Improvements in Bicycles, and Pneumatic Tyres and Valves therefor.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Feb., 1897-Accepted, 8th May, 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Bicycles, and Pneumatic Tyres and Valves
therefor.
J, THEODORE VAN HEEMSTEDE OBELT of 140 Rokin, Amsterdam, in the
Kingdom of Holland, Engineer, 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 Firstly-To improvements in the construction and arrange-
ment of a bicycle, in which the hitherto employed chain, horizontal lever, crank,
or other gear for conveying motion from the pedal spindle to the hind or driven
wheel is entirely dispensed with, the object of such improvements being (a) to
decrease the draught and weight of the machine, (b) to enable the seat of the rider
to be placed in such a position as to call into action a natural movement of the
legs and feet (more nearly resembling that of the motion of walking than hitherto)
in the operation of the pedal cranks, and (c) to enable the rider to utilize (when
necessary) a portion of his or her weight for the operation of the same. Secondly-
To an improved pneumatic tyre for the wheels of bicycles, tricycles, and other
velocipedes, which has for its object to dispense with the usual outer cover or
envelope, and still be adaptable for use upon the wheels of both road and racing
cycles. Thirdly-To an improved non-return valve for charging the said and
other pneumatic tyres with air under pressure, the objects of which are simplicity
of construction, the absence of parts likely to jam or choke, and cheapness in the
cost of manufacture.
In order that my said improvements and the objects of the same may be fully
understood I have hereunto appended a sheet of drawings, of which,
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a safety bicycle constructed according to my
invention.
Figs. 2 and 3 are views illustrating the directions of the lines of force in the
forward and backward movements of the human feet when walking, the principle
of which is employed in the propulsion of my improved bicycle Fig. 1.
Figs. 4 and 5 are sectional views of my improved pneumatic tyre.
Fig. 6 is a longitudinal central section of my improved valve.
Referring to the first portion of my invention. It is a well-known fact in the
building of four wheeled road carriages, railway and tramway cars, and other like
vehicles, that the greater the distance between the front and back wheels the
greater the draught, or in other words, the greater the force necessary to propel or
draw the vehicle, hence the reason that the front and back wheels of such vehicles
are always placed as near to each other as possible compatible with the desired
carrying capacity of the vehicle and other conditions, and in pursuit of this
principle 1 construct the frame A of a bicycle in such a manner that the front or
steering wheel B is mounted as near as possible to, without being in actual toucu
with the hind or driven wheel C, substantially as at Fig. 1, this being possible
from the fact that 1 dispense with the usual bottom bracket for carrying the
pedal spindle, and sprocket wheel, and mount the pedal cranks D either directly
upon the axle of the wheel C, and keyed or otherwise fixed thereto, or in such
other manner as may be most convenient for imparting motion to the said wheel,
when a sun and planet, bevel, Cripto or other multiplying gear is employed, and

page_text: by thus dispensing with the usual two sprocket wheels and the chain in gear
therewith, and the gear case now almost indispensable with such gear, I am
enabled to materially reduce the weight and cost of the machine.
The frame AI prefer to so arrange that the seat pillar E is perfectly vertical
and forked or bifurcated so that its lower ends may be at either side of the
wheel C, and brazed or otherwise connected to socket pieces G which form bearings
for the axle of the said wheel, the said pieces G having connected thereto in like
manner the back ends of a forked or bifurcated rod F, the front end of which is
connected to the lower end of the tube B' carrying the steering rod of the front
fork, the upper end of B' being connected to one end of a horizontal bar whose
opposite or back end is counected to the upper end of the seat standard E (if the
machine he for a gentleman rider) substantially as at Fig: 1. By these means
the seat H may be fixed so as to be immediately over the axle of the wheel C,
which provides that the downward movements of the pedals D are actuated by the
direct muscular force of the feet and legs of the rider in the direction of the
dotted line in Fig. 2, which may, if desired, be accellerated by the rider transferring
a portion of his or her weight to the said downward travelling pedal, which may
be found desirable when the machine is mounting an incline, and when the pedal
has passed its lowest position a backward thrust may be imparted thereto by the
same muscular force as is used in impelling the body forward in the action of
walking, as illustrated by the direction of the dotted line in Fig. 3, thus overcoming
the dead centre of the one pedal and placing the opposite pedal in a position to
receive its downward thrust, a greater portion of both these forces being lost to the
rider when the pedal spindle is mounted upon the bottom bracket as hitherto,
and which has more or less given rise to the stooping position of the riders of
such machines.
The handle bar J, instead of being mounted directly upon the rod of the front
fork as hitherto, I prefer to mount upon the forward end of an extension piece K,
the back end of which is fixed upon the said rod substantially as at Fig. 1, which
serves to compensate for the lesser distance between the seat and the handle bar
occasioned by the lessening of the distance between the wheels B and C, but when
desired the said extension piece K may be dispensed with; and the handle bar J be
fixed upon the rod of the front fork in the usual way.
"
The second portion of my invention relates to an improved pneumatic tyre for
such machines, and which I intend shall be commercially known as the "Express
tyre. For the purposes of this portion of my invention, I form of rubber or
rubber composition, an air tube or chamber L, which may be provided with an
inner or outer casing or both of canvas, or other non-extensible material, the said
tube or chamber having a graduated thickened surface M, to the outer face of
which is connected or moulded or otherwise formed integrally therewith a
protecting shield N, which forms the tread of the wheel, and may be of any
desired thickness, and either of a broad width as at Fig. 4 for ordinary roadster
cycles, or narrow as at Fig. 5 for racing purposes, and in both cases preferably
with its outer edges a and b tapered inwardly as shewn, the thickness of the said
wearing surface N serving to keep the intiated tube or chamber L a sufficient
distance from the ground to avoid the substances by and through which punctures
usually occur. The said tube or chamber L may be provided with any form of
charging valve such as O, connected thereto and passing through the rim P of the
wheel in the usual way, but I prefer to use my improved valve constituting
the third portion of my invention and hereinafter explained. Upon the inner
surface of the tube or chamber L 1 provide of rubber, rubber composition or other
suitable material a flap R, of such dimensions as to fully cover, and be pressed
down upon, the inner end of the said valve by and during the inflation of L, and
so prevent possible escape of air through the said valve, where spontaneous
deflation of the air chamber frequently occurs. The air chamber L may be
retained upon the rim of the wheel by inflation only or by the use of any suitable

page_text: elastic cement, or both, and may be employed in connection with any suitable form
of rim, such rim forming co part of my present invention.
The third portion of my invention relates to an improved non-return valve for
the inflation of my said improved, or any form or type of pneumatic tyre. My
said improved valve consists of a tube O, of hard or vulcanized rubber or vulcanite,
having upon its couter surface a screw thread c, for the whole or any desired portion
of its length, for the reception of suitable nuts, collars, washers and flanges by
means of which the same may be connected to the air chamber of the tyre and the
rime of the wheel in the usual way. The inner end of the said tube O, is closed by
a plug S, and at a suitable distance from this within O, is a fixed or movable
diaphragm or partition S', preferably shaped as shewn, and in the centre of both S
and S a circular hole is formed of such size as to permit a rod T and air under
pressure to pass freely therethrough. Upon the rod T is mounted and fixed a pair
of vulcanite, metal or other discs V and VI, in such a position that both these
would recede from, and open the passages through S and S₁ if air under pressure
from a pump fixed upon the outer end of O, be forced therethrough in the direction
of the arrow in Fig. 6, but when the chamber L is charged, the pressure of the air
therein would force both V and V₁ up to and close the passages in S and S¹ and so
prevent the escape of the same, and in order that such closure of S and S' may be
more effective, the faces of V and V1 next thereto may have a washer of rubber or
other resilient material, as may also the corresponding surfaces of S and S¹, or
S¹ may itself be of rubber, rubber composition or other resilient or elastic
material. The outer end of the rod T is provided with a cap or head W which,
when the tyre is inflated, would be so near the outer end of O as to be reached by
the insertion of a finger or any small tool, so that pressure imparted thereto in the
direction of the arrow would unseat V and V₁ from S and S¹ and so deflate the tyre
when desired. A suitable cap or cover X may be screwed upon the outer end of O
in the usual way when the pump is removed, to keep out dust and dirt.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
1st. In a bicycle, the combination of a frame such as A, arranged to carry
wheels B and C, separated by a distance only sufficient to permit the free rotation
of both, the driving pedals D being mounted upon the axle of C, or otherwise to
permit the use of any suitable multiplying gear, the seat H being mounted
immediately over the said axle, and the handle bar J mounted directly upon the
rod of the steering fork, or upon an extension piece K connected to the said rod,
substantially as herein described and shewn by Fig. 1 of the accompanying
drawings.
2nd. In an improved pneumatic tyre for the wheels of bicycles, tricycles and
other velocipedes, the combination of an inflatable tube or chamber such as L,
having a graduated thickened portion M, and a wide or narrow tread such as N,
the said chamber being provided with a suitable charging valve such as O, and a
resilient flap such as R for automatically closing the inner end of the said valve by
the pressure of the air in L, substantially as and for the purposes herein described
and shewn by Figs. 4 and 5 of the appended drawings.
3rd. In an improved charging valve for pneumatic tyres, the combination of
a hard rubber or vulcanite tube such as O, having a threaded or partly threaded
external surface c for receiving the usual collars, nuts, washers and flanges for
connecting the same to the air chamber and the rim of the wheel, the said tube
being closed at its inner end by a plug S, and having an internal fixed or movable
diaphragm or partition such as S', with rod T passing through holes or passages
in S and S', and carrying discs such as V and V₁ operating as valves for opening
the said passages in S and S¹ during the inflation of the tyre, and automatically
closing the same after inflation, with suitable cap such as ✗ for closing the outer

page_text: end of O, substantially as and for the purposes herein described and shewn by
Fig. 6 of the accompanying drawings.
.GEO. THOS. HYDE,
1 Broad Street Buildings, London, E.C.,
Agent for the Applicant.