Improvements in the Construction of Pneumatic Tyres of Cycles and other Vehicles.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application; 18th Apr., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 13th July, 1896-Accepted, 12th Sept., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Construction of Pneumatic Tyres of Cycles and
other Vehicles.
I, JAMES MCCONECHY, Manufacturer of 67, Renfield Street, in the County of
the City of Glasgow, North Britain, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object to construct the pneumatic tyres of cycles or
other vehicles so as to produce as small a contact surface in cross sectional area
with the ground as possible and present at the point of contact a harder and more
resilient running surface in order to minimise ground suction and cause little or
no friction with an increase of speed of the cycle or vehicle to which the tyre is
applied. It has also for its object to minimise the tendency to puncturing of the
inner air tube.
In carrying out my invention I interpose round the centre of the inside of the
outer cover of the tyre a strip, hoop, or band of cork which may be either in
one piece or in several pieces with chamfered or bevelled edges and connected
together with splice or over-lapping joints. The said strip, hoop, or band is
preferably enclosed in canvas or other suitable texture or material, but it is to be
understood that the said strip or band may be made detachable for use on existing
tyres.
The strip is shaped or curved approximately to the radius of the tyre to which it
is attached and is of a corresponding breadth. It constitutes a shield or protective
cover to the inner air tube which it surrounds in the form of a crescent. Centrally
on the exterior of the said strip, hoop, or band is formed a narrow bead or annular
projection and over its contour which constitutes the ground tread of the wheel,
the outer cover of the tyre is stretched. By virtue of constructing the ends of the
strip, hoop, or band with tapered, spliced, or over-lapping joints, in the event of a
depression or undue expansion of the tyre, a continuous contact or bearing surface
of the tread of the wheel always remains unimpaired.
Dated this 17th day of April 1896.
BOTTOMLEY & LIDDLE,
154, St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Applicant's Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Construction of Pneumatic Tyres of Cycles and
other Vehicles.
I, JAMES MCCONECHY, Manufacturer, of 67, Renfield Street, in the County
of the City of Glasgow, North Britain, 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 has for its object to construct the pneumatic tyres of cycles or
other vehicles so as to produce as small a contact surface in cross sectional area

page_text: with the ground as possible and present at the point of contact a harder and
more resilient running surface in order to minimise ground suction and cause little
or no friction with an increase of speed of the cycle or vehicle to which the tyre is
applied. It has also for its object to minimise the tendency to puncturing of the
inner air tube.
In carrying out my invention I interpose round the centre of the inside of the
outer cover of the tyre a strip, hoop, or band of cork, which may be either in one
piece or in several pieces with chamfered or bevelled edges and connected together
with splice or over-lapping joints. The said strip, hoop, or band is preferably
enclosed in canvas or other suitable texture or material, but it is to be understood
that the said strip or band may be made detachable for use on existing tyres.
The strip is shaped or curved approximately to the radius of the tyre to which
it is attached and is of a corresponding breadth. It constitutes a shield or protec-
tive cover to the inner air tube which it surrounds in the form of a crescent.
Centrally on the exterior of the said strip, hoop, or band is formed a narrow bead
or annular projection and over its contour which cohstitutes the ground tread of
the wheel, the outer cover of the tyre is stretched. By virtue of constructing the
ends of the strip, hoop, or band with tapered, spliced, or over-lapping joints, in the
event of a depression or undue expansion of the tyre, a continuous contact or bearing
surface of the tread of the wheel always remains unimpaired.
In order that my invention may be properly understood and readily carried into
effect, I have hereunto appended one explanatory sheet of drawings of which
Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating my improvements applied to a
Mackintosh detachable tyre.
Figure 2 is a transverse section representing my invention applied to a Dunlop
tyre.
Figure 3 is a transverse section representing the cork strip, hoop, or band
composed of four distinct layers of upwardly decreasing measurement, built one
upon the other and cemented together.
Figure 4 is also a transverse section of a modified form of the said strip, hoop, or
band inclosed within the outer cover of a cycle tyre.
Figure 5 is a side elevation of a segment of the cork strip, hoop, or band aforesaid
illustrating the tapered ends, which form the splice joints as will hereafter be more
fully referred to.
Figure 6 is
transverse section of the outer cover of the tyre illustrating the
pocket as it would appear distended by the said strip, hoop, or band, which is wanting
in the figure and
Figure 7 is a transverse section also of the outer cover showing the method of
applying the said strip, hoop, or band to existing tyres by means of inclosing it
within a wrapper cemented centrally to the inside of the outer cover aforesaid.
In carrying my invention into practice I interpose within the pocket A, formed
round the inside of the outer cover B of the tyre, a strip, hoop, or band of cork C,
composed either of one piece in the form shown in Figure 4 or of four or more
pieces as represented in Figure 3, with chamfered or bevelled edges cemented
together by an insoluble or waterproof cement.
To lessen the tendency to chafing of the said outer cover B by the strip, hoop, or
band C aforesaid and consolidate the integral parts of which it is composed together,
the latter is covered by a thin sheet of canvas or other textile fabric D as seen
more particularly in Figure 5. The said strip, hoop, or band C is further prevented
from chafing or frictional contact with the air tube H by the intervention of
the canvas composing either the pocket A (Figures 2 and 6) or of the wrapper G
as seen in Figure 7.
In the formation of a complete ring of the said strip, hoop, or band C, the integral
parts would consist preferably of five segmental sections; the tapered ends of each
section to reduce friction at the point of contact of the rubbing surfaces, would be
treated with a layer of blacklead, French chalk, or analogous lubricant.
The pocket A would be provided with suitable inlets or openings in order to

page_text: insert the various sections of the said strip, hoop, or band and to facilitate the
building up of the ring.
By the introduction of the cork strip, hoop, or band aforesaid the tread of the
tyre coming in contact with the ground would approximately alter little or none of
its cross sectional form as opposed to tyres presently in use, wherein ground suction
constitutes so grave a defect; while none of the resilience or elastic power due to
pneumatic inflation is destroyed.
The convex surface or tread of the outer cover B may be constructed more or less
semi-elliptical in cross section and in some cases may be specially moulded with a
bead like projection while its underside would constitute a hollow for the reception
of the said strip or band C.
The advantages derivable by these improvements consist in an increase of speed
to the rider (which primarily constitutes its object), the prevention of side slipping,
which is a source of great inconvenience to the rider, and the puncturing of
the air tube, which is caused in the majority of cases by small articles, such as
thorns, tacks, fragments of broken glass, and small things of a kindred nature,
which do not penetrate much beyond the puncture point of the ordinary tyre-
a very inconsiderable depth indeed. Reference to Figures 1, 2, and 4 will show
that in order to puncture the air tube H an article of some considerable length
would be required but which would very seldom be found owing chiefly to the
narrowness of the tread of the tyre and the consequent diminished area of ground
the cycle has to cover.
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 improved tyre for cycles and other vehicles substantially as described and
illustrated in the accompanying sheet of drawings.
2. In pneumatic tyres for cycles and other vehicles the insertion of a strip, hoop,
or band of cork between the inner air tube and the outer covering, substantially as
described and illustrated on the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 11th day of July 1896.
BOTTOMLEY & LIDDLE,
154 St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Applicant's Agents.