A Resilient Tyre for Wheeled Vehicles.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Nov., 1896
A Resilient Tyre for Wheeled Vehicles.
CHARLES GEORGE ROBERTON Engineer 44 Lansedowne Crescent Glasgow,
JAMES JACKSON ROBERTON Commercial Traveller 27 Sholebroke View Chapeltown
Road Leeds do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:
This invention consists of a tyre composed of a number of separate rings or
tyres of metal, of a resilient nature, such as spring tempered steel and of small
section and of such a number when placed side by side that they will form one tyre
of combined rings of the necessary width for the weight to be carried by the
vehicle.
The separate rings making up the tyre are flexibly bound together in such a
manner as to allow within certain limits independence of motion to each ring in a
radial direction and at the same time to have a combined resistance of 'all the rings
to a side force on the edge of the tyre parallel to the axle of the wheel.
And also that any radial motion of a ring will to some extent affect the whole
circumference of that ring and be resisted by the flexible binding.
In carrying out this invention a suitable section of a suitable metal which com
bines lightness with the required strength; preferably U section and spring
tempered steel, is made into endless rings by securely fastening the ends together.
Or they may be solid drawn rings.
The rings to make up one tyre are placed at small distances from each other, side
by side in an endless strip of canvas or other suitable material of the required
strength and flexibility and of such a diameter when the rings are placed in
position as to strain the canvas or other material tightly round the rings.
There may be twelve rings in a tyre 28" inches diameter to carry 228 lbs. That
is each ring must be strong enough to carry 19 lbs. Each ring is firmly secured 'to
the canvas by sewing it in position or fixing with wire or cement. The inner side
of the rings are covered with a similar suitable covering, and the whole tyre coated
with a suitable water proof coating. An additional outer covering also flexible is
placed over the whole and cemented to it and it is fitted on the outside with a
rubber strip or tread and at its edges metal hooks or eyelets for lacing it to a rim
of metal or wood carrying the spokes of the wheel. Or the metal rim
may be
dispensed with and suitable fastenings may be attached to the canvas outer cover
at suitable distances round the edges to fix the spokes to.
The small spaces between the rings when they are placed in the first cover are
packed with cord or leather, so that the outer ring on either side of the tyre when
thrust to one side will have the resistance through these packing pieces of the other
rings.
LE
A modification of the foregoing arrangement of separate rings, is to have the
metal in one continuous coil spaced and secured as already described. Special
1
"

page_text: care being taken to secure the two ends to the cover. Or they may be crossed over
the top of the other coils or inner side side of the coils and secured to each other.
Dated this Second day of November 1890.
CHAS. G. ROBERTON.
J. JACKSON
ROBERTON.
A Resilient Tyro for Wheeled Vehicles.
We, CHARLES GEORGE ROBERTON; Engineer of 44 Lansedowne Crescent,
Glasgow, in the County of Lanark and JAMES JACKSON ROBERTON; Commercial
Traveller of 27 Sholebroke View, Chapeltown Road, Leeds in the County of York,
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:-
This Invention relates to resilient tyres more especially applicable to bicycle
wheels but also capable of use for wheels generally and its object is to produce a
resilient metal tyre in which the resiliency, or spring, is distributed continuously
throughout every part of the circumference thereof the construction being of a
simpler nature. than that of resilient metal tyres hitherto produced or proposed.
The invention consists of a tyre composed of a number of separate rings or tyres
of metal of a resilient nature such as spring tempered steel and of small section and
of such a number when placed side by side that they will form one tyre of com-
bined rings of the necessary width for the weight to be carried by the vehicle. The
separate rings, making up the tyre are flexibly bound together in such a manner
as to allow within certain limits independence of motion to each ring in a radial
direction, and at the same time to have a combined resistance of all the rings to a
side force on the edge of the tyre parallel to the axle of the wheel.
And also that any radial motion of a ring will to some extent affect the whole
circumference of that ring and be resisted by the flexible binding.
We will describe our invention with reference to the accompanying drawings
int, which liko, reference characters indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.
