Improvements in or relating to Pneumatic Tyres for Bicycle and other Vehicle Wheels.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Sept., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 21st May, 1892-Accepted, 25th June, 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Pneumatic Tyres for Bicycle and
other Vehicle Wheels.
A communication from abroad by RUDOLPH Huss and GEORGE DUNCAN
MOFFAT, both of Chicago, County of Cook, State of Illinois, United
States of America.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of the Agency for
Foreign Patent Solicitors, 6 Lord Street, Liverpool and 6, Bank Street, Manchester,
both in the County of Lancaster, and 323, High Holborn in the County of
Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
This invention has reference to the hollow clastic tires which are distended by
air or other fluid confined therein.
These tires, as ordinarily used upon bicycles and other like vehicles, are attended
with many advantages, but are open to the serious objection that they are readily
and frequently punctured in passing over sharp obstacles, the result being the
escape of the air and the collapse of the tire.
The aim of this invention is to overcome this difficulty and to provide a tire of
such character that, although it may be punctured, the opening will automatically
close and prevent the escape of the air. To this end, the tire is constructed in
such manner that, when inflated, the rubber or other material is under compression,
so that, if an opening be formed therethrough, the walls will immediately close
together upon the withdrawal of the puncturing body.
The tire is made so that when inflated it is preferably of a circular form in cross-
section, but the sectional form may be modified.
The tire consists of an external jacket or covering of canvas, linen, or
similar material, and an internal tubular body of rubber or similar highly
elastic material, which is preferably made of much greater thickness on the
outer side or periphery than it is on the inner side, next to the rim or felloe of
the wheel.
The tire is constructed, in the first instance, of a tubular concavo-convex form,
the thickened portion of the rubber lying on the concave side.
When the tire is expanded by the introduction of air or gas, under suitable
pressure, as in other pneumatic tires, the external jacket prevents the stretching or
lengthening of the outer surface, and consequently, the thickened body of rubber,
reversing its curvature and being shortened on the inner surface, is subjected on
the inner surface to a very marked compression. In other words, the tire, when
expanded for use, is held against abnormal expansion by the external jacket which
holds the thickened body of rubber under compression. If, therefore, a stone, a
nail, or other foreign body he thrust through the tire from the outside and then
withdrawn, the rubber under compression will immediately close the opening.
The essence of this invention lies in keeping the rubber or other clastic body of
the tubular tire under compression, so that the walls of a hole formed therein will
have a tendency to close together instead of a tendency to separate as in ordinary
tires in which the rubber is under tension instead of under compression.
It is to be understood, therefore, that this invention includes any inflated tire in
which the rubber on the outer side is kept under pressure or compression.
This tire is intended to be used in the ordinary grooved rim of a wheel, or any
other rim adapted to give it support.
A modification of this invention is as follows:-
When in its deflated condition, it is concaved at its upper and lower sides, at

page_text: which points it is thickened, so that, when expanded, the rubber will be compressed
at the inner surface both at the upper and lower sides of the tire. This construction
would be of advantage in case a foreign object were caused to enter entirely through
the tire to the rim of the wheel, as is sometimes the case.
Another modification is as follows:-
The tire consists of a tube of rubber-covered linen, canvas or other suitable
material, to contain the air or other fluid. It is provided on its lower side with a
thickened section of rubber, on the outer surface of which is cemented a confining
strip of canvas. When in a deflated condition, the tire becomes semicircular in
section and concave on the outer side.
When expanded the inner surface of the section of rubber will be compressed,
the stretching or lengthening of the outer surface being prevented by its covering.
Dated this 31st day of August 1891.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Pneumatic Tyres for Bicycle and
other Vehicle Wheels.
A communication from abroad by RUDOLPH Huss and GEORGE DUNCAN
MOFFAT, both of Chicago, County of Cook, State of Illinois, United States
of America.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.I.M.E. of the Agency for
Foreign Patent Solicitors, 6 Lord Street, Liverpool, and 6 Bauk Street,
Manchester, both in the County of Lancaster and 323 High Holborn in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, 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 reference to the hollow elastic tires which are distended by
air or other fluid confined therein.
