Improvements in and relating to the Tires of Cycles or other Road Vehicles.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Aug., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 4th May, 1892-Accepted, 2nd July, 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to the Tires of Cycles or other
Road Vehicles.
1, JOHN HENDERSON WILSON, of 13 High Street, West End, Kirkcaldy,
Fifeshire, Ironmonger, do hereby declare the nature of my invention to be as
follows:-
This invention has reference to and comprises improvements in and relating to
the construction of pneumatic tires, soft cushion, clencher cushion, or other forms
of tires formed of rubber or other material, fitted to bicycles, tricycles or other
road vehicles, and which improvements will prevent said pneumatic or hollow tires
from being punctured, or should they get punctured to still act as improved cushion
tires, and be easily and expeditiously repaired and make these tires more durable and
have other advantages over these cushion tires heretofore in use.
The improvements consist as follows:-First, and mainly, in the use of cork dust
or ground cork, or other ground, light elastic material such as ground old vulcanized
india-rubber, or a compound of these, as a bearing surface outside the ordinary
pneumatic or cushion tires, and covered in by an outer rolling and protecting
covering of rubber and cloth or equivalent material and susceptible of various
modifications in its applications according to the character of the tires and wheels
to be protected. One mode of carrying this into practice as applied to a cycle
wheel consists in mounting the ordinary pneumatic ring bag or cushion tire in the
outer hollow of the inner metal cloth covered rim secured to the spokes, with side
cloth lappings solutionized or otherwise secured underneath to the rim and then in
filling a light canvas or other cloth bag tire or ring with the said ground cork or
material just about the diameter in cross section of the width of the metal rim.
This would then be secured over the pneumatic or cushion bag and laced over or
sewn through to the side cloth lappings, or the edges of these lappings may be
solutionized to the cork bag tire. An outer tire covering is then placed over this
combined cork and pneumatic or cushion tire, and is preferably composed of an
inner layer of elastic open woven cloth or fabric coated or prepared on the outside
with vulcanized rubber, thicker in the wearing centre, and thinner towards the
edges, which are then folded down or bent over the whole, and firmly solutionized
on each side to the inner surface of the cloth covered metal rim; after which a
band covering of tarred or waterproof cloth is cemented over the inner surface
of the metal rim between the spokes and over these solutionized edges to secure
the whole, so that none of the parts can move laterally or circumferentially.
The hollow bag tire on the inside of the cork dust tire when to be used as a
pneumatic tire is then inflated with compressed air and blown up, by a tube and
valve in the usual manner, which has the effect of blowing and tightening the
whole up against the outer covering to form a combined independent pneumatic and
cork dust tire. The outer wearing rubber surface is preferably prepared with
slightly raised ridges or corrugations transversely or circumferentially formed on
the rubber to prevent lateral or other slipping on streets.
The outer bag tires would be filled uniformly with the cork dust or other
granulated elastic material by mechanical means or by fluid pressure as by first
making the bags of long tubes out of sewn canvas stitched at the edges or woven as
tubes and of lengths sufficient to make one or more tires, and then in filling them
by drawing them over the nozzle of a filling box or machine and filling them with
the material through the nozzle by a screw or other equivalent turned within the
box to feed the material forward through the nozzle from a hopper at the inner end
of the screw box which would force the bag off the nozzle as it was filled much in

page_text: the same manner as sausage bags are filled, when a length sufficient to form one
bag tire is filled it would be cut off and the two ends of the cloth be slipped over
each other and solutionized or sewn or a lapping of cloth may be cemented or sewn
round to secure the two ends firmly together.
Under another arrangement instead of having the ground cork or elastic
granulated material in a separate bag, this may be filled into the air or hollow
tire bag before the latter is inflated, so as to form a combined pneumatic and cork
cushion tire in one bag or covering.
This would or may be carried into practice by taking the flexible bag of a
pneumatic or other hollow tire and cutting a hole in one side of it and drawing or
placing same over the end nozzle of the filling machine hereinbefore described, to
pack it nearly uniformly within the air bag through an end gauge nozzle or tube.
