Means for Repairing Pneumatic Tyres or other Inflated Devices, such as Air Cushions and the like.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Feb., 1896-Accepted, 28th Mar., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Means for Repairing Pneumatic Tyres or other Inflated Devices,
such as Air Cushions and the like.
I, JAMES YATE JOHNSON of 47 Lincoln's Inn Fields in the County of London
Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of this invention (which has been
communicated to me from abroad by Christopher Wilson Youngman of 15 Park
Row New York United States of America Merchant) and in what manner the
same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement :-
This invention embraces a method of patching or closing punctures in pneumatic
tyres, or other inflated devices, such as air cushions and the like, and the necessary
means for practising the same. I will describe the invention as applied to the
repairing of pneumatic tyres from which its application to the repairing of other
inflated devices will be understood.
The object of the invention is specially to provide simple and efficient means of
repairing pneumatic tyres, applicable as well to the double-tube as to the single
tube variety, and which will enable a patch to be applied easily and with little loss
of time.
Up to the present time the device most usually employed for this purpose, but
which however is applicable only to single-tube tyres, is a patch in the form of a
mushroom. This is applied by first punching a hole (with a special tool) of
circular form at the place where the puncture has occurred, and then forcing the
disc portion of the mushroom through the hole, leaving the stem projecting
through the hole, the projecting portion of the stem being afterwards cut off.
The quick repair of tyres which have a separate inner or inflation tube, has been
a serious and difficult problem, and its solution is the more important because a
very large majority of the tyres manufactured are of this type. In fact single-
tube tyres would not be used even to the present limited extent but for their
capacity of quick-repair. Usually the patching of inner tube tyres is effected
by taking the inner tube out of its sheath or envelope, and applying the patch
to the outside of the tube. This is a tedious operation, and to save the time
consumed in performing it, the inner tube has been heretofore formed with au
interior web extending from side to side, and which is used as a patching web as
occasion may require. The introduction of this web increases the cost of manu-
facture, it is useless for punctures that may occur at the sides of the tyre, it can
only be used once at or near the same point, and the operation of applying it is
not as expeditious as is desirable.
Manifestly the desideratum is a means of applying a patch directly to the
puncture of the inner tube, without its removal from the outer tube, and this
object is attained by the present invention. In practicing it, the first step is to
provide a passage or channel by which a patch can be introduced through both
tubes, that is to say into the air-chamber formed by the inner tube. This is
accomplished by introducing into the puncture a tube, pipe or duct of sufficiently
rigid material and of any suitable shape, this device being provided with a
removable guide in the form of a tapering plug, which makes this insertion
possible; since, without such guide the thin wall of the inner tyre would not
furnish sufficient resistance to permit the introduction of the pipe or duct. The
guide is now removed and the patch, which must be of very flexible but resisting
material, is now laid on the outer end of the pipe or duct, with its centre in the

page_text: axis of the latter, and is forced through it by a blunt pointed instrument, the patch
collapsing or folding up like an umbrella. This instrument may be, and preferably
is, the nozzle of a cement-can, and the patch being forced entirely through the
pipe or duct spreads itself out, and is temporarily held against the wall of the
inner tyre, opposite the puncture, until the cement is spread on the face of
the patch. When this is done, the punctured part of the tyre is pressed down with
the fingers upon the face of the patch the implements being gradually withdrawn,
and the operation is finished.
The invention is believed to present several broadly new features.
It is
believed to be new to utilize a rigid pipe or duct, provided with a removable
guide or point so that it can be introduced into a rupture of a pneumatic tyre, and
furnish a passage or channel through which can be passed a patch not having a
stem attached thereto. It is also deemed new to introduce such a patch into a tyre,
hold it against the wall of the tyre opposite the puncture, while spreading cement
thereon, and then apply and secure it over the puncture.
The invention can, of course, be used for patching single-tube tyres, and in this
connection it has advantages over the old method. It does not require punching
out a hole in the tyre, or necessarily enlarging the puncture or rupture; it leaves
no plug projecting through the tyre; it is easier of application; and the simple
disc-shaped patch is cheaper to make than the mushroom patch. It is well
understood that it is entirely impracticable to leave a plug in the thin rubber sheet
composing the inner tyre, as the rubber easily tears. It is also impracticable to
attach the inner to the outer tyre by means of a plug, as the slight changes of
relative position which occur would either pull out the plug or tear the rubber.
