Improvements in Pneumatic Tyres.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Oct., 1899-Accepted, 11th Nov., 1899.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Pneumatic Tyres.
I, OLIVER IMRAY, of Birkbeck Bank Chambers, Southampton Buildings,
in the County of London, Chartered Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention (as communicated to me from abroad by William .Leavitt
Haines, of 801, Tremont Building, Boston, Massachusetts. United States of
America, Merchant), 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 pneumatic tyres for wheels of bicycles and other
vehicles.
In order to prevent puncture, tyres have sometimes been made in two com-
partments. the inner one. forming the air-chamber, and the outer one, next to
the tread, being filled with a fibrous material, such as raw cotton. But although
raw cotton fibre, when closely packed offers great resistance to penetration, and
tends to change the direction of an intruding body, it is found that the frequent
handling required in the process of manufacture, and the sharp bends and
twists to which the tyre is subjected for the purpose of inserting the air-valve
tube, and other. strains to which it may be subjected such as folding it into
small packages, etc. before it is attached to the wheel, cause the cotton fibres
when they are packed in the tyre in broken masses, to separate and work into
lumps, leaving unprotected spaces where the air-tube may be easily penetrated.
The obiect of this invention is to overcome these difficulties by forming from
a sheet of preferably long staple cotton, the fibres of which have been straight-
ened and caused to extend in the same direction by repeated carding. a con-
tinuous rope-like ring, of the length of the outer surface of the air-tube to be
protected, and joined together at the ends. For constructing such ring an
unbroken sheet of the raw cotton thus prepared is so arranged that the, fibres
follow the direction of the ring longitudinally, and is then rolled upon itself in
cross section, causing the fibres to interlock and form the rope-like structure
described. It is then preferably covered with a netting of knitted or woven
fabric of sufficient elasticity to permit stretching, folding, etc. without injury.
In the accompanying drawings:
Fig. 1 is a side view of a pneumatic tyre according to this invention.
Fig. 2 is a cross section drawn to an enlarged scale. Fig. 3 is a cross section
of the filling material.
Figs. 4 and 7 are part side views of the filling material.
Figs. 5 and 6 shew modifications of the filling material.
The cotton a, of which the filling ring is composed, is repeatedly carded to
cause the fibres all to assume the same direction, and may be rolled out into a
lap or sheet. A sheet thus formed, may be rolled crosswise of the fibres, and
then covered in any suitable manner with a netting c. A sufficient quantity of
this roll is scarfed diagonally and joined by sewing or in any other suitable
manner to form a ring, of the length of the outer surface of the air-tube.
The rope-like structure thus formed is sufficiently elastic and resilient to be
freely handled, or folded into a small space for transport before being attached

page_text: to the tyre or it may be subjected to other strains after being so attached with-
out injury.
The
Sometimes I lay a sheet of the specially prepared cotton on a piece of coarse
cloth e Fig. 6 and roll the cotton and cloth together cross wise of the fibres,
then sew the cloth together at the edge longitudinally along the roll.
ends of a sufficient length are then scarfed and finally joined by sewing or other
suitable methods into a ring shape.
To make a tyre, I place an air tube in contact with a ring of cotton and
encircle the whole with a sheet of rubber to form a tread n. I may give to
the fibres a slight twist when making them into rope form and either cover
them or not with netting, the twist of the fibres preventing fraying and giving
additional elasticity, as indicated in Figs. 4 and 5.
Any method may be used to cause the fibres to be in the same direction and
they may be drawn lengthwise through a trumpet tube into rope form instead
of being rolled up crosswise.
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 a pneumatic tyre made in two compartments, an elastic shield or armour,
composed of a sheet of well carded raw cotton, rolled up in such a manner that
the fibres over-lap and interlock, and formed into an unbroken ring,' of the
length of the tyre, and compressed into the outer compartment, next to the
tread, substantially as set forth, and for the purpose specified.
2. A shield for a pneumatic tyre, consisting of a sheet of well carded raw
cotton, or other suitable fibrous material rolled up cross-wise of the direction
of the fibres in such a manner that the fibres interlock, and formed into an
unbroken ring of the length of the tyre, substantially as and for the purpose
set forth.
3. A shield for a pneumatic tyre made as set forth in the preceding claim
and covered with a loose netting of suitable textile material, substantially as
described.
Dated this 10th day of October 1899.