nents in and connected with Pneumatic Tyres.
Year: 1899

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATIOA,
Improve nents in and connected with Pneumatic Tyres.
I, RICHARD GREEN, of Oakwood Road, Sparkhill, in the County of Worcester,
Mechanician, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has reference to that class of pneumatic tyres for wheels of
bicycles and other velocipedes, motor carriages, and vehicles, in which there is
an air tube enclosed by a canvas and indiarubber or other flexible outer covering
the edges of which are thickened or beaded and have to be secured in the trough
section wheel rim; and this invention consists of the herein described improved
means for securing the thickened edges of the outer covering in the wheel rim so
as to make the tyre perfectly secure and prevent its becoming accidently detached
from the wheel rim when deflated, but my invention is so arranged as
to enable the outer covering or one edge of the same to be very readily detached
from the wheel rim for the removal or examination of the air tube and readily
refixed thereto..
In one arrangement of carrying out this invention I provide a flexible metal
band which passes all round the wheel rim and is made wide enough to embrace
both of the thickened edges of the outer covering the edges of the said band
being by preference turned over slightly so as the better to grip the thickened
edges of the outer covering. The ends of the band overlap and in order to cause
them to slide one over the other to tighten the band on the wheel rim one end of
the band carries a small pinion which gears with a rack formed on the other end
portion of the band this pinion being mounted on a spindle or otherwise arranged
and the said spindle passing through a hole in the wheel rim so that by turning
this spindle by means of a fly-nut or spanner or other suitable means in one
direction the end portions of the band will be slided one over the other and the
grip of the band tightened round the thickened edges of the tyre and rim thereby
effectually securing the tyre to the rim in which position the pinion can be locked
by a lock nut on the pinion spindle. When the pinion is turned in the opposite
direction the ends of the band are moved one over the other in the opposite
direction so as to expand the band and enable the edges of the outer covering or
one of them to be readily removed from the wheel rim or replaced underneath
the band. The part of the band to which the rack is fixed or formed is by
preference made with a straight longitudinal slot to receive the pinion one side
of this slot working against the plain part of the pinion and thus keeping the
teeth of the pinion and rack properly in gear. In order to keep together the
two parts of the band where the rack and pinion are situated one part of the band
is by preference made at that part with its edges turned inwardly to clip the other
portion of the band, or a separate clip may be employed so as to keep the two
parts of the band in contact face to face. The pinion spindle may be provided
with a ratchet wheel which engages with a catch pivotted to a bush or mount on
the wheel rim or on the band so as to prevent the recoil of the pinion after it has
been turned to wind up and tighten the band round the wheel rim. Suitable

page_text: means are provided for turning the ratchet out of gear when the pinion has to be
turned in the direction to expand the band.
So as the better to make the said band expand equally all round the wheel rim
there are or may be small blocks of soft indiarubber or coiled wire or other springs
fixed to the underside of the band at regular intervals apart to bear against the
wheel rim so as to form springs to assist in expanding the band when the pinion
is turned in the direction to allow of this being done.
Instead of employing the pinion to operate the rack as above described one end
of the band may be provided with a spring catch or ratchet which engages with
the teeth of the rack so that after the thickened edges of the outer covering have
been inserted between the band and wheel rim and the tyre is inflated, the infla-
tion of the tyre will contract the metal band round the wheel rim and cause
the ends to slide one over the other and the band will be maintained contracted
by the spring catch engaging with the teeth of the rack. The spindle on which
the catch is mounted is carried through the hole in the wheel rim so that the
catch can be turned away from the rack to allow the latter to expand when it is
desired to remove the tyre from the rim.
In another arrangement of this invention I provide any convenient number
of short segmental bands or strips to engage with the thickened edges of the
outer covering and secure them round the wheel rim. and round these segmental
strips the said metal band passes so that when the said band is tightened up it clips
over the segmental strips and presses them round the thickened edges of the
outer covering and thus secures the tyre to the wheel rim. Each of the said
strips is by preference provided with one or more springs between the strip and
the wheel rim so as to cause the segmental strips to expand equally from the rim
when the band is slackened for the removal of the tyre.
In a further modification of my invention both end portions of the band are
made with a rack and also with a parallel slot to engage with the pinion one of
these racks being situated at one side of the pinion and the other rack on the
cther side of the same so that when the pinion is turned both ends of the band
are moved equally. The pinion may be made with a flange above and below the
racks between which the lapping over ends of the bands are situated these flanges
assisting in keeping the pinion in place.
Dated this 25th day of Soutamahan 1800.
Improvements in and connected with Pneumatic Tyres.
I, RICHARD GREEN, of Oakwood Road, Sparkhill, in the County of Worcester,
Mechanician, 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 has reference to that class of pneumatic tyres for wheels of
bicycles and other velocipedes, motor carriages, and vehicles, in which there is
an air tube enclosed by a canvas and indiarubber or other flexible outer covering
the edges of which are thickened or beaded and have to be secured in the trough
section wheel rim and this invention consists of the herein described improved
means for securing the thickened edges of the outer covering in the wheel rim so
as to make the tyre perfectly secure and prevent its becoming accidentally
detached from the wheel rim when deflated but my invention is so arranged as

