Improvements in the Manufacture of Inflatable or Pneumatic Tyres, and in Apparatus therefor.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 7th May, 1896
Complete Specification Left, 6th Mar., 1897-Accepted, 10th Apr., 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Inflatable or Pneumatic Tyres,
and in Apparatus therefor.
I, HIRAM STEVENS MAXIM, of 18 Queen's Gate Place, in the County of
Middlesex, Mechanical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention.
to be as follows:-
My invention has for its objects a novel method of and apparatus for weaving
fabric for use in the protecting covers of pneumatic tyres. Woven fabrics
produced in accordance with my invention possess a shape which will enable them
to fit the tyre without being cut or puckered. In some instances the warp threads
extend circumferentially around the wheel and in the other instances the weft
threads are arranged circumferentially, no diagonal threads being employed.
For a very strong and substantial tyre, such as is used on ordinary bicycles and
on carriages, I prefer to weave the fabric in a long strip, and to cut this strip into
lengths that will extend once, twice, or more times around the wheel. These
lengths are cemented together. In order to make the fabric fit the tyre, if only a
single thickness is to be employed, it is made very full in the middle that is to say
the length of the fabric at the middle is considerably greater than at the edges, the
difference being sufficient to cause the fabric to fit the tyre completely around the
wheel. In some cases, where a heavier tyre is desired, the centre of the fabric may
be arranged at the top or tread portion of the tyre and the edges are folded and
caused to overlap at the tread so that there are three thicknesses of fabric at the
tread. In this case the fabric is woven full and long at both edges and in the
middle with a shorter or tighter strip at each side of the middle. The warp
threads may be thick in some places and thin in others. For instance, directly over
the tread of the tyre the warp may be of great strength, and be thinner at the sides
of the tyre and then be thick and heavy again at the edge, especially if only one
thickness is to be employed; but if two thicknesses are employed the warp may be
arranged to be thick and heavy at the tread and at the bend where it is folded.
back, leaving the edges thin in order to enable them to be easily cemented down.
It is not necessary that the canvas or fabric so formed be cut square across at the
ends; it may be cut in such a manner that the lap of the part that is folded back
will not come in the same place as the lap of the middle portion of the fabric.
If the fabric passes twice around the wheel it may be cemented in such a manner
that there are only two thicknesses of cloth at any one place.
In order to weave a fabric of this kind, it is necessary that different parts of it be
fed through the loom at different speeds. Where a single thickness only is to be
employed, the centre must be fed through faster than the edges, and where two
thicknesses are to be used, that is, where the fabric is folded back, the edges and
the middle must be fed through the loom faster than those parts of the fabric
between the edges and the middle, which parts form the fold.
In order to obtain the requisite differential feed, I provide a series of feed rollers
baving varying diameters for drawing the fabric from the loom as it is woven, the
diameters being sufficient to make the fabric longer in some places than in others,
so as to enable it to fit the tyre exactly. The rollers may be mounted so that their
upper sides or the sides which engage the cloth, shall be approximately in a straight

page_text: line. Their surfaces may be roughened or provided with a series of small points,
the cloth being held firmly in contact therewith by means of rollers or by springs.
The said feed rollers will be rotated on their axes by positive driving means and
will feed the different parts of the fabric with different velocities. The parts of the
fabric in contact with the largest parts of the rollers will be drawn through the
loom with the greatest rapidity, and as the difference in diameter at the various
points corresponds with the different diameters of the wheel on which the fabric is
to be mounted, it follows that the fabric when folded, will fit the tyre exactly.
In order that the fabric may be fed differentially as above described I arrange
each thread of the warp on a separate reel or spool to which a suitable tension is
applied.
Except as above described the weaving is conducted in the ordinary way. The
material when woven does not present a flat surface. Where a single thickness is
employed, with no folding back, it will be straight on the edges and puckered in
the middle, but if it is to be woven with a view of folding back, then it will be
puckered at both edges and in the middle with a straight part intervening.
