Improvements in and in connection with Pneumatic Tyres.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 9th June, 1893
Complete Specification Left, 16th Oct., 1893-Accepted, 18th Nov., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and in connection with Pneumatic Tyres.
I, THOMAS RICHARD PINER, of 10 Tyndall Road, Leyton, in the County of
Essex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention relates to improvements in pneumatic tyres, generally, and may
be arranged to be adaptable for use upon any and every kind of road vehicle wheels,
but applies more particularly in connection with those upon bicycles, tricycles and
similar velocipedes, and has for its objects, to obviate or prevent the inconveniences
hitherto experienced arising from puncture of the gas or air bag of such tyres, in
combination with an improved method of attaching and fixing the same to the rim
of the wheel.
I carry my invention into effect by constructing a gas or air bag of rubber,
rubber composition, or any of the substances usually employed and considered
most adaptable for the purpose, and which may be of any desired dimension or air
capacity, approximating to the size or type of wheel upon, and with which, it is to
be employed, and in which I provide any desired number of cross sectional divisions
or spaces, by placing and fixing therein, by solution or otherwise, a like number of
partitions, which may be of the same material as that of the gas bag, or any other,
preferably, flexible substance, suitable for the purpose; or these may under certain
conditions, according to the nature of the material employed, be moulded or other-
wise formed integrally with the said gas bag.
Upon that portion of the air bag intended to be the inner periphery, I attach, by
solution or other means, an annular pipe or tube, made of any suitable material,
preferably, of greater density than that of the air bag, and arranged in connection
therewith, in such a manner, as to be in communication with each and all the
compartments formed by the before mentioned divisions, and to constitute an air
conduit thereto, which I attain by providing in said tube, holes or apertures, alike
in number, and occurring coincidentally with, similar holes made in the said gas bag,
at or about the centre of each compartment therein, upon each of which I fix by
solution or otherwise, a nozzle of rubber, rubber composition, gutta percha, vulcanite,
celluloid or any other substance or material, of such density as to permit the said
nozzles to stand up within the said compartments and radiating from the tube or
conduit. Or these may be formed integrally with the said conduit if desired. The
free end of each of said nozzles within the said compartments would be closed by a
crown or head of rubber, rubber composition or other flexible material, in each of
which a small slitted aperture is provided, formed in such a manner, as to open or
widen to permit a passage of air to pass therethrough when coming from the before
mentioned tube, but to automatically close against a passage of air in the opposite
direction.
The said tube or conduit would be, preferably, so arranged in connection with
the air bag, as not to extend beyond the outer surface thereof, but to be sunk or
embedded therein, in order to permit the gas bag to be seated within the rim of the
wheel, and at any suitable part of said tube or conduit a metallic nozzle would
be fitted, arranged to pass through an aperture formed in the rim of the wheel,
and extend from the inner periphery thereof between any two spokes, and through
this the air would be pumped when inflating the tyre, by screwing or otherwise
connecting the force pump to the said metallic nozzle, from which it would pass
around the conduit, through the before mentioned resilient nozzles, into the whole
of the said compartments.

page_text: From the foregoing it will be understood, that as the air under pressure was
forced through the conduit into the several compartments, it would be prevented
from returning therefrom, by the automatic action of the crown of the resilient
nozzles before mentioned, which would be more pronounced as the air in the
compartments reached a higher degree of compression. By this means the whole
of the compartments, although charged collectively, would each be self contained,
and distinctly isolated or insulated from its neighbour, and should either one
become punctured, the air in that one alone would escape, and if these be of small
cubical capacity, such deflation of any one compartment would not cause any
appreciable difference to be felt by the rider, and need not be repaired until the end
of the journey. A suitable cap or cover may be provided for the said metallic
nozzle to keep out dust and dirt when the pump is removed.
