Year: 1899

page_text: I, CHARLES KINGSTON WELCH, of Park House, Coventry, in the County of War-
wick, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:
This invention relates to the tread portion or bearing surface of wheel tyres,
and more particularly of pneumatic tyres."
My invention has for its object to provide a tread surface that will tend to
efficiently prevent slip of the tyre upon the road surface in any direction and will
at the same time be capable of ready application to the tyre or to the inexpan
sible fabric of a pneumatic tyre.
.
According to my invention I provide the tread surface with two distinct sets
or series of ridges, those of one series extending diagonally in one direction and
those of the other series extending diagonally in another direction.
I prefer to arrange these series of ridges in triangular or approximately tri-
angular figures alternating with each other. One side of each of these figures,
viz. that formed by the longest ridge of the set, reaches from one side of the
tread surface to the other, and the next succeeding ridges are of gradually
decreasing length and reach from one side of the tread surface to, or nearly to,
the longest ridge of the adjacent set or series of ridges.
In some cases I may cause some or all of the ridges in each set or series to
extend into or intersect the adjacent sets. I may also cause certain of the ridges
(for instance, alternate ridges) to extend further toward the side of the tyre than
the other ridges. I may sometimes make in each series of ridges a secondary
or transverse series of ridges at a lower plane than that of the other ridges.
Moreover, I may arrange the ridges in straight, curved, wave-like or helical
lines; and their crests may be plain, undulated, notched, knurled or otherwise
formed. The cross-sectional shape of said ridges may be triangular, semicircular
or of any other suitable form.
Thus I obtain a tread surface comprising ridges or projections disposed in
two or more directions and adapted to prevent slip in circumferential lateral or
inclined directions. As there are no continuous circumferential lines in the
tread surface, it follows that, if the same be applied to the tyre in a position not
perfectly central, or if the tyre mounted on the wheel "out of truth." the fact
will not be so easily observed upon the rotation of the wheel as is the case with
the patterns of tyres now generally in use. Furthermore, when the wheel is
perpendicular to the surface upon which it is running, the number of ridges in
each series that come into contact with the road surface or are operative will
be equal, while when the wheel is inclined to the road surface so that the bear-
ing point is shifted toward one or the other side of the tread surface, the number
of operative ridges in one series will exceed the number of the operative ridges in
the other series. I may so arrange that this increase in the number of the opera-

page_text: tive ridges may compensate for the increased tendency to slip in one or the other
direction when the tyre is not running on the central portion of its tread.
Dated this 10th day of June 1899.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.
1, CHARLES KINGSTON WELCH, of Park House, Coventry, in the County of War.
wick, Engineer, 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 relates to the tread portion or bearing surface of wheel tyres,
and more particularly of pneumatic tyres.
My invention has for its object to provide a tread surface that will tend to
efficiently-prevent-slip-of-the-tyre-upon the road surface in any direction and will
at the same time be capable of ready application to the tyre or to the inexpan-
sible fabric of a pneumatic tyre.
According to my invention I provide the tread surface with two distinct sets
or series of ridges, those of one series extending diagonally in one direction and
those of the other series extending diagonally in another direction. I prefer to
arrange these series of ridges in triangular or approximately triangular figures
alternately with each other.
In order that my invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into
effect, I will describe the same more fully with reference to the accompanying
drawings, in which:-
Figures 1 and 2 are respectively a plan and a perspective elevation of one
form of tyre, tread constructed according to my invention.
Figures 3 and 4 and Figures 5 and 6 are views similar to Figures 1 and 2
showing modified forms of tyres constructed according to my invention.
a is the outer cover or surface of a pneumatic tyre and may consist of vul-
canized india-rubber or other suitable material. b, b and c, c, are the said two
sets of ridges arranged in alternate triangular figures.
Referring particularly to Figures 1 and 2, it will be seen that one side of
each of these triangular figures, viz. that formed by the longest ridge of the
set, reaches from one side of the tread surface to the other, and the next succeed-
ing ridges are of gradually decreasing length and reach from one side of the
tread surface to, or nearly to, the longest ridge of the adjacent set or series of
ridges.
In the form of tread surface shown in Figures 3 and 4 the ridges in each set
or series extend a certain distance into the adjacent ridges of the other set or
series, so that the extremities of the ridges in each triangular figure intersect
the adjacent ridges of the next figure.
In the form of tread surface shown in Figures 5 and 6, the ridges of each
series extend across the other series, forming in each series of ridges a secondary
or transverse series of ridges which are preferably at a lower plane than that
of the other ridges.
I may also cause certain of the ridges to extend further toward the side of
the tyre than the other ridges. Such a construction is shown in Figures 3
and 4, wherein alternate ridges of each series are so extended.

page_text: I may arrange the ridges in straight lines, as shown in the drawings, or in
curved, wave-like or helical lines; and their crests may be plain, as shown, or
may be undulated, notched, knurled or otherwise formed. The cross-sectional
shape of the said ridges may be triangular, semi-circular or of any other suit-
able form.
My improved tread surface, comprising ridges or projections disposed in two
or more directions, is adapted to prevent slip in circumferential, lateral or in-
clined directions. As there are no continuous circumferential lines in the tread
surface, it follows that, if the same be applied to the tyre in a position not per-
fectly central, or if the tyre be mounted on the wheel out of truth," the fact
will not be so easily observed upon the rotation of the wheel as is the case with
the patterns of tyres now generally in use. Furthermore when the wheel is
perpendicular to the surface upon which it is running, the number of ridges in
each series that come into contact with the road surface or are operative will
be equal, while when the wheel is inclined to the road surface so that the bear-
ing point is shifted toward one or the other side of the tread surface, the number
of operative ridges in one series will exceed the number of operative ridges in
the other series. The general direction of the ridges of the respective series is
so arranged that this increase in the number of the operative ridges will com-
pensate for the increased tendency to slip in one or the other direction when the
tyre is not running on the central portion of its tread.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. A tread surface for a wheel tyre, composed of two sets or series of ridges
arranged in alternating and approximately triangular figures, substantially as
described.
2. A tread surface for a wheel tyre, substantially as described with reference
to Figures 1 and 2, or Figures 3 and 4, or Figures 5 and 6 of the accompanying
drawings for the purposes specified.
Dated thin 10th day of Ass 1000
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.