In some cases it is necessary to bave a tyre possessing great lightness and
strength, especially for racing purposes, and as the cemented join or puncture in a
fabric is always the weakest part, 1 prefer to avoid all joins and to make such tyres
with one continuous piece of fabric of the right diameter for the wheel, without
any sewing or splicing. So that instead of weaving the fabric in an ordinary loom
with a differential feed, I weave it in approximately a tubular shape, the cross
section of it being similar to the corrugated flue tube of a marine boiler. In order
to weave a fabric of this kind, it is necessary to control each particular thread of
the warp by a separate needle or carrier, somewhat after the manner adopted in a
Jacquard loom, and these needles or carriers must be arranged in such a manner as
to be worked both from the inside and the outside. As the shuttle passes around
the tube, the two systems of warp threads cross each other over the last thread of
the weft, then the shuttle passes and the weft thread is beaten down, the same
operation being repeated at the next turn of the shuttle which travels around the
circle, the needles or the ends of the levers carrying the warp threads moving
outward and inward through a distance sufficient to allow room for the shuttle to
pass round.
The whole series of needles are moreover moved outward or inward radially so
as to vary the diameter. This may be accomplished in various ways, the travel of
the needles as relates to each other in all cases being the same. I propose to move
the whole system outward and inward by cams, eccentrics, or cranks, so as to weave
alternately a large and a small part of the tube. The shuttle may be propelled
around the circle by means of a permanent magnet, or an electro-magnet, it being
made heavy and of iron and being provided with a tail piece or discharge for the
thread which fits closely into the bottom of the V formed by the two systems of
threads of the warp. After the shuttle passes, the weft may be beaten down by a
series of blades which are drawn back to allow the shuttle to pass and then re-enter
in a similar manner to the combs used by hand weavers of Turkey carpets. The
needles or carriers for the threads may be moved outwards or inwards by bell-crank
levers or by cams; having a volute spiral on their face. If the warp for example is
worked by bell-crank levers connected by rods for regulating their travel then in
order to change the diameter of the material woven, it is only necessary that
the shaft or the series of shafts, or the cam moving the connecting rods be moved
upward or downward in order to produce the varying diameters. When the said
bell crank levers are operated by a cam, which may be simply a disc set diagonally
on a spindle, the moving of the cam upwards or downwards is all that is necessary
in order to change the diameter, and if it be moved upward or downward by
a crank action, it gives the exact form required. When the crank is on one dead
centre it produces the greatest diameter, and when on the other dead centre, the
smallest diameter, with all intermediate diameters absolutely correct.
In order to form the tyre, a section of the tube thus formed is cut off. It may

page_text: be of thinner material, if necessary, than in the first mentioned process, so that in
all cases it may be folded back, giving three thicknesses on the tread, and the
threads if necessary, may be of varying sizes, according to their position in the
tyre. In some cases I drive the shuttle by a system of rollers, or by other
mechanical means, such as are usually employed in propelling shuttles around a
circle or when weaving a very wide cloth.
Dated this 7th day of May 1896.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Inflatable or Pneumatic Tyres,
and in Apparatus therefor.
I, HIRAM STEVENS MAXIM, of 18 Queen's Gate Place, in the County of
Middlesex, Mechanical Engineer, 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 :-
My invention has for its objects an improved fabric for use in the covers of
pneumatic tyres, and a novel method of and apparatus for weaving such fabric.
Woven fabrics produced in accordance with my invention possess a shape which
enables them to fit the tyre evenly without puckers and without requiring to be cut
at the edges.
For a very strong and substantial tyre I prefer to weave the fabric in a long
strip, and to cut this strip into lengths that will extend around the wheel once,
twice or sometimes more than twice, such lengths being connected together in any
suitable manner. In order that the fabric may fit the tyre it is made full in the
middle, that is to say, it is made longer at the middle than at the edges, the
difference being sufficient to cause the fabric to fit perfectly all around the wheel.
In some instances the edges of the strip of fabric are folded back and caused to
overlap each other at the tread so that there are three thicknesses of fabric at the
tread. In these instances the fabric is woven full and long at both edges and in
the middle, with a shorter or tighter strip intervening between each edge and the
middle. Some of the warp threads may be thick and others thin according to their
position in the tyre.
