Improvements in Rubber Tyres and Wheel Rims for Bicycles, Tricycles, and other Light Vehicles.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 31st Aug.,
1892
Complete Specification Left, 19th May, 1893-Accepted, 24th June, 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Rubber Tyres and Wheel Rims for Bicycles,
Tricycles, and other Light Vehicles.
I ALFRED COMPERE of 13 Featherstone Buildings London W.C. Agent do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The formation & building up of india rubber tyres by sections sometimes in
combination with metal or leather known by the general trade names as pneumatic,
cushion & solid tyres, mine being of an improved & simple construction such as no
rubber tyres no matter of what shape or form do now possess. These sections
may be of shapes semi-spherical or any section of a sphere but not a sphere, semi-
oval or elliptical or any section of an oval, cylindrical or semi-cylindroid, they
may also be hollow, containing gas or air, or otherwise, or solid, & of various
sizes.
These sections may be used together all of one size & shape or in combination
of sizes & shapes according to the class & discription of the wheel & vehicle for
which they may be intended.
And the said sections may be fixed direct on to the rim or wheel or may be fixed
or moulded upon a separate foundation & the whole then fixed upon the wheel.
These sections may be made all in one piece or may be made in more than one
piece. Also it is provided that these sections may be fixed upon around the
wheel in single or double line according to the class of wheel & vehicle being
fitted. Part of my invention extends to the method of fixing the said sections on
to the rim or wheel which is effected by a screw passing through the base from
within of the section & through the rim & secured thereto by a nut underneath
said rim, & thus the or any section may at any time be removed forthwith & in
like manner another fixed in its place thus rendering any material or delaying
disablement of wheel power impossible, and also allows the repair of any spoke
without removal of the tyre as is generally the necessity with other tyres.
The before named sections may be as required capped by a shield of rubber or
other material to receive the wear of the roadway & resist puncture, which cap or
shield may be instantly removed & re-instated thus rendering the section underneath
practically indistructable.
My invention also includes a special rim for the said sections to be fixed to &
which is formed with a flat faced circumference (upon which the sections are
attached) having perpendicular sides or flanges which enclose part of each sections
base, or the said sides or flanges may be formed downwards from the face of the
rim as their chief utility is to give strength to the rim which being plain & flat
would lack sufficient rigidity, or the rim may be made plano-convex hollow.
Dated this 31st day of August 1892.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Rubber Tyres and Wheel Rims for Bicycles,
Tricycles, and other Light Vehicles.
ALFRED COMPERE 13 Featherstone Buildings Holborn London W.C. Agent,
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 consists of the formation and building up of indiarubber tyres by
employing a number of sections or separate parts placed around the rim of the
wheel and hereinafter described as shells and ballheads which ballheads are to
consist of (the outer part) an india rubber or rubber & canyas shell semi-spherical
or any part of a sphere but not a sphere, semi-oval or elliptical or cylendrical in
shape, and the inside to consist of a springy elastic medium-an indiarubber air
ball or a stuffing of wool, hair, cork, sponge, or indiarubber compounds or a
combination of these, also the hollow shell may be used by itself without any filling,
and any sizes may be used according to the class of wheel required.
In order that the shell or ballhead may be readily and effectually secured to the
rim, a thin disk of metal about one fourth less diameter than the shell and with a
screw through its centre is introduced inside the shell the tail of the screw passing
through the base of the shell and reaching outside, the screw is now passed through
the hole in the rim (as shown by accompanying drawing) and secured firmly thereto
by a nut underneath said rim. My method of constructing this tyre and rim may
be seen upon reference to the accompanying drawings, Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5.
Figure 1 shows the shell (a semi-spherical shape and which sufficiently illustrates
for other shapes mentioned) with opening at the base for the insertion of the disk
of metal Figure 2, and the said Figure 2 shows the disk of metal with the screw
attached which when inserted within the shell Figure 1 produces the ballhead as
shown by Figure the ballhead is screwed to the rim as shown by Figure 4.
The rim itself with holes through it to receive the screws of ballheads is shown
by Figure 5. Part of my invention extends to the method of fixing the said
ballheads on to the rim or wheel which may be further explained as being effected
in the following manner, a thin disk of metal about one fourth less diameter than
the shell with a screw in its centre (as before mentioned) is introduced within the
shell, the tail of the screw reaching outside the shell, the shell is placed upon the
rim, the screw passing through a hole in the rim to the underside where it is secured
and drawn close by a nut which draws the disk of metal within the shell close to
the rim griping or squeezing with it upon the rim about a quarter of an inch
of the sectional circumference of the shell. Thus any section or ballhead may be
removed forthwith and in like manner another fixed in its place, this renders any
material or delaying disablement of wheel power impossible and also allows the
repair of any spoke to be effected without removal of the tyre as is generally the
necessity with other tyres. The beforenamed shells or ballheads may be as required
capped by a shield of rubber or other material to receive the wear of the roadway
and resist puncture which cap or shield may be instantly removed and reinstated,
thus rendering the ballhead underneath practically indestructable.
My invention also includes a special rim for the said sections to be fixed to and
which is formed with a flat-faced circumference upon which the ballheads are
fixed, the edges of the rim being turned downwards to give it rigidity and as
shown by, accompanying drawing Figure 5.
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 1
claim is-
1st. In indiarubber and pneumatic tyres for bicycles tricycles and light vehicles

page_text: the employment of indiarubber sections or shapes, semi-spherical semi-oval and
cylendrical the said sections or shapes to be hollow or to be filled with a springy
elastic medium as an indiarubber air ball or a stuffing of hair, wool, cork, sponge,
indiarubber compounds or any combination of these.
2nd. Of a method of constructing these sections as before described.
3rd. Of a method of fixing same to the rim or wheel by a screw and nut through
base of section and rim as before described and illustrated by accompanying
drawings.
4th. Of a cap or shield for protecting said sections against wear and puncture.
5th. A specially formed rim for the reception of said sections to which they
may be attached.
1000
ALFRED COMPERE.