Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Jan. 1897
Complete Specification Left, 20th Sept., 1897-Accepted, 11th Dec., 1897
παιρνοντα
I, JAMES EDGAR HATCH M.A. of 340 Heath Terrace, West Bromwich, in the County.
of Stafford, Clerk in Holy Orders do hereby declare the nature of my said invention
to be as follows:-
My invention has for its object improvements in pneumatic tubes or retainers for
the wheels of cycles and other purposes which are more elastic and resilient than
those now in use and which possess other advantages such for instance as rapid
adaptability to the uneven surfaces of roads or to obstacles met with which are more
easily surmounted and with much less vibration.
I forin pneumatic tyres from india rubber capable of expansion and contraction
The internal
and without being restrained by a non-elastic material such as canvas.
tube is air tight and is bound or restrained or strengthened by a coil of rubber of
thicker section or with rings of rubber, and these may be threaded on the tube, say a
flat ring and then a round ring until the whole length of the tube is covered or
nearly covered with a series of elastic rings. I may then put an elastic rubber casing
outside these rings and unite the ends together, so as to make a complete tyre of
this compound nature which is inflated with a valve mounting and pump in the
ordinary way. This tube so made may be used for any purpose as an elastic air
container for which such an elastic retainer is useful. In conjunction also with my
ordinary pneumatic tyre such as is lined and limited by such lining as to its
expansion. I may use a length of this tube with the ends properly sealed by metal
wood or other caps around the hub of a wheel either open or cased in by a covering
such as a hollow barrel or casing. One end would have a flexible pipe or passage
communicating with the tyre of the wheel and the other end be fitted with a valve
and pump nipple. for inflating the two together. The pump would then be attached
to one of the special pipes and the air pressed through to the tyre to any desired
pressure. This extra tube I term a "Resiliator" and the effect of it is to relieve the
tyre from undue stress when in use with very quick properties of recovery due to the
elastic nature of the compound or specially elastic tube.
Dated the
GEORGE BARKER,
Agent for Applicant, 77 Colmore Row, Birmingham.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.

page_text: my 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 consists of the improvements hereinafter described in the wheels of
cycles and other vehicles and has for its object to render the pneumatic tyres of the
wheels more elastic or resilient than those now in use. Wheels constructed
according to my invention possess the advantage that when a vehicle to which they
are applied is travelling over rough or uneven roads the vibration or tremulous
motion ordinarily imparted to the vehicle is wholly or in great part prevented.
My invention relates to the wheels of cycles and other vehicles having central air
chambers, that is annular air chambers situated within the wheels and concentric
with their axes and has for its principal object to make the said central air chambers
elastic and to strengthen the walls of the said elastic air chambers without diminishing
or diminishing but to a slight extent the elasticity of the same; and further to so
connect the pneumatic tyres of the wheels with the central elastic air chambers that
on the compression of any part of the said pneumatic tyres in passing over asperities
in the road, air passes from the said pneumatic tyres into the central air chambers and
returns to the tyres immediately the wheels have passed the said asperities; thus
the tyres are relieved of undue pressure.
In order that my invention may be the better understood I will describe the same
with reference to the accompanying Drawings, Figure 1 of which is a side elevation
of a bicycle the front wheel being constructed according to my invention, and
Figure 2 represents the said front wheel detached, part of the metallic casing around
the hub of the wheel being omitted; Figure 3 represents a section of the said wheel
on the dotted line, Figure 2; Figure 4 is a vertical section of the said wheel.
Figures 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 represent modifications of my invention hereinafter
described.
Figures 2 to 10 both inclusive are drawn to a larger scale than Figure 1.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several Figures of the
Drawings.
In constructing a wheel according to my invention I preferably form around the
hub of the wheel a central box-like metallic casing a a² which casing is connected to
the ordinary metallic rim b by spokes c, c. The side a² of the said metallic casing is
removable and is kept in place by screw pins and nuts d, d. I arrange, within the
said metallic casing a, a² an elastic air tube e of thin vulcanised india-rubber and I
strengthen the said elastic air tube e externally by strong vulcanised india-rubber
rings f, f, fin close contact with each other as will be best understood by reference
to Figure 4. The said central strengthened air tube e is connected to the ordinary
pneumatic tyre g of the wheel preferably by a flexible pipe h. The central air tube
or chamber e and pneumatic tyre g are simultaneously inflated by an air compressing
pump connected to an ordinary valve i in connection with the central air tube or
chamber e, the compressed air passing from the central air tube or chamber e by the
pipe h into the ordinary pneumatic tyre.
The action of the said wheel is as follows:-
On the travelling of the vehicle Figure 1 over asperities in the road the part of the
pneumatic tyre g in contact with the said asperities is compressed and the cubic
capacity of the said pneumatic tyre consequently diminished. The tyre is relieved
of the undue pressure which would result from the said diminution in the cubic
capacity of the tyre by the passage of some of the compressed air into the central air
chamber or tube e which is thereby distended. On the wheel passing off the said
asperities the thick wall of india rubber rings f around the central air tube e ensures
the immediate return of the air to the tyre and preserves the air within the tyre and
central air tube at a practically uniform pressure.
.
Where a metallic box-like casing a, a² is not used I employ a convex metallic
rim (see Figure 5) preferably with an open joint secured together by a spring snap
or other fastening and I preferably make the central air chamber e of a tube closed at
its two ends as will be best understood by reference to Figure 6. When the
strengthened india rubber tube e is placed in the rim k the two closed ends of

page_text: the said tube abut against each other, (see Figure 5).
Where it is desired to limit
the expansion of the inner or central air tube e the hub of the wheel is provided with
a concave rim or trough (see Figure 7) between which and the convex rim k the air
tube e when inflated is situated.
Although I have shown and prefer to use plain india rubber rings f, f, f around the
air tube e, conical rings of the kind represented in Figure 8, or rings having the
sectional figure represented in Figure 9 or other sectional figure may be used with
the same or nearly the same effect.
Or the strengthening of the air tube e may be effected by coiling thereon a strong
band of vulcanized india rubber the two ends of the said band being secured together
by india rubber or other cement.
The central air tube may be strengthened by making it of the shape represented
in section in Figure 10, that is, it may have external rings or corrugations in one
piece with the cylindrical part or body of the tube. In this case the tube should be
made of the purest vulcanized india rubber. Or a helical rib or projection may be
made on the exterior of the air tube in one piece with the said air tube.
When a lesser degree of resiliency is required, a simple cylindrical tube may be
employed, in which case the pure vulcanised india rubber referred to should be
employed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that I claim
as my invention ;-
In wheels of velocipedes and other vehicles having a central air tube or chamber
connected with the pneumatic tyre of the wheel:-constructing the said central air
chamber of an elastic tube of vulcanized india rubber or of a vulcanized india rubber
tube strengthened by external rings or corrugations made in one piece with the tube,
or strengthened by separate rings of vulcanized india rubber placed thereon, or by a
band of vulcanized india rubber coiled thereon the said central elastic air tube or
strengthened central elastic air tube being preferably enclosed in a metallic box like
case on the hub of the wheel or partially enclosed by an inner convex rim or by an
inner convex rim in combination with an inner concave rim substantially as
hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
Dated the Seventeenth day of September 1897.