Improvements in the Method of and Apparatus for Constructing Pneumatic Tires.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Nov., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 18th Aug., 1897-Accepted, 13th Nov., 1897
Date 사
Complete Specification Left, 18th Aug., 1897-Accepted, 13th Nov., 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Method of and Apparatus for Constructing
Pneumatic Tires.
I, ALEXANDER GUTHRIE, Decorator, of 3 Thorney Terrace, South Shields, in
the County of Durham, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention relates to a method of and apparatus to be employed in the build-
ing or constructing of pneumatic tires of the kind described in the Specification
of Letters l'atent No. 15669. A.D. 1896, granted to Thomas Guthrie.
The tire therein referred to is in the form of a circular and substantially flat
band, usually of rubber, having preferably thicker and thinner portions on it
backed with canvas and the edges provided with cords or their equivalents for the
purpose of preventing fraying at the edges, and for more or less strengthening
the tire, and for forming a definite circumferential marginal length less than the
circumferential length measured along the centre line of the tire, thereby firmly,
securing the tire to the wheel rim aud inner tube (when such is used) on inflation.
Hitherto in the construction of this or analogous type of tire the result has
generally been unsatisfactory as regards shape, security of attachment, and so
forth and the object of my improvements is to remedy the existing defects, which
I do by constructing or building, on special apparatus, the tire from the side which
is eventually the exterior surface, or in other words the side of the tire next
the mandrel in, process of building will be the running surface when completed;
the reverse order has been customary.
The means or apparatus that I have devised consist of a mandrel or wheel of
wood or any suitable material having formed around its periphery two inverted
U-shaped ridges or projections suitably spaced apart, the connection being in the
form of a curve of determined radius, forming a central U-shaped recess or
trough; all the sides are somewhat tapered from the inner towards the outer
periphery of the wheel; outside the ridges circumferential grooves are formed
around tho mandrel.
The mandrel is adapted to be mounted and revolved and is divided at two
convenient points, a hinge being preferably arranged at one point so that the one
part can be turned into or over the other, or the wheel collapsed, on the with-
drawal of a temporary fastening at the other division, and the arms or spokes are
appropriately formed to admit of auch motion.
According to my method of building, I place the endless rubber band over the
wheel or mandrel pressing the thickened portion thereof into the central trough
and drawing the thinner parts over the side ridges, when I may fasten them
temporarily by string or otherwise.
I then arrange over the rubber the endless canvas band of width dependent.
on the strength required and I prefer to fix by solution thereto around the trough
a narrow canvas band to hold the canvas in position during building and which
also adds to the effect of the tire when completed.
i

page_text: I next turn back the canvas from the rubber, preferably one ridge at a time,
solution the rubber, and return the cauvas and manipulate to secure satisfactory
adhesion; the other ridge is next operated in like manner.
When I employ cord at the edges I then wrap it round the canvas in the outer
circumferential grooves, or I may do this in the first instance, to hold both the
rubber and the canvas together; I next solution the canvas already fixed and turn
over the hanging piece at each ridge to meet in the central trough and manipulate
adequately; the cord, it will be understood, is enclosed by and forms the double
of the canvas.
If desired the second layer of canvas need not be of such width as described
but just sufficient to hold the cord. Instead of using cord to form the definit
edges, I find it adds to the efficiency of the tire and therefore I prefer to employ
one or more narrow canvas strips and solution them to the canvas covering and
arrange the "double" or "turn up" of the canvas a convenient distance therefrom
whereby I readily procure the required flap.
The tire is now complete, and after a sufficient time has elapsed for setting,
the mandrel is collapsed and the tire removed for attachment to the rim as
described in the former Patent Specification above cited.
Dated this 18th day of November 1896.
J. C. CHAPMAN,
Agent.
Improvements in the Method of and Apparatus for Constructing
Pneumatic Tires.
I, ALEXANDER GUTHRIE, Decorator of 3 Thorney Terrace, South Shields, in
the County of Durham, 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 a method of and apparatus to be employed in the
building up and constructing of pneumatic tires of a certain kind such for example
as is described in the specification of Letters Patent No. 15.669 A.D. 1896, granted
to Thomas Guthrie.
The tire therein referred to is in the form of a circular and substantially flat
band usually of rubber, and having preferably thicker and thinner portions on it
backed with canvas and the edges provided with cords or their equivalents for
the purpose of preventing fraying at the edges, and for more or less strengthening
the tire, and for forming a definite circumferential marginal length less than the
circumferential length measured along the centre line of the tire, thereby
firmly securing the tire to the wheel rim (and the inner tube when such is used)
on inflation.
Hitherto in the construction of this or similar type of tire the result has
generally been unsatisfactory in regard to shape, security of attachment and so
forth, and the object of my improvements is to remedy such existing defects;
this I do by constructing or building up on special apparatus the tire from the side
which is eventually the exterior or working surface, or, in other words, the si le
of the tire which is next the mandrel in the process of building will be the
running surface when completed, the reverse order has been customary.
I will now fully describe my invention in reference to the accompanying
drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a cross section and part elevation merely illustrative

