Improvements in and relating to Wheel Rims and Tyres.
Year: 1897

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Wheel Rims and Tyres.
I, JOHN CRAIG, Junior, of 8, Wood Street, Cheapside, in the City of London,
India Rubber Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to improvements connected with wheel rims and inflatable,
resilient or other tyres, and mainly consists in so constructing the wheel rim that
the tyre may be gripped between circumferentially separable portions thereof
whereby it is securely held in position and in the case of certain inflatable tyres is
also rendered air tight.
According to my invention I construct the wheel rim of two separate circum-
ferential portions which are preferably in the form of hollow steel tubular
rings of circular or D-shaped section but may be of any other suitable form of
material. Each of these circumferential tubular rings is connected to the hub by
a series of spokes which are secured to the ring in such a manner that the spokes
in the right hand section of the rim engage with the right hand flange of the hub
and those of the left hand section of the rim with the left hand flange of the hub.
The connection of the spokes to the ring may be effected by any suitable means.
For instance the outer end of the spoke may pass completely through the cir-
cumferential tube and the spoke head may lie upon the outer periphery thereof,
arrangements for tension of the spokes being made at the point of attachment to
hub or on part of the spoke itself or the outer end of the spoke may be passed into
the said tube and there caused to engage with a screw nipple or other tension
adjusting device the head of the nipple resting upon the outside of the tubular
ring; or again the nipple may pass entirely through the ring and engage with the
spoke outside or underneath the ring.
Each of these circumferential rings is provided with a number of radial luge
or projections which are so arranged that the lugs upon one circumferential ring
face the lugs upon the other in pairs. Each of the said lugs has screw threaded
transverse holes for the purpose of being connected to the lug facing it by means of a
screw threaded bolt. An important feature of my invention consists in providing the
holes in the lugs on one side with a right handed screw thread and those at the
opposite side with a left handed screw thread the bolts which connect each pair
of lugs together being correspondingly screw-threaded in opposite directions from
their centres or thereabout.
The screw threaded bolts are provided with suitable means whereby they may
be operated and it is obvious that by causing the bolts to rotate in one or the other
direction the lugs on either side together with the circumferential rings to which
they are attached are made to simultaneously approach or recede from each other
respectively and they are held rigidly together so that when the spokes are con-
nected with the two sections of the rim and hub the wheel can be built up and made
true independently of the tyre itself. In this way a tyre suitably constructed for
the purpose as hereinafter described may be gripped more or less tightly as desired

page_text: between the said circumferential rings and by this means held securely in position
upon the combined wheel rim.
The tyre is preferably of india rubber but may be composed of any other suitable
material and may be moulded or made of any appropriate form in cross section
provided that it is adapted to lie partly between the separable circumferential
portions of the rim and be gripped between them as above described. The tyre
may be of solid india rubber or the like or may be of the class known as " cushion"
tyres. Or again it may consist of an inflatable inner tube and a cover in which
case the edges of the cover are thickened to the desired degree and so formed as to
afford a good hold for the circumferential gripping portions of the rim.
An inflatable tyre of the kind known as single tube" tyres, constructed as
follows, may be advantageously employed in combination with the rim above
described. The edges of the tyre are thickened and are provided with circum-
ferential beadings or abutments adapted to lie together and be securely gripped
between the separate portions of the wheel rim. When the above mentioned screw-
threaded bolts are tightened up, an air-tight connection will be established between
the said circumferential beadings, or abutments and the tyre can be inflated as
desired. In order to effect a more perfect connection between the said beadings
or abutments I may cause their meeting surfaces to be suitably grooved or corru-
gated, or so arranged that one side shall interlock with the other or one side may
overlap the other side. Moreover for the purpose of assisting to retain the air in
the inflated tube I may employ an internal circumferential curtain so arranged as
to cover the junction of the said beadings or abutments and this curtain may be
either separate from or attached to or integral with the tyre.
When employing a tyre of the kind known as "hose-pipe" tyres that is to say
one which is not made to open out but consists of a closed tube I may provide the
same with a circumferential beaded flange or a flange thickened at the edge, the
said flange being so arranged as to be gripped by the pressure of the tubes forming
the rim of the wheel and thus tightly secured in its place.
The valve by means of which the tyre is inflated is preferably constructed in two
parts each in the form of a tube. One of these is attached to the air tube in the
usual manner and is passed radially through one of the circumferential portions
of the rim. Upon this part which serves as a connecting tube between, the valve
proper and the air tube is screwed or otherwise secured the part containing the
valve mechanism, the latter being of any suitable description.
Dated this 7th dow of August 1907
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in and relating to Wheel Rims and Tyres.
I, JOHN CRAIG, Junior, of 8, Wood Street, Cheapside, in the City of London,
India Rubber Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to improvements connected with wheel rims and inflatable,
resilient or other tyres, and mainly consists in so constructing the wheel-rim that
the tyre may be gripped between circumferentially separable portions thereof,
whereby it is securely held in position and in the case of certain inflatable tyres is'
also rendered airtight.
According to my invention I construct the wheel rim of two separate circum-

page_text: ferential portions or sections which may be composed of metal, wood or other suit-
able material and which are connected to the wheel-hub by spokes.
Each of these circumferential sections of the rim is provided with a number of
radial lugs or projections which are so arranged that the lugs upon one cir-
cumferential section face the lugs upon the other in pairs, each pair of lugs being
connected by a right and left handed screw threaded pin provided with suitable
means whereby the latter can be revolved in either direction to cause the two
circumferential sections of the wheel rim to simultaneously approach towards or
recede from each other. This simultaneous movement of the two portions of the
rim is an important feature of my invention.
In this way a tyre suitably constructed for the purpose as hereinafter described,
may be gripped more or less tightly as desired between the said circumferential
sections, and by this means held securely in position upon the said rim.
In order that my said invention may be clearly understood and readily carried
into effect I will proceed to describe the same more fully with reference to the
accompanying drawings, in which:
Figure 1 is a transverse section of a wheel rim and tyre constructed in accordance
with my invention. In this view the hub of the wheel and the spokes are likewise
shewn.
Figures and 1° are detail views showing the thickened edges of the tyre
formed with recessed outer faces as hereinafter described.
Figure 2 is a fragmentary view showing one of the lugs with which the wheel-
rim is provided.
Figure 3 is a transverse section of a modified construction of the wheel-rim and
tyre.
Figure 4 is a fragmentary view shewing one of the lug plates and screw pins
with which this wheel-rim is provided.
Figure 5 shews a longitudinal section and an end view of a modified construc-
tion of one of the screw threaded pins.
Figures 6 and 7 are transverse sections of modified forms of the device for adjust-
ing the movable portions of the wheel-rim.
Figures 8, 9, 10 and 11 are transverse sections of further modified forms of my
wheel-rim and tyre.
Figure 12 is a detail view illustrating an inflation valve and its application to
the wheel-rim.
Figure 13 is another detail view shewing one of the edges of a tyre provided with
a curtain or flap.
1
In all these figures like letters of reference indicate similar parts.
A A are the two circumferential portions or sections of the wheel-rim.
B B are
the radial lugs projections or plates thereon. CC are the spokes. D is the hub.
E is the tyre and F the inflation valve.
Referring more particularly to Figures 1 and 2, the circumferential portions A
of the wheel-rim are of hollow circular section and composed of metal with the
lugs B brazed thereto. These lugs are as herein before stated arranged opposite
one another in pairs, those on one circumferential portion of the wheel-rim being
formed with right hand screw threaded holes, and those on the other with left hand
screw threaded holes. They are coupled together by the right and left handed
screw pins 6 having on one end a rectangular head 61 for enabling a spanner or key
to be fitted thereon when said pins are to be revolved. By means of these right
and left handed screw pins I provide for the aforesaid simultaneous movement of
both sections of the wheel-rim towards or away from each other in accordance
with the direction in which the pins are revolved. Moreover the sections of the
wheel-rim are at all times held rigidly together by the said pins so that when the
spokes are connected with the said sections and the hub, the wheel can be built
up and made true independently of the tyre itself.
The connection of the spokes to the wheel is effected by means of screw nipples cc
having notched heads c³ to permit of their being revolved by a turn-screw in 'order

page_text: to adjust the tension of the spokes. The heads of these nipples are represented as
lying on the outer periphery of the wheel rim, they may however occupy other
positions if desired. The inner ends of the spokes are connected to the flanges of
the wheel hub by bent and rivet headed ends as is well understood. I may how-
ever employ a spoke having a solid head at its rim end and at its other end adapted
to be screwed into the flange of the hub.
The tyre is of the "tubeless" type with thickened edges ee which are adapted
to come together and be gripped between the two sections of the wheel-rim. I
prefer to form one of the said edges with a beading or abutment e¹ to engage with
a corresponding groove in the opposite edge, so that the air tight connection
between the two edges may be the more effectual. It will be found advantageous
to form the outer portions of the abutting edges of the tyre with curved faces
whose curvature is of somewhat smaller radius than that of the circular section of
the circumferential portions of the rim A. By such means when the pins 6 are
screwed up a more effectual seating of the abutting faces of the tyre edges will be
obtained, than would be the case if the curvature of the faces were greater than,
or the same as, that of the rim A A.
Instead of forming the outer portions of the abutting edges of the tyre with
curved faces e I may form them with V-shaped depressions or recesses in their
faces as in Figure 1º for the same purpose.
The aforesaid lugs B are sometimes constructed of separate pieces or plates as
in Figure 4 connected to the wheel-rim by rivets or screws 68. In this case each
section A of the rim has an inwardly projecting radial web a (see Figure 3) to the
inner face of which the lug plates B are connected. In cases where the circum-
ferential rings A are made of cast metal the lugs B. may be cast on the rings. The
pins 6 may be made in the form shewn at Figure 5; that is to say they may have
a square or other rectangular interior so that a rectangular pin or key can be
inserted to turn them. The rectangular end 61 (before mentioned) can then be
dispensed with. Or I may construct the adjusting device as illustrated in
Figures 6 and 7, that is to say I may use two short oppositely threaded screw
pins 63 63 connected together by a screw sleeve 63 internally threaded to correspond
with the pins 6 and externally formed of square or other suitable shape to permit
of its being readily revolved by a spanner or similar tool..
In Figure 3 I have shewn a solid tyre formed with curved portions ³ ³ to receive
the circumferential sections A A of the wheel rim and with a central portion e
which is gripped between the said sections A.
In Figure 8 the circumferential portions of the rim are of solid cross-section
instead of tubular as in Figures 1 and 3. The outer edges A¹ A¹ of both of these
portions are grooved, or bent into a hook form, and the inner edge Aª of one of
such circumferential portions is bent at right angles to form a flange for the recep-
tion of the spoke nipples, there being in this instance only one series of spokes
instead of two series as in the previously described examples. The lugs B are in
this example affixed to or cast upon the outer faces of the circumferential portions
of the wheel rim.
Where the thickness of the web of the circumferential portions of the rim is
sufficient, the lug plates may be dispensed with and the right and left handed
screw threads may be formed in the web itself.
The tyre is shaped to fit the said hook pieces A¹ and I prefer to employ in this
construction an extensible band A³ for the tyre to lie upon.
In Figures 9 and 10 I have shewn other examples of the shape that the cir-
cumferential portions of the wheel-rim may assume in cross-section.
the tyre, if of the solid form, is moulded to suit the shape of the rim.
In each case
When employing tubeless tyres of the kind indicated in Figure 1, I sometimes
provide one of the edges with an internal overlapping portion A' (see Figure 13)
which is arranged to have a tendency to bend inward or downward so that when
the thickened edges abut the overlapping portion A will not only lie over but also
press upon the joint and thereby more effectually render the said joint air-tight.

page_text: The inflation valve F is preferably constructed in two parts f f¹, one of less
diameter than the other. The portion f of less diameter is composed of a tube
connected to the tyre in any well known manner and passed transversely through
the circumferential portion of the rim. The outer end of said portion f is con-
nected to the portion f¹ which is of larger diameter and contains the valve proper
of any suitable description. The object of making the said valve in the above
manner is chiefly to avoid forming a hole of large diameter through the rim, 80
that it will not be unnecessarily weakened. Obviously I may use any other valve
of suitable construction and arrange it in any desired position.
In Figure 11 I have illustrated a tyre of the "hose pipe" type which is pro-
vided with a radial fin or flange A5 to fit between and be held by the said portions A
of the wheel rim.
I wish it to be understood that I do not confine myself to the shape in cross-
section of the wheel-rims and tyres above described as the shape can manifestly be
varied considerably without departing from my invention.
Moreover my wheel-rim may be used with tyres differing in construction from
those shewn in the drawings, for instance I may use tyres in which an air tube is
employed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I would state that I
am aware that it has before been proposed to construct a wheel rim of two portions
which are adapted to grip between them the tyre or a projection thereon and I
therefore do not intend to claim broadly a wheel rim and tyre of this description
but what I do claim is:-
1. A wheel rim comprising two circumferential portions provided with means
substantially as described whereby they can be moved toward or away from each
other simultaneously for the purpose specified.
2. The combination with a wheel rim constructed substantially as described with
reference to Figure 1 of a tyre whose thickened edges are formed on their outer
faces with curved or angular recesses for the purpose specified.
3. The combination with a wheel-rim constructed substantially as described
with reference to Figure 1, of spokes whose heads or screw nipples lie on the outer
periphery of the said rim as and for the purpose specified.
4. A wheel-rim and tyre constructed substantially as described with reference
to one or other of the figures of the accompanying drawings for the purposes
specified.
1 1.
001 1
11
1000
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.