Improvements in Elastic Tyres for the Wheels of Bicycles, Tricycles, and other Velocipedes and Wheel Carriages.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Feb., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 22nd Nov., 1893-Accepted, 23rd Dec., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Elastic Tyres for the Wheels of Bicycles,
Tricycles, and other Velocipedes and Wheel Carriages.
We WALTER JOHN LLOYD and WILLIAM PRIEST of The Quadrant Cycle
Company Sheepcote Street Birmingham in the County of Warwick Velocipede
Manufacturers do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Our invention has for its object so to construct elastic tyres for the wheels of
bicycles tricycles and other velocipedes and wheel carriages that while the said
tyres possess in a high degree the elastic or resilient qualities possessed by
pneumatic tyres they are without the defect common to pneumatic tyres namely
their susceptibility to puncture and the disabling of the wheel thereby.
In constructing an elastic tyre according to our invention we proceed as follows.
We make the rim of the tyre preferably of a hoop or circular band of iron or steel
flat or concave in cross section and at the points where the spokes are to be
connected to the rim we form a series of equi-distant holes, say of about
three quarters of an inch in diameter. In each of these holes we fix a
short radial metallic tube say of about an inch in length the said tubes being
situated in the interior of the rim. The spokes of the wheel are fixed in the closed
inner ends of the said tubes, preferably by passing through a central hole in the
closed end of the tube a head on the outer end of the spoke abutting on the closed
interior of the tube. In each of the said short tubes a coiled steel spring is
situated. The length of each spring is about double the length of the tube in
which it is situated so that about one half of the spring is external to the tube and
projects radially on the outer side of the steel or iron rim. By fixing the springs
in tubes in the manner described pressure put on them causes them to contract
radially into the tubes and lateral motion in the said springs is thereby
prevented.
diameter about two inches
greater than the diameter
between the said two rims
The outer leather rim is
An outer leather rim of
of the metallic rim surrounds the said metallic rim and
the protruding halves of the coiled springs are situated.
secured in position by studs on its inner face entering the outer ends of the coiled
springs.
We cover the two rims and the springs between them by means of a strong strip
of vulcanised india rubber backed or strengthened by canvas; or by a strip of
leather or other strong flexible non-metallic material, the said india rubber or other
covering material being stretched over the two rims and having such a width that
its edges overlap at the inner face of the metallic rim. We prefer to use an
elastic and flexible covering in which the part forming the tread is made thicker
than the other parts.
The elastic or flexible covering may be secured to the inner face of the metallic
rim in various ways; for example the overlapping edges of the stretched covering
may be provided with buttons and button holes; or the overlapping edges of the
stretched covering may be laced or cemented together.
When the wheel to which our improved elastic tyre is applied is in use the outer
rim and springs yield and flatten when pressure is put upon them and on the
removal of the pressure resume their normal form after the manner of a pneumatic
tyre; the facility with which our improved tyre yields and flattens when pressure
is put on it causing it to be unaffected by the passage of the wheel over large
stones or other obstructions.
Dated this 23rd day of February 1893
W. T. WHITEMAN,
Agent for the Applicants.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Elastic Tyres for the Wheels of Bicycles,
Tricycles, and other Velocipedes and Wheel Carriages.
We WALTER JOHN LLOYD and WILLIAM PRIEST, of The Quadrant Cycle
Company, Sheepcote Street Birmingham in the County of Warwick, Velocipede
Manufacturers, do hereby declare the nature of our invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement :-
Our invention has for its object so to construct elastic tyres for the wheels of
bicycles tricycles and other velocipedes and wheel carriages that while the said
tyres possess in a high degree the elastic or resilient qualities possessed by
pneumatic tyres they are without the defect common to pneumatic tyres namely,
their susceptibility to puncture and the disabling of the wheel thereby.
In constructing an elastic tyre according to our invention we proceed as follows.
We make the rim of the tyre preferably of a hoop or circular band of iron or
steel flat or concave in cross section and at the points where the spokes are to be
connected to the rim we form a series of equi-distant holes, say of about three
quarters of an inch in diameter. In each of these holes we fix a short radial
metallic tube say of about an inch in length the said tubes being situated in the
interior of the rim. The spokes of the wheel are fixed in the closed inner ends
of the said tubes, preferably by passing through a central hole in the closed end
of the tube a head on the outer end of the spoke abutting on the closed interior of
the tube. In each of the said short tubes a coiled steel spring is situated. The
length of each spring is about double the length of the tube in which it is situated
so that about one half of the spring is external to the tube and projects radially on
the outer side of the steel or iron rim. By fixing the springs in tubes in the
manner described pressure put on them causes them to contract radially into the
tubes and lateral motion in the said springs is thereby prevented.
An outer leather rim of a diameter about two inches greater than the diameter
of the metallic rim surrounds the said metallic rim and between the said two rims
the protruding halves of the coiled springs are situated. The outer leather rim
is secured in position by studs on its inner face entering the outer ends of the
coiled springs.
We cover the two rims and the springs between them by means of a strong strip
of vulcanized india rubber backed or strengthened by canvas; or by a strip of
leather or other strong flexible non-metallic material, the said india rubber or
other covering material being stretched over the two rims and having such a width
that its edges overlap at the inner face of the metallic rim. We prefer to use an
elastic and flexible covering in which the part forming the tread is made thicker
than the other parts.
The elastic or flexible covering may be secured to the inner face of the metallic
rim in various ways for example the overlapping edges of the stretched covering
may be provided with buttons and button holes; or the overlapping edges of the
stretched covering may be laced or cemented together.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings represents partly in side elevation and
partly in longitudinal section a portion of a velocipede wheel having an elastic tyre
constructed according to our invention; Figure 2 represents a cross section of the
same and Figure 3 represents the same in plan before the outer vulcanised india
rubber or other flexible cover hereinafter described is put on.
**
Figure 4 represents in longitudinal section, Figure 5 in plan and Figure 6 in
cross section a portion of the wheel rim.
Figures 7, and 9 represent parts of the elástic tyre detached as hereinafter
described.

page_text: Figures 10 to 20 both inclusive represent modifications of our invention as
hereinafter particularly described.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several figures of the
drawings.
a is the metallic rim of the wheel having at the parts where the spokes are
usually connected to it holes a². In the said holes a² short radial metallic tubes
are inserted, one of which is shown detached in vertical section in Figure 7 and in
plan in Figure 8. The said tubes have their outer edge flanged or turned
outwards and their inner edge flanged or turned inwards. The outer flange is
marked and the inner flange ³. The tubes are supported in their holes in the
wheel rim a by means of the outer flange taking a bearing on the outer face of
the wheel rim a.
с
The inner end of the said tubes is closed by a perforated disc e shown separately
in edge view and plan in Figure 9 the said disc c being supported in its place in
the said tube b by the inner flange 3. The spokes of the wheel pass through.
the perforations or central holes in the closing discs c their heads bearing on the
outer faces of the said closing discs c as best seen in Figure 2. In each of the said
metallic tubes b is a coiled spring e the inner end of the said spring e being.
supported by the closing discs c of the said tubes 6 and the outer ends of the said:
springs e projecting from the outer ends of the tubes and from the outer face of
the metallic rim a to a distance about equal to the length of the said tubes b.
The tubes thus constitute supporting sockets for the coiled springs e. An endless
band of leather f, constituting the outer rim of the elastic tyre, passes over the
outer or protruding ends of the coiled springs e thereby retaining the said springs e;
in their places in the tubes or sockets in the metallic rim a. The outer leather
rim is prevented from disengagement with the outer ends of the coiled springs e.
by leather studs on the inner face of the rim fwhich take into the outer ends of
the said coiled springs e
The outer leather rim fand the metallic rim a with the coiled springs e between.
them are covered by means of a strip of canvas g the tread g² of which is preferably
formed of a thick strip of vulcanised india rubber vulcanised onto the said canvas
strip g. The canvas strip 9 may be replaced by an elastic or other flexible
material, such for example as leather. When an elastic covering strip is employed
it may be made wholly of vulcanized india rubber thicker at the part to form the
tread than at the other parts but the said vulcanized india rubber covering strip is
preferably backed with canvas. The edges of the elastic or flexible covering
strip g overlap on the inner face of the metallic rim a between the tubes b, the
overlapping edges being engaged together by buttons or studs on the one edge
passing through eyelets in the other edge. This method of fastening will be
much better understood by reference to the unfastened flaps Figures 15, 16, 18
and 19. Other means of fastening the two edges together may however be
adopted; for example they may be cemented together or secured. by lacing.