In order to weave a fabric of this kind, different parts of it are fed through the
loom at different speeds. When a single thickness only is to be employed, the
centre is fed through faster than the edges, but when the fabric is to be folded as
above described, the edges and the middle are fed through the loom faster than the
parts of the fabric which lie between the edges and the middle.
In some instances, especially for racing purposes, it is desirable that the tyre
should possess great lightness combined with strength and this condition can be
best secured by avoiding joins. For this purpose I weave the fabric in a loom
adapted to produce a seamless tube having a corrugated longitudinal section.
A portion of such tube is cut off, and incorporated with india rubber in the usual
manner to form the tyre cover.
Referring to the accompanying drawings,
Figure illustrates a portion of a strip of fabric woven full at the centre
according to my invention."
Figure 1 is a section of the fabric on the line x, x of Figure 1.
Figure 2 is a sectional front elevation, and
Figure 3 is a side elevation of a loom attachment for weaving said fabric.

page_text: Figure is a diagrammatic cross section of the fabric when curved to the shape
it assumes in the tyre.
Figure 5 illustrates a portion of another strip of fabric woven full at the centre
and also at the edges in accordance with my invention.
Figure 5 is a section on the line ', el of Figure 5.1
Figure 6 illustrates in cross section the method of folding the fabric.
Figure 7 is a front elevation of the loom attachment for weaving said fabric.
Figure 8 illustrates a piece of tubular fabric made according to my invention.
Figure 9 is a vertical section taken on the line, a Figure 12 of a loom for
weaving such tubular fabric, so much only of the loom being shown as is necessary
to illustrate the invention.
Figure 10 is a front elevation of one of the combs for beating down the weft.
Figure 11 is a half plan of the rings and the actuating mechanism that control.
the shape of the fabric.
Figure 12 is a plan of some of the segments forming the shuttle race and their
actuating gear.
Figure 13 is a vertical section of a portion of another construction of loom for
weaving tubular corrugated fabric.
Figure 14 is a half plan thereof.
Figure 15 illustrates a single roller to replace the two rollers B shown
in Figure 2, and
Figure 16 illustrates a single roller for replacing the rollers B shown
in Figure 7.
Like letters of reference denote corresponding parts in the several figures.
The fabric A shown in Figure 1 is woven very full at the centre as indicated by
the cross lines a, a so that when the fabric is bent or curved as indicated
in Figure 4 it will lie evenly in the tyre carer without presenting any puckers and
without requiring to be cut at any part.
This peculiar fabric is produced by drawing the warp threads forward in the
process of weaving with a differential speed, that is to say, the centre warp threads
of the strip are drawn through the loom more rapidly than the side warp threads
so that the strip of fabric is longer at the middle than at the edges. The differential
feed may be conveniently effected by means of conical rollers B, B Figures 2 and 3
the shafts B', B' of which are inclined one to the other as indicated and are geared
together by bevel wheels b, b at their inner ends. B is the bearing bracket for
supporting the inner ends of the shafts and B, B are the bearing brackets for
supporting the outer ends of the shafts. The said shafts may be driven through
bevel wheels B or through a universal coupling B. When several strips are
woven side by side in one loom the several pairs of conical rollers for controlling
the feed of the warp threads may be connected by universal joints. The rollers are
driven intermittently by means of a ratchet wheel B and pawl B' the latter being
pivoted on a reciprocating arm B. To secure a firm grip of the fabric, the
rollers B, B may be roughened or provided with short spikes or points, and the
fabric is pressed against the said rollers by a third roller B carried by pivoted
arms B10, B10 which are supported by a spring B". The roller B may be covered
with bard india rubber. It will be observed that the rollers B, B meet at their
lowest point, and their surfaces are in contact with the roller B across the whole
length of the latter. The fabric will thus be gripped across the whole of its width
but the central part will be drawn forward at a greater speed than the edges by
reason of the greater diameter and consequent greater lineal speed of the rollers B
at that part. As the differences in diameter at the various points on the rollers
correspond approximately with the different diameters of the tyre in which the
fabric is to be used, it follows that the fabric will properly fit the tyre. In order
that the fabric may be fed differentially as above described arrange each
thread of the warp on a separate reel or spool to which a suitable tension is
applied.
I sometimes employ a suitably shaped single roller B Figure 15 in lieu of the

page_text: two rollers B of Figure 2, the fabric being passed over the top of the said single
roller and then taken up by a cloth beam or drum placed below the roller.
The fabric A shown in Figure 5 is made full at the edges as well as at the
middle so that it may without puckering be folded as indicated in Figure 6 in
order to produce a strong tyre having three layers of fabric at the tread. The
arrangement of rollers for producing this kind of fabric is indicated in Figure 7,
the method of driving the same being similar to that described with reference
to Figure 2.
In lieu of the four rollers B of Figure 71 sometimes employ a single
roller B Figure 16 suitably shaped as indicated, the fabric being passed over
the top of said roller and then taken up by a cloth beam or drum below the
roller.
Except as above described the weaving is conducted in the ordinary way. The
material when woven does not present a flat surface. Where a single thickness is
employed with no folding back of the edges, the fabric will be straight at the
edges and puckered at the middle as indicated in Figure 1, but if it is to be
woven with a view of folding back the edges, then it will be puckered at both
edges and at the middle with straight parts intervening as indicated in Figure 5.
The warp threads may be advantageously of different thicknesses, for instance
directly over the tread of the tyre the warp threads may be thick, while at the
sides of the tyre they may be thin, and then thick again at the edges as indicated
in Figure 14; but when the fabric is folded as above described the warp threads
inay be thick at the centre and at the bend where the fabric is folded back, and thin
at the edges in order that the said edges may be cemented together readily and
without producing a deep ridge. The canvas or fabric may be cut at the ends in
such a manner that the lap of the parts that are folded back will not come in the
same place as the lap of the ends forming the middle portion of the fabric. If the
fabric passes twice round the wheel it is preferably cemented in such a manner that
there are only two thicknesses of cloth at any one place.
My improved loom for weaving a tubular corrugated fabric of the kind shown
in Figure 8 is illustrated in Figures 9 to 12. In this loom there are two
shuttles C, C arranged to travel in a circular shuttle path formed by curved
segments D, E. The said segments are capable of radial movement and are opened
out after the passage of each shuttle by suitable cams as hereinafter described to
allow the segmental beaters or combs F to descend and beat down the weft. The
inner segments D slide in guides D' and are actuated through levers D' and rods D
by a cam disc G upon the cam face of which the rods D³ rest. The said rods slide
in guides D' and are furnished with rollers D at their lower ends to minimise the
friction. Springs D' acting on the levers D³ serve to keep the rods D in contact
with the controlling cam G. The outer segments E slide in guides 'E' and are
actuated through levers E pivoted to the guides E, links E and radial levers E
by a cam H into the cam groove of which the inner ends of the levers E project.
The cams G, H are keyed on a central vertical shaft J which is driven through
suitable gear wheels and shafts from the main driving shaft K of the loom. Fixed
to the upper part of the shaft J and rotating therewith is a magnet preferably an
electro magnet L or two such magnets the ends of which are in close proximity to
the shuttles which are made wholly or mainly of iron and which are driven by the
attraction of the magnet or magnets.
