Improvements in Pneumatic Tyres, or Pneumatic Wheel Circumferences.
Year: 1897

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Pneumatic Tyres, or Pneumatic Wheel
Circumferences.
I, PATRICK ALPHONSUS MARTIN, of the Firm of Martin and Martins, of Gran-
ville Street, in the City of Birmingham, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has reference to pneumatic tyres, or pneumatic wheel circum-
ferences comprehending the tyre and the felloe or rim.
In carrying out one form of my invention, I take an arch-sectioned rim with
a convexed surface presented innermost to the tyre, whilst the concave side is
presented innermost and forms the inner periphery of the rim, whose edges are
curled inwards to form undercuts or channels for the reception of the selvage
edges of a tyre, or a tyre outer cover, which may be kept in position by endless
wires. The tyre and rim combined are thus of a crescent section, with the former
extending into the body of the latter, whose cover conceals the whole of the outer
circumference of the rim, the opposite sides of which are turned over rim edges,
which may be beaded or thickened, and then comes between the opposite edges
of the inside periphery of the rim and the retaining wires, with the extreme edges,
which may be thickened and solid, or hollow and inflatable, forming stops for
preventing the removal of the tyre from the rim other than when deflated.
In tyres of the tubeless type, I propose to provide the edges of the same with
aprons or abutments of rubber for producing the joint, and with extensions pass-
ing over the returned edges of the rim.
As another form of my invention I coat the inside periphery of the rim with
rubber, and make the valve permanent with the rim, and provide the edges of the tyre
with rubber aprons, which lap over the returned edges of the rim and are there
secured by endless wires or otherwise. The inflation of the tyre distends the walls,
brings the rubber surfaces into intimate contact and makes a sound joint.
As a further form, the connection of the edges of a tyre cover or the flaps or
aprons of a tubeless tyre is effected by clamping the same between the concaved
inner periphery of the rim and. small straps or rings or a secondary rim or rims
spring into position or kept up to their bearings by wires or otherwise, with the
selvages of the cover or flaps lying behind the inner edges of them.
As another modification, a rim of a dome or arch section having the sides bowed
outwards, has its extreme edges curled inwards to form hook-sectioned seatings
or channels, wherein the edges of a cover or tyre (which edges may be solid, piped
or hollow and inflatable) lie and are there retained by the inflation of the tyre,
which may be either of the single or double tube type or of the tubeless variety.

page_text: As a further modification I connect the tyre by selvaged, inflatable piped,
hollow or other edges to the inward-volute curled edges of the rim, which rolled
edges are separated from each other whilst the crown of the rim is straight or
slightly dished.
As another arrangement I may make the rim compound, or of two sections, one
lying within the other, with the edges of one section beaded and the other section
formed hollow at the edges for the reception of the salvages of a tyre or tyre cover.
The endless wires or canes put in, may be adjustable so that when fixed in
position they can be contracted or extended as the case may be, in order to draw
or tighten the cover over or against the rim, that is, the ends of each wire may
be connected by a small bracket coupled together by a screw or equivalent, which
when rotated contracts or distends the wire for tightening the cover around the
rim or for releasing the same.
PATRICK ALPHONSUS MARTIN,
By Henry Skerrett,
Agent for Applicant.
°
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Pneumatic Tyres, or Pneumatic Wheel
Circumferences.
I, PATRICK ALPHONSUS MARTIN, late of the Firm of Martin and Martius, now a
Managing Director of Martins, Birmingham Limited, of Granville Street, in the
City of Birmingham, 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;-
This invention has reference to pneumatic tyres or pneumatic wheel circum-
ferences for use in connection with cycles and common road vehicles, and has for
its object to facilitate the attachment and detachment of the tyre (in the case of
a tubeless tyre) or the cover (in the case of a tube tyre) to or from the rim or felloe
of a wheel.
According to my invention the improved wheel circumference comprises an
inflatable tyre or cover having thickened edges or deep annular feet made of soft
material, such as rubber, adapted to be inserted within inverted and deep-troughed
or hook-sectioned annular channels formed around a wheel rim, and having the
circumferential mouths of the same coming on the inner periphery of such rim,
whilst the tyre is firmly held upon, or locked to the rim by the pull exerted by
the outward distension of the walls of the tyre on inflation.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawing represents an elevation of a cycle wheel
provided with a rim and tyre constructed according to my invention.
Figure 2 is an elevation, with a part in section of the said wheel with the tyre
removed from the rim.
Figure 3 is an elevation of the tyre separately, with the edges of the same bent
up into the position they would assume when on the rim.
Figure 4 represents, upon an enlarged scale, a cross section of the said tyre and
rim with the annular feet on the edges of the former engaged in the deep trough
formations of the latter and with the tyre inflated.