When the wheel, to which the improved elastic tyre described and represented
is applied, is in use, the outer rim and springs e yield and flatten when pressure
is put upon thern and on the removal of the pressure resume their normal form
after the manner of a pneumatic tyre; the facility with which our improved tyre
yields and flattens when pressure is put on it causing it to be unaffected by the
passage of the wheel over large stones or other obstructions.
Instead of having studs on the inner side of the outer leather rim for connecting
the said rim to the outer or protruding ends of the coiled springs e as represented
in Figures 1 and 2, the outer or protruding ends of the said springs e may carry
studded plates the outer faces of which have pins for taking into holes in the said.
outer leather rim f.
This modification of our invention is illustrated in Figures 10 to 14 both
inclusive, Figure 10 representing in longitudinal section and Figure 11 in cross
section a portion of a wheel to which our improved elastic tyre is applied ;
Figure 12 represents in plan a portion of the wheel and tyre before the outer

page_text: °
leather rim and elastic or flexible covering strip g are put in place. Figure 13
represents in elevation and Figure 14 in plan one of the studded plates detached.
kare the plates, the curvature of which has a radius equal to the radius of the
leather rim, and are the studs on the inner or concave side of the same which
engage in the outer ends of the coiled springs e. The pins on the outer or convex
side of the said plates k for engaging with the leather rim fare marked k³. It
will be seen by reference to the drawings that the ends of the plates k do not
abut against each other but are separated a short distance apart.
Instead of providing a pin 3 on the outer side of the plates k for engagement
with the outer leather rim f the said plates k may be troughed or channelled in
the direction of their length. Figure 15 represents in longitudinal section and
Figure 16 in cross section a portion of a wheel with a tyre constructed according
to this modification of our invention; Figure 17 represents a plan of the same with:
the elastic or flexible covering strip removed. The sides of the troughed
plate are marked * and are best seen in the cross section Figure 16. When the
outer leather rim f in this arrangement is placed over the springs e the said rimf
seats itself in the channel or trough of the plates k.
Instead of the curved plates & a flat or slightly convex expanded or oblong
head e² may be made on the said coiled springs e as represented in Figures 18, 19
and 20 the leather rim f being engaged with the head e² in the manner described
with respect to Figures 1 and 2. When springs e with elongated or expanded
heads are used the outer leather retaining rim may be dispensed with the
heads e of the said springs e bearing directly on the inside of the elastic or flexible
covering strip g
The plates & Figures 10 to 17 both inclusive and the head e2 of the springs e
Figures 18, 19 and 20 not only serve to keep the outer leather rim fin its place on
the outer ends of the coiled springs e but also preserve or tend to preserve the
circular figure of the tyre when the tread or bearing part of the wheel is situated
between two adjacent springs.
In Figures 15, 16, 18 and 19 the flaps of the elastic or flexible covering strip g
are represented unfastened.
Instead of making the coils of the springs e of the same diameter throughout the
coils of that portion only of the spring situated in the tubes or sockets b may have
the same diameter, that part of the springs e protruding from the said tubes 6 being
conical, that is, the convolutions of that part gradually diminish in diameter as
represented in Figures 15 and 16.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that we claim
as our invention of "Improvements in Elastic Tyres for the Wheels of Bicycles
Tricycles and other Velocipedes and Wheel Carriages ” ;—
First. In an elastic tyre, the combination with the metallic rim of the wheel
of the spring receiving and supporting tubes or sockets hereinbefore described and
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Secondly. In an elastic tyre, the combination with the spring supporting
socketted metallic rim, of the outer leather spring retaining rim studded on its inner
side substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
Thirdly. In an elastic tyre the combination of the curved plates, studded on
their inner sides for connecting them to the outer ends of the springs with the
elastic outer leather rim for the purpose and substantially as hereinbefore described
and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Fourthly. In an elastic tyre the combination of the curved troughed or
channelled plates studded on their inner side for engaging them to the outer ends of
the supporting coiled springs with the spring retaining outer leather rim for the
purpose and substantially as herein before described and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.

page_text: Fifthly. The use in an elastic tyre of coiled springs having expanded or oblong
heads for the purpose and substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in
the accompanying drawings.
Sixthly. An elastic tyre consisting of the combination of the spring supporting
socketted metallic rim and spring retaining outer leather rim and the coiled springs
between them with an elastic or flexible covering strip substantially as hereinbefore
described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated. the Twenty-second day of November 1893.
W. T. WHITEMAN,
Agent for the Applicants.