The outer cover or wearing surface I construct of the usual formation in cross
section, the inner face of which I prefer shall be provided with an unpuncturable
shield, made of the material known as vulcanized fibre or any suitable substitute
therefor, and which may be solutioned or otherwise connected thereto, or moulded
or otherwise incorporated therewith. The outer surfaces of the edges of said
cover or wear-surface are provided with a ridge or extension of hard material,
which may be solutioned or otherwise connected thereto or moulded therewith,
and the said cover when in position may have interposed between the inner
surface thereof and the gas bag, a strip of rubber or other soft material, to prevent
rupture of the bag, and the edges of said cover would enclose the upper portion
of the rim of the wheel, and by the application of metallic rings, of the same
circumference as the rim, or plates or discs in lieu thereof, arranged to engage
with the before mentioned ridges or extensions upon the cover, and fastened by
screws, pins or nuts to each side or equivalent part of the rim, the said cover may
be retained in position. The spokes may be connected to the hub by any of the
approved methods in general use.
Dated this 9th day of June 1893.
GEO. THOS. HYDE,
4, Moorfields, Fore Street, London, E.C., Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and in connection with Pneumatic Tyres.
I, THOMAS RICHARD PINER, of 10 Tyndalls Road, Leyton, in the County of
Essex, 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 :-
My invention relates to improvements in pneumatic tyres generally, and may be
arranged to be adaptable for use upon any and every kind of road vehicle wheels,
but applies more particularly in connection with those upon bicycles, tricycles and
similar velocipedes, and has for its object to obviate or prevent the inconveniences
hitherto experienced arising from puncture of the gas or air bag of such tyres, in
combination with an improved method of attaching and fixing the same, and the
outer cover or wearing surface thereof to the rim of the wheel.
In order that my invention and the manner of its operation may be clearly
understood, I have hereunto appended a sheet of drawings, in which,
Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section of the gas or air bag of a pneumatic tyre
constructed according to my invention, while Fig. 2 is a vertical cross section of
same upon the line AB.
Fig. 3 is an outer and part sectional view of part of the outer cover or wearing
surface of a pneumatic tyre according to my invention, while Fig. 4 is a vertical
cross section of the same.

page_text: Figs. 5, 6, 7 and 8 are details of the devices employed by me in carrying into
effect my improved method of attaching said cover to the rim of the wheel.
Figs. 9 and 10 are enlarged elevational views of the nozzles or air valves I
prefer to use, and shown in position in Figs. 1, 2 and 11, the latter view being an
enlarged vertical cross section of a complete tyre and rin.
Fig. 12 illustrates an alternative arrangement of the air or gas conduit herein-
after explained.
I carry my invention into effect by constructing of rubber, rubber composition,
or any of the substances usually employed for that purpose, a gas or air bag A,
which may be of any desired cross sectional dimensions or air capacity approxi-
mating to the size or type of wheel upon and with which the same is to be employed,
and in this I provide any desired number of cross sectional divisions or chambers,
by fixing therein a like or suitable number of partitions B, preferably of equal
distance apart, and which may be of the same material as A, or any other suitable
substance or combination of substances possessing the desired amount of flexibility
to render them adaptable for the purpose, and these I may fix in position by the
aid of rubber solution or other suitable cement, or I may, under certain conditions,
according to the material employed, mould or otherwise form these integrally
with A. Or the said air bag may consist of a number of short lengths of A, each
end of which may be blocked by a partition B, and the air bag built up by joining,
by solution or other suitable cement, the said short lengths, end to end.
Upon that portion of the said air bag intended to be the inner periphery, or that
to be seated in the rim of the wheel, I attach by the aid of suitable cement, an
annular pipe or tube C, parallel with A, and which may be of the same material
as A, or any other suitable substance of the same or greater density, and connected
thereto in such a manner as to be in communication with each and all the compart-
ments or chambers therein formed by the said partitions B, and to constitute an air
conduit thereto, and I attain this by providing in C, holes or apertures, alike in
number, and occurring coincidentally with, similar holes or apertures formed in the
bag A, at or about the centre of each compartment therein, and upon each of said
duplex holes, within the said chambers, I fix by suitable cement or other means, a
nozzle or valve D, which may be of rubber, rubber composition, gutta percha
vulcanite, celluloid or any other substance or material of such density as to permit
these to stand upright within the said compartments or chambers as at Figs. 12
and 11; or the said nozzles may be formed integrally with the tube or conduit C
if desired, and passed into the chambers through the before mentioned holes in A,
previous to attaching C to A. The free end of each of the nozzles D within the
said chambers, would be closed by a crown or head E, of rubber or other suitable
material, preferably, of lesser density than D, which may be that of A, and in each
of said crowns E, I provide a slit or other aperture F, formed in such a manner as
to open or widen to permit a passage of air to pass therethrough when coming from
the tube or conduit C, but to automatically close against a passage of air in the
opposite direction. The external formation of D E as I prefer to make them, will
be better understood by reference to the enlarged views thereof Figs. 9 and 10, the
former of which shows the position these would assume when air is being forced
therethrough, in the direction of the arrow, under pressure from C; but when the
pressure of air from C is discontinued, and during the upward stroke of the piston
of the pump forcing air into C, the compressed air in the chambers would press in
all directions upon D and E, and the latter would collapse inwardly under said
pressure in the direction of the arrows in Fig. 10, and so close the aperture F, and
thus prevent the return of air into C, as shewn in the same figure.
