rim as shown in Figures 3 and 5 and secured thereto in
any convenient manner. The elastic rings or cushioning buffers F I preferably
make in ring form of india-rubber, gutta-percha, or other material of sufficiently
strong but elastic nature. They may be augular in cross-section as shown and they
are of a size to fit within the edge flanges G of the wheel rim and are sprung

page_text: therein when the inflatable tyre and outer cover are in position but before the tyre
is inflated so as to clamp or retain the edges of the tyre cover.
The thickened or flaring edges D of the cover are shown in Figure 2 as T-shaped
rubber or like flanges in which case they may be continuous around the edges of the
cover. Figure 3 shows a wedge-shaped solid rubber or combined rubber and canvas
or similar core at the two edges of the cover so formed that they normally project.
towards each other and are turned in the process of attachment to the wheel rim
into the position shown. Figure 1 shows, in lieu of the continuous flanges of
Figure 2, metallic or other T-shaped pieces secured at intervals around the edges-
of the cover.
In attaching a tyre to a wheel rim in accordance with my invention the cover-
with the deflated or partially inflated tube B within it is passed into the concave or
channel bed of the wheel rim, the flaring or thickened edges or metallic T-pieces
affixed to the edges of the cover being placed in their positions. The two rubber
or elastic rings or cushioning buffers F are then sprung over the edges of the rim.
and placed into position as shown in the drawings. In this way the tyre is.
securely held to the wheel rim even when deflated but it is easily detached there-
from by first springing the elastic ring F, and then the flaring or thickened edge D.
of the tyre, over the edge of the wheel rim. Upon inflating the tyre the elastic
rings or cushioning buffers are wedged by the expanding base of the inflated tyre.
with increasing tightness into position and they so retain with corresponding
firmness the flaring or thickened edges of the tyre cover wedged or locked in their
positions as shown in the drawings. Moreover there will in some cases be a tendency
for the elastic rings or cushioning buffers as inflation proceeds to be squeezed
outwards between the edges G of the rim and the tyre thereby effectively preventing
chafing between the edges of the rim and the tyre cover.
Obviously my invention is equally well adapted to road vehicles of the heavier
classes as to velocipedes; the wheel rim may be considerably modified in section;
and the attachment is equally well applicable to single tube tyres in which case such.
single tube tyres are provided with side wings or flaps terminating in flaring or
thickened edges D as described.
Obviously, likewise, my invention might be applied to tyres other than air-inflated
or pneumatic ones, such for example as a tyre filled with gas or one filled with such.
a liquid as water.
I am aware that it has before been proposed to provide a tyre or tyre cover with
flaring, and also with thickened, edges and to depend for attachment upon inflation
driving such edges apart on to the side flanges of the wheel rim; also to clamp the
thickened or other edges of a tyre or tyre cover to a wheel rim by metallic clamping
bands. I do not claim any of these as my invention, but,
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 :-
The combination and arrangement of parts for detachably securing a pneumatic
or like tyre to a wheel rim comprising a tyre or tyre cover with flaring or
thickened elastic edges D, a wheel rim with radially projecting flanges E and
inwardly projecting edge flanges G extending circumferentially beyond the radius
of the said flanges E and separate elastic rings F so operating that upon the
tyre being inflated the said elastic rings are wedged by the expanding base of the
inflated tyre with increasing tightness into position and so retain with corresponding
firmness the flaring or thickened edges of the tyre or tyre cover wedged or locked.
in their positions substantially as set forth.
Dated this 22nd day of July 1896.
A. F. SPOONER,
124, Chancery Lane, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.