The term "pipe or duct" is used in a general sense to denote the character_of
the insertion-device employed to effect the introduction of the patch. For
convenience in manipulation, this, pipe or duct should have a handle, preferably
at right angles to the axis thereof, and in the preferable form the insertion-
implement resembles a pair of pliers or nippers, the pipe or duct being split, one
half being at the end of each of the pair of arms. In this, form, the pipe can be
closed to grasp tightly the removable tapering guide pin, and opened slightly to
release the latter and permit its withdrawal, after the pipe or duct is fully
introduced into its place.
The patch or repair sheet is preferably formed of a sheet of canvas having on
one or both sides a thin layer of rubber, the rubber surface being that which is
applied against and cemented to the inner surface of the tyre. If the patch is
already coated with cement, the nozzle before referred to will be used to apply
a liquid solvent of the cement, in lieu of cement itself.
Should the puncture extend through the opposite side of the tyre, it is evident
that a patch may be applied through the same pipe or duct, to each puncture.
By means of the accompanying drawings and the following description, my
invention will be more fully described.
Figures 1 and 2 show the split tube pliers or nippers, having handles a and a¹,
spring b, screw c and jaws d and d.
Figure 3 the movable point.
Figure 4, the patch or repair piece.
Figure 5, the reservoir for holding the liquid solvent or cement.
Figures 6. 7. 8. 9 and 10 show the various positions of apparatus in the process
of applying the patch or repair piece k within the pneumatic tyret t¹.
To apply a patch or repair piece within a pneumatic tyre by means of this
device, there is provided a removable point j having a milled head i, for convenience
of holding while in the jaws e and e of the split tube of the pliers, which are by
this means inserted in the puncture p in the aforesaid pneumatic tyre, Figure 6.
The point j is then withdrawn and a patch or repair piece k placed into position
as shown in Figure 7, upon the upper opening of the split tube. The patch or
repair piece k is then forced into the tube e by the nozzle h of the reservoir f.
The pliers or nippers are then pressed forwards until the end of the nozzle of the

page_text: split tube e touches the bottom of the inner portion of the pneumatic tyre
Figure 7.
The pliers or nippers together with the reservoir and its nozzle are pressed
downwards, to the bottom of the pneumatic tyre, with the patch or repair piece
enclosed within the jaws of the split tube pliers or nippers. The split tube pliers
are then raised, while the nozzle h of the reservoir is pressed firmly against the
inner and bottom of the pneumatic tyre.
The patch or repair piece k being thus freed or released from the jaws e and e¹
assumes the position shown in Figure 8. The liquid solvent or cement is then
applied to the patch or repair piece k from the reservoir through its nozzle h.
The device is then withdrawn and the pneumatic tyre being elastic, is pressed
together in the form shown in Figure 9. The patch or repair piece then firmly
adheres to the inner and upper surface of the pneumatic tyre; the pneumatic tyre
is then re-inflated and ready for use.
The patch or repair piece may have a soluble and adhesive compound on its
surface and the reservoir may be filled with a liquid solvent, or the patch or repair
piece may be without any coating or other preparation and the reservoir filled
with cement.
This device may be applied to any form of pueumatic tyre for the purposes above
described.
In Figure 11, the pipe or duct 5 is provided with a flange or head 4, at right
angles to the tube. The tube has transverse openings 6 through its walls, to
permit escape of air and to facilitate the spread of the cement.
Figure 12 shews a plunger 7 having a knob-like driving end 8 and a piston
end 9. The end 8 of the plunger is used in inserting the patch, as shewn in the
drawings. When cement is poured into the tube the plunger is reversed and its
piston end 9 introduced, forcing the cement through the openings 6 and distributing
it over the surface of the patch.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is.-
1. The described method of patching or closing a puncture in a pneumatic tyre
or other like inflated device the said method consisting in introducing into the
puncture a rigid pipe or duct until its inner end extends into the air-chamber of
the tyre or the like forcing through the pipe or duct a flexible patch by a blunt
implement, as specified, holding the patch against the wall of the air chamber
opposite the puncture while spreading cement or solvent thereon, and then pressing
the walls of the tyre or the like together, withdrawing the implement and causing
the patch to adhere to the punctured surface substantially as described.
2nd. The specified means for repairing punctures in pneumatic tyres or like
inflated devices said means comprising in combination a pipe or duct in two parts,
each part attached to a handle and the two handles being hinged together, whereby
on insertion of the pipe or duct in a puncture the latter can be distended and a
tapering guide pin enclosed and having its point projecting beyond the inner end
of said pipe or duct during the insertion thereof, and adapted to be withdrawn
leaving the latter within the air-chamber of the tyre or the like substantially as
described.
3rd. In apparatus for repairing pneumatic tyres, and other like inflated devices
the guide tube or duct, having transverse openings near its lower end and combined
with a plunger constructed substantially as and for the purposes described.
Dated this 17th day of February 1896.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.