Improvements in Tyres of Bicycles and other Vehicles.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Apr., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 2nd Jan., 1894-Accepted, 17th Feb., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Tyres of Bicycles and other Vehicles.
JOHN STEEL DIXON SHANKS, 42 Brougham Street Belfast, Mechanical
Engineer, JOHN BOWLES, 116 Percy Street, Belfast, Metal Merchant, SAMUEL
MORELAND, 55 Peter's Hill, Belfast, General Merchant, and RICHARD WYLIE,
48 North Boundary Street, Belfast, Leather Merchant, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The rim of wheel of vehicle may be convex, concave, or flat, with or without
flanges or grooves for the purpose of securing that part of the tyre named the
"cover," but preferably with flanges and grooves. A hoop of steel or other
suitable material is provided, the edges of which are turned over towards the rim
for the purpose of securing the edges of the cover between it and the rim by the
force of compressed air or other gas contained in a tube of rubber or other elastic
material pressing on the outer surface of hoop. The hoop to be broken and
overlap at any point in its circumference and to be free to expand or contract, and
the one end preferably working in a sheath in the other. The cover is to be made
of rubber and linen or other suitable material joined together in layers and the
edges to be thickened into a coil and having a core of linen, cord or wire, so that
edges of the steel hoop may seize the coils and retain cover in position. The cover
is to be provided with two ridges on outside running the full circumference of
cover and a distance from centre or tread, the object of these is to prevent side
slipping when the wheel of vehicle is at an angle with the ground. Inside the
cover there is to be a hoop of rubber or other elastic material provided on one side
in centre with a ridge the full circumference, and the opposite side of this hoop to
have attached to it a strip or strips of linen or other textile substance; this hoop
to be endless and the edges are to overlap the edges of one or more thin tempered
steel plates or plates of other material having equal qualities. The ends of this
metallic boop to be joined together in similar manner to the plate in contact with
rim before described-or any modification that will keep ends in position and allow
expansion and contraction of hoop.
The combination of these parts will provide a tyre for vehicles which will be
elastic, affording protection to air tube against puncture from the dangerous
directions and lessening the danger from side slipping. The air tube will be
provided with a valve passing through cover or rim outwards for the purpose of
inflating or deflating same at pleasure.

page_text: 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:―
Our invention relates to the construction of the wheels of bicycles and other
vehicles arranged with pneumatic tyres and consists in providing means not only
for protection against injury from puncture whereby inflated tyres are rendered at
the least temporarily useless as well as dangerous and cumbrous but also for the
prévention of skidding or side slipping or reducing the tendency thereto when the
wheel is thrown off a perpendicular position.
For these purposes we prefer to employ a rim having flanges along the sides or
edges and grooves along the periphery or floor thereof but we do not confine
ourselves to that form as our invention is applicable to a convex, concave, flat or
waved rim or to a rim presenting a combination of such forms in section with or
without the flanges above mentioned.
Into such rim we place a cover made of india rubber and fine unbleached linen
or canvas or other suitable materials joined together in alternate layers and having
each side thereof thickened or rolled into a circumferential coil enclosing and
strengthened by a core of cord or wire. We, however, prefer the coils to be
formed by rolling the material of the cover itself. These coils are pressed into and
held in position against the rim of the wheel by means of a flat ring or band of thin
tempered steel or other suitable metallic substance placed between the rim and an
inflated tube of india rubber or other elastic material contained in the cover and
secured by the distension of such tube when inflated. We bend or turn the edges.
of the steel or other ring or band just mentioned down or over towards the floor of
the rim to obtain a better grip or hold of the coil on the cover. On the opposite
side of the inflated tube but externally to it and parallel to the steel or other ring
or band we have already described we employ a second thin tempered ring or band
of steel or other suitable metallic substance and we interpose between it and the
outer or tread part of the cover an endless hoop or clothing consisting of india
rubber and a strip or strips of fine unbleached linen or other textile material such
strip or strips having the edges thereof overlapping the edges of such external ring
or band and preferably also overlapping each other within the ring or band and we
furnish such hoop or clothing with an unattached central circumferential rib of
india rubber next the tread of the tyre and so as to strengthen and support it or we
make such hoop or clothing solid and triangular in section giving the tyre a conical
shaped tread. The external ring or band is beaded by doubling or rolling the
edges thereof longitudinally and both rings or bands are cut or divided transversely
at one part of the circle and the ends thereof are overlapped and bound together
with a double ply or strip of the unbleached linen or other lapping material so as
to make them capable of expansion and contraction circumferentially with the
pressure of the tread and release therefrom.
We have found that, in tempered steel rings or bands, Birmingham wire gauge
number twenty six is best adapted for resistance to puncture, elasticity and durability
but we do not confine ourselves specifically to the gauge or the metal we have
mentioned and we may employ two or more thinner external rings or bands of
similar material and similarly held together, the second of such rings or bands
encircling the first and the third (if any) encircling the second and so on.
And on each side of the tread of the cover outside and beyond the edges of the
external metallic beaded ring or band we form a circumferential ridge of the same
material as the cover or a material similar thereto which serves to prevent or reduce
the liability to skidding or side slipping and overbalancing and also to increase the
protection against puncture.
The air tube is made of the usual materials and according to ordinary methods
and is placed between the metallic rings or bands within the cover and when
inflated with air or gas as commonly practised presses them and the coiled edges of
the cover into and maintains them in position. But in order to protect the air tube
from injury by nipping at the edges of the external metallic beaded ring or band

page_text: and to prevent undue pressure on the line of contact between such edges and the
cover we attach a strip of canvas or other similar material to the air tube circum-
ferentially opposite that line.
The valve for admitting, retaining or emitting the air or gas with which the
tube is to be or has been inflated may be placed in any suitable position affording
convenient access to it and may be protruded through the rim of the wheel or the
side of the cover as desired.
And in order that our said invention may be more fully understood we shall now
proceed to describe the drawings on the sheet hereunto annexed the same letters of
reference indicating the same or corresponding parts of our said arrangement
throughout all the figures.
Fig. I. is a tranverse section of the rim and tyre of the wheel of a bicycle or
other vehicle showing the flanges on a flat rim, the circumferentially ridged cover
with coiled edges held in position by one of the metallic rings or bands and a
ribbed hoop of india rubber and linen encircling the other of such metallic rings
and supporting the tread of the wheel.
Fig. 1. is a sectional elevation of portion of the ring or band and hoop or
clothing showing the ends of the ring or band as they overlap each other and are
bound together: and
Fig. III. is a plan of the portion shown in Fig. II.
a is the cover having coiled edges held by the inner metallic ring or band, b,
within and against the flanges, c c, of the rim of the wheel. dd are the ridges on
each side of the tread of the cover, a. e is the india rubber and linen hoop or
clothing overlapping the edges of the external metallic beaded ring or band, b', and
encircling it. is the enclosed air tube and g is the lapping material by which the
ends of the ring or band, 6', are bound together.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we would have it to be
understood that we do not claim as of our invention nor the exclusive use of
inflated or pneumatic tubes and air valves for charging or emptying them nor do
we claim rims, covers, rings or bands and circumferential ribs and ridges or any of
the separate mechanical parts or fittings of our improved tyre and wheel except
when the same are constructed and employed according to our invention but we
declare that what we claim is.
1stly. The manufacture and use in bicycles and other vehicles of a cover adapted
to pneumatic tyres or tubes arranged with thin rings or bands of steel or other
metallic substance and employed substantially in the manner and for the purposes
hereinbefore described and shewn in the drawings hereunto annexed.
2ndly. The manufacture and use in bicycles and other vehicles of a cover
arranged-with-a-ring-or-band-of-steel-or-other-metallic-substance encircling a
pneumatic tyre or tube and with a ribbed hoop or clothing interposed between it
and the ring or band and employed substantially in the manner and for the
purposes hereinbefore described and shewn in the drawings hereunto annexed.
3rdly. The manufacture and use in bicycles and other vehicles of a cover adapted
to pneumatic tyres or tubes arranged with external circumferential side ridges and
employed in the manner and for the purposes hereinbefore described and shewn in
the drawings hereunto annexed and
4thly. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting our improved
wheel for bicycles and other vehicles constructed, arranged and employed in the
manner and for the purposes hereinbefore described and illustrated by the drawings
hereunto annexed.
Dated ahi 11
T
1004
HYNDMAN & DICKSON,
6, Chichester Street, Belfast, Agents for Applicants.