page_text: Figure is a view on the same scale as Figure 4 of the rim separately.
showing more clearly the cross section of the same.
Figure 6 is a like view of the tyre.
али
Figure 7 is a section of the endless band of material from which the tyre (or
tyre cover) is made laid out flat.
Figure 8 is a cross section of the said tyre and rim, with the soft annular foot
on one edge of the former shown engaged with the deep trough of the rim on that
side, whilst the other edge is disengaged from the rim.
The same letters of reference indicate corresponding, parts in the several figures
of the drawings.
a is a pneumatic tyre (shown as of the tubeless type) consisting of an endless
band of rubber or other material and constituting, when attached to the wheel
rim, an arch-sectioned inflatable tube or air-retaining chamber, whilst its circum-
ferential selvage edges a¹, are provided with soft or pliable and thickened deep
annular ribs or feet a², coming upon, and being secured to the inner sides of, the
edges of the tyre and following circumferentially the contour thereof, and which,
when the said tyre is bent over into the form shown in Figure 6, are presented to
and are adapted to take and fit within deep inverted channels or continuous
sockets b¹, of a U or hook section, formed annularly around the outer opposite
edges 3, of the rim or felloe b, with their open mouths or entrances 63, coming
upon the underside of the said rim.
After the soft or pliable foot edges of the tyre have been inserted into and forced
fully home within the channels of the rim, as shown at Figure 4, and at the left
hand side of Figure 8, the operation of inflating the tyre distends the walls thereof
proportional to the internal air pressure set up, and the parts a³, adjacent to the
junctions of the sides with the annular feet are drawn radially and laterally
around the outer edges 64, of the rim, the commencement a¹, of the feet are forcibly
drawn against the insides of the channels at 65, about which last named points,
the feet turn as fulcra, so as to force the inner sides a³, of the said feet against the
inward walls 66, of the said channels and by this frictional adhesion combined
with the drag of the yielding material of the walls over the edges 64, the tyre is
secured to the rim and a perfect air-tight joint is made between them.
It is understood that the feet of the tyre are preferably made an easy fit within
the channels of the rim, thus facilitating the attachment and detachment of the
same, but when the tyre is inflated the said feet are locked within the channels
and form perfectly air tight joints as before referred to. Further instead of
the feet of the tyre being soft throughout, they may be only faced with soft
rubber, and if found desirable, the edges and inner walls of the troughs of the
rim may, as an additional precaution, be fixed with soft rubber and thereby
creating additional friction or drag between these parts and the feet of the tyre.
When employed in conjunction with a tube tyre, then the endless band of rubber
or the like a, constitutes the outer cover to the tyre, and encircles the inner tube,
which is shown by the dotted lines c, in Figure 4.
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
First: A pneumatic tyre, or pneumatic wheel circumference comprising an
inflatable tyre or cover having annular and inwardly directed thickened feet or
edges, preferably made of, or faced with, soft material, such as rubber, and which
are inserted within deep-troughed annular channels formed around a wheel rim or
felloe, with their open mouths presented to the inner periphery of such rim, sub-
stantially as, and for the purpose described and set forth."
Secondly: In pneumatic wheel circumferences, the combination with a wheel
rim, having deep and parallel-sided channel formations with their mouths pre-
sented on the inner periphery of the said rim,- of a tyre or tyre cover, partly con-
cealing the rim and with the inner sides of the edges having thickened annular

page_text: feet of uniform thickness, which follow circumferentially the contour of the said
edges and are adapted to take into the channels of the rim and be locked or secured
by the inflation of the tyre, substantially as described and set forth.
Dated this 27th day of May 1898.
PATRICK ALPHONSUS MARTIN,
By Henry Skerrett,
24, Temple Row, Birmingham, Agent for Applicant.