Ι
I do not confine myself to the particular formation of the said nozzles as shewn,
nor do I confine myself that the internal dimensions of D shall be symmetrical
with E as shewn in Fig. 11, but I may form the portion E of a solid substance,
while D may be hollow, or vice versa, and I may form a hole extending through
both in lieu of the slit F, and for the same purpose, and arranged to operate in the
same manner.

page_text: The tube or conduit C, if formed separately from A as described, would be so
arranged in connection therewith, as not to extend beyond, but be sunk or embedded
within the surface thereof, as at Figs. 2 and 11, so as not to interfere with the
smooth and even seating of A within the rim of the wheel G as at, Fig. 11, and to
prevent possible rupture of A by contact with G, I may interpose between these a
layer of felt, rubber or other soft material, which may or may not be cemented to
C and A, or I may enclose A and C within a second tube or bag H of canvas or
other material in the well known way, which would serve the combined purpose of
obviating friction between A and G, and prevent bursting of the former through
overcharging with compressed air. Such a bag H is shewn in position in Fig. 11,
and by dotted outline in Fig. 2, and when such is used, I may, with a view to
lighten the weight of the machine and economise the cost of manufacture, find it
convenient to dispense with the tube C, as separate from A, and provide an equivalent
therefor by bending A inwardly and circumferentially, so as to form a groove
therein, and by the aid of cement connecting the outer edges of said groove with
the outer bag H, (or when this is not used a strip of canvas or the like) a conduit
like unto C would be formed thereby, which I may strengthen by a lining of
canvas or other material C', in which case the valves D would be rigidly connected
to the air bag A and lining C¹ as shewn at Fig. 12. In either of the foregoing
methods of arranging C, a hole would be provided at any suitable part of said
conduit to which a metallic or other nozzle M would be fitted, arranged to pass
through an aperture in G, between any two of the spokes, and extend beyond the
inner periphery thereof, and be there retained by the means of a nut screwed
thereon, and through this the air would be pumped into C, by screwing or other-
wise connecting thereto the nozzle of a force pump in the usual way, a suitable
cap or cover M' being provided to cover M when the pump is removed, to keep
out dust and dirt.
The outer cover or wearing surface J may be of the usual forination in cross
section, and made of any of the materials in general use for that purpose, and upon
the inner face of this, for the whole of its length, and for so much of its width as
may be necessary, I may attach by suitable cement, or mould therewith during
its manufacture, an unpuncturable shield K, made of a material known as vulcanite
fibre or any suitable substitute therefor. To the outer surface of each of the edges
of J I connect by cement or otherwise, or mould therewith, a ridge of vulcanite
fibre or other hard material such for instance as vulcanite, which may be continuous
for the whole of the length of J as shewn at K', or composed of plates K"
arranged at a predetermined distance apart as at Fig. 3, and in each plate K", or
a like distance apart in K', I form a small hole or holes L, extending entirely
through the substance of these and J as shewn, and threaded holes corresponding
in position and number with these, would be formed in the outer surface, at both
sides of the rim G, for purposes hereinafter explained.
The air bag A and its accessories being placed in position upon G, the outer
cover J would be placed over and surrounding this, and outside (+, and in such a
position that the holes L therein would coincide with the before mentioned holes
in G, and would be fastened in position thereupon as follows.
I provide of metal or other hard material a pair of rings N, a short length of
which is shewn at Fig. 5, and a section thereof at Fig. 8, the internal formation of
these being such as to cover the rings K¹ or plates K" on J, and in which
holes are formed, corresponding in number and position with those in J, and one
of said rings would now be placed at each side of the rim, and by passing bolts or
screws P, through the holes O in N, and L in J, and causing these to engage with
the threaded holes in G, the outer cover J woull be firmly fixed in position, when
the air bag may be inflated as before described. By this means of fixing the outer
cover J creeping of the tyre is not possible, and yet J is capable of being easily
removed to effect repairs.
The belly or concave portion of the rings N may be continuous without a break
for the whole of their circumference as at Fig. 5, when continuous ridges K' is

page_text: formed on J, but when plates K" are used upon J, the rings N may be cupped at
intervals corresponding thereto as at Fig. 6, or in lieu of said rings N, short
lengths thereof, or cups as at Fig. 7 may be employed in like manner.
From the foregoing description it will be understood that as the air would be
forced through M, it would enter C in the direction of the arrows over M in Fig. 1,
and from this, in equal proportions and pressure into each of the chambers in A,
passing thereinto through the valves or nozzles D E, the slits or apertures F
therein opening to receive the same as at Fig. 9, and when the air in said chambers had
reached a certain pressure, the slits or the like F would close as at Fig. 10, at each
upstroke of the pump piston, and so prevent the return of the air, and this would
gradually be more pronounced as the air in the chambers reached a higher degree of
compression. By this means the whole of the chambers although charged
collectively would each be self contained and distinctly isolated and insulated
from its neighbours, and should either chamber burst, or by any means become
punctured, the air in that one chamber alone would escape, leaving the remainder
intact, and by reason of each of the said chambers being of small cubical capacity,
as in practice they would be, such deflation of any one chamber would not cause
any appreciable difference to be felt by the rider, or more than would be compensated
by the rigidity of the tread of the outer cover J, and its unpuncturable shield K if
this be used, and repair of the said deflated chamber need not be effected until
the end of the journey. A fully inflated complete tyre according to my invention
is shewn in cross section by Fig. 11.
The spokes of the wheels may be connected to the rim and hub by any of the
most approved methods in general use:
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.
1st. In combination, the herein described method of constructing the air bag of
a pneumatic tyre, composed of any number of air tight chambers, each self
contained and insulated from its neighbours, and the means provided for charging
the whole of these simultaneously, with compressed air, and the means provided in
each for the non-spontaneous return of same, and the employment of same in
connection with any form of outer cover, or that herein provided, with the special
means of connecting the same to any form of wheel rim, substantially as herein
described and shewn by the accompanying drawings.
2nd. In an improved pneumatic tyre for velocipede and other wheels, the
combination of a gas or air bag A, divided into any number of air tight and self
contained chambers, by the means of partitions B, each provided with a non-
return valve D E, and each and all being in communication with an air or gas
conduit C, connected to, or formed by the bag A in conjunction with an outer
bag H, and provided with a nozzle or air pump connection M, with dust proof
cover M', the whole seated in or upon a solid or hollow rim G, and enclosed and
retained in position thereon by the means of any suitable cover, such for instance
as the cover J, substantially as herein described and shewn by the accompanying
drawings.
3rd. In an improved pneumatic tyre for the wheels of velocipedes and other
vehicles, the construction and use of an outer cover or wearing surface J, with or
without a puncture proof shield K composed of vulcanite fibre or other unpunctur-
able substance, and having connected to, or moulded with each of its edges a
continuous strip K', or plates K" of vulcanite fibre or other hard material,
provided with any number of suitable holes L, and the manner of attaching the
samme to a solid or hollow rim G, by the means of bolts or screws P, passing through
holes O, in endless plates or rings N as at Figs. 5 or 6, or cupped plates as at
Fig. 7, formed in cross section as at Fig. 8, and through the holes L in J¹ into corre-
spondingly disposed internally threaded holes in G, in combination with any form or

page_text: type of air bag, or that set forth in Claim 2 hereof, substantially as and for the
purposes herein set forth and shewn by the drawings hereunto appended.
Dated this 16th day of October 1893.
GEO. THOS. HYDE,
4, Moorfields, Fore Street, London, E.C., Agent for the Applicant.