Rubber tire

“ In making tires, the strips of fabric are built together about a steel core to form the body or carcass of the tire. The beads are also added. The side strips, the breaker strip and finally the tread are applied. All of these pieces are sticky, and as they are laid together and rolled down by small hand rollers they adhere to each other, and when the tire is completed it looks very much like the tires you see on automobiles, but it is not yet vulcanized. The rubber is much like tough, heavy dough—there is not much stretch to it and in a cold place it would become hard and brittle. ”

“ The respondents the tire company contend that the tire is at once firm and mobile in its channel, 'creeps' (moves slowly around the edge of the rim) , and will yield laterally, and thus the lateral blows against it will be cushioned. It is further contended that if the tire be 'tipped from its seat in the channel by a side blow' it 'automatically restores itself to normal position when the side pressure is released.' In other words, and in the language of one of the expert witnesses, the tire has the capacity to rise and fall and reseat itself under lateral strain ”

“ The first ground is a somewhat distant assertion that the tire does not involve invention, but as to that we have sufficiently expressed opinion. The second ground is an inversion of cause and effect, and there is an obvious answer to the third ground. Without suitable rubber, there could have been no rubber tires, and the desire for them necessarily induced their manufacture, and Grant exercised invention to produce an efficient one. ”

“ All motor vehicle wheels are provided with steel rims designed to take the pneumatic or solid rubber tires. The original type of motor vehicle rim for the double-tube pneumatic tire was the clincher rim, the edges of which are formed into clinchers to hold the beaded edges of the tire cover. This type of rim remained the standard in Europe, but American manufacturers early adopted the detachable rim, which permits of the use of a steel cable core in the edges of the tire cover to make it inextensible. ”

“ The cords, tread and beads being all vulcanized together, the tire is practically impervious to moisture, and has therefore less tendency to rot than a canvas tire. Further, the threads, by the process of manufacture, are insulated each from the others by a layer of rubber, and there is thus less tendency for them to fray or saw each other as the tire yields during continuous running. ”

“ The foundation of a tire as every motorist knows consists of alternative layers of rubber, fabric, or cord, covered with a tread and breaker strip of rubber. The tread and breaker strip, however, are not worth the space they occupy if they are placed over a poorly constructed foundation of cheaply made fabric. Therefore, great care should be exercised in choosing a tire of standard make which has been tested, inspected, and guaranteed to be in perfect condition, and gives a mileage guarantee. ”

“ A novelty in treads is a tire called the “Won’t Slip,” which was invented by C. J. Bailey, the inventor and patentee of Bailey’s rubber brushes. The entire tread of the tire is covered with round teeth closely set together. The makers say it will not slip under any [Pg 77] conditions of surface, such as wet car rails, asphalt or macadam, and that it is 90 per cent. puncture proof when under pressure.
The B. F. Goodrich Company of Akron, O., make a corrugated rubber tread band which is endless and which can be applied with rubber cement to the worn treads of all kinds of pneumatic tires. ”

“ The pneumatic tire has a very much smaller rolling resistance than a solid rubber tire. Where the driving power is limited, as in bicycles, this consideration is by far the most important. A pneumatic tired bicycle requires less power to drive it at a given speed than does one with solid rubber tires—in popular language, it is much faster ”

“ In case of puncture of a bicycle tire, the inner tube is repaired by cementing a patch of rubber on the outside of the inner tube, a solution of india-rubber in naphtha or bisulphide of carbon being the cementing agent employed. Motor-car tires are best re- paired by vulcanizing, as solution patches usually come loose owing to the heating of the tire. In a single-tube tire, as its name indicates, the outer cover and the air-tight tube are vulcanized together to form a single hollow ring. To repair a simple puncture of a single-tube tire it is not necessary to detach it from the rim. ”

“ Tire Mender repairs punctures in single tube tires without either cement or patent solution, using small rubber bands which are plugged and rivetted inside and out. A long steel needle, having on one end a large ring to hold it by, and on the other end a long slit or eye, with an opening in it, is used as a tool. On this tool ten or twelve little elastic rubber bands are slipped in order to repair an ordinary puncture. For large punctures more bands are added. The needle end of the tool is then inserted into the tire, leaving the opening of the eye outside of the tire. ”

“ Next tie securely a stout stick of proper length to the broken bar, and tie to this the end of the uprights. If properly done, this will enable you to finish your journey, which for a long distance is much pleasanter than walking and leading your wheel.
A rope tire will often enable the rider to reach home. A few yards of clothesline, borrowed, begged, or bought from some wayside house, will enable you to make a solid tire. Remove the rubber tire, tie it to your handle-bar, and take the rope and bend one end diagonally across the hollow in the rim of the wheel. ”

“ Among the old tire makers who are still in the field are the New York Belting and Packing Company. Their League Special single tube tire is a high speed road tire, constructed of precisely the same rubber and fabric used in the League racing tire, the quantity of each being practically doubled, to give the strength and wear required for road service. The rubber is fine Para, the fabric Sea Island, strong and light, woven so that each individual thread has free play in every direction. ”

“ In bicycles, motor-cars, and other road vehicles in which freedom from vibration and shock from uneven road surface is desired, rubber or pneumatic tires are employed. These elastic tires are capable of absorbing small irregularities in the road surface without transmitting much vibration to the frame of the vehicle. ”

“ The outside of the tire is covered with a thick layer of rubber, which protects the fabric from injury by contact with the rough road surfaces. In full roadster tires this outer layer of rubber is thinner at the sides than at the tread (the part which actually rolls on the ground) , but still completely covers the fabric. In light roadster and racing tires the sides are not covered, and an appreciable gain in speed or ease of driving is due to the greater flexibility of the cover thus obtained. ”

