Improvements in or relating to Wheels.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Aug., 1897-Accepted, 18th Sept., 1897
Improvements in or relating to Wheels.
A communication from THOMAS JEFFERSON LOVETT, Manufacturer, of 3979 Drexel
Boulevard, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America.
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 111 Hatton Garden, in the County of Middlesex,
Chartered Patent Agent, 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 improvement in the peripheral structure, involving
the rim and tire portions of wheels generally, and especially of vehicle wheels,
to produce a tread which shall be noiseless in use and possess more or less
resiliency. The tire portion is formed of comparatively thin, crosswise extending
and flatwise abutting laterally shouldered sections, which may be of more or less
resilient material throughout, or of a hard and a resilient material, whereby the
sections may be compressed in the direction longitudinally of the tire to facilitate
their insertion, and then expand to fill out the annulus when released from the
compression to form a substantially continuous tread portion held under sufficient
longitudinal compression to render it stable in use. The rim is formed with a
channel, and with inward projecting shoulders which extend far enough over the
shoulders of the tire-sections to hold them in place with great security, and
without the necessity of any other holding means.
Referring to the drawings-
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a vehicle wheel in process of construction;
Fig. 2, a broken elevation of the wheel nearly completed; Fig. 3, a tire-section of
one approved form; Fig. 4, an enlarged broken sectional view showing the tire,
rim and felly, and a steel spring cushioning-bed for the tire in the rim; Fig. 5,
a section through the tire and rim, showing a soft rubber cushioning-bed in the
rim, and the tire-sections reinforced with converging pins; Fig. 6, a view
illustrating a tire formed with alternate cushioning and cushioned sections, the
cushioned sections being of metal, or other hard material, and provided, alter-
nately, with extended tread-portions which overlap the intervening sections;
Fig. 7, a section taken on line 7 of Fig. 6; Fig. 8, a metal tire-section which may
be used in conjunction with the sections shown in Fig. 6, as illustrated in Fig. 7;
Fig. 9, a side elevation of a rubber or cushioning section; Fig. 10, a longitudinal
sectional view of a tire formed of the pieces illustrated in Figs. 8 and 9 only;
Fig. 11, a sectional view of a tire shod with metal tread-sections fastened to the
body of the tire with nails, the section being taken on line 11 of Fig. 12; and
Fig. 12, a broken side elevation of the tire, without the rim, constructed as
illustrated in Fig. 11.
A is the hub of a wheel; B the spokes; C the felly; D the rim; and E the
tire. The rim is formed as illustrated most plainly in Figs. 4 and 5.
It is pro-
vided with a longitudinal channel t having a slot t¹, bulging sides 12, and inward
projecting shoulders & forming spacious, preferably rounded, sockets * on opposite

page_text: sides of the slot t¹. The base of the rim may be just the width of the felly C and
is preferably shrunk thereon, though it may be secured in place by other means.
The bulging sides of the rim protect the sides of the felly, so that the paint
thereon will not be injured when the wheel scrapes against a curb, or other
obstruction. Except where the tire is formed, throughout its body-portion, of
sections of rubber, or is formed as shown in Figs. 7, 10 and 11, a cushioning-bed
should be provided. This bed may consist of a strip of rubber F, as shown in
Fig. 5, or a strip of spring metal," as shown in Fig. 4. The strip may be one
continuous length or in sections, as desired. All, or a part at least, of the tire-
sections should be of a material which may be compressed in the direction
longitudinally of the tire and will expand when released from the compression.
No matter what materials are employed for the tire, the manner of constructing
it consists in first inserting into the rim sections of insufficient number to complete
the tire, then compressing together the inserted sections, then inserting additional
sections within the intervening space, and finally releasing the compression to
permit the expansion of the tire-sections to a complete annulus, whereby the
sections are held by the rim and rendered stable by longitudinal compression.
In Fig. 1 the tire is formed of segments consisting each of several crosswise
extending and abutting sections of a comparatively hard material, such as leather,
raw-hide, or the like, with sections of rubber interposed between the segments.
