Elastic Tyre for Cycle and other Wheels.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 18th June, 1893
Complete Specification Left, 16th Mar., 1894-Accepted, 19th May, 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Elastic Tyre for Cycle and other Wheels.
I, GEORGE BENSON 48 and 50 Fountain Street Belfast Machine Maker do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
It consists of an elastic and flexible tyre yielding to any inequality on the
road surface, and separate from the real tyre of the wheel to which the spokes are
attached.
This tyre is a belt of leather, steel, webbing, india rubber, or any suitable
substance, standing out from the real tyre and kept in continual suspense from it by
mechanical means.
These means I provide as follows-The real tyre is made of metal or wood with
a number of perforations. Through each of these plays a small rod which I term
a "tyre holder" and I surround each of these holes with a ring of metal large
enough to make a bearing for the tyre holder.
That end of each tyre holder which is inside the wheel carries a small sheave
pulley, while the outer end carries an attachment to which the belt or outer tyre is
fastened.
This attachment can be varied to suit the belt material but must have
sufficient play by means of a hinge or pivot to enable the wheel to angle when
rounding a circle without disturbing the position of the belt tyre on the ground. If
required, the bearings of the tyre holders can be pivoted so as to give greater play.
Midway between each of these bearings I place inside and on the solid tyre
another sheave or small grooved wheel. I then use a strong endless cord of yarn,
wire, or chain, and thread it through the inner end of each holder, then down under
The outer end of each
each grooved wheel, up through the next holder, and so on.
holder thus presses against the outer belt tyre and the inner end against the cord,
and the holders thus keep the belt suspended from the real tyre.
In action, when the belt touches the ground it yields to any pressure, pushes in
the holder carrying it at that point, and thus tightens the cord all round and keeps
the belt taut.
By this action and arrangement the wheel is always resting on a belt suspended
between two points.
TA
L 1
CT 1002
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Elastic Tyre for Cycle and other Wheels.
I, GEORGE BENSON 48 and 50 Fountain Street Belfast Ireland Machine Maker
what manner the
do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement :-
My invention consists of an elastic and flexible tyre yielding to any inequality in
the road surface, and separate from the real tyre of the wheel to which the spokes
are attached. This tyre is a belt of leather, steel, webbing, india rubber or any
suitable substance, and stands out from the real tyre and is kept in continual suspense
from it by mechanical means. These means I provide as follows. The rim of the
wheel has a number of perforations around its circumference. Through each of

page_text: these plays a small rod which I term a tyre holder and I surround each rod with a
ring of metal or wood &c. sufficient to make a bearing. Where necessary I pivot
this bearing to enable the tyre holder to incline freely at an angle. That end of
the tyre holder which is inside the rim of the wheel carries a small sheave pulley or
has a deep recessed groove at its end. Midway between each of the tyre holders
and inside and on the rim I place another sheave or small grooved wheel, I then use
a strong endless cord of yarn, gut, wire or chain and thread it over the sheave or
groove of each holder, then down through each grooved wheel on the rim up through
the next holder and so on. The outer end of each holder is fastened to the belt by
any suitable attachment. This attachment can be altered to suit the material of
the belt, but must have sufficient play to enable the wheel to angle when rounding
a circle. And in order to avoid the feeling of shock or blow when each tyre
holder reaches the ground, I use a curved arm carrying an arrangement of coil
springs. The space between the belt and the solid tyre I close with canvas, leather
or similar flexible covering in order to exclude dirt &c.
In order that my invention may be properly understood I have hereunto appended
an explanatory sheet of drawings, illustrative of the system, mode or manner in or
under which it is or may be used or carried out in practice.
Fig. 1 is a section of a wheel carrying the tyre holders and having an outside
belt. A is the rim of the wheel B the tyre holders, B 1 the bearings C the sheave
at end of B the tyre holder. D the sheave wheel on the rim. E the belt. F the
arm with coil springs for attaching the tyre holder to the belt.
Fig. II is an end view of the arm F, showing the arrangement of the coil springs.
In action when the belt E touches the ground it yields or gives and pushes in the
holder carrying it at that point. This tightens the cord and pushes all the other
holders out and keeps the belt taut.
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,―
A flexible band of leather, metal, india rubber, webbing or any similar suitable
substance, kept in continual suspension from a solid tyre by mechanical means
substantially as herein before described.
Dated this Fifteenth day of March 1894