Year: 1899

page_text: I, JOSEPH ARTHUR BURROWS, of Akron, in the County of Summit and State
of Ohio, United States of America, Gentleman, 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:-
Heretofore metallic channels for the reception of rubber tires have been made
in a variety of forms. In some the side flanges of such channels have been at
right angles to the base, in others at obtuse angles, and in still others, at acute
angles to the base, and generally the rubber tires to be seated in such channels
have been of form and size corresponding to the channel. Various methods of
securing such tires in their channels have been proposed or adopted-namely,
by vulcanizing or clenching or clamping the metallic flanges against the seated
portion of the tire or by retaining-bands, round or flat, single or multiple, extend-
ing longitudinally through passages in the rubber tires, the ends of such bands
having their ends secured together or to the channel or felly of the wheel. To
prevent the cutting of the tire by the edges of the channel, it has been proposed
to make rounding the peripheries of the flanges along or next the rubber or to
make the flanges more or less flaring from the rubber; but it has been found
that gravel, sand, water, etc., work into the space between the channel and the
tire, resulting in gradual widening of such space and an ultimate loosening and
destruction of the tire. It is to meet and overcome these and other objections that
my invention is designed; and to this end I so shape the body of the tire that
the inner edge of its sides stands well within the metallic channel and entirely
clear of and away from the flanges, thus insuring freedom from cutting action
and then I provide strips or wings which normally flare out from the inner cor-
ners of the tire, but are foldable, so as to enter the channel-iron. These strips
perform two functions namely, first, prevent gravel, sand, etc., from working into
the space between the tire proper and the sides of its channel, as well as into the
space between the base of the tire and the channel, and, second, they cushion the
sides of the tire proper from abrasive contact with the metallic flanges.

page_text: It will be observed from the several views of the drawings that I have illus-
trated two forms of openings for the retaining-bands-namely, round openings
in multiple and a single flat opening-so that round bands or wire or a flat band
may be employed, the prior practice in this respect teaching that both forms are
equivalents. I lay no claim to this feature, however, but show both forms, in
order that either may be employed, as may be desired.
In the accompanying drawings, in which I have shown embodiments of my
improvements, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a fraction of a wheel-felly with
one form of my improved tire in a channel therein, the ends of the parts being
shown in cross-section. Fig. 2 is a similar view of the tire removed from the
channel, and Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view of a modified form of the tire.
Fig. 4 shows a cross-section of tire with an opening for the reception of a flat
retaining band.
In the drawings like characters of reference designate corresponding parts.
1 designates the body of main portion of the tire, which in cross-section is
preferably substantially rectangular in form at its base or inner portion and
rounded or curved along its exposed sides and across its outer portion or tread.
At or along the inner corners of the base portion are welt-like strips or wings 2,
preferably formed upon or attached to the tire proper so that when the tire is
not in the channel they shall tend to stand outwardly from the body thereof, as
indicated in Figs. 2 and 3. These wings or strips therefore, when the tire is put
into the channel, tend to spring against the sides of the channel 4 and cling
thereto, whatever the movements of the tire in its seat. The elastic contact of
these wings with the sides of the channel greatly augments the ordinary frictional
engagement of the tire with the channel and prevents the cutting or abrasion
of the tire proper by the flanges of the channel. In addition to augmenting the
frictional engagement of the tire with the channel and acting as a cushion to pre-
vent such cutting, the wings also preclude the access of water, sand or other
foreign things to the space between the tire and the channel and so prevent
rotting cutting or other destructive action in the tire, thereby greatly prolonging
its life.
In the manufacture of the tire I propose to reinforce the inner side of the
tire with canvas or other strengthening fabric or material, as usual and as
indicated at 3 in the drawings. This fabric or reinforcing material is also ex-
tended to the inner side of the wings or strips, but preferably not to the extreme
edge thereof, so that there shall be left a small surface of bare rubber, which,
by reason of its greater flexibility, clings more closely to the sides of the channel.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. A wheel having a channeled rim provided with an elastic tire-body having
lateral wings compressed by and between the side flanges of the channel and
the sides of the tire-body.
2. A wheel having a channeled rim provided with an elastic tire-body having
lateral wings elastically and movably connected therewith, said wings standing
between the sides of the tire-body and tending by their own elasticity to cling
to the side flanges of the channel.
3. A wheel having a channeled rim provided with an elastic tire-body and
lateral elastic wings interposed between the sides of the tire proper and the side
flanges of the channel to afford an elastic cushion against which the exposed sides
of the tire-body proper may expand and come into contact when compressed.
4. A wheel having a channeled rim provided with an elastic tire-body and a
lateral elastic wing interposed between the sides of the tire proper and the adjacent
flange of the channel to afford an elastic cushion against which the exposed side
of the tire-body proper may expand when compressed.
5. The combination with a rubber tire having lateral wings, of a metallic

page_text: channel adapted to receive such tire and its wings, the sides of the outer portion
of the tire entering the channel at points removed from the flanges, and said
lateral wings engaging the inner sides of the flanges and partially filling the
space between the flanges and sides of the tire.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.