Improvements in or relating to Pneumatic Tyres.
Year: 1897

page_text: I, JOHN HUGH GILBERT SEALE, of 14, Gloucester Road, Peckham, London, S.E.,
Architectural Modeller and Sculptor, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object improvements in or relating to pneumatic tyres
for the wheels of cycles or other vehicles.
According to my present invention I arrange and use a number of air tubes
within any suitable cover or wrapper or outer tube or envelope secured to or in
position on the rim (which may be of any suitable shape or formation) in any
suitable manner such air tubes being each advantageously very much shorter in
length than the circumference of the wheel and arranged and adapted to overlap
or break joint with one another-each such tube being provided with a separate
and independent air valve or valves of any suitable character such as those at
present in common use so that each such tube is adapted to be inflated independently
of the other or others.
In carrying out my present invention I insert a sufficient number of these short
tubes (which may or may not be covered with canvas or otherwise protected) to
completely encircle the wheel in suchwise that these tubes lie double (or even treble
or more) if desired all round the wheel.
I now inflate certain of the tubes (overlapping or otherwise) so as to form a
complete series of air cushions all round the rim and advantageously only those
tubes which lie outermost of the others all round so that the non-inflated tubes
are compressed between the inflated tubes and the rim or otherwise.
If now a puncture of one of the short inflated tubes takes place it is only
necessary to then inflate the spare short tube or tubes overlapping or underlapping
same and the pneumatic tyre is restored.
Improvements in or relating to Pneumatic Tyres.
I, JOHN HUGH GILBERT SEALE, of 14, Gloucester Road, Peckham, London, S.E.,
Architectural Modeller and Sculptor, 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 has for its object improvements in or relating to pneumatic tyres
for the wheels of cycles or other vehicles.

page_text: According to my present invention I arrange and use a number of air tubes
within any suitable cover or wrapper or outer tube or envelope secured to or in
position on the rim (which latter may be of any suitable shape or formation) in any
suitable manner such air tubes being each very much shorter in length than the
circumference of the wheel and arranged and adapted to butt or to overlap or
break joint with one another-each such tube being provided with a separate and
independent air valve or valves of any suitable character such as those at present
in common use so that each such tube is adapted to be inflated independently of
the other or others.
In carrying out my present invention I insert a sufficient number of these short
tubes (which may be covered with canvas or other material or otherwise protected)
to completely encircle the wheel in suchwise that these tubes lie double (or even
treble or more if desired) all round the wheel.
I now inflate certain of the tubes (overlapping or otherwise) so as to form a
complete series of air cushions all round the rim and advantageously only those
tubes which lie outermost of the others all round so that the non-inflated tubes are
compressed between the inflated tubes and the rim, or I may inflate the innermost
circle of tubes or some of each.
If now a puncture of one of the short inflated tubes takes place it is only necessary
to then inflate the spare short tube or tubes overlapping or underlapping same and
the pneumatic tyre is restored.
Referring to the accompanying drawings:-
Fig. 1 is a side view of the rim of a wheel with a pneumatic tyre arranged thereon
according to my present improvements-the short tubes being indicated in dotted
lines viz. five short tubes completely encircle the wheel and a second scries of five
short tubes also encircle the wheel a total of ten short tubes being thus used in the
arrangement illustrated.
Fig. 2 is a local longitudinal sectional view on a greatly enlarged scale.
Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view on line 3-3 Fig. 2-but on a still larger scale-
showing the outside tube inflated and the inside tube compressed between said
inflated tube and the rim.
Fig. 4 is a similar view to Fig. 3 only showing the outside tube deflated and the
inside tube inflated and the outer tube being thereby compressed between said
inside tube and the detachable outer cover or wrapper b.
Fig. 5 is a part view of one of the short tubes showing said tube in its bag or
casing of inextensible material.
Fig. 6 is a "local" longitudinal sectional view of a slightly modified arrange-
ment according to my present invention--the short tubes being shown deflated or
partially so.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout.
a is the rim and b the detachable outer cover or wrapper, each being of any
known or suitable construction and of any desired shape in cross section-neither
of same forming any part separately of my present invention.
cc is the outer system or outside ring of short tubes.
dd is the inside system or inside ring of short tubes.
ff are the ordinary tyre valves of any known or suitable construction--a
valve f being fitted (in any suitable manner) to each of the said outer short tubes c
and a valve to each of the inner short tubes d respectively.
g is the bag or covering of any suitable fabric such as cotton cloth etc. as afore-
said each short tube c being arranged and secured (for instance by lacing) inside
a separate and independent bag or covering 9 as shown in Fig. 5 and similarly
each short tube d is arranged within a separate and independent inextensible bag
or covering 9 so that the extent to which any short tube c (or any short tube d)
can by inflation be distended longitudinally is limited by its said bag or covering g
while its extension or distension diametrically is limited by the ordinary detach-
able outer covering or wrapper 6 and thus the bursting of these short tubes by
over-pressure in any direction is prevented.

page_text: The ends of the short tubes cc (and similarly the end of the short tubes dd)
may be bevelled off so that said ends will. overlap or over-lay one another as shown
in Figs. 1, 2 and 5 or the ends of said tubes may be of any other desired form or
shape for instance the adjoining ends may butt squarely i.e. the ends of said tubes
may be formed as shown in Fig. 6.
On referring to Figs. 12 and 6 it will be seen that two complete rings of tubes
are arranged round the circumference of the wheel these individual short tubes
being of such a length that when inflated the ends of said tubes will either butt
closely together or if desired overlap as shown in the drawings while if the outer
ring of tubes c be inflated then they compress the deflated inner ring of tubes d
tightly against the rim a as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 while in the event of puncture
or collapse of one of these outer tubes & then by pumping air through the valves f¹ f¹
-on each side of the valve f of said collapsed tube c-thereby the adjoining ends
of said adjacent inner tubes d d are inflated and completely fill the space formerly
occupied by said collapsed tube c which latter is thereby compressed by said inflated
tubes d against the underside of the detachable outer cover or wrapper b as shown
in Fig. 4.
Or the whole of said inner ring of tubes & may be inflated thus compressing the
whole of said outer ring of tubes c between same and the underside of the wrapper b
as shown in Fig. 4.
In order to prevent or reduce the possibility of the inner tubes d being punctured
or injured by any sharp point which may enter and puncture the outer tubes c
when the latter are the inflated tubes-I provide each of the outer tubes c in or on
the underside thereof with a strip or lining of non-puncturable or puncture-resist-
ing material such as a strip of closely woven silk fabric or other suitable material
and same being on the underside alone of said tubes c consequently will in no way
interfere with the resilience of the tyre.
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. In pneumatic tyres-the combination with the rim of a wheel and a detach-
able outer cover or wrapper adapted to be secured to said rim by the inflation of
the tyre of an inner and outer series or ring of short tubes each of these two rings
or series of tubes completely encircling the rim of the wheel and a separate and
independent valve to each such short tube substantially as and for the purposes
herein before described and illustrated in the drawings annexed.
2. In pneumatic tyres--the combination with the rim of a wheel and a detach-
able outer cover or wrapper adapted to be secured to said rim by the inflation of
the tyre of an inner and outer series or ring of short tubes each of these two rings
or series of tubes completely encircling the rim of the wheel and a separate bag
or covering over each separate short tube such bag being formed of a material
inextensible in the direction of its length and a separate valve for each said tube
substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
3. The herein-described improvements in or relating to pneumatic tyres sub-
stantially as and for the purposes specified.
1000
TONGUE & BIRKBECK,
Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.