The modus operandi is as follows:-To insert the cork dust or ground cork or an
equivalent mixture of a light elastic nature into the rubber bag, you open the
flexible air chamber at joint which overlaps the other, and draw or fold the rubber
bag over the long nozzle tube of the screw filling machine. Then close up one end
by the insertion of a thin piece of stout leather with cord attached, and tie up and
fasten the covering. Then turn the screw worm of the machine when it will fill to
any required hardness and regularity by passing it through the inside of the gauge
tube to the size wanted in front of machine. As air bag fills, it draws itself off* tube
of machine. Then fold back part of the end of air bag to the outside, and insert
the end which was stopped up with leather washer, then cut the fastening cord on
outside, and lap over part previously folded back on opposite end, and pull out leather
washer by the cord. Fold over remainder of bag and press all well into each other,
then fold back again and cement the joint all round. The outside protecting
covering is preferably made of a combination of rubber light canvas and close
woven brass or other metal wire gauze placed in lengths longitudinally round tire
lapping one another but not attached, to allow of expansion and contraction when
blown down, and with fluted rubber tire on the outside covering to give all possible
resistance to side slipping on greasy or wet causeways or wood streets. After the
inner tube has been so filled with the buoyant ground cork and jointed, and its
outer protecting covering has been completed on tire as described, then the tube
is inflated by compressed air in the usual manner through the short tube for the
purpose fitted with a valve with lateral hand spindle which will shut in the air or
let it off to any desired extent and pressure. This arrangement of new tire thus
forms a combined cushion of cork and pressure air so that when applied to cycle
wheels, the cork dust combined with the high pressure of air inside the bag will
immediatelly fill up or close fluid-tight any puncture made in it, and enable the
rider to proceed on his way. Any punctures can be permanently repaired by
inserting within the part punctured a small tube with a wire carrying a cementing
solution at its end, which on being withdrawn leaves the solution to fill up the
puncture inside, the cork dust preventing the solution from falling on to the opposite
side of the air chamber. This improvement will enable all pneumatic machine
tires to be made much safer and lighter than they are at present the comfort of
which none can dispute, when punctures are no more to be feared, as this improve-
ment can cure its own puncture, and can be ridden for miles, after being punctured,
before the rider feels it much softer.
Dated 4th day of August 1801
W. R. M. THOMSON & Co.,
96, Buchanan Street, Glasgow, Agents.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to the Tires of Cycles or other
Road Vehicles.
I, JOHN HENDERSON WILSON, of 13 High Street, West End, Kirkcaldy
Fifeshire, Ironmonger, do hereby declare the nature of my invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement in writing, reference being had to the accom-
panying drawings, that is to say :—
This invention has reference to and comprises improvements in and relating to
the construction of pneumatic tires, soft cushion, clencher cushion, or other forms
of tires formed of rubber or other material, fitted to bicycles, tricycles, or other
road vehicles, and which improvements will prevent said pneumatic or hollow tires
from being punctured, or should they get punctured to still act as improved cushion
tires, and be easily and expeditiously repaired, and make these tires more durable
and have other advantages over these cushion tires heretofore in use.
The improvements consist as follows. First, and mainly, in the use of cork
dust or ground cork or a compound of this with other ground light elastic material,
such as ground and vulcanized india-rubber, as a bearing surface outside the
ordinary pneumatic or cushion tires, and covered in by an outer rolling and
protecting covering of rubber and cloth or equivalent material, and susceptible of
various modifications in its applications according to the character of the tires and
wheels to be protected.
And in order that my said invention and the manner of performing or carrying
the same into effect or practice may be properly understood I have hereunto
appended an explanatory sheet of drawings in which the same reference letters are
used to indicate corresponding parts in all the figures where shown.
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a part of a pneumatic tire as fitted with an
outer protecting rim or tube fitted with compressed ground cork in accordance with
my improvements. And
Figure 2 is a perspective elevation of a cycle wheel as fitted with the improved
tire shown in Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a view corresponding to Figure 1 of a pneumatic tire, in which the
compressed air and the compressed ground cork are both charged within the same
tubular rim covering in accordance with another arrangement of my improvements.
While
Figure 4 is a similar view of a rubber cushion tire in which the tubular rubber
rim is filled with compressed ground cork in accordance with my improvements.
Referring to Figures 1 and 2 the improvements under this arrangement are
carried into practice by mounting the ordinary pneumatic ring bag or cushion
tire A in the outer hollow of the inner metal, cloth-covered rim or tire A¹ secured
to the spokes S, with a loose covering of linen or other cloth A2 round it, but
solutionized or otherwise secured at A" underneath to the main strong covering B¹
of one or more cloth layers next the metal rim A', and then in filling a light
canvas or other cloth bag tire or ring B with the said compressed ground cork or
material. This would then be securely mounted over and outside the pneumatic or
cushion bag A and laced over or sewn through at B₁ to the side strong cloth
lappings B, which secures the whole composite tire together and to the metal
rim A or the edges of these lappings may be solutionized to the cork bag tire B.