“ At first the injury may be a small cut down to the fabric, which, after being neglected for a time, permits sand to enter, and a grinding takes place, each movement of the parts causing a further separation, and pressure expands the rubber, until, finally, it bulges out and gives an unsightly appearance, as well as starts the tire on its road to destruction. ”

“ Attempts are often made to avoid injury to the tire by covering the brake-shoe with rubber, or by using a roller instead, the intent being that the tire shall turn the roller without any sliding friction, while the operative resistance shall be in the roller itself. ”

“ Pneumatic tires are formed of alternate layers of heavy canvaslike fabric and soft rubber, and the processes through which they are put in manufacture are supposed to effect their perfect combination; but as it is not the nature of rubber to be absorbed by the fabric, the layers are only bound together by its tenacity. The bending of the sides of the tire under the weight of the car tends to separate these layers, and water or dirt entering between them through cuts quickly brings ruin ”

“ To secure greater elasticity in the fabric continuous threads, coated with rubber, are wound spirally from one end of the tire to the other, doing away with the friction of thread upon thread and stiffness to the ordinary fabric. The inner tube is placed on the mandrel of the tire machine, and the threads are wound spirally around it at an angle of 45 degrees, after first being immersed in a solution of rubber. ”

“ The repair of a puncture of a tubeless tire can be very quickly done. Since the inner surface of the air- tight layer is accessible, after placing the patch in position the tire can beinflated and the bicycle ridden at once ; whereas in the double- tube tire sufficient time must elapse between the patching and the inflation to allow the rubber solution to set. ”

“ These blocks bear on the tire at the side of the tread, and not on the centre of it, so that not only is there no danger of a puncture from the brake itself, but if the tire should be otherwise punctured the brake is still efficient. Wear on the tire also is thus reduced to a minimum. The rubber blocks can be readily detached with the fingers and renewed. On the whole, this brake is steadily gaining in popular favor, and has made for itself many friends. ”

“ Gasoline will dissolve gum rubber. It will disintegrate the tire, which is a combination of rubber, soapstone, and other things, so that it wears out quickly. Lubricating oil and grease hasten the decay of rubber and shorten the life of the tire. Besides there is no sense in wasting oil and gas, and if someone else allows it to spill on the pavement the wise man will keep out of the mess.
In wet seasons there is especial need for care of the tire. Rubber cuts easily when the sharp edge of the cutting agent is wet. Tire workers dip their knives in water to facilitate the work. ”

“ One comes through forming in each tire hundreds of large rubber rivets. One compels us to vulcanize in each tire base 126 braided piano wires.
One comes through our double-thick All-Weather tread, with its sharp, tough, resistless grips. These things together mean a super-tire. ”

“ Light and heat are the worst enemies of rubber; spare tires should be kept in a cool, dark place, and protected from dust and moisture. French chalk, or some similar preparation, should be well dusted over the shoes and tubes, and if the tubes are folded, they should occasionally be opened and refolded in fresh places, to prevent the formation of creases. The spare tire that is carried on the car should be kept in a casing, and because a dark surface will absorb more heat than a light, the casing should be tan, gray, or white rather than black. ”

“ Tire manufacturers have developed all sorts of devices, such as projections and recesses, vacuum cups, etc., in the85 tread of the tire, to keep them from slipping. In one case the device has been very successful, where the manufacturer has inserted strips of cotton fabric in the tread of the tire, on the same principle as the plug in the rubber heels.
The fabric, really a thick canvas, projects a very little beyond the rubber surface, and gives the tire a better traction than plain rubber would have on a slippery pavement, and makes one of the best non-skid combinations. ”

“ In producing a tire that has all the qualities demanded by experienced riders, namely, speed, resilience, strength and durability, the manufacturers of the Kangaroo, the National India Rubber Company, have made a radical departure in the construction of their tire. The Kangaroo tire is made to conform to the prevailing weight in tires, but in doing so it has been necessary to use more rubber, owing to the fact that only about one-half the quantity of thread is used. ”

“ Adjusters tell us that a very large percentage of tire failures is caused by under-inflation, which allows the tires to flatten and breaks the side walls. Every tire should be tested with a gauge and not with the eye or hand and kept to the pressure named by the tire maker.
To get the greatest life out of a tire it should be watched continually for small cuts through the rubber to the fabric. Most tires will be found after a short service to have from two to a dozen such cuts. ”

“ To get the most service at the least expense, the tire should be inspected frequently and all small cuts or holes properly sealed or repaired,—thus preventing dirt and water working in between the rubber tread and the fabric, causing blisters or sand boils. ”

“ If steam is discharged from the radiator, examine the fan directly back of it and the water pump, and see that there is no clog in the pipes leading to and from it.
Tires—Keep the tires free from oil and grease as they rot the rubber. Drive very carefully in wet weather because rubber cuts very easily when wet. Drive slowly around corners and start and stop without jerks; also be very careful not to rub the tires against the curb. Have all small cuts vulcanized so that moisture cannot get in and rot the fabric. Do not run on a flat tire unless it has been damaged beyond repair. ”

“ A denial of the first claim has been made, by those interested in the manufacture of rigid-tired traction engines and others, in so far as the rubber tires are employed on comparatively smooth surfaces ”

“ The largest order for rubber tires in the history of the American rubber industry was placed as one relatively small phase of the artillery program, the order amounting to $4,250,000. Rubber tires on the wheels of all the heavier types of artillery carriages, so that the units might be drawn at good speed by motor vehicles, was essentially an American innovation. No tires of this size had ever been manufactured in this country. Consequently it was necessary for the firms who got the orders to build machinery especially designed for the purpose. ”