Improvements in and relating to Pneumatic Tyres for the Wheels of Cycles and other Vehicles.
Year: 1898

page_text: Improvements in and relating to Pneumatic Tyres for the Wheels
of Cycles and other Vehicles.
I, JOHN HODGSON LEE, of 4, Elm Grove, Peckham, London, S.E., Gentleman, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The improvements constituting my present invention relate to a method of con-
structing and arranging the air tube or chamber of a preumatic tyre, by means of
which and suitable valves, the mere rotation of the wheel upon which the said tyre is
mounted, serves to charge and keep charged with air under pressure the said air-tube
of any kind.
or chamber, and this without the use of a pump
I employ as the air chamber of the wheel a tube of the usual extensible material, but
for the purposes of my invention a certain portion of the length and cross sectional
circumferential measurement of the said chamber, I render non-extensible or con-
stricted by coating or lining the same with canvas, leather, cloth or other suitable
non-extensible material, and the remainder of the cross sectional circumferential
measurment of that portion of its length so treated, and which remains extensible, I
prefer to be that portion intended to be seated within or placed next to the rim of the
wheel, and at or about or near to that part of the air chamber at which occur the.
edges of the non-extensible material, I provide, within the said chamber and moulded:
therewith or connected thereto, a longitudinally or otherwise disposed diaphragın or
partition, preferably of any suitable non-porous and non-extensible material, arranged
in such a nanner as to form a small minor air chamber, in which said minor chamber
I provide a pair of non-return valves, one of which is open to the atmosphere, and so
arranged as to permit air to enter into the said minor chamber but not to exude there-
from, while the other valve forms a communication between the said minor chamber
and the air chainber proper of the tyre, and so arranged as to permit air to pass from
the minor to the major chamber, but not to return.
The said proper or major chamber inay be provided with an ordinary valve for the
purposes of inflating and deflating the same.
Assuming that the major chamber has been fully inflated in the usual way, the
constricted portion previously mentioned would leave the minor chamber not only
not filled with compressed air, but practically unaffected by such inflation of the air

page_text: chamber proper, but when the wheel is in use and rotated, each time the said con-
stricted portion comes to the ground the usual pressure upon that portion of the tyre
would cause compression of the said minor chamber, and so force the air therein into
the larger or major chamber, should the pressure of the air in the latter (through
puncture or other leakage) be less than the pressure from the minor chamber caused
by such compression, and by these means the mere use of the wheel would keep the
tyre always in a state of full inflation, the said minor chamber being inoperative until
the pressure of air in the major chamber is reduced as stated.
As an alternative arrangement and in lieu of the before mentioned diaphragm or
partition by means of which the minor chamber is formed inside the major chamber,
may provide such a minor chamber (which may or may not be of non-extensible
material) outside, distinct from, or and solutioned or otherwise connected to, the
major chamber, one of the valves of which would be arranged open to the atmos-
phere, and the other in connection with the major chamber as described, suitable
provision being made (if necessary) for preventing the collapse of the said minor
chamber longitudinally.
Either of the foregoing arrangements may be duplicated or triplicated in a tyre if
desired, while the valve or valves open to the atmosphere may, when in use, be closed
by a cap or caps, sufficiently perforated to admit the passage of air but not dust or
dirt, but when out of use, such perforated cap may be replaced by an air tight cap
to prevent escape of air should the valve be leaking.
Date : 0.
3
Improvements in and relating to Pneumatic Tyres for the Wheels
of Cycles and other Vehicles.
I, JOHN HODGSON LEE, of 4, Elm Grove, Peckham, London, S.E., Gentleman, 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:-
The improvements in pneumatic tyres constituting my invention, relates to a
method of constructing and arranging the air tube or chamber, by means of which,
and suitable valves, the mere rotation of the wheel upon which the said tyre is
mounted, serves to charge and keep charged, with air under pressure, the said air
tube or chamber, and this without the use of a pump of any kind.
In order that my invention and the manner of its operation may be fully under-
stood, reference is hereinafter made to the accompanying drawings of which.
Fig. is a side elevation (partly in section) of my improved self inflating
pneumatic tyre, while Fig. 2 is a similar-view-of-same, slightly differing in point
of construction, and mounted upon a wheel rim.
Fige 3 and 4 are slightly enlarged sectional views, taken upon the line A B of
Fig. 1 and heroinafter explained:
Fig. 5 is a much enlarged longitudinal central section of an improved form
of valve, forming part of my invention, Fig. 6 being a top or bottom view of
same.
In carrying my invention into effect I employ, as the air chamber of the wheel a

