Improvements in the Means of Closing Holes or Punctures in Pneumatic Tyres.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Aug., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 31st May, 1898-Accepted, 16th July, 1898.
Improvements in the Means of Closing Holes or Punctures in
Pneumatic Tyres.
A communication from LA SOCIETE CHIMIQUE DES USINES DU RIONE anciennement
GILLIARD P. MONNET ET CARTIER, of Lyons, France, Manufacturers.
I, GEORGE BELOE ELLIS, of the Firm of J. C. Mewburn & Ellis, of 55 and 56,
Chancery Lane, in the County of London, Chartered Patent Agents, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:
-
This invention relates to improved means of closing holes or punctures in
pneumatic tyres, and is particularly applicable to single tube tyres.
The various means which have either been patented or proposed hitherto for
the purpose of closing and repairing holes or punctures in pneumatic rubber tyres
of cycles, have consisted as regards the repair of holes of a certain size, either in
sticking patches of suitable material with rubber cement or solution over said
holes or in plugging up said holes with rubber plugs formed with heads which were
kept up against the inner walls of the tube by means of an adhesive agent intro-
duced into the interior of the pneumatic tyre by means of a syringe or other
device. This last method, although based on an excellent principle, has however
the serious drawback that should the shank or stem of the plug be forced inwards
to an appreciable extent by strong external pressure applied to said shank or
stem, the plug will be driven completely into the interior of the air chamber and
the obturation will cease.
Now the present invention relates to the construction and use of a plug so formed
that the internal pressure due to the compressed air enclosed in the air chamber
of the tyre, as also the external pressure due to the weight of the cycle, or to any
other cause,
will act to retain the plug in place with a force increasing with such
pressures and so as to render the air chamber tight to all fluids.
The improved plug is preferably made of rubber and is composed substantially
of two portions, viz.-a portion (preferably cylindrical) formed with a cavity,
and a solid conical portion forming one with the cylindrical portion. The plug
is inserted into the hole or puncture in the tyre in such a manner that the
cylindrical portion will be situated inside the air chamber with its cavity open to
the interior of the latter, whilst the conical portion will occupy the hole or
puncture. The conical portion serves to obturate the hole or puncture against
the action of external pressure, whilst the pressure of the compressed air enclosed
in the air chamber acts in the cavity of the plug to press the latter against the sides
and edges of the hole with a degree of closeness which is increased by the fact that
the walls of the recessed portion of the plug at its junction with the conical portion
are relatively thin and consequently will conform more closely to the irregular
formation of the hole.

page_text: The dimensions of the plug are made such that when the plug is inserted into
the hole or puncture, there will be exerted between the cylindrical and conical
portions of the plug and in the direction of its axis, strains in opposite directions
which will tend to press the said portions against the inner and outer parts of
the tube surrounding the hole or puncture, said strains being further increased
by the internal and external pressures above referred to. If necessary, or if
desired, the obturating action of the plug may be rendered more complete by
injecting into the air chamber a suitable substance such as that known under the
trade mark "Fucosine" (which solidifies in air).
Dated this 28th dox of August 1807
Improvements in the Means of Closing Holes or Punctures in
Pneumatic Tyres.
A communication from La SOCIETE CHIMIQUE DES USINES DU RHONE anciennement
GILLIARD P. MONNET ET CARTIER, of Lyons, France, Manufacturers.
I, GEORGE BELOE ELLIS, of the Firm of J. C. Mewburn and Ellis, of 55 and 56,
Chancery Lane, in the County of London, Chartered Patent Agents, 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:
1
This invention relates to improved means of closing holes or punctures in
pneumatic tyres, and is specially applicable to single tube tyres.
The various means which have been proposed hitherto for the purpose of closing
and repairing holes or punctures in pneumatic rubber tyres of cycles and other
vehicles have, as regards the repair of holes of a certain size, consisted either in
applying patches of suitable material by means of rubber cement or solution over
said holes, or in plugging said holes with rubber plugs, such plugs being formed
with heads kept up against the inner walls of the tube by means of an adhesive
agent introduced into the interior of the pneumatic tyre by means of a syringe
or other device. This last method, good in principle, has however the serious
drawback that should the shank or stem of the plug be forced inwards to an
appreciable extent by strong external pressure applied to the said shank or stem,
the plug is driven completely into the interior of the air chamber and the obtura-
tion ceases.
The present invention consists of a device or plug so formed that the internal
pressure of the compressed air enclosed in the air chamber of the tyre, as also the
external pressure due to the weight of the cycle or other vehicle or to any other
cause, will act to retain the plug in place with a force which will increase with
such pressures, and in such manner as to render the air chamber tight to all
fluids
My improved plug is preferably made of rubber, and is composed substantially
of two portions, namely a portion (preferably cylindrical in shape) formed with a
cavity or recess, and a conical portion, solid or also having a cavity or recess,
forming one with the first-named portion. The conical portion tapers towards
the cylindrical portion and a shoulder is thus provided upon the upper face of
the cylindrical portion. When it is required to close a hole or puncture in the

