Improvements in Pneumatic Tyres and in Means for Securing the same upon Wheel-rims.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 18th May, 1899-Accepted, 24th June, 1899
[Communicated from abroad by CHARLES GRAFTON PAGE, of 185, Dearborn Street,
Chicago, Illinois, United States of America.]
Improvements in Pneumatic Tyres and in Means for Securing the
same upon Wheel-rims.
I, DAVID YOUNG, Chartored Patent Agent, of the Firm of D. Young & Co., 11
and 12, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., 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 mechanically fastened pneumatic tires of that class in
which the tire comprises an inner inflatable air-tube, and an adjustably wired,
open sheath or casing, that is to say, a casing which is separated longitudinally
along its inner circumference so that access can be had to its interior, and pro-
vided along the edge portions, which are formed as a result of such longitudinal
separation, with non-continuous ring-shaped wire or analogous bands having their
free terminals arranged for connection with adjustable wire-tightening devices,
whereby the wires can be adjustably contracted or drawn taut for the purpose of
securing the casing upon a wheel-rim, and also expanded or allowed to slacken
so as to permit the casing to be removed from the wheel-rim.
In the accompanying drawings:
Figure 1 represents, in side elevation, a portion of a pneumatic tire and wheel-
rim, to which this invention is understood to be applied.
Figure 2 is a section taken centrally and longitudinally through Figure 1, the
wire-tightening device being adjusted so as to permit the wire to slacken.
Figure 3 illustrates, in perspective, the wire connected with the pivoted levers
of the improved wire-tightening device.
Figure 4 is a view corresponding with Figure 2, but showing the wire-tighten-
ing device adjusted so as to tighten the wire.
Figure 5 is a section taken transversely through the tire and wheel-rim on
liner in Figure 4.
Figure 6 is a like section on line y—y in Figure 4.
Figure is a sectional plan view, the section being on line
in Figure 4.
The annular sheath or casing A, of which a portion only is shown, contains an
inflatable air-tube B, and is divided or open along its base or inner circumference
so as to permit access to be had, both to the inner tube and to the inner wall of
the casing for purposes of repair, when the casing is detached from the wheel-
rim.
The longitudinal edge-portions of the casing, at opposite sides of its longitu-
dinal opening or line of separation, are each provided with an adjustable, non-
continuous wire or equivalent securing ring or band C of a length to leave between
its terminals a gap of sufficient width to allow such terminals to connect with au
intervening adjustable tightening device, and to have a suitable extent of longi-
Audinal play when the tightening device is adjusted to draw the terminals of

page_text: the adjustable securing wire toward one another for the purpose of causing it to
firmly bind the casing upon the wheel-rim.
The wheel-rim D is provided with an opening d, arranged between its edge-
portions and adapted to provide a socket for the adjustable tightening device, and
the opening thus formed is preferably bushed by a sleeve or thimble E which is
fitted within the opening and provided with an end flange e arranged to fit against
the inner circumferential portion of the wheel-rim. When the tire is properly
on the wheel-rim, the gap between the terminals of the non-continuous wire-
rings will be opposite the opening in the wheel-rim, whereby the wires can be
drawn by the adjustable tightening device toward such opening for the purpose
of fastening on the tire.
The adjustable tightening device comprises a couple of vibratory levers F having
their corresponding inner or lower ends as they may be conveniently designated
pivotally connected with an adjustable retractor by any suitable hinge or equiva-
lent joint or joints, and having their opposite outer or upper ends pivotally or
flexibly connected with the terminal portions of the adjustable wire or wires in
any suitable way. The retractor_ may consist of any suitable construction and
arrangement of nut-and-screw movement adapted and applied for drawing the
levers within the opening or socket d in the wheel-rim so as to tighten up
the wire-bands, and for causing such levers to emerge from said socket and enter
the casing for the purpose of loosening up the wire-bands, a simple and pre-
ferred arrangement, however, being an externally threaded stem G which is
adjusted longitudinally by a nut II and arranged to slide within the opening or
socket but held against rotation in any suitable way; as, for example, one side
or opposite sides of the stem can be flattened as at g, and the hollow bushing E
can be correspondingly formed. By thus providing a single, longitudinally
movable and non-rotatable stem G, and pivoting or hinging the levers F to one
end thereof, the opening through the wheel-rim can be made so small that it will
not materially weaken the wheel-rim, and by pivoting the levers to one end of
the stem, the levers can be relatively contracted or swung together and drawn
within such comparatively small opening, as illustrated in Figure 4.
The levers are preferably bent or curved in opposite directions so as to avoid
raising the end portions of the wires during the operation of drawing the levers
from their relatively expanded condition within the casing (Figure 2) to their
relatively contracted condition within the socket d (Figure 4), it being observed
that in effect the upper end portions of the levers which connect with the wires
are bent downwardly, and that, thus considered, their lower end portions could
be made more or less straight. It is preferable, however, to curve the levers
substantially as illustrated, whereby they will not project upwardly within the
casing to an extent to interfere with or in anywise endanger the inner tube. By
operating the nut, which bears against flange e of the thimble, so as to bring the
levers into the relative condition shown in Figure 2, the wire-bands will be
loosened or slackened to an extent to permit the removal of the tire, and by
further turning the nut H, it will be freed from the stem G of the retractor, and
thereby allow such stem to be withdrawn from the socket along with the tire,
when the latter is removed from the wheel-rim.
In order to again secure the tire upon the wheel-rim, it can be placed thereon
and the stem G can be again introduced within the socket 7, after which the nut
can be applied to the stem and tightened up so as to draw the levers within the
socket as in Figure 4, wherein the ends of the tire are shown drawn together to a
suitable extent.
An important feature of this arrangement is the increase of leverage as the
resistance to the tightening up of the wires increases. Thus, while the levers are
relatively contracting or swinging together and entering the socket, they will
bear and slide upon fulcral bearings at opposite sides of the socket, for example
upon the upper end of the thimble.
In this way, when the levers are within the socket to an extent to take up the

page_text: "
slack in the wires, and cause their initial binding action upon the portions of the
lire-casing between the wires and the wheel-rim, the portions of the levers between
the aforesaid fulcral bearings at one end of the socket and the connections between
the levers and the retractor, will form their long arms, which latter will increase
in length proportionally to the extent to which the retractor is adjusted to further
draw the levers within the socket. Regardless therefore of the character of the
wheel-rim, and the size and stiffness of wire employed, the wires can be contracted
upon the casing to an extent to firmly bind the casing upon the wheel-rim and
prevent side slip on the part of the casing, it being observed in this connection
that the wires should be strong and practically non-extensible to avoid breakage
and slack or elongation as an incident to use, and that in. the only construction
of wired tire which so far as the inventor is aware is now on the market (to wit:
the Dunlop which involves the use of endless wire-rings), stout steel wires
have been found necessary for the purpose of securely holding a tire casing upon
a wheel-rim. Wire of such character can obviously be employed in conjunction
with the levers F, which during the operation of tightening up the wire, exerts
a direct pull upon the wire, while at the same time, being fulcrumed at opposite
sides of the socket, an increasing leverage is attained, as herein before set forth.
Broadly considered, the wires can be connected with the tire casing in any
known or approved way, and the tire casing can be variously constructed and
seated upon a wheel-rim. As matters of further improvement, however, it is pro-
posed to employ a crescent-rim or a rim having an annular, transversely con-
a tubular tire-casing which is
cave peripherally arranged seat , and providing
split along its base and provided with longitudinally arranged internal ribs a,
which extend along opposite sides of the line of split. With such arrangement,
the ribs may, and preferably do, abut the one against the other, as illustrated;
but if desired they may 'bear wholly or in part upon a narrow intervening rib on
the wheel-rim, the effect in either case being that the ribs or edge portions of the
casing meet or proximately meet along the middle line of the rim-seat and are
braced against side slip. Thus, as best illustrated by Figure 5, each edge-portion
of the tire along the line of split forms an abutment for the opposite edge portion
and since the wire bands, when contracted and locked by the retractor, cannot
shift toward the edges of the wheel rim, such abutments will be effectively held
in position. If desired, however, slideslip can be further guarded against by pro-
In either case,
viding the wheel-rim with a small centrally arranged rib .
however, the tire is in effect, temporarily closed along its divided base, whereby
water will be excluded from entering the casing.
<
"
The ribs a preferably terminate short of the point at which the levers work
through the tire-casing (see Figure 7) by which arrangement, the two wires can
have their terminals connected by loops e, or like cross-connections either inte-
gral with and forming a part of the wires, or made separate therefrom and secured
thereto in any suitable mechanical way. This arrangement of ribs leaves ample
room for the movement or adjustment of the wire-terminals and levers F, and
further permits each lever to connect with one of the loops c, without undesirably
turning up the ends of the wires. It also allows the ends of the levers which
are connected with the wires to lie close to the inner side of the tire-casing and at
With this
the same time to work along the middle line of its base-portion.
arrangement, the wires can extend alongside and engage the outer or relatively
non-aljacent sides of the ribs, and the portions of the wires thus extending along-
side the ribs can be further maintained in connection with the casing by loops, or
any suitable covering of fabric or the like so as to prevent them from accidentally
separating from the casing when the latter is removed from the wheel-rim. When
the tire-casing is in place upon the wheel-rim and the wires are suitably tightened,
the contraction in diameter of the ring-shaped non-continuous wire-bands will not
only bind the edge portions of the tire casing upon the concave seat in the wheel-
The wires will
rim, but will also tend to draw such edge portions together.
also engage the ribs, and thus considered the wires will have a positive engage-

page_text: ment both with the ribs and with portions of the casing adjacent to such ribs,
and thereby prevent lateral slip and expansion of the casing, that is to say-pre-
vent the part of the tire-casing which is thus engaged by the wires from laterally
spreading apart along its divided base.
The wires can also bind upon the base portion of the tire between the ends of
the ribs, but in order to compensate for the absence of ribs at such point, the
casing can be adapted to positively resist lateral expansion for the portion of its
length which is not thus provided with ribs or with means for causing positive
engagement between the casing and the wires, To such end, the base portion of
the casing could be split continuously, and then laced or otherwise mechanically
fastened together along the edge portions over which the terminal portions of the
wires and levers are arranged to move, or, as a simple and preferred way, the
split a can terminate at or near the ends of the ribs. In this way, the portion
of the casing which is not provided with ribs will be undivided and hence will
resist undue expansion when inflated.
The end-portions of the wires and the levers, can be covered with a flap or
layer I (Figure 5) of fabric or other suitable material so as to prevent injury to the
inner inflatable air-tube. This flap or layer could be attached to the inner wall
of the casing by one edge only, but as a preferred arrangement its opposite longi-
tudinal edge portions may be cemented or otherwise secured to the inner wall
of the casing as at i, i, and by employing a suitably stout fabric, it will also
prevent undue lateral expansion or opening of the inflated tire along the portion
which is not positively held by the wires when the tire is inflated.
In order to conceal the stem G, a cap h, can be arranged over the exposed end
portion thereof and preferably formed with or secured to the nut H.
Obviously the stem could be provided with two pairs of levers F, one pair being
employed for each non-continuous wire-ring, but as such arrangement would
necessitate enlarging the opening in the wheel-rim, it is preferable to employ but
one pair for both wires.
With further reference to the feature of a tubular pneumatic tire casing split
along its base and provided with normally adjacent or contiguous ribs a, and
adjustable non-continuous wire rings extending alongside and engaging such
ribs, and having connected corresponding terminals extending beyond the ends of
the ribs, it is understood that various known adjustable tightening devices may
be employed in connection with such arrangement, and hence it is desired to
broadly claim said arrangement in conjunction with any known or suitable adjust-
able tightening device. "And it is also desired to broadly cover the feature of a
tubular pneumatic tire-casing split along its base and having internal ribs
arranged along its separable edges formed by such split, and abutting the one
against the other when the casing is seated and secured in an annular, transversely
concave seat in a wheel-rim with the wires made as non-continuous rings con-
nected with any suitable known or preferred adjusting device and arranged, when
contracted in diameter, to bind the casing upon the wheel-rim and to bind the
ribs together.
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 combination, with an adjustably wired pneumatic tire-casing adapted to
open along its base, and a wheel-rim, of an adjustable tightening device compris-
ing vibratory levers which are connected with the terminals of the adjustable
wires and which relatively contract or swing together and slide within an opening
in the wheel-rim so as to tighten up the wires, and also emerge from such opening
and relatively expand or swing apart so as to loosen the wires, and an adjust-
able retractor by which the levers are drawn within and projected from the
opening in the wheel-rim, substantially as set forth.
2. The combination, with an adjustably wired pneumatic tire-casing, adapted

page_text: o open along its base, and a wheel-rim, of an adjustable tightening device com-
prising oppositely-curved vibratory levers which are connected with the terminals
of the adjustable wires, and which relatively contract or swing together and slide
SO as to tighten up the wires,
within an opening in the wheel-rim
and also emerge from such opening and relatively expand or swing apart so as to
loosen the wires, and an adjustable retractor by which the levers are drawn
within and projected from the opening in the wheel-rim, substantially as set forth.
3. The combination of an adjustably wired tire adapted to open along its base
and having corresponding terminals of its wires joined by loops, a wheel-rim, and
an adjustable tightening device comprising a pair of vibratory levers which con-
meet respectively with one and the other of said loops and which relatively contract
or swing together and slide within an opening in the wheel-rim to tighten up
the wires, and emerge from such opening and relatively expand or swing apart to
loosen the wires, and an adjustable retractor to which said levers are pivotally
attached, substantially as described.
4. The combination of an adjustably wired pneumatic tire casing adapted to
open along its base, a wheel-rim, a pair of vibratory levers F, F, which are respec-
tively connected with opposite terminal portions of the adjustable wires of the
tire-casing and which relatively contract and slide within an opening in the
wheel-rim as a means for tightening up the wires, and emerge from such opening
and relatively expand to slacken up the wires, a longitudinally adjustable non-
rotatable screw-threaded stem to which the levers are pivoted, and a nut engaging
said stem, substantially as described.
5. The combination of a wheel-rim having an annular, transversely concave
seat for a tubular pneumatic tire-casing, a tubular, adjustably wired pneumatic
tire-casing, divided longitudinally along its base and having non-continuous inter-
nally arranged ribs along which the adjustable wires are arranged, said wires
having their terminal portions extended beyond the ends of the ribs, and an
adjustable tightening device connected with the terminal portions of the wires,
substantially as set forth.
6. The combination of a wheel-rini, a pneumatic tire-casing separably divided
along its base but having a portion thereof non-separable or held against separa-
tion when the tire is inflated, adjustable fastening wires which engage and hold
the separable edge-portions of the casing against lateral spread when the tire is
inflated and which have their terminal portions extending over the non-separable
portion of the tire, and an adjustable tightening-device connected with the wire
terminals and arranged to work through the tire-casing at a point between the
separable portions of the latter, substantially as set forth.
7. The combination of a tubular pneumatic tire-casing having a longitudinally
divided base and provided with internally arranged non-continuous ribs a,
wires C, C engaging said ribs and having their terminals connected by loops c,c,
arranged beyond the terminals of the ribs, a wheel-rim, and an adjustable tight-
ening device connected with said loops and arranged to work through an opening
in the wheel-rim, substantially as set forth.
8. The combination of a pneumatic tire-casing having a longitudinally divided
base, wires C, C, engaging the base of the tire at opposite sides of its line of
division, an adjustable tightening device connected with the wires and arranged to
work through the casing, and a covering layer arranged over the adjustable
tightening device and secured at its opposite longitudinal edge-portions to the
0 inner wall of the casing, substantially as set forth.
9. The combination of a tubular pneumatic tire-casing A, split along its base
and having non-continuous ribs a along the line of split, the portion of the casing
between the terminals of the ribs being non-separable, wires C, C, engaging the
ribs and having their terminals extended beyond the ends of the ribs and con-
5 nected by loops c, c, and a tightening device comprising a pair of pivotally con-
nected levers engaging the loops c, c, and means for operating said levers for the
purpose of tightening and loosening the wires.

page_text: 10. The combination, with a wheel-rim having an annular, transversely concave
scat for a tubular pneumatic tire-casing, of an adjustably wired tubular pneumatic
tire-casing split longitudinally along its base and provided with internally
arranged ribs extending along the separable edges formed by the longitudinal
split through its base-portion and abutting the one against the other when the
casing is seated and secured upon the wheel-rim, the adjustable wires being in the
form of non-continuous rings connected with suitable adjusting means for contract-
ing and expanding their diameters, and arranged to bind the casing upon the
seat in the wheel-rim and to bind together the ribs of the casing, when contracted
in diameter for such purpose, substantially as set forth.
Dated the 18th day of May 1899.
D. YOUNG & Co.,
11 & 12, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.