Improvements in Resilient Tyres or Rims of Vehicle Wheels.
Year: 1897

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Resilient Tyres or Rims of Vehicle Wheels.
I, GEORGE FELLOWES, of 34, Sumner Road, Peckham, in the County of London,
Commission Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
A "barrel spring rim" or a "barrel spring rim tyre" for cycle or vehicle
wheels and a new article of manufacture.
Hitherto in cycle and other wheels great difficulty has been experienced in
producing reliable spring tyres. The susceptibility of the material of which they
have been manufactured to harden soften puncture or prematurely perish has
rendered them unreliable.
In my invention I obtain an efficient resiliency in my barrel spring rim or
barrel spring rim tyre (independently of an additional tyre) so as to enable me
to entirely dispense with a pneumatic or other tyre. I may however use a solid
or hollow tyre in conjunction with my rim, or rim-tyre or not as circumstances
require.
The resiliency of my barrel spring rim or barrel spring rim-tyre is owing to
its construction of a necessarily permanent character.
My barrel spring rim or barrel spring rim-tyre is therefore also time and
labour saving dispensing with the attention required in the use of pneumatic
tyres.
My barrel spring rim or barrel spring rim-tyre is constructed of barrelled
material in one or more pieces, and may contain a cavity or indentation or a
projection upon the tread or travelling surface for the purpose of obtaining greater
resiliency and for the application when desired of an adjustable tyre.
When I dispense with the cavity indentation or projection I apply a suitable
tyre when necessary.
I manufacture my barrel spring rim or barrel spring rim. tyre of material
of the same thickness throughout or in one or more parts of a varied thickness
for the purpose of giving strength and/or greater resiliency.
The material of which I manufacture my barrel spring rim or barrel spring
rim-tyre is metal or other material or combination of materials.
When I produce my barrel spring rim or barrel spring rim-tyre of more than
one piece I may manufacture the sections of special shape or shapes for the purpose
of facilitating resiliency.
During my course of experiments for the purpose of manufacturing my barrel
spring rim or barrel spring rim-tyre I find that in bending a metal tube or barrel
of the size required into a circle or wheel form the corrugation caused by the
bending destroys the resiliency to such an extent that it becomes practically
useless for the purpose of making barrel spring rims. I refer principally to steel
metal and no matter how thin the metal the result is practically and proportionally
the same. But I also find that by shortening a steel metal circle tube or cutting
it into segments I obtain considerable resiliency and that the shorter the segment

page_text: is the greater the resiliency. Further I find that by splitting these segments
into halves longitudinally or. length ways that each longitudinal half is further
considerably increased in resiliency. But a wheel cannot be made of solely &
independently of segments or halves of segments.
Therefore I take a plain wheel rim (such as is used on an ordinary cycle) &
proceed somewhat as follows:-
I roll cast or otherwise manufacture my metal into hollow or half circle form to
represent the segmental-section of a circle cut longitudinally. The longitudinally
cut segmental-sections when closely fitted end to end will form a circle. The
top or narrowest parts of the segments are then fixed on each side of the wheel
rim, in continuous succession overlapping each other or at distances apart-the
hollows of the segments facing each other and the bottoms or longest sides of the
segments may be fixed together by screwing rivetting or other means when
required.
The top and bottom of the segments may be shaped as required either lessened
or enlarged the top for adjusting to the rim and the bottom for the reception
of a tyre when necessary and each for improvement in resiliency.
I may manufacture the segments separately or in strips to be afterwards
divided as necessary. By this means I produce and attached to an ordinary rim
by_a succession of segments a metal rim-tyre of great resiliency.
I may add an additional periphery to the bottom of the segments.
I have given the above as an example but I do not bind myself to any par-
ticular metal or material for the making of my barrel spring rim or barrel spring
rim-tyre. I have also described above what would be one particular shape of
barrel but I do not confine myself to that one shape as I can manufacture in
concave convex & angular shapes also. This explanation is for the better
definition of the term special shapes."
When I produce my barrel spring rim or barrel spring rim-tyre in one piece
I may manufacture it of special shape or shapes for the purpose of facilitating
resiliency.
I may also provide a covering for the part or parts or the whole of my barrel
spring rim or barrel spring rim-tyre, which may be a continuation of an
additional tyre or it may be complete in itself.
Dated this 11th day of September 1897
· Improvements in Resilient Tyres or Rims of Vehicle Wheels.