page_text: of the kind or type of tire to the construction and manufacture of which my present
invention is applicable, Fig. 2 is a side elevation of my improved mandrel or
"former" upon which such a tire is built Fig. 3 is a cross section to an enlarged
scale of the rim of the mandrel, the material of the tire being shown in position
thereupon and Fig. 4 is the same view as Fig. 3 showing a modification herein-
after described. The means or apparatus that I have devised consist of a collapsible
circular former or wheel mandrel W of wood or any suitable material having
formed around its periphery two inverted U shaped ridges or projections Wi
suitably spaced apart, the connection between same being in the form of a curve
of any suitable and convenient radius forming a central U shaped recess or
trough W and the four sides to are somewhat inclined or tapered and the whole
brought to the shape and configuration well shown in Figs. 3 and 4.
For the purpose of temporarily securing the tire material during construction
I may form around the mandrel outside the ridges W circumferential grooves such
as gg. Fig. 3 but I find it better to adopt means for the purpose such as I have
illustrated in Fig. 4. Here I employ two removable rings or sections of
such shape as is best adapted to press upout and secure the material to the mandrel
while the tire is in course of construction; these rings may conveniently be held
against the material on the mandrel by adjustable spring clips such as vv and I
show parts cut away as at to facilitate adjustment of the material upon the
mandrel. This arrangement I find the best and preferable to the grooves described
in reference to Fig. 3, but I may substitute any suitable means for effecting
this purpose.
The mandrel W is adapted in such a manner as is shown in Fig. 2 to be
mounted and revolved when required, and to render it collapsible it is divided
at two convenient points as at d d a hinge being preferably arranged at one
point so that the part e can be turned into or over the other when the tiro is to
be removed, on the withdrawal of a temporary fastening such as d³, and the arnis
or spokes are appropriately formed or cut away as shown to admit of such motion.
I carry out my method of building the tire by the process, step by step. First
I place the endless rubber band over the mandrel rim and press the thickened
portion P thereof into the central trough W and temporarily secure same therein.
Then I draw the thinner parts r over the side ridges W and temporarily secure
them by strings or cords around the grooves g, Fig. 3, or alternatively by the
clamping rings and clips vv Fig. 4, next I arrange over this undulated
rubber the endless canvas baud C the width of which depends upon the strength
required and I may fix by solution thereto circumferentially a narrow canvas band
as shown dotted at C Figs. 3 and 4 in order to hold the canvas in position
during building and to strengthen the tire. I next turn back the sides
of the canvas from the rubber preferably one ridge at a time and solution the rubber
and return the canvas and manipulate the parts to secure satisfactory adhesion;
the other ridge is then operated in like manner.
When I employ cord at the edges I then wrap it round the canvas in the outer
circumferential grooves g or I may do this in the first instance to hold both
the rubber and the canvas together; I then proceed to solution the canvas already
fixed and turn over the hanging piece such as is shown a C Figs. 3 and 4, at each
ridge to meet in the central trough Ws and manipulate the parts adequately,
the cord C when used or a strip of canvas C¹ cut on the straight being enclosed
in the turn of the canvas, a cord so enclosed being shown in Fig. 3 or I may in
some instances, where the strip of canvas cut on the straight is used cut off the
canvas strip C at the edge of the rubber and solution and reapply the cut off
portion or a portion of suitable width as at C³ to cover antl secure the strip of
canvas C cut on the straight, the said strip of canvas C' having been previously
placed and secured by solution in accurate position around the tire by the assistance
of temporary guiding rings (not shown) placed upon the mandrel for the purpose
or by the use of the circumferential grooves g before described.

page_text: By a modification I may apply the canvas strips C, C and C directly upon the
rubber so that they may come between the rubber and the canvas, the said strips
serving to scoure the rubber whilst the canvas is being placed in position and
the latter is temporarily held in position in the central groove during manipula-
tion by means of strings or cords or a strap of suitable material.
After removal of any superfluous rubber and trimming up, the tire is complete
and after a sufficient time has elapsed for setting, the mandrel is collapsed by
removing the pin and turning in the section e on its hinge
when the tire
may be removed and is ready for attachment to the rim as shown for example in
Fig. 1 and as described in the Patent above referred to.
I would here state that, I am aware that collapsible formers have been used
and therefore I lay no broad claim to them neither do I claim herein as an article
of manufacture the completed tire.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what mauner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The method of constructing pneumatic tires of the kind above referred to
consisting in building up same on a maudrel having a peripheral rim of the
sectional form specified from the side which is eventually the exterior or working
surface and by the series of steps or processes substantially as herein set forth.
2. The process of building up and manufacturing pneumatic tires conducted in
the manner herein set forth.
3. For use in building up and constructing tires of the kind above referred to
a collapsible wheel or mandrel in combination with a rim having two circum-
ferential ridges or projections of the cross-sectional shape and configuration
described and shown in Figs. 3 and 4, suitably spaced apart and connected by
a reverse curve forming a central V shaped recess and means for securing the
material of the tire during its construction substantially in the manner and for
the purposes herein set forth.
4. The herein described apparatus for the production of the pueumatic tires,
constructed and adapted for use in the manner described and illustrated in the
drawings
Dated this 17th day of August 1897.
For the Applicant,
J. C. CHAPMAN,
3 St. Nicholas' Buildings, Newcastle-on-Tyne and
70 Chancery Lane, London, W.C. Chartered Patent Agent,