IMPROVE- MENTS IN THE ARRANGEMENT OF TYRES FOR THE WHEELS OF CARRIAGES AND OTHER VEHICLES "
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Owen Aves and George Moss, of 46 Barbican,
in the City of London, Mechanical Engineers, for an Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE ARRANGEMENT OF TYRES FOR THE WHEELS OF CARRIAGES
AND OTHER VEHICLES
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Owen Aves and
George Moss at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 19th April
1883.
WILLIAM OWEN AVES, and GEORGE Moss, of 46 Barbican, in the City of
London, Mechanical Engineers, "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE ARRANGEMENT OF TYRES
FOR THE WHEELS OF CARRIAGES AND OTHER VEHICLES
Our Invention relates to wheels having an inner and an outer Tyre, concentric
with one another. We allow between the tyres sufficient space for the free play
of a series of springs, which we attach to either the inner or the outer tyre, but
not to both; so as to prevent jolting or vibration being conveyed to the inner, or
rigid wheel, and make riding over a rough road as easy as on asphalte, or wood
pavement. The outer tyre or ring is not fixed at all, but simply kept in place by
the equal pressure of the springs all over its under surface. This outer ring is made
of special construction and deep section such as L or angle iron, or box or channel
section, or any other which may give the greatest strength and lightness,
according to the particular purpose for which the wheel is required, and perfectly
preserve the circular form of the outer tyre. By this arrangement the bottom
part of the tyre never flattens, when the weight is on the wheel, but the springs at
the sides give laterally, and thus allow the inner wheel free play upwards or
downwards, there being no dead points at any portion of the circumference, on.
account of the outer ring being left quite free and unfastened. We prefer making
the outer tyre of two or more pieces to allow of completely covering in the springs
when desired, and to destroy the ringing tone, which it would give out, if in one
piece. We therefore fix a flange or flanges on one or both sides of the tyre, and of
any depth suitable for strength and covering. Or we form a comparatively light
LD

page_text: ring, of or square channel section, to receive the springs, and onto this we
shrink an outer working tyre of suitable thickness
Further, to prevent noise and rattling, we either fix on the inside of the flange,
between it and the felloe of the inner wheel, an india-rubber or leather ring, or
put round the outside of the inner wheel, an india-rubber, or leather, band and
allow it to project at the edge beyond the felloe so as to keep the felloe clear of the
flange and close the aperture perfectly against dust or mud.
We do not confine ourselves to any particular form of springs, and might make
then by having simply a rubber band, as above mentioned, with any convenient
number of rubber buffers fixed to it and projecting sufficiently to press against
the outer tyre; but we prefer a series of spring carriers, bearing robber buffers or
other suitable springs. These carriers are secured at the centre, or one end to the
inner wheel and are so shaped, and sprung, as to bear always against the outer tyre
and keep it secure from falling off; for, when the weight comes on the wheel, it
sinks nearer to the outer tyre at bottom, and further from it at top, and the
carriers then come into play maintaining a slight pressure on the outer tyre. Or
they may be fixed in the reverse position, secured to the outer tyre and pressing
on the inner. The working springs only just take their bearing, when the inner
wheel is in the centre of the outer tyre, and we fix to the end or ends of the spring
carriers, opposite to the buffers, a piece of vulcanite or other non-oxidizing
substance, which presses against the tyre and prevents the grating sound, which
might arise from contact of steel or iron. The same principle may be used
without boxing in the springs by employing a V, H, or channel section tyre as most
convenient for the required purpose.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent
filed by the said William Owen Aves and George Moss in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 19th October 1883.
WILLIAM OWEN AVES, and GEORGE Moss, of 46 Barbican, in the City of
London, Mechanical Engineers. IMPROVEMENTS IN THE ARRANGEMENT OF TYRES
25
FOR THE WHEELS OF CARRIAGES AND OTHER VEHICLES"
Our Invention relates to wheels having an elastic rim composed of an inner and
outer ring with a series of springs interposed between them whereby to reduce the
transmission of concussion and the resulting vibration to the rigid inner structure
of the wheel and thence to the vehicle and render travelling upon a rough road
comparatively smooth and easy. By thus neutralising the vibration before it
reaches the wheel the effect of an indiarubber tyre is obtained without its
disadvantages.
