Improvements in Cushion Tyres.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 21st June, 1897-Accepted, 25th Sept., 1897.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Cushion Tyres.
We, REBECCA HENRY HAYES, of Galveston, Texas, United States of America,
Authoress, and GERALD WALDO HAYES, of Chicago, Illinois, United States of
America, General Business Man, do hereby declare the nature of our said 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 tires for bicycles, and the object of the
invention is to produce a tire which shall be very resilient; free from the liability
to collapse which makes the ordinary pneumatic tire so objectionable, and especially
adapted for long excursions and for army and police bicycies and for the wheels of
vehicles of any kind using rubber tires.
The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which-
Figure is a sectional view of a portion of a tire constructed in accordance with
our invention.
Figure 2 is an enlarged letail.
Figure 3 is an enlarged view of a modification.
In this drawing the tire tube or covering is shown at A, which may be of any
suitable material, such for instance as the outer tube or covering of an ordinary double
tube pneumatic tire, or a single tube tire with an opening to receive the balls herein-
after described, or a tube specially constructed for the purpose. Within this tube we
place a series of balls B male of soft rubber having any degree of resisting force
required, each bali having a channel b, centrally therein which receives a spring b¹ to
make the ball more resilient.
The balls are arranged within the tube A side by side closely pressed together,
with the springs extending radially of the wheel so that as each ball approaches the
ground in the revolution of the wheel the spring therein will assume a vertical
position. In order to facilitate the insertion of the balls within the tube and to hold
the springs in a radial line we connect them by a rubber tape C to which each ball
is cemented at the point where the spring is inserted therein, the tape thus serving
the double purpose of connecting the balls and holding the springs firmly within
their recesses. The tape, with the plurality of balls attached may thus be readily
inserted within the tube in the same manner that an inner tube is put into its outer
casing in the ordinary pneumatic tire.
In Figure 2 the tape has a series of plugs fitting the openings in the balls to
which the springs are attached, but these plugs are no: absolutely necessary and as
shown in Figure 3 the springs may be attached directly to the tape.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that
what we claim is :-
1. A cushion tire comprising the endless tube, the plurality of elastic balls
herein, the tape connecting said balls and supplemental resilient means inserted in
aid balls, substantially as described.

page_text: 2. A cushion tire comprising the endless tube, the plurality of balls therein,
helical springs seated in recesses in said balls, and means for retaining said balls in
a position with the springs extending radially of the wheel, substantially as described.
3. A cushion tire comprising the endless tube, the plurality of balls therein,
helical springs seated in recesses in said balls, and the tape cemented to said balls
and covering the openings containing the springs whereby said tape not only
connects the balls but holds the springs in place therein, substantially as described.
Dated this 19th June 1897.
GEORGE BARKER,
77 Colmore Row, Birmingham, Agent.