Figure 1ais a transverse section of a tyre, constructed in accordance with our
invention;
Figure 2sa side elevation partly in section, of a wheel provided with such a
tyre di
Figure 3, an enlarged detail transverse vertical sectional view of the series of
rings, within their flexible binding and apart from the outer covering and other
parts, of, the tyre;
Figure 4, a similar view but of rings of different cross section and arranged and
secured in, a different manner.
igures 5 and 6 a transverse section and a part side elevation, respectively, of
another construction of tyre.
In carrying out this invention a suitable section of a suitable metal which com-
bines lightness with the required strength, preferably spring tempered steel of
Usection is made into rings 1 by securely fastening the ends together (Figures 1,
2, and 3). Or they may be solid drawn rings (Figures 4, 5 and 0.) The rings to
make up one, tyre are placed at small distances from one another side by side in an
endless strip, 2, of canvas, or other suitable material of the required strength and
flexibility and of such a diameter when the rings are placed in position as to strain
the canvas or other suitable material tightly round the rings. For instance to carry
228 lbs. there may be twelve rings in a tyre each twenty-eight inches in diameter

page_text: each ring being strong enough to carry 19 lbs. Each ring is firmly secured to the
canvas as shewn, either by sewing it in position or fixing it with wire, 3, or cement.
The inner sides of the rings are covered with a similar suitable covering, 4, and
the whole tyre may be coated with suitable waterproof coating.
Instead of the strips 3 and 4 a tube 5 of similar material may be employed.
An additional outer flexible covering 6 is placed over the whole and cemented
to it, and on the outside of this covering is fitted a rubber strip on tread 7. The
edges of the outer covering 6 may be provided with hooks or eyelets 8 for lacing it,
as at 9, to a rim 10 (Figure 1) to which the spokes of the wheel are attached. Or
the rim 10 may be dispensed with and suitable fastenings, for instance, nuts, 11,
may be screwed upon the spokes and the outer covering 6 be attached thereto as
shewn in Figures 5 and 6.
The small spaces between the rings 1 when they are placed in the cover are
packed with suitable material such as cord or leather 12, so that the outer ring
on each side of the tyre when thrust to one side will have the resistances, through
the packing pieces, of the other rings.
In the arrangement described, it is not necessary to adhere to the precise
number of rings shewn in the various figures, as two, or more, rings in a tyre may
be employed as found most suitable for the purpose for which the said tyre is
required, and the packing in the spaces between the rings 1 may be dispensed with
if the attaching cord or wire is sufficient to serve the purpose.
Having thus particularly described our invention and the manner of performing
the same, we wish it to be understood that we do not restrict qurselves to the
precise details herein described and illustrated and that we do not claim to have
invented every separate detail or minor arrangement that we have had occasion to
refer to, but what we believe to be novel and original and declare that we claim, as
our invention is:
1. A wheel tyre comprising elastic rings arranged side by side, a flexible bind-
ing therefor consisting of a pair of endless strips of flexible material and means
for connecting the whole to the wheel body, substantially as hereinbefore described.
2. A wheel tyre consisting of a number of elastic rings arranged side by side
concentric with the wheel hub, and enclosed in a flexible binding of tubular form,
as and for the purpose herein before described.
3. A wheel tyre comprising a number of elastic rings arranged side by side con-
centric with the wheel hub, a flexible binding or cover for the rings, an outer cover,
and a tread of rubber or the like, secured to the outer cover, as hereinbefore
described and illustrated in Figures 1, 2 and 3 of the accompanying drawings.
4. A wheel tyre comprising a number of elastic rings of semi-tubular or U-shape
in cross section arranged side by side, and concentric with the wheel hub, a flex-
ible binding or cover, for the rings; an outer cover for the whole, and a tread of
rubber; or the like, secured to the outer cover, and means for securing said tyre to
the spokes substantially as herein before described and illustrated in Figures 4, 5
and 6 of the accompanying drawings.
T
100
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX.
47 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C. Agents.