These tires, as ordinarily used upon bicycles and other like vehicles, are attended
with many advantages, but are open to the serious objection that they are readily
and frequently punctured in passing over sharp obstacles, the result being the
escape of the air and the collapse of the tire.
The aim of this invention is to overcome this difficulty and to provide a tire of
such character that, although it may be punctured, the opening will automatically
close and prevent the escape of the air. To this end, the tire is constructed in such
manner that when inflated the rubber or other material is under compression, so
that if an opening be formed therethrough, the walls will immediately close together
upon the withdrawal of the puncturing body.
This invention may be carried into effect in various forms but in the accom-
panying drawings that construction is represented which is found best adapted for
general use, in which :-
'
Figure represents this tire in its original form before its inflation.
Figure 2 is a cross-section of the same as it appears when inflated for use, and
Figures 3, 4, 5 and 6 are modifications thereof.
The tire is made so that when inflated it is preferably of a circular form in cross-
section, but the sectional form may be modified.
The tire consists of an external jacket or covering A of canvas, linen, or similar
material, and an internal tubular body B, of rubber or similar highly elastic
material which is preferably made as shown of much greater thickness on the
outer side, or periphery than it is on the inner side next to the rim or felloe of
the wheel.
The tire is constructed, in the first instance, of a tubular concavo-convex form,

page_text: as shown in cross-section in Figure 1, the thickened portion of the rubber lying on
the concave side.
When the tire is expanded by the introduction of air or gas, under suitable
pressure, as in other pneumatic tires, the external jacket prevents the stretching
or lengthening of the outer surface, and consequently, the thickened body of
rubber a reversing its curvature and being shortened on the inner surface, is
subjected on the inner surface to a very marked compression. In other words, the
tire, when expanded for use, as shown in Figure 2 is held against abnormal
expansion by the external jacket which holds the thickened body of rubber under
compression.
If, therefore, a stone, a nail, or other foreign body be thrust through the tire from
the outside and then withdrawn, the rubber under compression will immediately
close the opening.
The essence of this invention lies in keeping the rubber or other elastic body
of the tubular tire under compression, so that the walls of a hole formed therein
will have a tendency to close together instead of a tendency to separate as in
ordinary tires in which the rubber is under tension instead of under compression.
It is to be understood, therefore, that this invention includes any inflated tire in
which the rubber on the outer side is kept under pressure or compression.
This tire is intended to be used in the ordinary grooved rim of a wheel, or any
other rim adapted to give it support.
Figures 3 and 4 show a modification of this tire. In its deflated condition as
shown in Figure 3 it is concaved at its upper and lower sides, at which points it
is thickened, so that when expanded to the form shown in Figure 4 the rubber will
be compressed at the inner surface both at the upper and lower sides of the
tire. This construction would be of advantage in case a foreign object were
caused to enter entirely through the tire to the rim of the wheel, as is sometimes
the case.
Figures 5 and 6 show another modification. In this case the tire consists of a
tube of rubber covered linen, canvas or other suitable material, to contain the air.
or other fluid. It is provided on its lower side with a thickened section of rubber,
on the outer surface of which is cemented a confining strip of canvas. When
in a deflated condition the tire assumes the form shown in Figure 5.
expanded, as shown in Figure 6 the inner surface of the section of rubber will
be compressed, the stretching or lengtheuing of the outer surface being prevented
by its covering.
When
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondents, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. In a pneumatic tire, the combination of a non-extensible outer surface and
an internal body of rubber under compression, substantially as described and
shown.
2. A pneumatic tire consisting of an external jacket of canvas or similar material,
an internal body of rubber under compression and a confined body of air.
3. The improved pneumatic tire, consisting of the outside pliable non-stretching
material, an internal body of rubber thicker at the outer than the inner side of the
tire and held under compression.
4. The improved pneumatic tire having in its inflated condition a tubular
concavo-convex form, with its body thickened on the concave side.
Dated this 20th day of May 1892.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.