The shuttles are arranged at opposite ends of a diameter of the shuttle race and
are driven by the ends of the magnets in proximity to them. The combs F for
beating down the weft are pivotted at F¹ to the guides El and are furnished with
tail pieces F that project between lugs e, e upon the segments E, E so as to be
actuated by said segments when the latter move in and out. When the seginents E
are closed, the combs F are raised as indicated at the right hand side of Figure 9
and when the segments move outwardly the combs are caused to descend and beat
down the weft as indicated at the left hand side of Figure 9. The warp threads a, a
are wound upon separate spools or bobbins a', a' each of which is controlled by a

page_text: spring a that puts the necessary tension in the thread. The shedding is effected
by needles N, N working through a perforated supporting ring N¹ and actuated
through bell-crank levers N, N by rotary cam rings O, O'. The levers N' are
arranged in two circles the alternate levers being in one circle and the intermediate
levers in the other circle and the said levers are pivoted at N³, N³ to the frame of
the loom. The short arms of the inner circle of levers enter the cam groove of
the rotary ring O and the short arms of the other levers similarly engage with the
outer rotary cam ring O. The rings are geared to the main driving shaft K
through pinions M, M' and rotate at the same speed as the shaft J. At each
rotation of the rings O, O', the needles are pushed in and drawn back once, and as
one ring is set 180° behind the other it follows that a change of shed is effected at
-each half revolution of the rings.
The cams being suitably constructed and arranged the action is as follows, that
is to say, immediately either shuttle has passed between a pair of segments D, E,
the latter begin to open. and the corresponding comb F is caused to descend and
beat down the weft; the needles N are then operated to effect a change in the
shedding of the warp threads, and the segments D, E close again ready for the
other shuttle to pass over them, whereupon the operations above described are
repeated, and in this way a seamless woven tubular fabric is produced.
The mechanism above described will produce a woven tubular fabric of uniform
diameter but my invention provides for weaving a corrugated tube, that is to say,
a tube of varying diameter. For this purpose I cause the segments D, E, with
their combs F and the needles N to move as a whole outward and inward slowly
and at regular intervals so as to alternately increase and decrease the diameter of
the woven tube. These movements are effected as follows, that is to say, the cam
disc G is connected to the shaft J by a feather key so that it can rise and fall on
the shaft; it is supported by a similar disc G which is loose on the shaft J and
rests on the frame of the loom. The plane of the lower edge of the rim of the
disc G instead of being perpendicular to the shaft J or horizontal is inclined as
shown, and the plane of the upper edge of the rim of the disc G¹ is correspondingly
inclined. Each disc has a toothed periphery and is geared by an intermediate
wheel to a pinion K' which is driven by intermediate gearing from the main
driving shaft K. The number of teeth in the peripheries of the two dises G G¹
are not the same but differ say by one tooth so that one of the discs will be
driven slightly faster than the other and the result will be that the disc G will
be alternately raised and lowered on its shaft J slowly and regularly. The rods D'
partake of this vertical movement and it is obvious therefore that the segments D
will in addition to the periodic movement at each half revolution of the shuttles be
moved as a whole in and out in accordance with the vertical movement of the
cam disc.
The outer segments E are controlled as follows, that is to say, the guides E
are mounted to slide in fixed supports P and are actuated through levers P¹
pivoted to the supports P, links P and levers P pivoted to the frame of the
loom. The inner ends of the levers P³ rest upon the upper plain circular edge
of the rim of the can disc G and are maintained in contact therewith by springs P
The vertical movement of the cam disc G will thus cause a radial movement of
the guides E', the segments E, and combs F, which movement will synchronize
with the corresponding movement of the inner segments D. A similar and
synchronous movement of the needles is also obtained by imparting to the cam
rings O, O' a vertical movement corresponding. to that of the cam dise G. For
this purpose the said rings are supported by a system of rods Q working in guide
ways in the frame of the loom and spaced around the rings. The said rods are
furnished with rollers Q at their lower ends working in circular grooves in the
rings and are controlled by eccentrics Q, Q which impart a slow up and down
movement to the rods. The eccentrics are driven by worm or other gearing from
the main driving shaft K at such a speed that the rise and fall of the rings

page_text: coincide with the rise and fall of the cam disc G. The several eccentrics are.
geared together by bevel wheels Q' and shafts Q as indicated in Figure 11.
When the cam disc G and cam rings O, O are at their highest level a part of
the tube having the largest diameter will be woven, and when they are at their
lowest level a part of the tube having the smallest diameter will be woven, and
intermediate heights of the cam disc and rings will correspond with intermediate
diameters of the tube. It is obvious that cranks or eccentrics may be used in lieu.
of the cams above described for controlling the varying diameters of the woven.
tube.