page_text: tyre, the plug is inserted into the hole or puncture in such manner that the
cylindrical portion will be situated inside the air chamber with its cavity facing
the interior of the latter and the shoulder before described bearing against the
inner wall of the air chamber, whilst the conical portion will occupy the hole or
puncture.
In the accompanying drawings which illustrate this invention as applied to a
pneumatic tyre,-
-
Figure 1 is a top view of the improved plug;
Figure 2 is a vertical section of same on line A-B Figure 1;
Figures 3 and 4 are cross sections and Figure 5 is a longitudinal section of
pneumatic tyres showing the plug in position. Figures 3, 4 and 5 are drawn to
a smaller scale than Figures 1 and 2.
a is the portion of the plug adapted to be situated
the tyre; it has a recess or cavity c in its inner face.
inside the air chamber of
b is the conical portion of
the plug which fills the hole or puncture in the tyre. The portion 6 forms one
with the portion a. d in Figures 3, 4 and 5 represents the tyre.
It will be readily understood that when the plug is in position as seen in
Figures 3, 4 and 5, the conical portion serves to obturate the hole or puncture
with a wedging action against the influence of external pressure, whilst the
pressure of the compressed air within the air chamber acts in the cavity of the
plug to press the latter against the inner sides and edges of the hole with a degree
of closeness which is increased by the fact that the walls of the recessed or
cylindrical portion of the plug at its junction with the conical portion are relatively
thin, and consequently will conform more closely to the irregular formation of
the hole.
The dimensions of the plug should be such that when the plug is inserted into
the hole or puncture there will be exerted between the cylindrical and conical
portions of the plug and in the direction of its axis strains of opposite direction
which will tend to press the said portions against the inner and outer sides of
the tube surrounding the hole or puncture, the said strains being further increased
by the internal and external pressures above referred to.
If necessary or desired the obturating action of the plug may be rendered more
complete by injecting into the air chamber a suitable liquid or semi-liquid
substance such as that known under the trade mark "Fucosine," which solidifies
on contact with the outside air.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion as communicated to me, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I
declare that what I claim is:
1. For the purpose of closing holes or punctures in pneumatic tyres, a device
consisting of a portion seating itself in the hole or puncture and closing same from
the outside with a wedging action, and a portion bearing against the inner wall
of the air chamber and closing the hole or puncture from the inside assisted by
the internal pressure of the air contained in said air chamber, the inner face of
the last mentioned portion of said device being preferably recessed, substantially
as and for the purpose described.
2. As means for closing holes or punctures in pneumatic tyres, a device con-
sisting of a portion seating itself in the hole or puncture and closing same fron
the outside with a wedging action, and of a portion bearing against the inner wall
of the air chamber and closing the hole or puncture from the inside assisted by
the internal pressure of the air contained in the air chamber, and a liquid intro-
duced into the air chamber, said liquid hardening upon contact with the outside
air, substantially as herein before described.
3. For closing holes or punctures in pneumatic tyres, a device having a conical
portion and another portion, said conical portion tapering towards and forming
one with said other portion, the last named portion having a recess in its inner face
and being also of larger diameter than the inner end of the conical portion,

page_text: whereby a shoulder is formed on the said other portion around the inner end of
the conical portion, substantially as and for the purpose described.
Dated this 31st day of May 1898.
J. C. MEWBURN & ELLIS,
55 and 56, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.