I, GEORGE FELLOWES, of 34, Sumner Road, Peckham, in the County of London,
Commission Agent and Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion 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 improvement in. resilient tyres or rims for the produc-
tion of reliable elasticity in a metal rim or rim-tyre of special construction
hereinafter designated a spring-rim.
Hitherto wheels made for easy riding have usually been fitted with some kind
of cushioned or pneumatic tyre attached in one way or another to the rim of the
wheel and in that way providing the required resiliency for comfortable and easy
riding.
Now my invention consists in producing an equal resiliency in the rim of the
wheel and to completely dispose of the use of any kind of pneumatic tyre.

page_text: The resiliency produced in my rim gives precisely the same ease and comfort
in riding as that of a pneumatic tyre but possesses several valuable advantages over
a pneumatic tyre composed (as most are) of a mixture of rubber and other kinds
of fabrics. Some of these advantages are the following:-
1. I produce a spring rim of equal resiliency.
2. My spring rim is incapable of being punctured, and is not materially affected
in its working if locally fractured.
3. My spring rim may be produced in more than one shape.
4. My springs are made of metal and are therefore more permanent.
5. The cost of production is less, and
6. My invention reduces the tread to a minimum.
For the purpose of achieving these advantages I proceed to produce my inven-
tion in the following manner:-
I build a metal extension comprised of strips of metal which I prepare by cast-
ing, cutting, rolling, stamping, stamping-out or by a combination of two or more
of these processes in on or upon the peripheral edges of a prepared rim and in an
upright position.
This metal extension is added to the edges of the rim in separate_and
independent segments the ends of which converge to a common centre. Each
segment is made hollow in shape and the inner and outer peripheries of each
segment have a radius from the same centre as that of the rim in on or upon
which it is built. The segments are built in on or upon the rim by means of
tongueing, brazing, riveting or screwing or in any other suitable manner.
These hollow metal segments are tempered to a degree in which they most
resist pressure, or yielding to it temporarily regain their original position
immediately they are relieved from pressure.
The hollow segments are fixed into on or upon the peripheral edges of the pre-
pared rim in any suitable manner but preferably as hereinafter described.
or,
I hereinafter refer to these hollow or curved metal segments 'as springs.
The springs may be provided with flanges for the purpose of receiving a tyre,
The springs may be provided with an inward curve at their outer periphery
for a similiar purpose.
When the springs are provided with flanges a clip or key is used to fasten
their peripheral edges together as hereinafter described.
When the springs are provided with an inward curve I may or may not fasten
their peripheral edges together in the manner hereinafter described.
The general construction, arrangement and combination of the several springs
with a prepared rim form my invention which I term a spring rim.
Having briefly explained my invention 'I now say that the principal objects
are as follows:-
The object of this invention is to provide in the rim of a wheel without inflation
or other assistance from the tyre all the elasticity and resiliency required in a
wheel specially made for easy riding. The invention consists in constructing a
metal spring, which, when in connection or combination with a prepared rim.
forms a spring-rim and which with the addition of a solid or hollow tyre (to
form the tread) contains the advantages of a pneumatic tyre but is incapable of
suffering damage in the nature of punctures to which most pneumatic tyres are
subject
Another object of this invention is to construct a spring rim which may be
manufactured in various shapes according to the style of tyre which is intended
to be applied to it, or according to the desirability or necessity of adding a cover
or semi-cover more particularly hereinafter described.
Another object of the invention is to construct a spring rim in one or more
shapes for the purpose of reducing the friction due to the contact between the
tread upon which it runs to the least possible minimum by using a smaller tyre
with a narrower tread than that generally adopted.

page_text: Another object of the invention is to construct a spring rim which shall be of
a permanent character and at the same time inexpensive to repair and to do all
these things in a cheap simple and durable manner.
The drawings accompanying this specification further explain my invention,
thus,
Fig. 1, represents a piece of metal made into a hollow or concave shape the inner
and outer peripheries having a radius from the same centre as that of the rim in or
upon which it is built the ends converging to a common centre. This concave
segment is my spring in its simplest form.
Fig. 2, represents a convex view of a similar spring.
Fig. 3, represents a concave view of a spring provided with a flange (a) on its
outer periphery for the reception of a tyre.
Fig. 4, represents a similar spring showing its convex side.