If leather sections are employed possessing sufficient resiliency, the rubber sections
may be omitted. The rim should be provided with a cushioning-bed, like that
shown say in Fig. 5, and the sections should all be of the form in outline illustrated
in Fig. 3. The sections are placed in the rim by passing them through the slott¹,
and then turning them axially into position, whereby the shoulders s on the
sections will fit snugly under the shoulders 3 of the rim, and the bases s¹ will
rest upon the cushioning-bed. To facilitate the construction a metal stop r is
placed upon the rim and fastened by means of wires or twine, r¹. The tire-sections
are then inserted one at a time into the rim and when a segment of desired length
is built up it may be compressed with any suitable form of clamp, as for example
the clamp X. The compressed segment is held against material expansion by
means of a stop fastened in place with strands 73. Thus segments are formed
one after another, the stops being removed as the tire is built up.
When as
many pieces have been inserted in this way as can conveniently be placed in the
rim, a suitable expanding device, like for example the device X¹, is inserted
between the ends of the final segments and all then compressed longitudinally.
Additional sections are then inserted into the intervening space y, and the
device X then removed to permit the sections to expand into a complete annulus.
Of course any power expanding and compressing devices suitable for the purpose
may be substituted for the devices XX shown.
To form a tire as illustrated in Figure 5, comparatively soft sections of leather
are provided and reinforced with pins p which are driven preferably to converge
as shown, and extend nearly but not quite through the tire material. The pins
may be nails, pegs, screws, staples, brads or the like, and they not only present
wearing surfaces at their ends, which tend to increase the durability of the
wearing surface of the tire, but they tend to cause the leather or the like, to stand
up to its work and retain its shape under a heavy load.
In the construction shown in Figs. 6 and 7 rubber sections m, shaped as shown
in Fig. 9, are provided. If a continuous cushioning-bed is not placed in the rim
the sections m may be provided with offsets m¹. Metal sections n provided with
extended tread-surfaces n¹ are placed between rubber sections, the tread-portions n¹
being caused to abut or nearly abut when the tire is compressed into position.
Intermediate plates or sections 1, as shown for example in Figure 8, either of
metal or other hard material, may be placed between rubber sections m to intervene
between the sections n, as shown in Fig. 7. The metal or hard sections n 7 may
be formed with projections or depressions to afford shoulders which will
interlock with the rubber sections.

page_text: In the construction shown in Fig. 10, the sections I'm, shown in Figs. 8 and 9,
alone are used, without the metal sections having extended tread-surfaces.
In the construction shown in Figs. 11 and 12, sections of resilient leather or
rubber are employed to form the body portion of the tire and provided with short
segmental shoes i of metal, fastened in place with nails which are preferably
countersunk in the shoes and upset when driven by contact with the base of the
rim. The shoes or tread-sections i are preferably concavo-convex, and fit closely
upon the softer material, as shown for example in Fig. 11, the softer material
being cut away to receive the tread-sections.
The tire formed in any of the ways above described should be substantially of
the form in cross-section illustrated. It should have large lateral shoulders 's to
fit into spacious sockets in the rim, have a tread-portion narrower than the
slot in the rim, and be preferably half round, as shown. Any tire-section that
is crowded into place by centripetal force will tend to become displaced under
centrifugal force. Therefore it is important to provide comparatively large
lateral shoulders upon the tire-sections to produce spacious lateral sockets which
will be filled out by the shoulders on the tire. The construction presents a wearing
surface beyond the rim as thick as necessary and avoids any appearance of
clumsiness. Any lateral strain upon the tire, as when the vehicle is moving in
a curve, will be at an angle which strikes beneath the shoulders of the rim, and
the strain will be taken up by the resilient material.
