Improvement in Elastic Tyres and in Means for Securing the same to the Rims of Wheels.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Oct., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 6th July, 1892-Accepted, 27th Aug., 1892
PROVISIONAI. SPECIFICATION.
Improvement in Elastic Tyres and in Means for Securing the same
to the Rims of Wheels.
I, PRESTON DAVIES, of 12 Kempson Road, Walham Green, Fulham, in the
County of Middlesex, Watchmaker, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows :-
This invention relates to improvements in that class of wheel tyres which are
formed hollow and inflated with air or other fluid, the object of my improvements
being to obtain increased strength, and to provide simple means of allowing the
inner inflated tube of the tyre to be removed for repairs.
In carrying out my invention, I employ a tube of india rubber, joined together at
its ends so as to form a complete ring, and standing out from one part of the said
tube, a smaller tube (of india rubber, or of india rubber and canvas inserted in the
india rubber, or covered with canvas or other suitable material) to receive a suitable
valve.
In order to protect the india rubber tube I cover the rim with a leather known
as white half-strained sheep skin, or other suitable material, and the edge of the
rim, and the out or under side of the rim, with sheet india rubber. On the inside of
the rim I attach a strip or band of white-strained sheep skin, or other suitable
material, by its centre. This strip or band is sufficiently wide to enable it to be
wrapped round the india rubber tube, so that when the tube is inflated the band
will overlap on the top of the tube.
To limit the expansion of the india rubber tube and to keep the same in position
on the rim, I employ a band or covering made up of tape or webbing, such tape or
webbing being at right angles to the length of the band or covering. Inserted
along each of the edges of the said band or covering between the said tape or
webbing and free to move within it is a piece of wire of a sufficient length to
encircle the outside of the rim and to allow of its ends overlapping. On that
portion of the band or covering which in use would be nearest the road I attach a
band of india rubber which is preferably thicker in the middle than at its edges and
of sufficient width to encircle the edges of the band or tape through which the wires
hereinbefore mentioned pass.
To attach this combined band of tape, rubber, and wire to the out or underside
of the rim I employ fastenings, of the requisite strength, preferably in the form of
hooks, which are screwed into the rim or otherwise suitably attached thereto and
which project from either side of the underside of the rim and at suitable distances
apart, to catch or hook the wires over, which run along the edges of the said
combined band, or hooks which secure both of the wires which run through the
edges of the before mentioned band so that when the india rubber tube is inflated,
the wire, which goes through the said combined band, shall draw down and bed in
the beforementioned india rubber, which is on the under side of the rim, to prevent
dust or wet getting to the said india rubber tube.
Dated this 6th day of October 1891.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Elastic Tyres and in Means for Securing the same
to the Rims of Wheels.
I, PRESTON DAVIES, of 12 Kempson Road, Walham Green, Fulham, in the
County of Middlesex, Watchmaker, 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 to improvements in that class of wheel tyres which are
formed hollow and inflated with air or filled with other fluid.
Heretofore tyres such as those now commonly known as "pneumatic" tyres have
been found to be unreliable and cumbersome in use by reason of their liability
to puncture and it has been found expensive and laborious to repair them owing to
the difficulty in reaching the inner or inflatable tube and removing it for testing
or repair and replacing the same after repair or substituting a new one therefor.
The objects of my improvements are, first, to obtain increased strength in the
tyre; and, second, to provide means of securing the tyre to the rim of the wheel
without sewing or solution thereby enabling the internal or inflatable tube to be
exposed to view for the purposes of examination, removal, repair or renewal with
ease and quickness and without the necessity of unsolutioning or unsewing the outer
substances.
The annexed drawings, which are made to a sufficiently enlarged scale to admit
of the parts being clearly shown, illustrate my improvements.
Figure 1 is a cross-section of a tyre and rim of a wheel made according to my
invention, and Figure 2 is a plan of portion of the convex side of the rim of the
wheel with the outer rubber covering, K, (hereinafter referred to) removed.
Similar letters refer to similar parts in both figures.
Referring to Figure 1, I construct a wheel with metallic spokes, A, and crescent-
shaped rim, B, neither of which, however, form any part of my present invention.
The rim, B, is drilled with holes at intervals around it through which hooks, C,
made in one piece of metal substantially as shown in the drawings are passed but
such hooks are not rigidly attached to or otherwise affixed to the rim. The two
ends of the hooks, which are ground to a point, project towards the hub of the
wheel for the purpose hereinafter mentioned. To protect the inflatable tube from
damage I cover the rim, B, with leather, D, known as white half-strained sheepskin,
or other suitable material which is affixed to it by solutioning or other means, and
the edges of the rim are next outside the said leather, D, covered with sheet india-
rubber or other suitable material, E. Along the centre line of the concave side of
the rim I attach by solutioning or other suitable means a strip or band of white
half-strained sheepskin or other suitable material, F, which is of a width sufficient
to admit of its being wrapped around the tube next hereinafter mentioned so that
when the latter is inflated or filled the former will overlap as shown at, .. "G,'is
the bladder or internal tube made of india-rubber or other suitable material in the
well-known way being joined together so as to form a complete "ring and having a 4
smaller tube (composed of india-rubber or of india-rubber and canvas combined or
other similar materials) coming from it at a point in its circumference which is
carried up through an opening, S, (see Figure 2) in the rim, B, to receive the
valve or other apparatus for charging or inflating it with the fluid used. "To limit
the
10
expansion of the tube, G, under pressure of inflation or filling and to keep the 4
same in position on the rim of the wheel, I employ a band, H. This band is formed
of a continuous length of tape, webbing, ribbon or other suitable material wound
round in a close spiral so that each succeeding turn overlaps the preceding one.
