Improvements in Elastic or Spring Wheel Tyres and Wheels for Velocipedes and other Wheeled Vehicles.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Sept., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 27th June, 1894-Accepted, 18th Aug., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Elastic or Spring Wheel Tyres and Wheels for
Velocipedes and other Wheeled Vehicles.
I JOHN WOOD of 126 Gaskell Street, Newton Heath, Manchester, in the
County of Lancaster, Machinist, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
My said invention relates to elastic and spring wheel tyres and wheels for
velocipedes and other wheeled vehicles. My invention is directed towards
furthering progression by fashioning the tyre or wheel in such a manner that the
mere weight supported by the wheel coupled with the dancing or vibrating motion
will have a tendency to cause the wheel to advance.
To effect this object, under a primary arrangement I insert in the tyre a
succession of discs, rings or thicknesses of a material harder than the rubber or
material composing the tyre, and arranged to form a more or less acute angle with
the line of progression.
The top of the disc or thickness thus overhangs the bottom when the bottom is
touching the road.
If such a succession of discs were arranged on a wheel rim and supported from
one to the other by springs or other resilient supports, it is obvious that any weight
placed on the wheel would tend to flatten down the discs and in so flattening down
they would fall forward and tend to advance the wheel a little. This result being
established it will be evident that by filling up the spaces between the discs with
vulcanised rubber the actual flattening down of the discs would be resisted for the
most part while the tendency to flatten down would remain and thus assist the
revolution of the wheel. The vibrating or dancing motion of the wheel will also
have the effect of assisting progression. The said angular disc or other shaped
insertions in a rubber tyre are made of vulcanised or hard rubber or metal or other
material harder than the rubber. They might extend through to the outside of
the rubber or they might be stopped short of the outside so as to leave soft rubber
between them and the road. The discs might either be contained in solid rubber
tyres or in so called rubber cushion tyres or they might be placed in a pneumatic
tyre, the air being either confined between the discs or having free access to either
side. They might also in some cases be supported by interposed springs or by
elastic fluid other than air. Although I have used the terms "discs"
"thicknesses to describe the inclined parts or walls they need not necessarily be
For example in applying the invention to a solid or rubber cushion tyre
I might make a species of inner rim having a number of tangential projections like
the teeth of a circular saw, the rim and teeth being of the required harder material.
The said tangential projections or teeth would be buried in the rubber and from
their shape and position would have the effect of the hereinbefore described disco
or thicknesses. I do not however limit myself to any particular arrangement,
construction or material so long as the tyre is fitted with or contains a series of the said
inclined planes, discs, partitions or thicknesses the upper ends of which overhang
the lower when in contact with the road.
80.
"
or
Under a modified arrangement constituting a spring wheel I arrange the said
inclined springs preferably composed of steel blades upon the periphery of an inner
smaller wheel, the tips of the springs resting upon the internal circumference of an
annular ring or flange forming part of the wheel proper. This smaller spring
wheel would be driven by the usual means and the inclined springs bearing upon
the annular flange, which might if thought fit be roughened or toothed, causes the

page_text: driving wheel to revolve, the resilient effect being obtained from the inclined
springs which also develop the progressive movement already described with
reference to the foregoing modifications.
Dated the 27th day of September 1893.
E. K. DUTTON & Co.,
5, John Dalton Street, Manchester, Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Elastic or Spring Wheel Tyres and Wheels for
Velocipedes and other Wheeled Vehicles.
I JOHN WOOD of 126 Gaskell Street, Newton Heath, Manchester, in the
County of Lancaster, Machinist, 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 and accompanying drawings:-
My said invention relates to elastic and spring wheel tyres and wheels for
velocipedes and other wheeled vehicles.
My invention is directed towards furthering progression by fashioning the tyre
or wheel in such a manner that the mere weight supported by the wheel coupled
with the dancing or vibrating motion will have a tendency to cause the wheel to
advance.
