Improvements in Elastic or Resilient Tyres for Wheels.
Year: 1897

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Elastic or Resilient Tyres for Wheels.
I, FELIX ROSENBERG, of 5, Gitschinerstrasse, Berlin, in the Empire of Ger-
many, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention has for its object an improvement in elastic or resilient tyres
for wheels, more particularly for cycles and the like.
For this object rubber tyres of solid section have hitherto been employed, but
are now replaced almost universally by pneumatic tyres in order to produce a
greater resiliency. These latter however have great drawbacks, the worst of
which is that they are easily damaged by encountering sharp substances and
become useless in consequence of the escape of the compressed air.
Ettorts have therefore been made to use in place of the pneumatic tyres for
wheels, tyres, the resiliency of which is produced by means of springs or other
springy substances. These arrangements however do not meet requirements as
regards duration, as the springs or springy substances lose partially or perman-
ently their resiliency on encountering shocks or other extraordinary strains.
By this invention the resiliency of the tyre is also obtained by means of
springs of any suitable form arranged on an elastic rim, but the characteristic
of the invention consists in special subsidiary springs being employed in addition
to the so called main springs, which subsidiary springs only come into action on
shocks or other abnormal strains arising, in which case they relieve the main
springs, that is to say they add their capability of resistance to that of the main
springs and thus prevent any permanent deformation of the latter.
The tyre is composed of two separate springs which are mounted on a common
rim of suitable shape.
The separate springs consist of a main spring and an assistant or subsidiary
spring, both of which are formed of a single piece. Under normal strains on the
tyre only the main springs come into action, but when in consequence of a sudden
shock or other abnormal strain the main springs bend so far that they bear on
the under surfaces of the assistant or subsidiary springs, the latter will in conse-
quence of their power of resistance assist in absorbing the shock, or in other words
diminishing it, so that a further bending and thus a permanent deformation of
the main springs is avoided.
This arrangement of springs may be provided in any suitable manner with a
covering of any suitable kind, as the arrangement of the subsidiary springs in
combination with the main springs forms the essential characteristic of the
invention.
The main and subsidiary springs may be formed in one piece so bent as to have
two loops or curved parts forming a main spring to bear on the tread and an
intermediate loop forming a subsidiary spring to take shocks, or the ends of
a spring forming a main spring may be turned up and curved to also form a
subsidiary spring.

page_text: In another modification the subsidiary springs may be formed separate from
the main spring and lie inside or outside the main spring.
Dated this 24th day of August 1897.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in Elastic or Resilient Tyres for Wheels.
I, FELIX ROSENBERG, of 5, Gitschinerstrasse, Berlin, in the Empire of Ger-
many, 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 for its object an improvement in elastic or resilient tyres
for wheels, more particularly for cycles and the like.
For this object rubber tyres of solid section have hitherto been employed, but
are now replaced almost universally by pneumatic tyres in order to produce a
greater resiliency. These latter however have great drawbacks, the worst of
which is that they are easily damaged by encountering sharp substances and
become useless in consequence of the escape of the compressed air.
Efforts have therefore been made to use in place of the pneumatic tyres for
wheels, tyres, the resiliency of which is produced by means of springs or other
springy substances. These arrangements however do not permanently meet
requirements as the springs or springy substances lose partially or permanently
their resiliency on encountering shocks or other extraordinary strains.
<<
"
The arrangement of springs which forms the object of this invention differs
from those hitherto employed more particularly by the form and action of the
springs. The characteristic of these improved springs consists in their having
the form of "rockers" or runners in the direction of the tread or periphery
of the wheels and two arms suiting themselves to the form of the rim. By this
means the spring bodies yielding in three planes receive the pressure in the
direction of the tread oscillating under rolling friction and the transverse spring
is supported by the rim. The possibility, is also afforded of employing subsidiary
springs of similar "runner" form preferably bent out of the main spring, which
subsidiary springs having similar mobility to the main spring assist the main
springs in case of heavy loads or shocks.
In the accompanying drawings:-
Figure 1 is a lateral elevation of these improveed springs provided with sub-
sidiary springs;
Figure 2 a front view of same;
Figure 3 a plan view of same whilst
Figures 4-7 show various modifications.
A main spring a with subsidiary springs 6 is attached to the tread d at the
point c and at the other end to the rim e where it may be fastened in any suitable
way.
The runners with which the main spring bears on the tread, and also the
pivoted shape with which it is attached to the rim give the spring a peculiar
oscillating, rolling mobility in the direction of the tread. On the compression of
the springs however the two arms expanding to the sides experience a resistance
on the edges of the rim to the upper part of which the arms are attached. The
subsidiary springs 6 which have also the form of runners and are of similar

page_text: section may be formed in one with the main spring by making loops on the
main spring as shown in Figures 1 to 3, in which they are bent from the rim
side or as shown in Figures 4 and 5, in which they are bent up from the tread
side. The subsidiary springs may finally be formed independently of the main
spring and connected to the latter either internally or externally, see Figures 6
and 7. In both cases the subsidiary springs assist the main spring as they yield
oscillatingly to strains arising in the direction of the tread.
The whole resilient tyre is composed of a series of such separate springs
arranged peripherally. The succeeding springs absorb the pressure elastically
in consequence of their "rocker" form without there being any jolt on the
transfer from one to the other.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. An elastic or resilient tyre for wheels characterised by the separate springs
arranged in the direction of the tread or periphery of the wheel having the form
of "rockers" or runners and in cross section having two arms or strips in such
a way that they oppose broad resistance surfaces to the rim and tread thus
imparting to the springs a flexibility in three planes so that any pressure arising
in the direction of the tread is absorbed with an oscillating rolling action and the
arms under lateral flexion find support on the rim, substantially as herein before
described.
2. In an elastic or resilient tyre for wheels, the combination with a main spring
such as herein before described, of subsidiary springs which are preferably formed
by making loops on the main spring and in one piece therewith and of the same
"runner" shape and cross section, with the object of assisting the main spring
whilst maintaining equal mobility, in the case of heavy loads or shocks, substan-
tially as herein before described.
Dated this 21th day of Mo 1808
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicant.