Improved Wheels for Bicycles and other Vehicles.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Mar., 1893
Complete Specification Left. 4th Aug., 1893-Accepted, 9th Sept., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Wheels for Bicycles and other Vehicles.
WILLIAM ARTHUR STANFIELD 134 Grosvenor Road, Belfast, Clerk, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This improvement relates to wheels for bicycles and other vehicles wherein the
tyres are made with rubber or other material and inflated with air. It consists in
making the rim with turned down edges, the air tube of rubber, and the cover of
rubber, canvas or other material, with hoops of peculiar construction inserted in
the outside edges of cover, and which differs from the wire edges now used in that,
a tube or socket is fastened on one end of hoop into which the other is inserted thus
effecting a temporary join and making the edges of cover circular. It may have in
addition, a contracting and expanding joint or hinge to facilitate the placing and
removal of cover.
The edges of cover as described to be placed underneath the turned down edges
of rim, the inflation of air tube to keep the cover in place.
Dated this 9th March 1803
WILLIAM ARTHUR STANFIELD.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Wheels for Bicycles and other Vehicles.
I, WILLIAM ARTHUR STANFIELD, of 134 Grosvenor Road, Belfast, in the
County of Antrim, Ireland, Clerk, 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 improvement relates to pneumatic tyred wheels for bicycles and other
vehicles, and it consists in making the wheel rim with turned down or depressed
edges, and in attaching the cover to the rim by means of hoops or rings having a
larger circumference than the rim measured on the inner side of the turned down
or depressed edges, the said hoops being made in two parts so that the circumference
of the said hoops may be easily and readily adjusted, the objects being to attach
the cover to the wheel rim in a simple and reliable manner, and to provide for the
adjustment of the sizes of the fixing hoops or rings to the varying sizes of the
wheel rims.
I attain this end in the manner illustrated by the accompanying drawing, in
which :-
Figure is a view in transverse section of a pneumatic tyre and wheel rim
embodying my invention.
Figures 2 and 3 are diagrammatic views showing how each of the said fixing
hoops or rings are sprung inwards, and
Figures 4 and 5 are broken views in side elevation on an enlarged scale showing
details of the construction of the fixing hoops or rings.
Throughout these views similar parts are marked with like letters of reference.
The rim of the wheel A has its edges a, a, turned down or depressed to form
tapered faces or edges a', a', on its inner face. The cover B is made of rubber
reinforced with canvas in the well-known manner, and it has formed in its edges,
The locking
pockets b, b, in which are located the locking hoops or rings C.
heops or rings C may be made either hollow as shown by the accompanying
drawing, or solid, and they may be made of metal or other suitable material. Each
PR

page_text: hoop or ring C has one or two hinges or joints c formed in it to facilitate it being
sprung inwards to engage with the turned down edges of the rim, the said hinges
or joints c being transverse to the circumference of the hoop or ring. In the
accompanying drawing Figure 3 shows the construction of the hoop or ring with
one hinge or joint, and Figure 2 the construction with two hinges or joints the
dotted lines in each view showing the positions of the hinges or joints when the
hoops are sprung inwards. To one of the hinges or joints c, if there is more than
one as shown by Figure 4-is attached a ring or hook c¹ to enable the hoop or
ring to be sprung inwards which so contracts the circumference of the said hoop or
ring that it will pass over the turned down or depressed edges of the rim.
In order to provide for the adjustment of the circumference of the hoop or
ring C, I form it in two parts the engaging end of one part being formed as a
socket and the engaging end of the other part as a tongue c³ as shown by
Figure 5, so that by reducing the length of the socket c² or the shoulder c of the
tongue end, the length of the circumference of the hoop or ring may be shortened.
As a modification the tongue c³ may be screwed into the socket so that the
circumference of the hoop or ring may be varied by screwing the said tongue in or
out of the said socket. This method of providing for the adjustment of the
circumference of a hoop or ring is applicable to all such hoops or rings as are used
in combination with the covers of pneumatic tyres for their attachment to wheel
rims.
The air tube D is of the usual construction and is provided with any suitable
form of valve for inflation and deflation.
To remove the cover from the wheel rim, one of the hoops or rings C is sprung
inwards as shown by dotted lines in Figures 2, 3 and 4 when the edge of the cover
can be easily passed over the edge a of the wheel rim A. To reattach the edge of
the cover the said edge is placed on the inner face of the rim between its turned
down or depressed edges, and the hoop or ring is sprung back into its place by
forcing it outwards. On the inflation of the air tube the hoop or ring is drawn
against the tapered edges of the wheel rim and so the edge of the cover becomes
firmly fixed thereto.
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. The method of tightening, fixing, and releasing, a hoop or ring used for
securing the covers of pneumatic tyres to wheel rims, substantially as set forth.
2. The combination of parts respectively formed and used for pneumatic tyred
wheels as herein before respectively described and illustrated by the accompanying
drawing.
3. Providing for the expansion and contraction of hoops or rings adapted to fix
the edges of the covers of pneumatic tyres to wheel rims, by forming in the said
hoops or rings one or two transverse hinges or joints, as set forth.
4. Providing for the adjustment of the circumference of hoops or rings used for
fixing the covers of pneumatic tyres to wheel rims, by forming the said hoop or ring
in two parts, one of which is capable of being adjusted longitudinally or circum-
ferentially with respect to the other, as set forth.
5. A hoop or ring for fixing the edges of the covers of pneumatic tyres to wheel
rims made of one or more parts, hinged or jointed together so that it may readily
and easily be sprung inwards and having formed at any convenient part of its
circumference a tongue and socket joint, as and for the purpose set forth.
6. In a pneumatic tyred wheel, the combination of the wheel rim A having
turned down or depressed edges a a forming tapered faces or edges a¹ a² on its
inner face, of the cover B having pockets bb in its edges, of the air tube D, of the
fixing hoops or ring C, C, each constructed of one or more parts hinged or jointed
together by transverse hinges or joints e and having a tongue and socket c³ and c in

page_text: its length, and of an air tube for inflating the tyre, all combined, arranged and
operating, as and for the purpose set forth.
Dated this 4th day of August 1893.
ROBT. ED. PHILLIPS, M.I.M.E.,
Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent,
70, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.