The gist of this invention, which applies to all constructions, consists of a rim
having a channel and retaining shoulders, which project far enough inward to
afford spacious lateral sockets to hold the tire firmly against danger of displace-
ment, and a tire in whole or in part of resilient material formed of comparatively
thin crosswise extending and abutting sections having comparatively large lateral
shoulders to fit the sockets in the rim, and held in place under longitudinal com-
pression and the object is not so much to provide a tire possessing a high degree
of resiliency as it is to provide one which shall be noiseless and slightly resilient
in use.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said in-
vention, as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is:-
1. The peripheral structure of a wheel, comprising a rim having a base to fit
the felly, and annular inward projecting shoulders forming a channel with
spacious lateral sockets, and the tire formed of comparatively thin crosswise
extending and abutting sections, each having shoulders to fit the said sockets in
the rim, and tread-portions approximating in width the width of the channel-
opening, the said tire being formed in whole or in part of resilient material held
in place by the rim-sockets and under longitudinal compression.
2. The peripheral structure of a wheel, comprising a rim having a base to fit
the felly, and annular inward projecting shoulders forming a channel having an
opening between said shoulders, and spacious sockets beneath the shoulders; and
a tire comprising comparatively thin crosswise extending and abutting sections,
each having comparatively large shoulders to fit the said sockets in the rim, and
a tread-portion approximating in width the width of the channel-opening, the
said tire being formed by inserting into the rim sections of insufficient number to
complete the annulus, compressing together the inserted sections, inserting
additional sections within the intervening space, and finally releasing the
compression to permit the expansion of the tire-sections to a complete annulus.
3. The peripheral structure of a wheel, comprising a channeled rim having a
central slot flanked by inward projecting shoulders forming spacious sockets at
opposite sides of the slot, a cushioning-bed in the channel, and a tire formed of
comparatively thin crosswise extending and abutting sections having a projecting
tread-portion approximating in width the width of the slot, and having a base-
portion, wider than the tread-portion, resting upon the bed and formed with

page_text: rounded laterally projecting shoulders which fit the said sockets, the tire being
formed by placing the sections into the rim as described and rendering them stable
by longitudinal compression.
4. A tire for wheels, comprising separable crosswise extending sections of
cushioning material, and interposed crosswise extending sections of a harder
material held suspended by the cushioning material and forming tread-portions,
the cushioning and cushioned parts being held under longitudinal pressure in
crosswise abutting relation.
5. A tire for wheels, comprising separate crosswise extending segments of
rubber, and interposed crosswise extending sections of metal held in cushioned
suspension by rubber, and forming tread-portions, the cushioning and cushioned
parts being held under longitudinal pressure in crosswise abutting relation.
6. A tire for wheels, comprising separate crosswise extending sections of
cushioning material, and interposed crosswise extending sections of a harder
material, held suspended by the cushioning material and forming tread-portions,
the cushioning and cushioned parts having mutually interlocking surfaces and
being held under longitudinal pressure in crosswise abutting relation.
7. A tire for wheels, comprising separable crosswise extending sections of
cushioning material and interposed crosswise extending sections of a harder
material held suspended by the cushioning material, and having extended tread-
portions overlapping the cushioning sections, the cushioning and cushioned parts
being held under longitudinal pressure in crosswise abutting relation.
8. A tire for wheels, comprising separable crosswise extending sections of
rubber, and interposed crosswise extending sections of metal held suspended by
the rubber, metal sections having extended tread-portions overlapping the rubber
sections, the rubber and metal parts being held under longitudinal pressure in
crosswise abutting relation.
9. A peripheral structure for wheels, comprising a channeled rim having a
central slot flanked by inward projecting retaining shoulders, and a tire formed
with crosswise extending and abutting sections having a projecting tread-portion
provided with inserted reinforcing pins, and a base-portion formed with laterally
projecting shoulders which are overlapped by said retaining shoulders.
10. A peripheral structure for wheels, comprising a channeled rim having a
central slot flanked by inward projecting retaining shoulders, a cushioning-bed
in the channel, and a tire formed with crosswise extending and abutting sections,
having a projecting tread-portion provided with inserted reinforcing pins, and a
base-portion resting upon the bed and overlapped by the retaining shoulders.
11. A peripheral structure for wheels, comprising a channeled rim having a
central slot flanked by inward projecting retaining shoulders, and a tire having a
body-portion formed of crosswise extending and abutting sections having a pro-
jecting tread-portion, and a base-portion fitting the channel, and segmental metal
shoes narrower than the slot in the rim fitting the tread of the body-portion, and
held in place with nails, or the like.