Fig. 5, represents a spring with flange (a) into which incisions (b) are made,
preferably at the base of the flange, for the reception of a key or clip which is
used for the purpose of holding the opposite springs together with a tyre in their
places. This figure also shows tongues (c), and tongues (d). The tongues (c),
after being cut in a manner hereinafter described, are bent in a sufficiently back-
ward direction as to permit their entrance on the outside of the rim into the
incisions, while the tongues (d) overlap the rim edge. In the process of bending
these tongues a ridge is formed at the root of the tongues which ridge rests on
the rim. By cutting the tongues (c) the tongues (d) are formed. The tongues
are for the purpose of holding the springs firmly into the rim. The method of
fixing is hereinafter described.
Fig. 6, represents the last figure described but with a portion (e) cut away for
the purpose of resiliency and to permit the use of a stouter metal in part or all
over the spring without increasing the weight.
Fig. 7, represents a sectional view of the springs (9), fixed into rim (f). The
springs are here provided with flanges (a) which may meet or nearly meet and
may be held together in their position as hereinbefore described.
Fig. 8 represents a sectional view of the springs, (h), fixed into the rim, (f).
This figure shows the manner in which my springs may be turned in, (2), with
equal advantage to providing flange (a), and for a similar purpose. This
difference in construction is for the purpose of employing a tyre of a different
character as hereinafter described.
Fig. 9 represents a sectional view of springs, Fig. 1, fixed into rim, (f). The
springs are here used in their simplest form, (Fig. 1), and possess greater
resiliency than when provided with flanges (a), or have their outer peripheral
edges turned outwards in any other manner or inwards, (i). When I use these
springs, (), to build my spring rim I employ a specially constructed tyre as
hereinafter described.
Fig. 10 represents a view of part of a rim (f), containing incisions (e), near
its peripheral edges. The prepared rim (f), forms the base of my spring-rim as
it is in, on, or upon the peripheral edges of this rim that I build my springs. The
incisions, (e), are for the purpose of receiving the tongues, (c), of spring (g), and
are made as near as possible to the edge of the rim but allowing sufficient of the
rim edge. for the tongues, (c), to firmly grasp. The length of the incisions, (e),
correspond exactly with the breadth of the tongues, (c).
This figure shews four springs, (9), placed in the rim, (f), three on one side
and one on the other. This view is adopted for the purpose of more easily
elucidating the manner in which my springs, (9), combine with the rim, (f), and
of showing very clearly the union on the outside as well as on the inside of the
rim, (f).
The springs, (g), are fitted into the rim, (f), in the following manner -The
spring (9), is held outside and at right angles to the rim, (f), with the tongues, (c),
close to the incisions (e), at the same time passing the tongues (d), slightly over
the edge of the rim, (f). The tongues, (c), are now pushed into incisions, (e),

page_text: as far as their roots simultaneously passing the tongues, (d), over the rim edge
and giving the spring, (9), an upward movement until it reaches its perpendicular
in which position the spring is firmly held in the rim, (f).
The mode of placing my springs is therefore of both easy and quick accom-
plishment.
The tongues, (c), are prepared by drilling, punching or stamping out two holes
in the spring to which cuttings in the spring from its inner periphery are made.
The length of the tongues (c), is about one fifth the depth of the spring and
the breadth of the tongues in this figure is also about one fifth the length of the
spring. But both length and breadth may vary according to the size of the
spring and other conditions.
This figure shows that the springs do not individually face each other.
Fig. 11 represents a portion of a rim, (f), into which two springs, (g), have
been placed in the manner just described. This figure shows the springs, (g),
brought together, and opposite each other.
The flanges, (a), form a V-shaped opening into which the tyre, (m), is inserted
as shewn by dotted line. One end of the opposite springs (9), and the tyre (m),
are simultaneously held firmly together by means of a clip or key, (n), which
passes through the incisions, (b), and the tyre and then bent towards the tread.
Fig. 12 represents a portion of a rim, (f), as préviously described into which
two springs, (), have been placed. The springs (), are not provided with flanges
nor are they bent inward at their outer periphery.
A spring-rim of this combination renders a greater local resiliency than others
before described and is particularly adapted to cycles and other light vehicles.
The figure shows that the outer peripheries of these springs, (), are a distance
apart. In this combination a narrow tyre cannot well be used therefore a specially
designed tyre 0 is used which is provided with a projecting outer periphery to
form the tread.