To effect this object, under a primary arrangement, and as shown in Fig. 1 of
the accompanying drawings, I insert in the tyre a succession of discs, rings or
thicknesses a of a material harder than the rubber or material & composing the
tyre and arranged to form a more or less acute angle with the line of progression
as indicated by the arrow.
The top of the disc or thickness a thus overhangs the bottom when the bottom is
touching the road or ground line as clearly apparent from the drawing.
If such a succession of discs or thicknesses a were arranged on a wheel rim and
supported from one to the other by resilient supports such as bor b¹ it is obvious
that any weight placed on the wheel would tend to flatten down the discs or
thicknesses and in so flattening down they would fall forward and tend to advance
the wheel a little. This result being established it will be evident that by filling
up the spaces between the discs with vulcanised rubber as for example at b' the
actual flattening down of the discs a would be resisted for the most part while the
tendency to flatten down would remain and thus assist the revolution of the wheel.
The vibrating or dancing motion of the wheel will also have the effect of assisting
progression. The said inclined disc or other shaped insertions a in a rubber tyre
are made of vulcanised or hard rubber or metal or other material harder than
the rubber. They might extend through to the outside of the rubber or wheel as
shown or they might be stopped short of the outside so as to leave a thickness of
soft rubber between them and the road. The discs a might either be contained in
solid rubber tyres or in so called rubber cushion tyres as for example at b¹ or as
shown in Fig. 2, or they might be placed in a pneumatic tyre as at a in Fig. 1, the
air being either confined between the discs a as at x Fig. 1 or having free access to
either side through a hole in the disc as at c. They might also in some cases be
supported by interposed springs or by elastic fluid other than air.
"
Although I have used the terms "discs or "thicknesses " to describe the
inclined parts or walls they need not necessarily be so. For example in applying
the invention to a solid or rubber cushion tyre as at Fig. 2 I might make a species
of inner rim having a number of tangential projections a' like the teeth of a
circular saw,
the rim and teeth being of the required harder material. The said
tangential projections or teeth a' would be buried in the rubber and from their
shape and position would have the effect of the hereinbefore described discs or
thicknesses a. I do not however limit myself to any particular arrangement,

page_text: construction or material so long as the tyre is fitted with or contains a series of the
said inclined planes, discs, partitions or thicknesses the upper ends of which
overhang the lower when in contact with the road.
•
For example Fig. 3 represents a solid rubber tyre c having spaces d fashioned in
it, the thickness of rubber e between the spaces being inclined relatively to the line
of progression, in the same manner as the discs or thicknesses a in Fig. 1 and a' in
Fig. 2.
These intervening thicknesses might either be of the same material and
consistency as the rest of the tyre or they might be of a harder nature and be
embedded in the tyre as in Fig. 2.
Figs. 4, 5 and 6 represent modifications or variations of the tyre shown in
Fig. 3. In every instance the general principle is the same, that is to say the
thicknesses of materiale between the spaces d lie at the requisite inclination so as
to assist the progression of the wheel as already described.
In Fig. 7 the inclined intervening parts a take the form of rings which enter into
the composition of the pneumatic tyre f which may be used either with or without
an air bag.
These rings a may be of harder consistency than the separating parts f and
their inclination to flatten down and fall forward when weight is placed on the
wheel creates the progressive tendency in the wheel which I have already
instanced.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed 1 declare that what I
claim is.
In combination with elastic tyres of the indicated nature the employment of
inclined discs, teeth, partitions, thicknesses or rings applied to or interposed in or
fashioned from the tyre in such a manner that weight placed on the wheel tends to
flatten down or throw forward the said discs, thicknesses or parts in the direction
of progression, whereby the rotation of the wheel is assisted, substantially as
described and as illustrated.
Dated the 26th day of June 1894
E. K. DUTTON & Co.,
5, John Dalton Street, Manchester, Agents.