The way in which I generally prefer to construct this band is as follows:-I take
a continuous length of tape, webbing, ribbon, or other suitable material and wind it 5
in a close flattened spiral form over two rigid metallic bands held parallel to, and

page_text: the requisite distance apart from, each other. I so proceed till a band of sufficient
length is made up. Parallel to, and a short distance from, the edges of the
completed band a stitching is run thereby securing the spiral windings in position
and forming loops, through which, after removal from the rigid metallic bands,
wires, J, are passed, after which a second stitching is run nearer each edge to
secure the wires in position at each of the extreme edges of the band. The
completed band is then joined together at its ends so as to form a ring, the wires, J,
being free to move within the loops and having their ends free and overlapping as
shown at, z, in Figure 2. In some cases, for instance in wheels of large diameter,
I may, instead of having one wire forming a completed circle at each edge of the
band, divide such wires into semi-circular or other sectional parts in which case
each of the ends of each section of wire are made to overlap as shown at, z, (see
Figure 2). When this is done it enables the size of the circle to be varied more
easily which is an advantage as will be hereafter seen. On the outside of the
band, H, a band of india-rubber or other suitable material, K, preferably formed
thicker at the tread of the wheel as shown at, r, is firmly attached by solutioning
or other suitable means. This band, K, is of sufficient width to form a complete
covering and to encircle the wires at the edges of the band, H. A combined final
covering or jacket is thus formed by the materials, H, and, K. This is affixed to
the rim of the wheel by passing it over the hooks, C, the wires, J, at the same time
being caught over such hooks and encircling the convex side of the rim of the
wheel. The tube, G, is then inflated or filled through the valve and as it expands
the whole tyre is filled out, the circles, semi-circles, or other sections of wires, J,
being free to move within the loops, y, can enlarge in diameter as expansion
proceeds and are drawn down and so made to bed in the covering, E, on the rim of
the wheel whereby dust or wet is prevented from reaching the internal portions of
the tyre.
It will be seen that the tube, G, can be easily reached for the purposes of
examination repair or renewal, and removed or replaced in the form of a ring
without cutting and joining. It is only necessary to deflate the tube, then slightly
diminish the circumference of the wires, J, on one side of the wheel by easing the
overlapping portions as shown at, z, (see Figure 2) and release the same with their
attachments from the hooks, C, thereby enabling the "jacket" to be turned back
or inside out..
In my Provisional Specification I stated that, for the purpose of attaching the
"jacket" to the rim of the wheel, I might employ hooks or fastenings secured to
the rim. I am aware that hooks have been so applied prior to the date of my
invention and I do not claim such as my invention. Since the date of my
Provisional Specification I have found that many of the rims of velocipede wheels
as now made are not sufficiently strong to hear the strain required to be so placed
upon them when such hooks are affixed to them in that way. In carrying out my
invention, therefore, I prefer to adopt the method stated alternatively in my
Provisional Specification and herein fully set out of constructing the hooks in one
piece and attaching them as hereinbefore described. When constructed and applied
in accordance with my invention the defect above referred to is obviated. The
hooks (being formed in one piece and the wires, J, on each side pulling equally
against them) themselves bear the whole or the greater part of the strain, instead
of the rim of the wheel having to do so.
I am aware also that both tyres and "jackets" have been secured to the rims of
wheels by fastenings of cords and wires prior to the date of my invention and I lay
no claim to such combination generally.
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:-
1. The combination in a wheel tyre of an inflated tube, G, with a protective
wrapping, F, secured to the rim, B, and an outer removable combined covering or

page_text: "jacket" built up of spiral windings of tape, webbing, ribbon or other suitable
material, H, on its inner side and india-rubber, K, on its outer side, held in position
on the under or convex side of the rim of the wheel by wires, J, and hooks, C, all
substantially as set forth.
2. The combination with a wheel rim, B, provided with coverings of leather, D,
and india-rubber, E, or equivalent protective cushioning, of hooks, C, each formed
in one piece and passing through the rim but not otherwise affixed thereto sub-
stantially as set forth.
3. In a wheel tyre the combination with a "jacket" of wires, J, held at the
edges of such jacket but adapted to move within it, the said wires forming a
completed circle or sections of a circle and having overlapping ends substantially as
set forth and for the purposes specified.
Dated this 6th day of Inl 1892
A. F. SPOONER,
124, Chancery Lane, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.