Improvements in Pneumatic Tyres for Cycles and other Carriages or Vehicles.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Oct., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 14th Dec., 1893-Accepted, 20th Jan., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Pneumatic Tyres for Cycles and other Carriages
or Vehicles.
HERBERT AKROYD STUART, Bletchley Iron Works Bletchley Bucks
Mechanical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in pneumatic tyres, whereby one puncture
cannot totally collapse it.
In carrying this invention into practice, I suitably arrange a flexible receptacle
capable of being inflated with atmospheric air or other fluid. This is what is at
present known as a tube or bladder. Outside this I arrange a number of balls or
suitable receptacles, made of india-rubber or other flexible material, internally
charged with atmospheric air, or other fluid at atmospheric or additional pressure,
the configuration of which may be varied to adapt themselves to a suitable cover
and rim, employed to maintain the said receptacles in position. It is well known
that in the ordinary pneumatic tyre, if a puncture occurs the inner tube or bladder
entirely collapses. With the arrangement herein described should a puncture take
place it will only effect the puncture of one of the many receptacles, the remainder
being intact will enable the rider to get home without having immediately to repair
the tyre.
The respective cells are constructed valveless, which is particularly the subject
of this invention. It will be easily understood that when the outside cover is
removed, the punctured receptacle may be taken out and its equivalent inserted.
Dated this 27th day of October 1893.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Pneumatic Tyres for Cycles and other Carriages
or Vehicles.
I, HERBERT AKROYD STUART, of Bletchley Iron Works, Bletchley, in the
County of Buckingham, Mechanical Engineer 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 invention relates to improvements in pneumatic tyres for velocipedes and
other carriages or vehicles.
According to my invention I arrange in combination with an inflatable tube or
air-chamber which extends completely around the wheel a series of receptacles of
india-rubber or other flexible material permanently closed and charged with
atmospheric air at or slightly above atmospheric pressure. These separate chambers
or receptacles are arranged outside the air-tube and are enclosed in a jacket or
covering in a well known manner. When the air-chamber of a pneumatic tyre so
constructed is inflated the air contained in the closed receptacles will be compressed
to the same extent as the air in the air-chamber.
To enable my invention to be fully understood I will describe the same by
reference to the accompanying drawing, in which :-
Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of a portion of a wheel-tyre constructed
according to my invention; and,
Figure 2 is a section on the line 2—2, Figure 1.

page_text: a is the ordinary wheel-rim, and b is the ordinary jacket or cover which in the
drawing is represented as being fixed upon the rim by means of two wires C, c in a
well known manner but which may be fixed by any other suitable means.
d is the flexible air-tube which extends completely around the wheel and which is
adapted to be inflated in the usual manner, for instance, through a tube e. The
said air-tube d is, however, made smaller in circumference than usual as it is not
intended to fill the whole of the jacket.
ffare the chambers which are arranged outside the tube d and in proximity to
the tread of the wheel. As shewn in the drawing these chambers ff are made of
segmental shape and flattened at the ends so that the several chambers will lie close
together. The said chambers are inflated with air at atmospheric pressure or
slightly above in the course of their manufacture and cannot be deflated except by
puncturing them.
It will be obvious that when a series of such receptacles, is enclosed in the
jacket together with the air-tube d and the latter inflated, the air in the said
receptacles will be compressed to an extent corresponding to the pressure introduced
into the tube d so that should one of the receptacles ƒ be punctured it is only
necessary to deflate the tube d and to remove the damaged chamber which can then
be repaired or replaced by a sound one. In any case the puncturing of one or more
chambers at different parts of the tyre would not seriously interfere with the
efficiency of the latter.
I sometimes find it advantageous to arrange a canvas bag between the air-tube
and the chambers or to enclose the air-tube somewhat loosely in a bag of canvas or
other unstretchable material in order to prevent the air-tube from expanding into
the space caused by the deflation of one or more of the chambers in case it or they
is or are punctured.
In order to enable a rider to carry several spare receptacles with him, these spare
receptacles may each be provided with a small inflating tube, by means of which it
may be inflated when desired by the mouth. The inflating pipe may be provided
with a valve or closed when inflated by tying a string tightly around it.
I am aware that it has heretofore been proposed to use a series of independent
chambers enclosed in a tyre so that in case one or more should be punctured the
efficiency of the tyre would not be seriously impaired but such chambers have
generally been connected so as to be inflated simultaneously and to be only capable
of deflation when punctured. This arrangement has, however, the disadvantages
that certain difficulties present themselves when repairing the tyre, as, firstly, by
the damaged chamber being connected with the undamaged chambers it cannot be
readily removed and generally necessitates the whole tyre being taken off, and
secondly when the tyre taken off the pressure in the undamaged chambers causes
the expansion of the latter thereby rendering it impossible to replace the tyre
without first puncturing all the chambers to allow of the escape of the air.
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. In a pneumatic tyre the combination with an air-tube extending around the
tyre, of a series of independent chambers charged with air at atmospheric pressure
or at a pressure only slightly greater than that of the atmosphere, the necessary
pressure within the tyre being obtained by the inflation of the said air-tube when
the tyre is upon the wheel, substantially as described.
2. The manufacture and use of pneumatic tyres substantially in the manner
herein before described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.