The outer ring is not fixed but is entirely loose or free upon the wheel being
merely held in position by the springs and by the lateral flanges of the ring which
is of a deep box or channel section so as to combine strength with lightness and
ensure the preservation of its circular form. By this construction the tyre does
not flatten by contact with the ground but the springs will yield and allow free
radial or eccentric play of the outer ring upon the inner structure of the wheel
under the influence of the weight of the load and the irregularities of the road.
This outer ring is of solid or built-up box or channel section and may either be a
continuous ring or in two or more segments united by joints to prevent the ringing
tone which it would give out if it were continuous or unbroken. Means are also
provided to prevent metallic contact of the outer with the inner ring and to
exclude dirt.
We do not confine ourselves to any particular form of spring and may either
use blocks or buffers of indiarubber formed at suitable distances upon a band
encircling the inner ring, or the said blocks may be otherwise fixed so as to be
interposed between the two rings. Or we may use steel carriers sprung to a
proper form and bearing a rubber buffer or other suitable spring at the end or
ends, or coiled steel springs may be used but we prefer the form herein described.
We may also carry out the Invention without boxing in the springs by using an
outer ring of U, H, V, or channel section and springs either of steel or rubber,
secured to the inner ring and bearing against the outer or vice versa
The Invention is applicable to common road vehicles railway carriages, and
velocipedes.
In order that the Invention may be more readily understood; we have illustrated
an example thereof in the accompanying drawings and will proceed to describe it
in detail with reference thereto.
Figure 1 is a section of a segment of the wheel taken in the plane of the latter.
Figure 2 is a cross section of the rim taken on line 1-1 Figure 1.
A is the inner ring, B the outer ring, O the wearing portion or tyre proper of the
complete wheel, D iudiarubber blocks forming the springs or buffers; & the india-
rubber band to which they are attached; E a leather strap encircling the
indiarubber band and springs; F steel plates clamping the indiarubber and leather
straps to the inner ring intermediate of the springs. G bolts binding the flexible
rim to the spoke shoes H.
The inner ring A is a band preferably of steel and either continuous or having
its ends butted beneath one of the spoke shoes. The strip d is of vulcanised
indiarubber and likewise the blocks D which are moulded or formed upon it. The
said strips may be conveniently made in segments which meet end to end and

page_text: each carry a block D. The outer ring B is preferably of steel rolled of channelled
or box section but may be of two lengths of angle steel meeting under the tyre
and may either be rolled in the form of a continuous bar and joined as a ring, or
cut into segments and joined together again by suitable cover plates and fastenings
for the purpose above mentioned. The tyre proper C is of steel or iron and made
and shrunk on the ring B in the usual manner of tyring wheels. It is rolled with
laterally projecting lips c at the inner periphery which are closed over the sides of
the ring B after shrinking on. This tyre or wearing portion might however be
rolled solid with the outer ring B.
The india-rubber strip d and leather band E are of a width to fit sufficiently
tightly between the sides or flanges of the ring B to exclude dirt and prevent the
contact of these sides or flanges with the inner ring A which is of less width.
When the ring B is made continuous and not built up of segments, the method
of applying the elastic rim to the wheel is as follows:-
The india-rubber strap and springs are applied around the inner ring A and the
clamping plates and bolts inserted in place. The whole is then sprung into place
in the outer ring (upon which the tyre O has previously been shrunk) and the
wheel centre with the shoes already fixed on the ends of the spokes is then placed
within the inner ring A the bolts being pushed outwards for the purpose and
afterwards brought back into place and their nuts screwed on. Or if a divided
channel ring be used one of the angle pieces would be affixed as above and the
other forced into place after the inner ring and wheel were inserted.
Having described the nature of the said Invention and the manner of performing
the same We declare that what We claim as the Invention to be protected by the
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is :—
1. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting an elastic wheel rim
substantially as herein shown and described.
2. An elastic wheel rim composed of an inner ring, an outer ring of channelled
or box section embracing the inner ring and of springs or buffers interposed at
intervals between the two rings the inner ring being fixed to the spokes and the
outer ring being entirely free to move eccentrically and circumferentially
substantially as herein specified.
In witness whereof I the said William Owen Aves for myself and on behalf of
the said George Moss, have hereunto set my hand and seal this eighteenth day of
October &TD 1882
Witness
W& CLARK
53 Chancery Lane
W. O. AVES. (L.S.)