In some instances in lien of the magnetic device above described I may employ-
for driving the shuttles a system of rollers such as that sometimes employed for
propelling a shuttle round a large circle or for weaving a very wide cloth.
The above described loom necessitates the employment of two shuttles but by a
suitable modification illustrated in Figures 13 and 14, one of the shuttles may be-
dispensed with. In this modification the revolving cam rings O O' of the preceding
construction for actuating the needles N, N are replaced by grooved half rings.
which do not rotate but have imparted to them an up and down movement at
regular intervals by which the needles are actuated. R, R' are the two half rings
for controlling one set of needles, and R2, R3 are the two half rings for controlling
the other set of needles. The half rings R, R are suspended by means of links S.
from the ends of arms or levers S keyed on opposite sides of transverse shafts S,
and the half rings R', R³ are similarly suspended by means of links S¹ from the
ends of arms or levers S which are keyed on opposite sides of transverse shafts S..
The said shafts S, S' are oscillated periodically by means of cams T, T¹ driven
from the main driving shaft of the loom and operating through rods or links T2, T3
connected respectively to the shafts S, S by arms S, S'. It will be seen that
when the half ring R descends, the half ring R* ascends and consequently a change
in the shedding of one half of the warp threads is effected. Similarly when the
half ring R' ascends the half ring R³ descends and a change in the shedding of the
other half of the warp threads is effected. One of the cams T, T' is set 180° in
advance of the other so that the changes of the positions of the two half rings R¹, R³
take place midway between the changes of the two half rings R, R. Moreover
the changes in one half circle are timed to take place when the shuttle is in the
other half circle..
In order to vary the diameter of the woven tube I provide for slowly raising and
lowering all the half rings R R R R³ in unison. This I do by raising and lowering
the bearings of the transverse shafts S', S. For this purpose the bearing blocks V
are slotted and wedges V₁, formed on or secured to rods V, pass through the slots
and support the blocks. The said rods V are adapted to slide in bearings V³ and
are slowly actuated to and fro by eccentrics W which are rotated by worm or other
gearing from the main driving shaft of the loom, and in this way the half rings are
alternately raised and lowered in unison and the needles are slowly moved in and
out so as to form a ring of alternately increasing and decreasing diameter. The
rods or links T2, T3 are jointed at t, and the rods Vs are jointed at v to allow of the
up and down movement of the transverse shaft.
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 :-
1. A strip of woven fabric having its warp threads of varying lengths at different.
parts of the fabric for the purpose specified.
2. A strip of fabric such as that referred to in the preceding claim having its
warp threads of different thicknesses at different parts of the fabric as and for the
purposes specified.
3. In a loom for weaving the aforesaid fabric, rollers such as those herein.
described for drawing the warp threads through the loom with varying velocities.

page_text: 4. In a loom for weaving tubular fabric, the employment of a magnet for driving
the shuttle or shuttles, substantially as described.
5. The shuttle race constructed in segments which can be opened and closed in
succession and which can be adjusted to increase and diminish the diameter of the
race substantially as, and for the purposes, specified.
6. The means for actuating the segments of the shuttle race to open and close
the same, substantially as described.
7. The means for enlarging and reducing the diameter of the shuttle race, sub-
stantially as described.
8. In the loom herein described the employment of the rotating cams or of the
vertically reciprocating grooved half rings for effecting the shedding of the warp
threads, substantially as described.
9. The construction of the shedding gear so that the diameter of the rings formed
by the needles can be enlarged and reduced, substantially as described with
reference to Figure 9 or to Figure 13 of the drawings, and for the purposes,
specified.
10. A loom constructed substantially as described with reference to Figures 9
to 12 of the accompanying drawings and operating as, and for the purposes,
specified.
11. The mechanism substantially as described with reference to Figures 13
and 14 for the purposes specified.
12. A corrugated tubular woven fabric substantially as, and for the purpose,
specified.
1007
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.