Improvements in and relating to India-rubber Fabrics, and Means for Producing same, chiefly applicable to Pneumatic Tyres.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Nov., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 24th Aug., 1898-Accepted, 24th Nov., 1898
Improvements in and relating to India-rubber Fabrics, and Means for
Producing same, chiefly applicable to Pneumatic Tyres.
I, EDWARD EVERARD PRESTON, of 20, Gerrard Street, Leicester, in the County
Borough of Leicester, Hosiery Mechanic, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:
This invention relates to the manufacture of a new or improved India-rubber
fabric which is chiefly though not exclusively applicable in the manufacture of
pneumatic tyres.
A fabric made in accordance with this invention comprises a series of inex-
tensible threads (composed of cotton or other suitable material) each of which
is held in position relatively to its neighbours by means of knitted loops.
This fabric may be proofed with India-rubber solution on one or both sides.
or it may be laid upon a sheet of unvulcanised rubber, and then vulcanised. The
fabric thus constituted is inextensible in the direction of the said threads while
it is extensible in any other direction.
To carry out my invention I preferably employ a single rib warp knitting loom
(well known in the fancy hosiery trade) having guide bars and needle bar the
latter being arrainged that each needle shall rise to take its loop at the end of
the warp threads and descend and pass under the next adjacent thread loop and
repeat at each thread until the traverse of the bar is concluded, the warp threads
all moving forward together, the said knitting needle will at the time of such
movement make a kuitted chain in line with the warp threads, until it commences
to return in like manner back again to its normal position, the set of needles are
arranged so that where one needle leaves off the next commences and so on right
across the warp threads, such knitting or binding loops may be made in straight
or diagonal lines as the case may be, the guide bar for taking the knitting
thread or threads moves forward when the needles rise above the warp threads,
such loops are formed by the ordinary mechanical devices of motion cams and
levers and in addition to their vertical motion I cause the said needle bar to move
to the right or left the distance desired by aid of a shogging cam on the cam shaft.
an auxillary guide bar is also provided to carry the inextensible warp threads
and places such threads in their close position so that they are bound by the
knitted loops in this position and form a fabric of closely lying vertical warp
threads held together by rows of knitted loops.
The fabric so made may then be coated with india-rubber solution or be secured
to a sheet of un vulcanised rubber and form the lining for the cover of pneumatic
tyres.
Or I may take two layers of the fabric of the right thickness and cut on the
bias and place one layer with the inextensible threads at right angles or there-
abouts to the inextensible threads of the other layer.
Or a piece of the fabric may be folded so that the series of inextensible threads
of the top fold shall be at right angles with those of the bottom fold, or be folded

page_text: upon itself leaving the ends as pockets for holding wires or the like in employing
the aforesaid rubber fabric for lining the covers, or as a protective lining for
pneumatic tyre covers.
תנות
J
NT
1005
W. BESTWICK MAXFIELD,
Applicant's Agent.
Improvements in and relating to India-rubber Fabrics, and Means for
Producing same, chiefly applicable to Pneumatic Tyres.
I, EDWARD EVERARD PRESTON, of No. 20, Gerrard Street, Leicester, in the County
Borough of Leicester, Hosiery Mechanic, 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 manufacture of a new or improved india-rubber
fabric which is chiefly though not exclusively applicable in the manufacture of
pneumatic tyres.
That the invention may be readily understood reference is made to the accom-
panying drawings in which :-
Figure 1 represents both sides of the fabric, the front face showing no loops,
(see part turned over on the right hand side), before it is callendered or the rubber
applied thereto.
Figure 2 illustrates the relative positions of the knitting threads; warp threads
and their guides, the knitting needles being in the position for taking the loops.
Figure a front view of part of the loom giving the relative positions of the
knitting needles and the guides as in the previous figure.
Figure 4 illustrates their relative positions when the needle bar has been drawn
down to the warp guides for fastening each warp thread by a knitted loop, and
Figure shows the means employed in an ordinary warp loom for horizontally
shogging and returning the needle bar, and the rollers through which the fabric
is passed after the kuitted loops have secured the warp threads together at the
required intervals.
In carrying out this invention I employ a series of inextensible warp threads A
of any width desired preferably made of cotton or other suitable material which
will produce the desired effect of each warp thread secured by a row or rows of
knitted loops B relatively in distance to its neighbour and parallel thereto. And
the said knitted loops may be knitted around two or more threads instead of a
single thread and produce a double thickness by threading the auxilliary guides
by drawing one thread through the hole on one side of the guide and draw
another thread through the other side of the same hole.
After carry-
ing the fabric through the loom it may be proofed on one or both sides with
india-rubber solution some of which will enter the spaces between each thread, or
it may be laid upon a sheet of un-vulcanised rubber and then vulcanised.
The fabric thus constituted is inextensible in the direction of the warp
threads A, while it is extensible in any other direction.
To manufacture the said fabric a single rib warp knitting loom is employed (well
known in the making of fancy hosiery web or fabrics) the guides C being placed in
proper order in their leads, and set in front of the self acting needles 1) in the
horizontal and vertical movable needle bar E, the said knitting needles being arranged
in their leads at predetermined distances and corresponding with the machine
thread guides F set in leads f' and secured to the bar G which moves with the

page_text: needle bar by a link connection b₁ from a compound lever (not shown) pressed
against another wheel such as L Figure 5 and in rear thereof fitted upon the same
shaft ..
The bar E rises to take the thread from the machine guides F and after its
descent in forming the loop it is moved sufficiently to carry it under the next
adjacent thread loop a', and repeats to the end of the traverse of the bar E by aid
of the appliances well known such as a notched or pattern wheel with link and
levers and hanging cheeks and levers marked in the drawings H and I connected
to the cradle and lever and roller ordinarily employed in such looms which receive
their motion from cams on the driving shaft. in the drawing shown in Figure 1
the turned over part 6 represents the face where no cross or chain loops occur as
in ordinary weaving to avoid ridges, the loops, B coming upon the reverse side of
the work, and represent one width or traverse but to make it more clearly under-
stood say the needles and guides are 1 inch apart in making work 60 inches in
width the traverse of the needle and machine guide bar would be beyond this
But such chain of
in order to connect all the divisions across the whole width.
knitted loops may be in a diagonal line at an equal angle of 45 degrees to connect
each section in a <line as further hereinafter described.
In arranging the warp threads A they are put upon a beam or rollers in the
ordinary way and passed through the newly arrainged guides C and conducted
over the roller c¹ in front of the partition immediately in line with the guide
bar and carried down to the receiving roller fitted in bearings on the
front rail see Figure 2," and thence to the rollers and as seen in Figure 5,
the latter shogged by the pawl engaging the toothed wheel el said pawl is
carried on the pivotal lever ca. The lever J being connected to the frame and is
in operation with said pawl by contact with the studs fitted in the face of the
notched wheel upon the movement of the cross shaft the bearings of which
are not shown this suffices for tensioning and determining the quality of the
work. The stepped cam L aided by the closed spring provides, by the assistance
of the sliding rod K the necessary motions to complete the chain of loops B. In
knitting the loops across as shown in Figure 1 the work roller remains stationary
until each thread has been knitted and each section connected so forming a
straight line the whole width of the fabric, the needle bar is then deprived of
its traverse until such time as above stated.
In knitting the loops in a diagonal line and back the needle bar traverses and
every time the needles draw their loop the work roller is moved by the ratchet
wheel el one tooth at a time by the pawl on end of a pivotal lever en situated in
rear of the bearings Figure 5, and held in engagement with an oval shaped
cam fitted on the back shaft c. The warp thread guides F, as will be noticed
in Figure 3 are placed side by side closely together and fill up the bar so
that the work when held by the chain of loops will be in a measure as represented
by Figure 1 of the drawings, the work then passes under tension through rollers;
when required for lining pneumatic or tubeless india rubber tyre covers it is then
treated on one or both sides with india rubber solution, and secured to the inside
of the cover in the usual way after being cut to the width or widths desired. Or
two widths of the tyre fabric lining may be used cut on the bias and one placed at
right angles to the other so that the threads cross each other. Or the tyre fabric
lining may be so folded that pockets are made at each edge for the reception of
wires, cords or the like for securing the tyre to the rim of the wheel.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:-
-
1. A jacket or covering for pneumatic or tubeless tyres composed of india rubber
or other clastic material lined with or having inserted therein a fabric of closely
lying inextensible warp threads held together by rows or chains of knitted loops,
and solutioned on one or both sides, substantially as described.

page_text: 2. In a warp knitting loom wherein a needle bar and machine guide bar is
provided set at corresponding intervals therein, with thread guides and knitting
needles, the former moving laterally with the needles; of an auxilliary guide bar
filled with warp thread guides, pattern mechanism operated in the manner and
for the purpose substantially as herein described and set forth.
Dated this 20th day of August 1898.
W. BESTWICK MAXFIELD),
34, Belvoir Street, Leicester, Registered Patent Agent, Applicant's Agent.