Improvements in Wheels for Bicycles, Tricycles, and other Velocipedes and Wheel Carriages.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 8th July, 1893
Complete Specification Left, 30th Mar., 1894-Accepted, 16th June, 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Wheels for Bicycles, Tricycles, and other
Velocipedes and Wheel Carriages.
We, CHARLES TAYLOR, and George BENJAMIN TAYLOR, both of Nos. 43
and 44 Bartholomew Street, Birmingham in the County of Warwick, Machinists
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows
Our invention relates to such wheels for bicycles, tricycles and other velocipedes
and wheel carriages as are made hollow and of canvas coated with india rubber or
other flexible material and are inflated or filled with compressed air. By our
improvements the said wheels are made light and capable when in use of affording
a long bearing on the ground whereby pebbles and other obstructions are passed
over by the wheel without the transmission of a jerking motion to the rider. In
consequence of the length of the bearing it may be made narrow and will miss
pebbles or obstacles which a broad bearing would have to pass over.
In constructing a wheel according to our invention we take two discs of canvas
coated with vulcanised india rubber, the said discs having the diameter of the
wheel to be made. The said discs have concentric circular corrugations and are
joined at their edges, and are supported at their middles by metal discs carried by
the axis of the wheel. The sides of the canvas discs are held at a definite distance
apart by bands of canvas or other flexible material attached to the insides of the
said discs, these bands being in the form of hoops or hollow cylinders concentric
with the axis of the wheel and are connected by their edges with the bottoms of
the corrugations. Or in place of the bands described radial and flexible partitions
may be employed which partitions divide the wheel into radial compartments; or
the compartments may be made by curved partitions. Or the bands may cross
each other forming a plaid pattern. These bands may be air tight or may be
discontinuous for facilitating repairs.
The metal washers may be made detachable and each connecting band in two
pieces laced together thus permitting the wheel to be readily opened for repairs ;
or the same purpose may be effected by openings capable of being closed air tight.
Or the discs may be connected by stitches, wires, rivets or other connection by
which the sides may be prevented from bulging and permitting the material of the
discs to fold upon itself when the wheel is in use somewhat similar to the folding
of the bellows of a concertina. The peripheries of the discs are joined by an endless
band of vulcanised india rubber whereby a narrow tread is formed.
The wheel is made air tight and filled with compressed air by a condensing or
forcing pump.
Instead of making the wheel of one air tight chamber as described it may be
made of a flexible but not air tight material divided into a series of sectoral
compartments in each of which is an inflated air tight and flexible chamber of
similar configuration. Or the whole wheel may be built up of separate circular
tubes secured together concentrically so as to form a wheel similar to the one
first described. Or some of the compartments near the centre may be air tight
and one or more of the outer compartments not air tight but having laced
openings and containing any ordinary pneumatic tube. The body of the wheel has
an opening for repairs.
In order to stiffen the wheel sideways when required we use a number of flat
steel springs preferably taper in their length in connection with a wheel of the
kind described, the said springs being fastened at their broad ends to the hub and

page_text: radiating outwards in a curved or undulating direction and being fastened to the
inside of the tyre by having small holes punched in their ends and sewn to the
canvas or other material on the interior of the tyre or to a steel band. We do not
limit ourselves to any particular method of fastening. The said springs may be
in one row in the middle of the wheel or in two or more rows on each side of the
middle of the wheel, in which case we preferably make the rows of spokes radiate
from opposite sides of the hub and in a contrary direction to each other. The
aforesaid springs in all cases we attach in such a manner that the direction of their
width is parallel to the axial line of the wheel. We make the outer end of each
spoke to form a portion of the rim, the next spoke being similar and joined to the
first by rivetting or other means the joint being in line with the portion of the first
spoke lying within the rim or the same result may be obtained by making the rim
in short sections having each end turned in towards the middle of the wheel and
in line with the spokes and fastened thereto. We are aware that curved and
waved spring spokes and flexible metallic rims are in use. This part of our
invention consists in the combination of the said spokes with an air wheel.
In cases where we use the spring spokes aforesaid we form holes in the connecting
bands for the said spokes to pass through; or they may pass between separate
connecting pieces such as tapes, stitches wires and the like the whole wheel being
made airtight but not in separate compartments.
Dated this 8th day of July 1893.
W. T. WHITEMAN,
Agent for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Wheels for Bicycles, Tricycles, and other
Velocipedes and Wheel Carriages.
