Improvements in or connected with Pneumatic Tires for Bicycle and other Wheels.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Oct., 1893-Accepted, 30th Dec., 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Pneumatic Tires for Bicycle
and other Wheels.
I, FREDERICK DENISON OWEN, of 1104 12th Street, Washington, D.C.,
U.S.A., Artist, 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 that class of pneumatic tires for bicycles and other
vehicles, composed of an endless ribband or band of rubber or other suitable
material provided at its edges with a bead, swell or enlargement to engage the
rim of a wheel.
One object of my invention is to afford greater security against the accidental
dislodgment of the enlarged edges of a tire band from their seats in the rim, by
the employment of a keeper or retaining band located within the tire.
Another object of the invention is to prevent the cutting of the tire by the
wheel rim in case of its accidental puncture or other injury which would result
in the escape of air from said tire, and consequent collapse thereof.
Another object of the invention is to provide for the more ready attachment
of a tire to the rim or felly, and detachment therefrom.
With these, and minor objects in view, the invention consists in the matters to
be bereinafter described in detail, and, then pointed out in the claims.
In the accompanying drawings,
Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, are transverse sections through a rim and tire, showing a
keeper band adapted to various forms thereof.
Figs. 6 and 7 are perspective views of short sections of the keeper band, showing
some of the many ways of securing the wires therein.
Figs. 8, 9, 10 and 11 are sectional details of the keepers shown in Figs. 1 to 5.
Fig. 12 is a plan view of a section of rim, embodying a part of my invention.
The tire herein shown, is formed, in whole or in part, of an endless band A of
rubber, or other suitable material rendered air-tight, the side edges of said band A.
being provided with circumferential air-tight inflatable pockets A' formed in any
approved manner, as, for instance, by folding said edges back upon the body of
the band A and cementing or otherwise securing said edges to leave or form said
hollow pockets A¹.
These pockets are seated side by side in a rim of proper cross-sectional contour,
and inflated, in the usual manner of inflating rubber tires, to cause the walls of
the respective pockets A¹ to abut snugly against each other and the sides of the
rim B, thus forming an air-tight joint between the walls of said pockets, and
wedging said pockets within the rim, all of which is set forth in detail in another
application for Letters Patent numbered 195233 and filed by me concurrently with
this present Application.
To avoid more certainly the accidental dislodgment of the enlarged or inflated
circumferential edges or pockets of the tire from the rim I have devised a keeper
or retaining band C to be located within the tire adjacent to the edges of the
rim B, the edges of said keeper C being so positioned with relation to the edges of
the rim that the pockets cannot be removed from the rim without deflation.
The relative proportions and positions shown in the drawings are illustrative
merely and will be followed only so far as practical experience shall warrant.
The form of keeper or retaining band C illustrated comprises a band c of
suitable material, preferably arched transversely, and stiffened at its edges

page_text: (which are designed to rest adjacent to the edges of the rim) to resist pressure
at any one point and distribute such pressure throughout the circumference of
the rim.
"
Where metal, or other somewhat unyielding material is employed to form the
keeper C, the stiffening of the edges thereof may consist in "tin wire edging
the keeper, that is to say, by rolling the edges in the same manner as is practised
in the manufacture of sheet metal ware, but I prefer to use a material other than
metal for the manufacture of such keepers and to encase a steel or other hoop c¹
or ring in each edge of said keeper in order that said edges of the keeper may
have some resilience, and sufficient strength to withstand any lateral pressure
which is likely to be exerted upon the tire.
Various materials may be employed in the construction of this retaining band C,
such as rubber, leather, or rubber incorporated with a textile fabric, now so
commonly employed in the manufacture of tires and the metal hoops c¹ may be
secured to the edges of said band in any approved or preferred manner to the end
that they are retained at a determined distance apart, practically, and in a certain
relation with respect to the rim and the enlargement or pockets A¹ of the tire. For
instance, the body c of the retaining band may be formed of a band of rubber, as in
Figs. 6 and 8, the wire hoops c', being secured by an overlying strip c² (Fig. 6)
cemented or vulcanized to the band c, or the edges of said band may be folded
over said hoops and cemented as in Fig. 8. Or the hoops c¹ may be secured by
stitching to a band c of leather of more or less stiffness, as in Figs. 3 and 10, the
retainer C in this instance forming an arched band of sufficient rigidity to support
the weight of the rider, and keep the tire from contact with the rim B, in case of
deflation through an accidental puncture, thus enabling the rider to use his wheel
without fear of cutting his tire, after such deflation, by contact with the edges of
the rim.
One advantage derived from the employment of such a retaining band, with the
described type of tire is that it forms a seal for the joint between the meeting or
abutting edges of the tire band, thus lessening the liability of leakage, and in the
form of retainer shown in Figs. 3 and 10, illustrating a somewhat stiff or rigid
leather retainer, I have provided soft rubber flaps c³, at the edges thereof, to be
pressed outward against the wall of the tire A by the air confined therein, so
providing a seal at each side of the abutting edges of said tire.
The surface of the band c, or of the flaps c³ may be coated with some liquid
substance or compound before insertion in the tire, to more certainly seal the joint
of the tire, and I prefer to use a liquid or substance that will retain its moisture, (a
liquid, for instance, having the qualities of glycerine) and one that is not detrimental
to rubber or steel.
While my retaining band has been designed with special reference to a tire formed
of a single endless band, such as hereinbefore referred to, it will be apparent that it
may be employed with advantage in tires in which an air tube B¹ is enclosed in, and
retained by an outer cover, which latter may be identical in form with the tire A
here shown, or of such form slightly modified by constructing the enlarged edges
of the tire band solid, instead of in the form of hollow inflatable pockets, as
shown.
I would here remark that separate unconnected steel hoops c' c¹ located within
the tire in juxtaposition to the respective edges of the rim would very well serve the
purpose of preventing the accidental dislodgment of the tire from the rim, and
especially when used in connection with the forms of tire shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5,
but difficulty might be found in seating such separate hoops accurately within the
tire, which objection is avoided by making such hoops a part of retainer C, shown,
as the proper seating of one edge of said retainer (including its hoop c¹) involves
the proper seating of the other edge thereof, for the reason that said edges of the
retainer, including the hoops c' will be positioned with sufficient accuracy to
automatically assume the required position within the tire when the latter is
inflated.

