Improvements in air tubes for tyres.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 16th May, 1899
Complete Specification Left, 5th Oct., 1899-Accepted, 11th Nov., 1899
JOSEPH THOMAS WICKS, of Ferndale, Tamworth Road, Gravelly Hill, Birming-
ham, in the County of Warwick, India Rubber Expert and Factory Manager,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Improvements in air tubes for tyres.
رو
"
66
out-
moulds.
At the present time elastic air tubes are invariably vulcanised on the
side of mandrils, either wrapped in a cloth, or left open, that is, unwrapped.
My improvement consists, in moulding elastic air tubes "inside
Moulds made of glass or metal tube, or even a mould formed of cloth, or cast
and turned metal moulds; and thus producing moulded seamless, or seamless
and jointless moulded air tubes.
This moulding invention will produce air tubes of greater uniformity than
heretofore.
These inner inflatable air tubes will be tougher, less liable to puncture and
bursting, or to surface cracking and decomposition, and also free from the
present defects caused by minute air bladders in the calendered sheet, or
machined tubing from which air tubes are made...
My moulding invention applies to air, tubes of every size, the size váries
according to the vehicle to be tyred, whether a child's carriage, a bicycle, or
a heavy road carriage.
My moulding improvement may be carried out as follows, take a glass tube'
which acts as a mould, place the air tube on a steel rod, and insert both rod;
and tube into the glass mould; after vulcanisation the result is a smooth, im-
proved seamless air tube.
Or I take an aluminium tube and insert the rubber air tube, filling the same
with water, or other liquid, or partly water and partly gaseous matter. The
internal pressure of water during vulcanisation, produces an improved seamless
air tube.
However, what I prefer is a cast and turned steel mould, made in two or
more parts, with or without steam chambers, with turned grooves to receive
the air tube to be moulded. The air tube is made up, filled with water, or
partly liquid and partly gaseous matter, the whole placed within the mould;
the result after the known process of vulcanisation is my improved seamless
and jointless air tube.
D.
101
1
Improvements in Air Tubes for Tyres.
I, JOSEPH THOMAS WICKS, of Ferndale, Tamworth Road, Gravelly Hill, Bir-
mingham, in the County of Warwick, India Rubber Expert and Factory
10 Manager, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner
Price 8d.1

page_text: the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement:-
Air tubes for bicycle and other tyres, as at present made, are liable to imper-
fections, not only in their seams and joints, but also in the calendered sheet
from which they are formed.
The object of the present invention is to improve the manufacture of such
air tubes, so that all the imperfections are obviated, and they become, in con-
sequence, tougher, and less liable to puncture and bursting than heretofore.
In carrying out my invention, I take rubber in a plastic state, and I form
it into air-tubes of the dimensions desired. These plastic tubes are then enclosed
in moulds of metal or glass, and submitted to internal pressure, by means of
which all the imperfections, and the seams and joinings, are pressed out, and
the tube becomes a homogeneous whole. The pressure is continued during
vulcanization, so that the rubber retains afterwards its form and consistency.
The air tubes are preferably made annular, that is to say, in the form in
which they are required for use, and the pressure is obtained by means of water
introduced within the plastic tube, and converted wholly or partly into steam
by the heat of vulcanization. After the vulcanization, the tubes are removed
from their moulds, and the water evacuated through an aperture provided for
the purpose.
In the accompanying drawing I have shown, in cross section, a portion of
two annular moulds for making air-tubes according to my method. These
moulds, which are of steel or other suitable material, are formed of two parts,
A and A¹, having between them circular recesses a, a¹, which together make
up the space wherein the moulding is effected.
The mould shewn in Fig. 2 is a self-vulcanizing mould, being provided with
steam chambers b, b¹.
Fig. 1 shews a mould without such steam chambers, so that it is necessary
to place it in a vulcanizing chamber. that the rubber tube may be cured.
It is not always necessary to complete the vulcanizing in the mould. When
it is desirable to save time, the tube, in a half cured state, may be removed
from the mould, and the vulcanization proceeded with by the process known
as open " vulcanization. By this means, the moulds are made more quickly
available for 'fresh work.
<
c are the tubes, for introducing water to the interior of the goods, and per-
mitting it afterwards to escape.
The water is easily introduced by means
will shew the operator the required amount.
vapour may be forced into the tube, to give
desired.
of a funnel and can. One trial
Instead of water, steam or other
the required internal pressure, if
The tubes thus produced will be found to be seamless and jointless, and to
be free from the imperfections which impair the durability and solidity of the
goods, as usually produced.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
Air tubes for tyres moulded in external moulds with the aid of internal pres-
sure, substantially as described.
Dated this th day of Octalian 1000