It may also be provided with an internal projection to accelerate the resiliency
of the spring-rim. The tyre, O, is made to envelop or partly envelop the springs
or the spring-rim. When the tyre, .0, partly envelops the springs I employ
projections upon the springs to which the tyre may be fastened. Such projections
are made in the springs during their manufacture in the form of buttons, hooks,
rivets, or I employ other suitable means. I apply the same process to the rim
when I envelop the whole of the springs or the springs and the rim, or the
springs and part of the rim..
Fig. 13 shows a sectional view of the tyre employed when the springs are pro-
vided with flanges (a). The larger portion forms the tread while the depth of the
tyre is sufficient to allow it to extend inwardly beyond a point at which the
springs, (g), almost meet, (k).
Fig. 14 shews a key or clip, (n), in the bent form which it takes when it
clenches the springs (9), and tire, (m), together, as shown in Fig. 11.
Fig. 15 is a sectional view of a specially prepared tyre in all respects the same
as that described in Fig. 12 except that it is prepared for springs the peripheral
edges of which meet.
Fig. 16 shows a sectional view of a specially designed tyre applied to springs (h)
and, in the manner shown in Fig. 12 herein before described.
Fig. 17 shows an example of a holdfast clip which I use for holding the outer
peripheral edges of the opposite springs, Fig. 12, together.
Incisions for the reception of the holdfast clips are made near the outer
peripheral edges of the springs, Fig. 12.
The holdfast clip is also constructed for the purpose of receiving and holding a
suitable tyre.
From the preceding description it will be seen that my springs are easily
detachable that the clip or key fastening is simple and easily replaced and that
the springs, more especially those represented by Fig. 12, yield locally on both

page_text: 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. A spring-rim consisting of a number of metal springs, (9), (h), or (j), or
springs of this character which may be concave convex or other suitable shape
generally resembling a cylindrical segment cut in halves longitudinally in com-
bination with a prepared rim.
2. A spring-rim consisting of a number of metal springs, (g), or (h), or springs
of this character which may be concave or convex or other suitable form in
combination with a prepared rim, the said springs being provided with a flange,
(a), or a turn in outer periphery, (), for the purpose of receiving a tyre
substantially as described.
3. A spring-rim consisting of a number of metal springs, (5), or springs of this
character which may be concave convex or other suitable form in combination
with a prepared rim for the purpose of holding a specially designed tyre and
particularly adapted to cycles and other light vehicles substantially as specified.
4. A spring-rim consisting of a number of springs, (g), (h), or (), or springs
of this character in combination with a prepared rim: Said springs being pro-
vided with tongues (c), and (d), substantially as and for the purpose specified.
5. A spring-rim consisting of a number of springs, (g), or springs of this
character in combination with a prepared rim; said springs being provided with
incisions, (b), in flanges, (a), substantially as and for the purpose described.
6. A spring-rim consisting of a number of springs, (g), or springs of this char-
acter in combination with a prepared rim;-said springs having cut out portions,
Fig. 6, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
7. The manufacture of springs (g), (h), (1), or springs of this character with or
without a flange or turned-in outer peripheral edge with or without tongues c & d
with or without cut out portions Fig. 6, by means of rolling stamping or stamp-
ing out strips of metal or by a combination of two or more of these processes for
the purpose hereinbefore described.
8. In a spring rim consisting of a number of springs (g), (h), or (7), or springs
of this character which may be concave convex or other suitable form, the pre-
paration of a rim for their reception by making a number of incisions in said
rim by which the tongues (c), & (d), are engaged with the rim substantially as
described.
9. In a spring rim consisting of a number of springs, (g), (h), or (7), or springs
of this character which may be concave convex or other suitable form, the com-
bination of said springs with a rim by means of tongueing either as in the manner
described or otherwise or by brazing the same together or by the use of rivets
screws or any other suitable means for the purpose described.
10. In a spring rim the general construction, arrangement and combination
of the several respective parts forming my invention of
A spring rim constructed by securely building a wall composed of metal seg-
mental springs in on or upon both the peripheral edges of a rim, and the various
methods of fixing said springs in their positions with their outer peripheral edges
apart or in contact and of employing a tyre or tread which may or may not envelop
or partly envelop the spring rim substantially as hereinbefore described and
illustrated in the drawings forming part of this specification.
Dated this 10th day of June 1900