Improvements in and connected with Pneumatic Tyres for the Wheels of Bicycles and other Vehicles.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Aug., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 10th Apr., 1893-Accepted, 27th May, 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Pneumatic Tyres for the
Wheels of Bicycles and other Vehicles.
RICHARD RUSSELL GUBBINS of Howrah Lodge, Belvedere in the County
of Kent, Engineer, and GEORGE HARCOURT of 45 Essex Street, Strand,
London, W.C., Manager, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
Our invention relates to certain improvements in pneumatic tyres whereby the
air tubes of same are rendered more easily accessible, and are also protected
against injury from puncturing and cutting.
Our invention is more particularly applicable to rims of any ordinary section, a
point which we consider of importance, as the necessity of having special rims
restricts the use of pneumatic tyres to a great degree.
In fixing our new tyre on a rim we proceed as follows. Under the heads of
about half the spokes we secure thin sheet metal clips, across the hollow of the
rim, and the ends of these clips we bend tightly round two wire rings, of somewhat
less diameter than the rim itself. These rings running all round the rim afford a
very solid support to which the edges of the outside cover of the tyre can be
hooked, and obviously the more it is inflated the tighter it will hold, and any
tendency to "creep" is checked by the hooks fetching up against the clips. The
hooks are an important part of our invention, and are made of sheet metal which is
first punched into the shape of a T. The middle shank is bent at right angles, and
being forced through the fabric of the cover from the inside projects as the hook
on the outside. In this way it makes no show on the outside at all, and is
exceedingly secure as the metal must be rent in sunder, or the body of the T
be dragged through the fabric, before it can be pulled off from outside. The
"head of the T is pointed at both ends when punched, and these pointed ends
being turned at right angles in the same way as the shank, are also forced through
the fabric, and clenched.
We guard our tyre against punctures and cutting in the following manner.
"
We
place a protecting strip of rubber "dough i.e. unvulcanized rubber on the air
tube, between itself and the " cover. As new rubber possesses the quality of
sticking together, any wounds this receives can be closed by applying pressure in
such direction as to close the edges of the wound together.
Dated this 18th day of August 1892.
RICHARD R. GUBBINS.
GEORGE HARCOURT.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Pneumatic Tyres for the
Wheels of Bicycles and other Vehicles.
We, RICHARD RUSSELL GUBBINS, of Belvedere, in the County of Kent,
Engineer, and GEORGE HARCOURT, of 45 Essex Street, London, Engraver, 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:—
Our invention relates to improvements in pneumatic tyres, and the objects of
our improvements are, first, to quickly detach the said tyre from its wheel, for
repairs, and, second, to guard the air chamber from being punctured or chafed.

page_text: we attain these objects by the means illustrated in the accompanying drawing,
in which :-
Fig. 1, is a sectional view of the tyre, and details of same;
Fig. 2, the tyre cover removed and bent into position ;
Fig. 3, is a sectional view of a Boothroyd tyre flxed on a specially rolled rim;
Figs. 4, and 5, are respectively side elevation and plan of Fig. 1; and
Fig. 6, shows in detail the hook and covering plate e used in the above
illustrations.
Several of the above figs. are broken off for want of space and the covering
plate c¹ is omitted for the sake of clearness.
Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views:
The cover a Fig. 1, is made of an endless strip of india-rubber or other flexible
material lined with cloth in the customary manner, and is provided with a row of
hooks e along each side, a small distance from its edge, these hooks are punched
from sheet metal in shape of a T Fig. 6. The middle shank is bent at right angles
and being forced through the fabric of the cover from the inside, projects as the
hook on the outside, in this way it makes no show on the outside at all and is
exceedingly secure as the metal must be rent asunder or the body of the T be
dragged through the fabric, before it can be pulled off from the outside. The
head of the T is pointed at both ends where punched and these pointed ends being
turned at right angles in the same way as the shank, are also passed through the
fabric and the covering plate e¹ and clenched. The cover is hooked to the sides
of the rim r, either directly as in Fig. 3, or to a pair of solid wire rings d, d,
Figs. 1, 4, and 5. The air tube c, is in this case set in place before the cover a is
put on and when inflated the metal hooks e, are drawn against the turned in flanges
of the rim as in Fig. 3, or against the rings d, d, Figs. 1, 4, and 5.
The hooked flanges of the rim r Fig. 3, are so bent that the recess in the bottom
of the rim gives an unbroken circular surface for the cover to rest on.
We propose
to apply this method of fixing to the class of tyres known as "Boothroyd."
To prevent the tube c from being chafed by the rim or spoke ends, a strip t of
raw india-rubber is fixed all round the rim r, and to diminish its weight it
mixed with ground cork dust. Upon this the air tube c rests. Another strip of
raw india-rubber, b, Fig. 1, is applied on the top of the air tube c, to guard it from
accidental punctures or cuts, as raw rubber closes after being wounded and is elastic
enough not to diminish the resiliency of the tyre.
may be
We will now describe how we apply our improved tyre to rims of ordinary
pattern, and to specially made ones. r, Fig. 1 is a section of an ordinary rim.
The spokes, f, secure light spring steel clips s, in the hollow of the same at about
six inches distance apart, or they may be secured in any other suitable manner.
The wire rings d, d, are fastened to the ends of these clips, and run all round the
edges of the rim. The chafing strip t, which is the same thickness as the wire d
is then placed in the hollow of r, and covers both clips s and the ends of the
spokes f. It also eases the "joggle" caused by the ring d and furnishes a soft and
even surface for the air tube c, which is next put in place and partly inflated.
The protecting strip b, may or may not now be set in position, and the cover a
hooked on by forcing its edges between the rings d and the air tube e until its
hooks engage the former.
The inflation being completed the increased strain gives it so tight a grip that
it is immovable without tearing.
In fixing the tyre on the flanged rim 7, Fig. 3, the clips s, and the rings d are
dispensed with.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is :-
1. The combination in a vehicle wheel of a hook edged tyre with metal hooks e,
with rings or flanges on a wheel rim, all substantially as set forth.

page_text: 2. The solid rings d, d, secured by the clips s, substantially as shown for the
purpose specified.
3. The combination in a vehicle wheel of the hook edged tyre a the rings d, d,
and clips s, all substantially as set forth.
4. The construction of a pneumatic tyre formed and fastened upon the wheel
substantially as described and shewn in the accompanying drawing.
5. In a pneumatic vehicle wheel the removable protecting strip 6 of unvulcanized
india-rubber, substantially as shown for the purposes specified.
Dated this 10th day of April 1893.
G. HARCOURT.
R. R. GUBBINS,
By his Attorney, J. V. Riordan.