US1342297A - Automobile-tire - Google Patents

Description

R. L. PRUDHOMME.

AUTOMOBILE TIRE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-9. 1919.

Patented June 1, 1920.

H "mm" un ,72 11/ III . siding 'UNITED ATENT, OFFICE. 4

I i ROBERT L. PRUDHOMME, OF NATCHITOCHES, LOUISIANA.

AUTOMQIBILE-TIRE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

7] Application filed August 9, 1919; Serial No. 316,382.

atchitoches and State of Louisiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automobile 7 Tire hereby declare the following to be a full,

clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it use the same.

The present invention relates ,to improveappertains to make and ments in pneumatic tires for automobiles,

and conslsts more particularly in an improved inner tube having separate chambers, one of which is inflated to normally support the vehicle, while the other may be collapsed and only inflated in the emergencies where, for instanoe, the first chamber becomes punctured.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application, and in which similar reference symbols indicate corresponding parts in the several views:

Figure l is a perspective View of-;a section of an inner tube constructed in accordance with the present'invention.

Fig. 2is a similar view shown partly in longitudinal section.v

F ig; 3 is a cross'sectional view taken'on the line 3-3 in Fig. 2; and I Fig. 4 is a similar view taken on the line 44 in Fig. 2.

Referring more particularly. to the draw-- ings, 1 designates an inner tube, which may be identical in all substantial respects with inner tubes as at the present time constructed and in use, with the exception that, in accordance with the present invention, said inner tube 1 is provided with'a partition 2 that is intended to divide same into outer and inner circumferentially extending chambers 3 and 4. I

The partition 2 is also made of the same rubber with the inner tube 1, and the edges of the partition merge with the side walls of the inner tube substantially midway between 'the base and tread of such tube, as clearly shown in the drawings, so that such partition 2 divides the tube as nearly as practicable into two equal compartments.

This partition 2 is formed of an increased thickness in the central or tread part thereof, or in otherwords reinforced with suitable material and harder .on the outer and I -do- Patented June 1, 1920.

surface, and toward the sides of the' parof various sizes and depths and which are intended to break the stiffness of the par-1 tition and avoid strain on the material of which the same is constructed.

The valve stem 6 is furnished for supplying air .tothe outer chamber 3, and a second .valve stem 7 is used to supply air to the inner chamber 4. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the valve stem 7 communicates directly with the inner chamber 4 in the manner that valve stems at the present time areconnected withinner tubes; but the valve stem 6 must be secured to the base of the inner tube 1 and at'the same time supply air to the chamber 3 above the partition 2, so that it becomes necessary to provide aslot 8 and channel 9 within the.

inner tube 1, the air passing laterally through this channel to chamber 3, the slot and channel being formed by additional thicknesses 10 of the rubber at theplaceswhere the slot and channel are wanted, and the slot and channel are formed between the additional thicknesses 10and the normal wall of the inner tube 1. The.chan

nel 9, as indicated in Fig. 2, opens upwardly into the outer chamber 3 and delivers the air thereto necessary for inflation.

In use the valve stem 6 is employed to inflate the outer chamber 3, and the inner tube is in the condition shown in Fig. 1. Here the outer chamber 3 is inflated and the partition 2 collapsed against the base of, i the inner tube 1.

The 'outer chamber 3, therefore, normally sustains theweight of the shoe and vehicle resting thereon, and this condition continues until the inner tube 1 becomes punctured or develops a leak. In case of such emergencies the inner chamber 4 may be inflate by connecting the valve stem 7 to a pump, and the inflation of this inner chamber 4 causes the partition 2 to move. out of the collapsed position shown in Fig.1 and up against the tread portion of the inner tube 1, as shown in tube 1', andwhich may sustain the vehicle until a garage or service station is reached, whereupon the punctured tread of the inner tube 1 may be repaired.

It will therefore be seen that the improved tire eliminates the necessity of changing or repairing a tire at the time of puncture or collapse from other causes,

but provides for the immediate re-inflation of the tire. .7

The double thickness in the base of the inner tube 1, which occurs from the presence of the partition 2, tends to eliminate.

rim cuts, which are quite common occurrences in tubes as used at the present time.

By inflating the inner chamber 4 slightly while the outer chamber '3 is in use, as

shown in Fig. 1, the air in this inner cham her 4, although slight, would support the inner tube as soon as the outer chamber v3 became punctured and before the mo .torist could stop. This eliminates the possibility .of injury from running, even though :a short distance, on a flat tire.

It is obvious that those skilled in the art may vary the details of construction and arrangements of parts without departing from the spirit of my invention, and there fore I do not wish to be limited to such features except as may be required by the.

claim." 2 t I claim: An inner tube'for use 1n pneumatlc tires,

comprising a continuous expansible tube, a

continuous flexible partition mounted on the inside of said tube and having its'opposite edges secured, to and forming an air-tight joint with the opposite inner walls of said tube, whereby said tube is divided to two separate concentric annular'chamers, the one exterior to the other, and'said partition being crescent-shaped in cross section and having its greatest thickness midway betweenthe edges thereof, said partition being also provided with annular grooves in the outer wall thereof to render it more flexible, with means for inserting air under compression into said tube at either side of said partition, as desired, whereby the thickened portion of said partition may becaused to fold inwardinto the inoperative position, or maybe pressed outward into engagement with the inner wall of the tread portion of said tube, substantially as described.

ROBERT L. PRUDHo-MME.

Images