page_text: tube A, of the usual extensible material, but for the purposes of my invention, a
certain portion of the length of the said chamber (such for instance as from X to X
in Figs 1 and 2) and the whole a certain portion of its circumferential measurement,
at that part I render non-extensible or constricted, by coating the said portion
externally (or internally as at Figs. 3 and 4) with canvas, leather, cloth, or other
suitable and non-extensible material. B, and the remainder of the cross-eireumferentin!
measurement of the portion-of--the length of A so treated, and which may remain
extensible, I prefer that the tyre A to be that portion-intended-to be seated within,
or be otherwise placed next to, the rim C of the wheel. According to the method of
construction illustrated by Fig. 42, at or about, or near to that part of the air chamber
A at which occur the ends of the said non-extensible inaterial B, I provide a chamber E
within-the-said chamber, and-moulded-therewith, or cemented or otherwise-connected
thereto; consisting of a pair of preferably circular dises or partial diaphragms Dau 1 D¹,
made of any suitable non-porous, but preferably non-extensible material, the spice
between the said diaphragins D and D₁ being enclosed by any suitable non-porous
material, such as that of which A is made, by which means at the said small
cylindrical or other shaped chamber is formed, perfectly air tight, the said material
being preferably such as will permit of the said chamber being compressed
inwardly, but non-extensible outwardly. In the said chamber I provide a
pair of non-return valves, which may be of any type, but I prefer to use a pair
such as n G and G¹ which, according to my invention, are each of cylindrical
formation, and constructed of rubber, or rubber composition, and so moulded, that
while one end is open and circular the opposite end b closes together automatically,
but easily parted by and from internal air pressure. The said valve G is so formed
at its large end a³ as to be capable of pussing through a hole in the rim of the wheel
and be always open to the atmosphere, while the opposite end of its cylindrical
portion passes through a hole in the diaphragm D, and is thereat secured air-tight, so
that its closed mouth b is within the chamber EF; and this valve will permit air to
enter the chamber E F, (in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 1) but not to return,
by reason of the automatically closed mouth b. Or I may arrange that the end b
may be permanently sealed, and one or a pair of holes c be formed in the
flattened portion b through which air may exude into E, but not return, the
flattened portion b between c and the wide portion being sufficient to prevent
the latter. The opposite end of the chamber Eis provided with a like but
preferably straight valve G¹, the large end a², of which is open to the chamber
E so that air may pass therefrom into the main air chamber A, either through
its automatically closing mouth 6 or through holes c when the end of is sealed as
before described, the said valve in like manner preventing the return of air from
A to E by reason of the greater pressure of that in A serving to close together
more intimately the flattened portions b.
In lieu of the The said chamber FE being formed within the chamber A ne-
described-and-shown by Fig. 1, 1 may arrange the said chamber separate and distinct
from the chamber A therefrom as at Fig. 2, and may be connected thereto by cement or
other means, or otherwise, the air chamber A being so formed at its non-extensible
portion XX as to permit the presence of the said chamber between itself and the
rim C of the wheel. In this arrangement the valve G is open to the atmosphere at its
end a², The rim C of the wheel may have having an air passage formed therein, by
which air may be admitted to a², the mouth a² of the said valve G as at Fig. 2 the
said air passage having a boss with an externally threaded surface d for receiving (like the
opening-a-in Fig. 1) a dust but not air proof cap when in use, or a dust and air
proof cap when not in use. In order that the open end a² of G Fig. 2 may not be
closed up by the inflation of the chamber A, I provide upon that portion of A likely
to operate in this direction a piece of metal, vulcanite, wood, or other flat surface e or
in lieu of this, or in addition thereto, I may provide upon the open end of G a
guard for the same purpose (Figs 5 and 6). The valve G¹ extending without the
end D of the chamber FE enters a hole in the main chamber A (as indicated by

page_text: outline in Fig. 2) and is thereat secured air tight by cement or other suitable means.
The air chamber A may be inflated and deflated by a valve such as II and a suitable
pump in the usual way.
In either-of-the-methods-of-construction described and shewn, the main chamber-A
may-be-provided-with-a suitable valve-such as-H Fig-2, for-inflating and deflating
in-the-nl-way; and although-my-said-improved tyre-(especially-when-constructed
as-at-Fig. 1)may be adapted-for-use-as-a-single-tube-tyre-i-have chosen to illustrate
in Figs und 1 that the suid-air tube A is enclosed, and its degree of Internl
expansion-limited by an outer cover-or-envelope I), and assuming that the major
chamber-A-has-been-fully inflated-my-invention-would-operate as follows.
com-
The inflation of the chamber A would in no way influence the chamber E, as the
restricted portion between X and X would leave the chamber E, not only not filled
by compressed air, but practically unaffected by such inflation of A, but when the
wheel is in use, and rotated, each time the said constricted portion X X comes to the
ground, the usual pressure upon that portion of the tyre would cause the same to be
flattened, as suggested by- in Fig. 3, and such flattening would cause a
pressive effect upon the air in A, which, by imparting its pressure to the chamber * E,
would cause-n certain and may be a corresponding flattening of this, as-suggested
by bin same-figure; and such pressure upon E would compress the air therein,
close up the valve G, and force the compressed air in E through the valve G¹ into A,
should the pressure of air in the latter (through puncture or other leakage) by less
than the pressure of air in the chamber E, caused by the said compression, and by
these means the mere use of the wheel, in the propulsion of the machine, would serve
to keep the chamber A always fully inflated, the said minor chamber E being
always inoperative until the pressure of air in A is reduced as stated, when the
chamber would immediately operate as described for replacing the lost air
in A.
With-regard-to-the-method-of-construction As illustrated by Fig. 2, I may find
it convenient to cement a strip of canvas or other non-extensible material M_to
the under surface of the chamber E, the ends of which may extend beyond the
ends of D and D¹, and be cemented to the under surface of the tube A, as a means
for preventing displacement of the chamber E.
Either of The foregoing arrangements for the chamber E may be duplicated or
triplicated within the circumferential length of the tyre if desired, all of which may
be arranged to operate independently of each other, for the purposes stated.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :--
(1). The self inflating pneumatic tyre for cycle and other wheels, consisting of an
inner or smaller chamber concealed within or by arranged between the rim of the wheel
and a constricted portion of the inflatable tube of the tyre, and open at one end to the
atmosphere, and connected at its opposite end with the said tube, the said smaller
chamber being provided with suitable non-return valves, and adapted by compression
to force the air contained therein into the said tube, by the mere rotation of the
wheel, substantially as herein set forth and shewn.
(2). In an improved self inflating pneumatic tyre for cycle and other wheels, the
combination of an air chamber A, adapted to internally to form, or accomodate
the presence of a smaller chamber such as E, one end of which D is open to the
atmosphere, and provided with a valve such as G, the opposite end D' being provided
with a valve such as G¹, connected to the said chamber A, the whole connected and 5
operating substantially as and for the purposes herein described and shewn.
(3). In an improved pneumatic tyre adapted to be kept inflated by the mere
rotation of the wheel, and consisting of a major inflatable air chamber, adapted to
form, or accommodate the presence of a minor air chamber, the combination with
such major and minor air chambers of a pair of valves such as G and G¹, each 5

page_text: moulded to take in air at its largest end a² or a² and discharge but not take in air at
its smaller end b, or by and through a hole or holes c near the said end b, substan-
tially as herein described and shewn by the accompanying drawings, more particularly
by Figs. 5 and 6.
GEO. THOS. HYDE,
1, Broad Street Buildings, Liverpool Street, London, E.C.,
Agent for the Applicant.