An outer tire covering C is then placed over this combined cork and pneumatic
or cushion tire B, and is preferably composed of vulcanized india rubber or an
inner layer of elastic open woven cloth or fabric coated or prepared on the outside
with vulcanized rubber, thicker in the outer wearing circumference at C¹ and
thinner towards the edges C", which are then folded down or bent over the
covering B' and firmly solutionized on each side at C³ to the thick part B' of the

page_text: strong covering which is secured to the inner surface of the cloth covered metal
rim A¹; after which a band covering of tarred or waterproof cloth D is cemented
over the inner surface of the metal rim A¹ between the spokes S and over these
solutionized edges C² to secure the whole, so that none of the parts can move
laterally or circumferentially the whole being secured by circumferential wires B³
threaded through a loop part of the upper part of the outer covering B₁ on each
side, the ends of these wires being brought out through holes at a in the metal
tire A, and have screws and nuts at a¹ for tightening them up. Cords B are
inserted in the double edge loop parts of the lower covering B' to assist in holding on
the edges of the iron rim A'. The hollow bag tire A on the inside of the cork dust
tire B when to be used as a pneumatic tire, is then inflated with compressed air and
blown up by a tube and valve at S', shown in Figure 2, in the usual manner,
which has the effect of blowing and tightening the whole up against the outer
covering B, C, C³, to form a combined independent pneumatic and cork dust tire.
The outer wearing surface C¹ of the rubber covering C may be prepared with
slightly raised ridges or corrugations transversely or circumferentially formed on
the rubber to prevent lateral or other slipping on streets.
The outer bag tires B would be filled uniformly with the compressed ground
cork or cork dust by mechanical means or by fluid pressure as by first making the
case of the bags B of long tubes out of sewn canvas stitched at the edges or woven
as tubes and of lengths sufficient to make one or more tires, and then in filling
them by drawing them over the nozzle of a filling box or machine and filling them
with the material through the nozzle by a screw or other equivalent turned within
the box to feed the material forward through the nozzle from a hopper at the inner
end of the screw box which would force the bag off the nozzle as it was filled, much
in the same manner as meat sausage bags are at present filled. When a length
sufficient to form one bag tire is filled it would be cut off and the two ends of the
cloth be slipped over each other and solutionized or sewn or a lapping of cloth may
be cemented or sewn round to secure the two ends firmly together.
Under another arrangement as shown in Figure 3, instead of having the ground
cork or elastic granulated material in a separate bag B, this may be filled as shown
at b into the air or hollow tire bag A, before the latter is inflated, so as to form a
combined pneumatic and cork cushion tire in one bag or covering. This may be
carried into practice by taking the flexible bag A of a pneumatic or other hollow
tire and cutting a hole in one side of it and drawing or placing same over the end
nozzle of the filling machine herein before described, to pack it loosely and uniformly
within the air bag A, through an end gauge nozzle or tube.
The modus operandi in connection with the arrangement shown in Figure 3, is as
follows: The cork dust or ground cork is inserted into the rubber bag A as
described. After the inner tube has been so filled with the buoyant ground cork
and jointed, and its outer protecting covering C has been completed on tire, as
described in reference to Figure 1, and by the outer covering D, then the tube A is
inflated by compressed air in the usual manner through the short tube for the
purpose fitted with a valve as at S₁ in Figure 2 with lateral hand spindle which
will shut in the air or let it off to any desired extent and pressure. This arrange-
ment of new tire thus forms a combined single cushion of cork and pressure air, so
that when applied to cycle wheels, the cork dust combined with the high pressure
of air inside the bag as shown in Figure 3 will immediately fill up or close fluid-
tight any puncture made in it, and enable the rider to proceed on his way. Any
punctures can be permanently repaired by inserting within the part punctured a
small tube with a wire carrying a cementing solution at its end, which on being
withdrawn leaves the solution to fill up the puncture inside, the cork dust preventing
the solution from falling on to the opposite side of the air chamber. This improve-
ment will enable all pneumatic machine tires to be made much safer and lighter than
they are at present, the comfort of which none can dispute, when punctures are no
more to be feared, as this improvement can cure its own puncture, and can be ridden
for miles, after being punctured, before the rider feels it much softer.

page_text: When these improvements are applied to the rubber cushion tires of cycles as
shown in Figure 4 the ordinary rubber cushion tire E, may be made the medium of
holding the compressed ground cork 6 and thus form a light and elastic tire, the
rubber tire E being secured to the metal rim A' in a usual manner.
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 :-
:-
First. The constructing of the wheel running and bearing tires of cycles or
other road vehicles with a ring or cushion of compressed ground or granulated cork
or cork dust, substantially as herein described.
Second. The constructing of the wheel tires of cycles with an inner pneumatic
ring bag in combination with an outer ring bag of compressed ground cork or cork
dust, substantially as herein described in reference to and by way of application
shown in Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings.
Third. The constructing of the wheel tires of cycles with a ring bag charged
with a mixture of compressed air and ground cork or cork dust, substantially as
herein described, in reference to and by way of application shown in Figure 3 of
the accompanying drawings.
Fourth. The constructing of the wheel tires of cycles with a rubber or other
cushion tire in combination with a ring of ground cork or cork dust, substantially
as herein described in reference to and by way of application shown in Figure 4 of
the accompanying drawings.
Dated 3rd May 1892
W. R. M. THOMSON & Co.,
96, Buchanan Street, Glasgow, Agents.