Improvements in Elastic Tyres and Rims for the Wheels of Cycles and other Vehicles.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Aug., 1897-Accepted, 5th Feb., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Elastic Tyres and Rims for the Wheels of Cycles
and other Vehicles.
I, MAX STERN, of Köln, in the Province of the Rhine, Kingdom of Prussia,
German Empire, Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this 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 relates to improvements in tyres for cycles and other vehicles and
has for its object to render the tyre more durable.
Compressed air-tyres as introduced a number of years since and now in use for
cycles and vehicles have the objection of being very easily damaged. The special
quality of resilience possessed by this type of tyre has caused, however, its general.
adoption and many experiments have been made to prevent the possibility of acci-
dental injury to the tyre, and to obviate the rigidity of the same being simply a
matter of chance and dependent upon favourable conditions.
These experiments have up to the present, however, not met with an entirely
successful issue and for this reason I have continued my experiments for the
purpose of producing a tyre which besides being sufficiently resilient should at the
same time be durable and always fit for use.
This object I have succeeded in attaining by dispensing with the use of com-
pressed air and to make my invention clear I will describe the same in reference
to the accompanying drawing in which similar letters denote similar parts through-
out the several views and in which
Fig. 1 is a vertical section of my improved tyre, and
Fig. 2 is a section similar to Fig. 1 but illustrating an alternative arrangement.
I employ a spring felloe or. rim (not flat) as, for instance, shown at G. The
outside edges HH of this felloe or rim G I bend in such manner that the same
has the form of a hook shown in the drawing. A laterally non-extending or non-
stretching band A consisting of one or more layers of webbing or other suitable
material is then attached to the periphery of the rim or felloe in such a manner
that at the edges of the said band. A a complete or divided ring C C¹ preferably of
metal in the form of a hook is so arranged that it grips or engages with the said
edges HH. The rim G shall be of such resilience, that it is possible that the
band A can be stretched across the felloe or rim G having before pressed together
the edges of the rim G either by hand or with a special tool, so that the hook-
shaped rings C C grip into the corresponding hook-shaped edges HH' of the
rim G so giving the band A a very strong tension by the resilience of the rim G.
I provide the edges H H¹ of the rim G with cushion-pieces D 1)' preferably of
not too soft india-rubber for the purpose of imparting greater durability to the
laterally extended bands A.
It is advantageous, to attach in any suitable manner this cushion-piece DD¹
at the corners immediately below the laterally non-stretching or non-extending
bands A towards the rim G and to stretch these cushion pieces with the bands Ä
on the rim G at the same time.
For the purpose of causing the resilient properties imparted to the bands to be

page_text: less dependent on the conditions described and also for the purpose of increasing
such resilience and elasticity I may employ an accidental band, the middle portion
of which may consist of rope, wire, or cords arranged in such a manner that they
are either parallel to, or crossing or in an inclined direction to each other. For
the same purpose I may also employ non-extending strands, rope, wire or cords;
or a non-stretching cord or strands either stretched or simply twisted crosswise
over the felloe or rim.
To the before mentioned, laterally extending bands A I vulcanise or otherwise
suitably attach an outside band, cover or jacket F manufactured of best Para-
india-rubber.
In order, further, to give my improved tyre any desired height, and in order to
more effectually avoid concussions or shocks when riding over railway-tracks or
other uneven places, I may attach lengthwise to the top edges of the band A (by
vulcanization or other means) two cushion-pieces E E¹, preferably of not too soft
india-rubber, as illustrated by Fig. 2.
Above these last two mentioned cushion-pieces EE¹ I employ another laterally
non-extending or non-stretching band of webbing B corresponding to the band A,
the corners of the band B being also suitably fastened on the hook-shaped rings CC¹.
To the band B I attach the outside cover or band F and stretch now the whole
tyre on the rim G in the above described manner.
The improved tyre constructed according to my invention and herein before
described can in no case become unfit for use and my improved tyre will, further,
always maintain the same resilience and is in every way superior to the com-
pressed air tyre now in use.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare what
I claim is:
An improved tyre for wheels of cycles, vehicles and the like characterised by
the employment of a resilient felloe or rim and an outside band or cover stretched
or extended over the said rim, the cover being held in tension by the resilience of
the rim, substantially as described and shown in the drawing.
August 1991.
MAX STERN.
By Geo. Thos. Hyde,
1, Broad Street Buildings, Liverpool Street, London, E.C.,
Agent of the Applicant.