We, CHARLES TAYLOR and GEORGE BENJAMIN TAYLOR, both of Nos. 43
and 44 Bartholomew Street, Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Machinists,
do hereby declare the nature of our invention and in what manuer the same is
to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement :-
Our invention relates to such wheels for bicycles, tricycles and other velocipedes
and wheel carriages as are made hollow and of canvas coated with india rubber or
other flexible material and are inflated or filled with compressed air. By our
improvements the said wheels are made light and capable when in use of affording
a long bearing on the ground whereby pebbles and other obstructions are passed
over by the wheel without the transmission of a jerking motion to the rider.
In
consequence of the length of the bearing it may be made narrow and will miss
pebbles or obstacles which a broad bearing would have to pass over.
In constructing a wheel according to our invention we take two discs of canvas
coated with vulcanized india rubber, the said dises having the diameter of the
wheel to be made. The said discs have concentric circular corrugations, and
are joined at their edges, and are supported at their middles by metal discs
carried by the axis of the wheel. The sides of the canvas discs are held at a
definite distance apart by bands of canvas or other flexible material attached to the
insides of the said discs, these bands being in the form of hoops or hollow cylinders
concentric with the axis of the wheel and are connected by their edges with the
bottoms of the corrugations. Or in place of the bands described radial and flexible
partitions may be employed which partitions divide the wheel into radial com-
partments; or the compartments may be made by curved partitions. Or the bands
may cross each other forming a plaid pattern. These bands may be airtight or may
be discontinuous for facilitating repairs.

page_text: The wheel is made airtight and filled with compressed air by a condensing or
forcing pump.
In order to stiffen the wheel sideways when required we use a number of flat
steel springs preferably taper in their length connection with a wheel of the
kind described the said springs being fastened at their broad ends to the hub
and radiating outwards in a curved or undulating direction and being fastened
to the inside of the tyre by having small holes punched in their ends and sewn
to the canvas or other material on the interior of the tyre or to a steel band.
We do not limit ourselves to any particular method of fastening. The said
springs may be in one row in the middle of the wheel or in two or more rows
on each side of the middle of the wheel, in which case we preferably make the
rows of spokes radiate from opposite sides of the hub and in a contrary direction
to each other. The aforesaid springs in all cases we attach in such a manner
that the direction of their width is parallel to the axial line of the wheel. We
make the outer end of each spoke to form a portion of the rim, the next spoke
being similar and joined to the first by riveting or other means the joint being
in line with the portion of the first spoke lying within the rim ; or the same
result may be obtained by making the rim in short sections having each end
turned in towards the middle of the wheel and in line with the spokes and fastened
thereto.
We are aware that curved and waved spring spokes and flexible metallic rims
are in use. This part of our invention consists in the combination of the said spokes
with an air wheel.
In cases where we use the spring spokes aforesaid, we form holes in the con-
necting bands for the said spokes to pass through; or they may pass between
separate connecting pieces, such as tapes, stitches, wires and the like the whole
wheel being made air tight but not in separate compartments.
Figure of the accompanying drawings represents in section the half of a
pneumatic wheel made according to one of our arrangements. In the said
Figure 1 the canvas corrugated dises forming the sides of the wheel are
marked A A and the india rubber tread solutioned to the periphery or joined
edges of the canvas discs is marked D. The said canvas discs A A are coated
with vulcanized india rubber and have the diameter of the wheel to be made.
It will be seen that the outer edges of the concentric corrugated canvas discs are
joined together at the rim part and the inner edges of the said discs are supported
by the metal discs B B carried by the axis or hub of the wheel, the said inner
edges of the discs being bolted or rivetted by the ring b to the metal discs B, B as
represented. The sides of the canvas corrugated dises A. A are supported the
required distance apart by the bands, hoops or connections C, C of canvas or
other flexible material. The said bands or hoops C, C may also be used for
dividing the single air tight chamber of the wheel formed by the discs into a
series of compartments. The wheel is inflated at the valve b' by an air condensing
or forcing pump.
The metal washers or discs B, B may be made detachable and each connecting
band C may be made in two pieces, laced together thus permitting the wheel to be
readily opened for repair; or the same purpose may be effected by openings in
the canvas discs, the said openings being closed air tight. Or the canvas discs A A
may be connected by stitches, wires, rivets or other connections by which the
sides may be prevented from bulging and permitting the material of the discs to
fold upon itself when the wheel is in use somewhat similar to the folding of the
bellows of a concertina.