page_text: to enable the outer covering or one edge of the same to be very readily detached.
from the wheel rim for the removal or examination of the air tube and readily
refixed thereto.
I will describe my invention by referring to the accompanying drawings on
which Fig. 1 is a cross section of a pneumatic tyre constructed according to this
invention shewing the tyre in position on the wheel rim: Fig. 2 is also a cross
section of the same taken in another part of the wheel rim; Fig. 3 is a section
parallel with the plane of the wheel shewing separately the band and appurte-
nances which I employ for securing the outer covering of the tyre to the wheel
rim Fig. 4 is an inverted plan of the parts shewn by Fig. 3: Fio. 5 shews a
part of the same separately; Fig. 6 is a section and Fig. 7 is an inverted plan
illustrating a modification of the band and parts for securing the same; Fig. 8
illustrates another modification of my invention: Figs. 9, and 10 shew parts of
the same and Fig. 11 illustrates a further modification of the same.
The same letters of reference indicate the same or corresponding parts in all
the figures of the drawings.
In the arrangement of my invention illustrated by Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 I
provide a flexible metallic band A which passes all round the wheel rim B and is
made wide enough to embrace both of the thickened edges c¹² of the outer
cover C which encloses the air tube D. The two end portions a¹ a² of the band A
overlap (see Figs. 3 and 4) and in order to cause them to slide one over the other
to tighten the band round the wheel rim the end portion a¹ of the band carries a
spindle E on which is mounted a small spur pinion F which gears with the
rack G fixed to the other end portion a² of the band. The pinion F is arranged
to turn with the spindle preferably by being made with a square hole fitting
on the square part e¹ of the spindle. The spindle E passes through the hole 1
in the wheel rim B so that by turning the spindle E by means of a key or spanner
on the square end 2 of the same in one direction' the end portions a¹ a² of the
hand will be slided one over the other and the grip of the band tightened round
the thickened edges of the tyre C and round the rim B thereby effectually
securing the tyre to the rim in which position the pinion F is locked by tightening
up the lock nut h screwed on the spindle E and which forces the tubular sleeve i
on said spindle against the pinion F and the latter against the part 2 of the band
sc that the tubular sleeve i and pinion F and the two portions a¹ a² of the band
are effectually gripped together because the spindle E is made with a head.or
washer to take against the outside of the part a¹ of the band. When the
pinion F is turned in the opposite direction the end portions a¹ a² of the band A
are slided one over the other in the direction to expand the band A and increase
the circumference of the same thereby enabling the thickened edges c c of the
outer cover C or one of them to be readily withdrawn from the wheel rim for
the removal or inspection of the air tube and also to be readily replaced under-
neath the band A. The part 2 of the band A to which the rack G is fixed is
by preference made with a longitudinal slot a³ to receive the spindle E of the
pinion and thus keep the teeth of the pinion and the rack G properly in gear and
allow of the end portions of the. band sliding one over the other as above
described.
In order to keep the two end portions of the band properly together in line
the part a of the band has a rivet j¹ fixed to it which passes through a slot a*
in the part 2 of the band and is rivetted over a washer thus keeping the two
parts of the band in contact face to face.
.
Instead of employing the lock nut h and tubular sleeve i to prevent the recoil
of the pinion F other means may be employed for this purpose as will readily
be understood. For instance the pinion spindle E may be provided with a
ratchet wheel which engages with a catch pivotted to a bush or mount on the
wheel rim or on the band the ratchet being so arranged that it can be turned or
pushed out of gear when the pinion has to be turned in the direction to expand
the band.

page_text: Instead of employing the pinion F to operate the rack G and expand and
contract the band A as above described, the spindle E carried by the end
portion of the band may be provided with a spring catch K (see Figs. 6 and 7)
which engages with the teeth of the rack (marked G¹) which in this case is made
with ratchet teeth so that after the thickened edges of the outer covering
have been inserted between the band A and the wheel rim B and the inner air
tube is inflated the inflation will contract the metal band A round the wheel rim
and cause the end portions a¹ a to slide one over the other and the rack G₁to
slide past the spring catch K (or the spring catch to. slide along the rack G¹) so
that the band A will be maintained contracted by the spring catch K engaging
with one or other of the teeth of the rack G¹. The spindle E on which the
catch K is mounted is carried through the hole 6 in the wheel rim so that by a
key on the end e² of the spindle the catch K can be turned away from the rack to
allow the band to expand when it is desired to remove the tyre from the rim.
In the arrangement of my invention illustrated by Figs. 8, 9 and 10 the ratchet
shaped rack G which is fixed to the end portion a² of the band A has the ratchet
shaped teeth formed on the face which is adjacent to the other over-lapping
portion at which latter has a tooth or a series of teeth fixed on it to engage
with the teeth of the rack when the band is contracted by the inflation of the air
tube D as above described. To release the tooth from the ratchet teeth of the
rack G the portion a¹ of the band has to be pressed inwardly by a bradawl nail
or other tool inserted through a hole in the wheel rim and through a correspond-
ing hole in the end portion a² thus pressing the tooth off the rack and allow-
ing the hand to expand as required for the removal of the air tube.
In the further modification of my invention illustrated by Fig. 11 there are
two racks gearing with the pinion F that is to say both of the end portions a¹ a²
of the band A have a rack fixed to them these racks being respectively marked
GG both gearing with the pinion F one rack being situated at one side of
the pinion and the other rack at the other side of the same so that when the
pinion is turned both ends a¹ 2 of the band are moved equally in opposite
directions. The racks are kept in gear with the pinion by the portion a² of the
band being made with a turned up edge as against which the edge of the part a¹
of the band takes as shewn.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I wish it to be
understood that I am aware that prior to my invention the outer covering of a
pneumatic tyre has been secured round a trough section wheel rim by a metal
band gripping round the thickened edges of the outer covering and that I make
no broad claim to the use of the said band for that purpose in a pneumatic tyre
but I declare that what I claim is:
1. In a pneumatic tyre the combination of the outer covering made with
thickened edges adapted to fit round a trough section wheel rim, an air tube
enclosed by said outer covering, a flexible metal band enclosed by the outer
covering and fitting round the thickened edges of the same said band having its
end portions made to overlap and provided with rack and pinion adjustment
so arranged that when the pinion is turned in one direction and locked the band
is contracted round the thickened edges of the outer covering and the latter
secured to the wheel rim and when the pinion is unlocked and turned in the
opposite direction the band is expanded and the thickened edges are or one of the
thickened edges is free to be removed from the wheel rim for giving access to the
air tube substantially as set forth.
2. The flexible hand A for securing the outer covering of a pneumatic tyre in a
trough section wheel rim by gripping the thickened edges of said outer covering
said band being made with overlapping end portions fitted with rack and pinion
adiustment constructed and arranged substantially as herein before described and
illustrated by Figs. 1 to 5 or by Figure 11 of the accompanying drawings.

page_text: 3. In a pneumatic tyre the combination of the outer covering made with
thickened edges adapted to fit round a trough section wheel rim, an air tube
enclosed by said outer covering, a flexible metal band enclosed by the outer
covering and fitting round the thickened edges of the same said band having its
end portions made to overlap one of said overlapping ends being provided with a
ratchet toothed rack and the other overlapping end having a spring tooth or catch
or a series of teeth to engage with said rack the parts being so arranged that the
act of inflating the air tube contracts the metal band round the wheel rim and
causes the tooth or catch to ride over the teeth of the rack and engage therewith
and secure the band in its contracted, state said catch being provided with means
for releasing it from the rack when desired to allow of the band to expand for the
removal of the outer covering or one of the edges of the same from the wheel
rim to give access to the air tube, substantially as set forth.
4. The flexible band A for securing the outer covering of a pneumatic tyre in a
trough section wheel rim by gripping the thickened edges of the said outer cover-
ing said band being made with overlapping end portions fitted with a ratchet
toothed rack and spring catch adjustment constructed and arranged substantially
as herein before described and illustrated by Figs. 6, and 7 or by Figs. 8 9 and 10
of the accompanying drawings.
Datul this 91st day of July 1900
CHARLES BOSWORTH KETLEY,
Agent for the Applicant.