page_text: It will of course be understood that the form of the body c of the keeper or
retaining band C may be modified to suit special requirements or the views of
different manufacturers or users, as for instance its outer surface may be corrugated,
as shown in Fig. 5, or the band may be perforated, or of skeleton form to reduce
weight.
The circumferential hollow pockets A' are each provided with an air supply
nozzle E of any approved form, through which said pockets may be inflated after
being arranged within the rim, and to afford greater facility for seating and
removing the tire, the rim is provided at sides with notches b to receive said supply
nozzles, thereby avoiding the necessity of inserting said nozzles through a drilled
hole in the rim, or withdrawing them from said hole. This not only adds to the
convenience of manipulating the tire, but tends to preserve the joint between the
supply nozzles and tire in more perfect condition as said nozzles are readily removed
from the rim without bending or kinking the material of the tire.
When the tire band A constitutes the air tube of the tire the keeper or retainer
serves the threefold purpose of preventing slip, of sealing the joint between the
edges of the band, and, in the form shown in Fig. 3, pressing the abutting edges
of the band A towards or against each other.
In a tire constructed as shown in Figures 4 and 5, the edge pockets A¹ con-
stitute not only the means for securing the tire band within the rim of a wheel, but
also the air tube or tubes of the tire, the integral body, or that part of said band
between the pockets, constituting the outer protecting cover only, which is not
designed, of itself, to contain air under pressure, and therefore is not provided
with an air-supply nozzle.
But in the forms shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3, wherein a body of air under
pressure is confined between the body of the tire band and the inflated pockets
thereof, an air supply nozzle E' may be conveniently attached to the retainer C,
as shown.
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 combination with a wheel rim, of a tire band having inflatable
pockets at its edges and a retainer located within said tire band to prevent the
inflated edges thereof slipping past the edges of the rim, substantially as
described.
2. The combination with a wheel rim, of a tire band having inflatable pockets
at its edges, and a retainer located within said tire band and having wired edges
arranged to prevent the slipping of the inflated pockets of the tire band past the
edges of the rim, substantially as described.
3. The combination with a wheel rim, of a tire band having inflatable pockets at
its edges, and an arched retainer located within said tire band and having wired
edges to prevent the slipping of the inflated pockets of the tire band past the
edges of the rim, substantially as described.
°
4. The combination with a wheel rim, and a pneumatic tire consisting of a band
the edges of which are provided with inflatable pockets seated in said rim to abut
against each other, of a retainer seated within the tire band to overlap the abutting
edges thereof and provided with wired edges to prevent slipping of the inflated
edges of the tire past the edges of the rim, substantially as described.
5. The combination with a wheel rim, and a pneumatic tire consisting of a band
the edges of which are provided with inflatable pockets seated in said rim, of a
retainer located within the tire band to seal the joint between the edges thereof,
and provided with wired edges to prevent dislodgment of the inflated edges of the
tire band, substantially as described.
6. The combination with a wheel rim and a pneumatic tire consisting of a band
the edges of which are provided with inflatable pockets seated in said rim, of a
retainer located within the tire band and provided with wired edges arranged to

page_text: press the edges of a tire band toward each other and to prevent their dislodgment
from the rim, substantially as described.
7. The combination with a wheel rim and a tire band seated therein, of a
retainer located in said tire band consisting of relatively rigid non-metallic material
arched transversely and having wired edges positioned adjacent to the edges of the
rim; the central arched part of the retainer projecting beyond the edges of the
rim to support the tire free from said edges in case of deflation, substantially as
described.
8. The combination with a wheel rim, of a tire band provided at its edges with
inflated tubular pockets, adapted to be scated in said rim, and a retainer arranged
within the tire band, consisting of a body or band, having wired edges located
adjacent to the edges of the wheel rim; the body of said retainer being interposed
between the body of the tire band and its circumferential inflatable pockets,
substantially as described.
Dated this 17th day of October 1893.
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents.