Year: 1898

page_text: иргоѵешены и лавно тугев на піms 10r wде 18.
I, WILLIAM FREDERICK WILLIAMS, of 32, Shaftesbury Avenue, London, W,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows. -
My invention relates to improvements in the construction of elastic tyres for
wheels of the kind for which former Letters Patent were granted to me dated
the 20th day of November 1896 No. 26,288; and also to the construction of the
wheel rims in so far as relates to the provision of special means of scuring a
firm connection of such an elastic tyre to the 1m under all circumstances in-
cidental to street traffic and particularly to guard against the detachment of
the tyre in consequence of lateral or wrenching strains caused by catching of the
tyre in tramway rails or against kerbs or otherwise The improvements in the
construction of the elastic tyre are mainly designed to ensure such greater
security of attachment to the mm, to facilitate the construction, and to increase
the durability of the tyre, and also to enable the tread of the tyre alone to be
renewed when worn, without necessitating the renewal of the whole tyre
For the purpose of securing the tyre to the rim the transverse springs, whether
they be of the spiral wie, flat or curve plate, or other description, instead of as
heretofore, having their ends covered by or flush with the edges of the rubber
strip in which they are embedded project therefrom sufficiently to admit of enter-
ing into interlocking engagement with inwardly extending projections formed
on the flanges of the wheel rim, the projecting portions of the springs being
adapted by their form to engage with such projections of the rim in such a way
as to be incapable of becoming disengaged therefrom otherwise than by direct
lateral compression of the tyre in such a manner, and to such an extent, as cannot
possibly occur under the conditions in which the tyre is used
The springs are embedded in rubber as before, but instead of the wearing sur-
face or tread forming part of the same strip, it is applied as a detachable and
separately removable cover so that when worn the cover only need be renewed
This cover is initially moulded or otherwise formed of a contracted arched form
in cross section so as to require to be sprung open in order to apply it upon the
inner spring strip the effect being both to cause the cover to cling thereon and
also to compress the rubber at the tread instead of stretching it and so prolong
the wear of the rubber at the tread. To enable this cover to be securely attached,
its edges may be provided with right angled metallic or other flanges the flanges
if metallic being preferably in short lengths. They may be formed by doubling a
strip of sheet metal longitudinally on itself so as to enable the canvas edges of
the cover to be clipped between or otherwise securely attached to the two thick-
nesses of metal forming the web portion, the right angled flange being adapted
to be engaged with the edge of the sping-embedding stup whilst the springa
engage as before described with the projections of the flanges of the rim which
support and retain both the spring strip and cover in position Or the edges of
the cover may be furnished with inwardly-projecting pins adapted to be trans-

page_text: fixed through the embedded springs and to be retained in secure engagement
therewith by the flanges of the rim.
To prevent the rubber of the tread, whether separate or in one with the spring
embedding strip, being forced, by the pressure of the load, between the convolu-
tions of the spiral springs and so being cut or injured, the portions of the springa
opposite to the point of tread may be filled with flexible cores formed preferably
by short lengths of cordage so as to afford the internal support required at that
point to prevent the squeezing of the rubber between the coils. Or the springs
may be enclosed in a canvas wrapper or tubular sheath, with the same object
Instead of the transverse springs being formed of separate lengths I prefer to
make them of one continuous length, the ends of adjacent springs being connected
in pairs alternately at opposite sides of the strip so that the springs not only
mutually assist to support each other in position but the cross member or con-
necting portion of wire serves the purpose of effecting the interlocking engagement
of the springs with the flanges of the wheel rim This form of continuously con-
nected springs may best be formed by coiling short lengths alternately opposite
handed and then bending the whole to and fro zigzag fashion so as to bing the
coiled portions parallel to each other side by side and the intervening connecting
members into position for engagement with the rim of the wheel
The wheel rim would be made by rolling in the usual way of making the chan-
nelled rims for solid rubber tyres, except in so far as the formation of the inwardly
projecting ribs for engagement with the springs involves the use of special methods
and appliances These ribs may either be rolled in the solid with the strip when
in the flat form and then brought into the inwardly projecting position by the
turning up of the side flanges to bring the strip to channel form, the ribs being
then near the bottom of the channel whilst the side flanges stand up bevond them
Or the inwardly projecting ribs may be formed at the edges of the flat stip, which
18 bent or doubled upon itself at two places to bring the ribs to the required
positions and form the side flanges Or the ribs may be formed by doubling the
strip upon itself at the points and then bending it up to form the side flanges,
the ribs being formed by the doublod thickness of metal
Dated this 10th day of June 1898
Al M & WM, CLARK,
Chartered Patent Agents, 53, Chancery Lane, London
Improvements in Elastic Tyres and Rims for Wheels.
I, WILLIAM FREDERICK WILLIAMS, formerly of 32, Shaftesbury Avenue, London,
W, and at present of 17 and 18, Great Pulteney Street, Golden Square, London,
W, 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
-
My improvements in elastic tyres for wheels have for object to secure a firm
connection of the tyre to the wheel rim, to facilitate the manufacture of the tyre,
and increase its durability
In the accompanying diawings Figures 1, 2, and 3 shew cross-sections, and
Figures 4 and 5 shew half sections, of elastic tyres formed with helical springs and
differing only in respect of the means of securing the tyre to the wheel rim
Figure 2 shows the sectional form to which the liner 18 rolled in the first instance
before being introduced between the inwardly inclined flanges of the wheel rim

page_text: shown in Figure 2. Figure 6 shews a cross-section of the tyre cover separately.
Figures 7, 8, 9, and 10 shew details of the construction of the inner or spring
portion of the tyie Figure 7 being a part perspective view of a short length of such
inner portion in the flat (with parts broken away to illustrate the formation)
Figure 8 a cross-section, and Figure 9 a longitudinal section of the same and
Figure 10 a plan or face view of a short length of the internal spring Figure 11
shews a cross-section of an elastic tyre formed with flat springs, and Figure 12
shews a perspective view of a few of the springs before being bent to the arched
form.
The tyre consists of an outer cover A and of an inner portion composed of
springs B united so as to form a continuous strip
In Figures 1 to 10, the springs B are helical and are arranged side by side in
the transverse direction of the tyre They may be formed of one continuous
length of wire by being coiled in similar successive helices or in right and left
handed helices alternately, as represented at 6, 61, 63 69, etc., in Figures 7 and 10,
adjacent coils being connected in pairs alternately at opposite ends of the aptings
by members D of wire, that is to say the springs b, b, are connected at the one
end whilst the other end of spring 61 is connected to the adjacent end of 6ª, and
the opposite end of 6 18 similarly connected to b, and so on The springs thus
connected not only mutually support each other but the U-shaped recurved con-
necting members D, effect an interlocking engagement of the springs with the
wheel rim
With this object the U-shaped connecting members D are recurved
so that they are perpendicular to the plane of the strip as a whole when in the
flat, as shown in Figures 7 and 8 and are presented as outwardly-directed hooks,
for engagement with the wheel rim when the strip is arched as shown in
Figures 1, 2, 3. The springs are enveloped in rubber C or equivalent material so
as to form a transversely flexible strip, the edges of the rubber strip being square
and flush with the ends of the helical springs, the connecting members D alone
projecting
The rubber is excluded from the interior of the coils, for which purpose the
springs are enclosed in tubular sheaths E of plaited or woven cotton or other
suitable material, (such as lamp wick) each sheath enclosing two adjacent springs,
as shewn in Figures 7 and 9
The middle portions of the springs are preferably filled by flexible cores F
formed of plaited or other cord so as without impeding the flexibility of the
springs to afford the internal support necessary to prevent the squeezing of
the rubber between the coila.
The U-shaped members D are bent hook-wise as above stated so that when the
strip is arched as shewn m Figures 1 to 5, and is placed within the groove of the
wheel rim, the hook-like members D will be outwardly directed and engage with
inturned flanges G formed, fixed, or otherwise provided within the grooved wheel
rim H, the U-shaped hooks D being held in inter looking engagement therewith
by the tendency of the tyre to expand laterally
Separate helical springs may be used, that is to say the portion of the U-shaped
connecting member comprised between the letters in Figures 7 and 10 may
be dispensed with, leaving only the hook-like ends of the springs
Instead of the springs B being helical they may be flat strips B¹ as in Figure 12.
having their enda reversely bent as shewn at d', d³, so as to form hooks D adapted
to abut against, and to engage with, the flanges G. These plate springs would
be connected by a strip of canvas M (preferably on the bias) rivetted to the
springs at m, the ends of the strip being united to form a complete annulus, and
the face of the canvas being coated with rubber 0¹ This annular spring strip
18 bent to a transversely arched form and is applied, together with an outer
cover A, to the wheel rim provided with internally projecting flanges G with
which the ends D of the springs engage as shewn in Figure 11, and between
which flanges G and the parts from d¹ to d of the bent ends D of the springs,

page_text: the flanges of the cover A are clamped as described in respect of the spiral
spring construction
The cover A 18 of rubber moulded of arched form in cross section as shown
In order that the rubber at the thick tread shall be in a state of compression,
when the cover 18 applied, the cover 18 moulded of an initially contracted arched
form in the transverse direction as indicated in Figure 6 and in the circum-
ferential direction to a curve of about half the radius of the wheel, so that it will
requie to be sprung open both laterally and cucumferentially in order to apply
it, and will not tend to spring off but will cling on to the interior supporting
spring portion
For this purpose the cover is moulded upon a mandrel of 1e-
latively small section and of annular or spiral form, the ends of the length or
lengths thus formed being joined by vulcanization to form a complete cover.
The edges of the cover are provided with inwardly projecting flanges of metal a
made in short lengths and formed preferably by doubling a strip of sheet metal
upon the edge of an intervening canvas strip at which is solutioned to the inner
surface of the rubber The cover A is adapted to embrace the spring strip C so that
the flanges a become clamped between the edges of the stup C and the flanges G
which form both an abutment for the stip C and a means of engagement by the
hooks for retaining the spring strip upon the wheel m The fee edge of each
Hange a is preferably bent at right angles as at a so as to be adapted to make a
secure connection with the flanges G as indicated in Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 11
The wheel run H may either have the inwardly projecting flanges G formed
solid with it as in Fig 1, or these may be formed separately as described in
reference to Figures 2, 3, 4, and 6, the side cheeks h of the rim projecting auffi-
ciently to confine the sides of the tyre as shewn
In Figure 2 the rim H is of the ordinary form with inwardly inclined side
cheeks and the flanges G are formed by the inwardly turned edges of a linei
strip T which is first rolled of the form shewn in Figure 24, so as to pass between
the side cheeks h and 18 afterwards flattened so as to fit tightly in the 1m to
which the ends of the line stip may be screwed
In Figure 3 the rim H is of right angled section the locking flanges G and side
cheeks being formed by the line strip J 1olled of the folded cross sectional
form shewn and fitted in the groove of the mm H the ends of the liner strip being
screwed to the rim H.
In the half section shown in Figure 4 the liner K is rolled with a solid flange G
instead of being folded, whilst the other half section (Figure 5) differs only
from Figure 2 in that the side cheeks of the wheel rim H are not inclined inwards
and therefore the liner L can be rolled of flat cross section with inwardly curved
flanges G and be laid directly in the rim H and be screwed thereto
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention and in what manner the same 18 to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
1 The combination with a wheel 11m of channelled section, having flanges
inwardly projecting from the side cheeks of the rim at a point intermediate of
the bottom of the channel and the edges of the cheeks, of an elastic tyre formed
of an endless outer cover of transversely arched section provided with inwardly
projecting rigid flanges in short lengths the cover enclosing a connected series
of juxtaposed transversely extending springs bent to an arched form and the
springs being provided with hooked ends which engage with the said inwardly
projecting flanges of the rim the sides of the cover being held between the cheeks
of the nm whilst the flanges of the cover are clamped by the springs against the
inwardly projecting flanges of the rim substantially as specified
2. The combination with a wheel rim of channelled section having flanges in-
wardly projecting from the side cheeks of the rim at a point intermediate of the
bottom of the channel and the edges of the cheeks, of an elastic tyre formed of an
endless stup of rubber having embedded therein juxtaposed transversely ex-

page_text: tending helical springs enclosed in tubular sheaths of plaited fabric, and formed
of continuous wire said springs being united two by two alternately at opposite
ends by recurved or hook-shaped connecting members the strip when applied
to the rim being bent to a transversely arched form and the said hook-like parts
being engaged with the said inwardly projecting flanges of the rim and being
retained in such engagement by the laterally expanding tendency of the strip
substantially as specified
3. The combination with a wheel rim of channelled section enclosing flanges
nwardly projecting from the side cheeks of the rim at a point intermediate
of the bottom of the channel and the edges of the cheeks, of a strip having springs
embedded therein, and of an endless outer cover of rubber of arched cross section
provided with inwardly projecting rigid flanges adapted to embrace the edges
of the spring strip and to be gripped between the edges of the strip and the flanges
of the rim when the strip is bent to a transversely arched form and the hook-like
extensions of the springs are engaged with the said flanges as described, the
cover fitting between the side cheeks of the rim, as described.
4. In a vehicle wheel having a rim of channelled section the combination of a
liner having inwardly recurved flanges, said liner being fixed within the channel
of the rim as described, and of an elastic tyre formed of strip of rubber having
embedded therein juxtaposed transversely extending helical springs connected
as described by recurved or hook-like members, and of an endless cover provided
with inwardly projecting flanges at its edges, the tyre when applied to the wheel
being bent of transversely arched form and the recurved or hook-like members
being engaged with the inwardly projecting flanges of the liner, the flanges of
the cover being gripped between the said flanges of the liner and the edges of
the spring strip whilst the cover 18 confined between the said cheeks of the 11m
substantially as specified.
A M. & WM, CLARK,
Chartered Patent Agents, 53, Chancery Lane, London.
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