Instead of making the wheel of one air tight chamber as described and
represented, it may be made of a flexible but not air tight material divided into a
series of sectorial compartments in each of which is an inflated air tight and
flexible chamber of similar configuration. Or the whole wheel may be built up of
separate circular tubes secured together concentrically.s as to form a wheel
similar to that already described and represented in Figure 1. Or some of the
.80

page_text: compartments near the centre may be air tight and one or more of the outer
compartments not air tight but having laced openings and containing any ordinary
pneumatic tube, a separate air valve being provided for each part. The body of
the wheel has an opening for repairs
Figure 2 represents a half wheel of the same construction as that herein before
described and represented in Figure 1, excepting that it is provided with flat steel
springs H, H for stiffeuing the wheel sideways. The said flat springs H H extend
outwards from the hub to the periphery of the wheel and are fastened to the said
hub and periphery in the manner represented. The ways in which these flat springs
may be arranged and used are herein before particularly described.
Figure 3 represents in section the half of a modified pneumatic wheel constructed
according to our invention and Figure 4 represents a portion of the rim part of the
wheel in side elevation.
In this modified wheel the metal discs B B fastened to the hub, are made of large
diameter and may be provided with radial corrugations. The outer edges of the
said discs B B are shaped in the manner represented in Figure 3 to receive the ends
of the outer flexible detachable cover A A which is secured in its place by the
wires or wire rings G, G, or by other kinds of fastenings. The said cover is
provided with one only of the circular bands of the kind shown in Figures 1 and 2.
The outer edges of the large metal discs B B may be connected together by a
perforated canvas band or directly to each other by rivets in the manner shown in
Figures 5 and 6. Within the flexible cover A A. and between the metal discs BB
and fitting them closely is an inner vulcanized india rubber bag I which is filled
with compressed air at the valve i. To the outer side of the flexible cover A A a
second cover R is fixed the said cover enclosing and supporting an air tight tube F,
constituting with the tread D, the rim of the wheel. The cover R is capable of
being opened for gaining access to the inner air tight bag I and also to the outer
pneumatic tube F. The cover R may be fastened and unfastened by means of hook
and eye fastenings E the hooks being fixed on the cover A and the eyes on the
cover R. The tyre or rim tube F is inflated at the valve i².
Figure 5 represents the arrangement last described modified in details, and
Figure 6 represents an underside view of the connection of the rivetted bottom
edges of the large discs B B, of the wheel. In this arrangement the
lower edges of the discs B, B which are cut away at intervals are bent inwards
and portions made to overlap, and rivetted at the overlapping parts (see
Figure 5). The rivets are marked J J and the spaces between the rivetted
parts are marked K K. The edges of the cover AA are in this arrangement
secured to the outside of the outer parts of the metal discs B B instead of to
the inside, and the inner face of the air bag I, which is in communication with the
air chamber formed by the discs B B, bears against the perforated underside of the
said chamber as represented. Compressed air is admitted to the chamber formed
by the discs B B and to the air bag I at the valve and a separate valve
flexible pipe are used to fill the tyre pipe F with compressed air.
and
In other respects the pneumatic wheel Figure 5 is the same as that represented
in Figure 3 and corresponding parts are marked with the same letters of reference.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our inven-
tion and the manner in which the same is to be performed we declare that we
claim as our invention of "Improvements in Wheels for Bicycles Tricycles and
other Velocipedes and Wheel Carriages " ;-
First. In a pneumatic wheel the combination of an air tight covering consisting
of discs of canvas coated with india rubber and having concentric circular corrugations,
with bands hoops or connections at the junctions of the corrugations for holding the
sides of the discs at the required distance apart and for preserving the configuration
of the wheel substantially as herein before described and illustrated in Figure 1 of
the accompanying drawings.
Secondly. The addition to or combination with pneumatic wheels of the kind

page_text: referred to in Claim 1 of separate airtight compartments or compartments with air
tight linings, each air tight compartment having a separate air valve, together
with restraining bands hoops or connections situated between the said compartments
substantially as hereinbefore described.
Thirdly. The combination with pneumatic wheels of the kind referred to in
Claim 1 of springs in the interior of the wheel for stiffening the wheel sideways, the
said springs being attached to the hub and to the inner side of the tyre substantially
as hereinbefore described and illustrated in Figure 2 of the accompanying
drawings.
Lastly. The combinations or arrangements of the parts of the modified pneumatic
wheels hereinbefore described and illustrated in Figures 3, 4, 5 and 6 of the
accompanying drawings.
Dated the Twenty-second day of March 1894
CHARLES TAYLOR.
GEORGE BENJAMIN TAYLOR.