Improvements in or relating to Pneumatic Tyres for Vehicles.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 10th May, 1893
Complete Specification Left, 10th Mar., 1894-Accepted, 14th Apr., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Pneumatic Tyres for Vehicles.
We, SYDNEY LEE of 9 Furnival Street, Holborn in the County of Middlesex,
Auctioneer, and PATRICK ALEXANDER CHANCE of 29 Highfield Road, Rathgar,
County Dublin, Ireland, Solicitor, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
This invention relates to pneumatic or compressed air tyres for cycles and other
vehicles and has particular reference to protecting the tyres from puncture or
damage. Various plans have been adopted to prevent the air tube from being
damaged, one of them being the placing of an unpuncturable pad between the air
tube and the cover at the tread of the wheel. It is however desirable to protect
the tyre at the sides as well as the tread, but if the unpuncturable pad were
continued round the tyre it would be likely to seriously interfere with the resilience
of the tyre, and so far nullify the effects of the compressed air in the tyre. By
the present invention we are able to protect the sides of the tyre without spoiling
the resiliency.
In carrying the invention into effect we employ side pads placing them one at
each side of the tyre, but in such a manner as not to be compressed between the
air tube and the cover as such compression would be likely to interfere with the
resiliency. So long as provision is made against the undue compression of the pad
it may be placed either inside or outside the cover of the air tube. For example
the cover may be split or divided at the part where the side pad is to be applied
the pad being placed between but so that it will not be nipped or compressed
between the two parts. This may be effected by making one part longer or larger
than the other, the shorter part being of a non-stretchable nature and adapted to take
the strain of the cover, the other part serving merely as a cover to keep the pad in
place.
Where the pad is not so protected it is desirable that it should have a suitable
cover of its own to prevent it from absorbing wet, dirt etc., and this cover may be
made of waterproof canvas, indiarubber, thin leather or other suitable material and
may either completely surround the pad or may merely form a pocket upon the
cover in which the pad can be placed. One or both edges of the pad cover may be
vulcanized, solutioned or otherwise connected with the tyre cover, or the edges may
be inserted in suitable slits or openings in the tyre cover, or one edge of the pad
cover may be secured directly on to the wheel rim. By placing the pad on the
outside of the tyre in a pocket or equivalent of suitable size it need not in any
way interfere with the resiliency of the tyre, the walls of which can sustain the
air pressure and give to the inequalities of the road just as if the pad were not
there.
Another way of placing the side pad without its interfering with the resiliency
would be to enclose the air tube in a canvas tube or pocket so as to prevent it
expanding beyond a certain limit and leaving space between this and the cover for
the pad.
Where the resiliency is not of first importance the pad may merely be placed
between the air tube and the cover and it may be connected absolutely or partially
(as by a canvas strip or the like) with the pad at the tread of the wheel.
The pad at the tread of the wheel may have lappets or flaps connected with it to
facilitate the securing of it in the tyre either in connection with or independently
of the side pads.
The two side pads may be connected by a suitable membrane, band or equivalent

page_text: passing over the tread of the tyre and may be secured to the rim or spokes in any
convenient manner.
Although we have so far described the invention as applied to a tyre consisting
of an elastic air tube and a rigid cover, it may also be applied to tyres of what is
known as the "solid wall" type, consisting usually of several alternate layers of
canvas and rubber; with this class of tyre the application would be the same as
above described for the outside of the cover or the wall of the tyre itself could be
split and the pad inserted as above described.
The pads may be turned or placed so as to protect the air tube or cover from the
edge of the rim; for instance a portion of the pad may be inserted between the rim
and cover.
The non-puncturable quality may be obtained by combining with fibrous material
rosin or other material capable of holding to the fibres and uniting them and these
fibres and rosin or other suitable material may be incorporated in the substance of the
cover itself at any desired part including the tread. The fibres may be twisted or
corded.
Dated this 10th May 1892
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Pneumatic Tyres for Vehicles.
We, SYDNEY LEE of 9 Furnival Street, Holborn, in the County of Middlesex,
Auctioneer, and PATRICK ALEXANDER CHANCE of 29 Highfield Road, Rathgar,
County Dublin, Ireland, Solicitor, 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 will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings
in which :-
Figure 1 represents a cross section of a tyre constructed according to this
invention.
and
Figure 2 is a cross section of an air tube with the puncture-proof band in place,
Figure 3 is a cross section of the puncture-proof band itself.
Like letters indicate like parts throughout the drawings.
A represents the air tube of any ordinary construction B the non-stretchable
interior wall of the cover; this may be made of any suitable material say for
example canvas. C is the outer wall of the cover which may be made of india-
rubber or other suitable material with or without a canvas or other ping D. We
prefer to connect the inner and outer walls of the cover as at Esas to form
separate pockets for the reception of the puncture-proof bands F; these banay
be of any suitable fibrous material with or without the addition of resin for exampi
those made in accordance with Williams Patent No. 852402 of cotton wool and
resin, these bands not forming part of the present invention. The fastenings E
may be made by stitching, solutioning, or other suitable means and may extend
entirely around the tyre so as to make entirely separate pockets for the reception
of the bands, or they may be at intervals only sufficient to connect the inner and
outer walls of the cover and keep the bands in their places. The edges of the
cover at G, where in Figure 1 the inner and outer walls are shown brought together
and formed into one, may be formed in any desired manner with wires, beads or
other attachments to the rim as these have nothing to do with the present invention;
if desired they may be left open, the inner and outer walls not being permanently
joined at G.
In Figure 1 the tyre is shown with three puncture-proof bands or pads one at

page_text: each side and one on the tread, and this is the form in which the air tube A would
be most efficiently protected. It will however be observed that owing to the :
non-stretchable nature of the inner cover wall B no constant pressure is placed
upon the bands F which are not nipped, or compressed between the inner and outer
walls of the cover. Even the band at the tread is only compressed at the point of
contact with the ground it being in other parts free from compression the whole
strain of the compressed air being borne by the unstretchable inner wall B.
Although we have so far described the invention as applied to a tyre consisting
of an elastic tube and a cover it may be applied to tyres of what is known as the
"solid wall" type, consisting usually of several alternate layers of canvas and
rubber; with this class of tyre the application would be the same as above described
for the outside of the cover or the wall of the tyre itself could be split and the pad
inserted as above described.
In Figure 2 the puncture-proof band F is shown with lappets or flaps H to
facilitate the securing of it in the tyre. These flaps may be carried round the
tyre as far as desired, but we prefer to carry them a considerable distance round,
say by preference, as far as the points of contact between the tyre and the rim, the
object of this being that we find in case of puncture, if the puncture-proof band
itself be secured to the cover it is more likely to puncture than if it be not so held
as in the former case the puncturing object is more likely to force its way through
than if the band can, by compressing the air tube recede towards the interior of the
tyre. By securing the tyre by the flaps H towards the rim portion of the tyre it
will be seen that there is nothing excepting the air inside the air tube to prevent
the puncture-proof band falling back from the cover and puncturing instrument,
notwithstanding that the flaps serve to keep the pad in its proper position. The
free edges of the flaps may be folded over each other or simply nipped between the
tyre and the rim or they may be permanently secured at or near the edges of
the cover.
In this drawing as the pad may be used with an ordinary cover the air tube is
shown enclosed in a non-stretchable canvas tube or pocket A¹ to prevent the
compression of the pad.
In Figure 3 a cross section of the puncture-proof pad or band F is shown, the
pad being enclosed in a water-proof cover or casing I which may be made of water-
proof canvas, indiarubber, or other suitable material, but preferably indiarubber-
covered fine canvas (jackinette) so as to keep out moisture and also to prevent caking
of the resin when resin is used. The rubber or rubber-covered band appears also
to have the property of absorbing vibration and preventing friction between the
band and the air tube and cover of the tyre and preserves the band. This is
particularly important when resin is used as it is believed that the friction etc. tends
to heat and consolidate the resin and thus cause or allow it to cake, in which
condition the band is useless for the purpose for which it is intended. It is however
always desirable to use the cover I whether resin is employed or not.
The cover
may be made of a strip with edges solutioned or otherwise joined lengthwise and
the ends also hermetically closed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. The combination with a pneumatic tyre of a puncture-proof band or pad not
subjected to compression by the compressed air inside the tyre.
2. A pneumatic tyre or cover having pockets or spaces for the reception of
puncture-proof bands or pads so arranged that the said bands or pads will not be
compressed by the compressed air within the tyre.
3. A pneumatic tyre or cover having one or more spaces for containing puncture-
proof bands between its inner and outer walls the inner wall being non-stretchable
substantially as and for the purpose described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.

page_text: 4. The combination with the puncture-proof pad or band of flaps or lappets such
as H substantially as described and illustrated in Figure 2 of the accompanying
drawings.
5. In a pneumatic tyre securing the puncture-proof band near the rim so as to
allow of the band being pushed away from the cover in case of puncture substan-
tially as and for the purpose described.
6. The combination with a puncture-proof band such as F of a cover such as I
substantially as and for the purpose described.
Dated this 10th day of March 1894.
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents for the Applicants.