FEBRbARY 1, 1911.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD. 



Tires at the 1911 Madison Square Garden Show. 



IT is safe to assume that all new ideas and developments in 

 motor vehicle tires and rims were exhibited at the eleventh 

 annual automobile show in Madison Square Garden, New 

 York City, which was held from January 7 to 21. It has become 

 customary for the manufacturers of tires and rims, as well as 

 those who produce the automobiles themselves, to wait for this 

 annual show before announcing and displaying their latest im- 

 provements and departures from former models. With the show- 

 over, nothing radically new need be expected until show time 

 oomes around again. 



This is, consequently, a most opportune and logical time to 

 study the present development of the rubber tire for motor 

 vehicles and its rim The permanancy of the rubber tire for auto- 

 mobiles is unquestioned. There has been no little discussion of 

 the possible use of steel tires, and these have gained a foothold 

 in Europe, where they are fitted to heavy motor trucks. This is 

 due largely to the stand taken by the French government, which 

 grants subsidies only to trucks so equipped. As yet the steel 

 tire has not appeared in this country for use on motor vehicles, 

 and if it does its use is certain to be limited to the heaviest motor 

 trucks, the speed of which would therefore be limited to about 

 eight miles an hour. With this permaivency of the rubber tire 

 for motor vehicles assured, the industry has continued its rapid 

 growth. New companies have entered the field, and the old 

 companies have increased their manufacturing facilities. There 

 are now ninety-four concerns listed as being engaged in the 

 manufacture of motor vehicle tires, and fifty-three who are 

 producing rims. Thirty-five are listed as making inner tubes, 

 quite a few of which are included in the ninety-four making tires. 



A careful study of the pneumatic tires exhibited at the recent 

 show in New York did not reveal very much that is new. The 

 chief principles necessarily are alike and unchanging, and shapes 

 and sizes have become practically standardized. Tires now 

 differ mainly in respect to quality, that is, in respect to the ma- 

 terials and methods used in their manufacture. The amount of 

 rubber and of fabric employed, and the thickness of treads and 

 side walls are the principal points of difference observable by the 

 semi-critical eye. The only real way to distinguish between the 

 various makes is by the non-skid treads. Each particular make 

 has a tread pattern of its own. and these differ radically. They 

 are as different, for instance, as the prominently protruding and 

 irregularly arranged knobs of the Morgan and Wright anti-skid 

 tire, and the cup-like depressions in the Pennsylvania vacuum 

 tread, or the multitude of rubber surfaces of the Ajax to the steel 

 studs of the Miclielin. The Diamond tread lias a steel studded 

 diamond shaped grip, and the Firestone company continues its 

 design with the name "F'irestone" raised from the tread and 

 repeated diagi>nally around the center contact surface. The 

 Goodyear No-Rim-Cut has a surface of diamond-shaped blocks, 

 the sharp edges of which grip the ground, and the base of each 

 block is larger than the top to prevent the pulling off of the 

 blocks, the Goodrich steel studs, the Empire a raised checker 

 tread, and the Continental a traction tread, which is an all-rubber 

 non-skid, with four rows of longitudinal projections, the alternate 

 rows being opposite each other, high in the center and tapering 

 at either end to a line even with the surface of the tire. Other 

 non-skid designs shown were the Fiske, Rutherford, Goodrich, 

 Batavia, Jelco, Stein, D. C, Star, Miller, Prince, and Thermoid. 



The only innovation in tubes is the Marsh trussed inner tube, 

 a new production from Detroit. This tube resembles a large 

 curled caterpillar, the trusses being not unlike accordion plealings 

 which, under the influence of inflation, are pressed tightly to- 

 gether, an<l thus present much greater resistance to punctures. 

 This tube is not claimed to be jiuncture proof, but to be non- 



leakable in the event of a puncture. The theory of this is that 

 if one or more of the trusses is punctured, the hole will be imme- 

 diately closed by edgewise compression. 



In the development of tires for commercial motor vehicles 

 there has been marked progress. This progress includes the ad- 

 vent of twin pneumatic tires for use on motor delivery wagons 

 and light trucks, an increase in the number of companies makmg 

 solid tires of the wireless type, and the introduction of demount- 

 able rims for use with solid tires, both single and dual. Twin 

 pneumatic tires were shown by the Fiske and Michelin com- 

 panies, and both advocate their use on large limousine cars as 

 well as on light commercial vehicles. In fact, Michelin twin 

 pneumatics were fitted to the rear wheels of one large limousine 

 exhibited at the recent Importers Salon in New York. Large 

 size single pneumatic tires have been successfully used on motor 

 trucks up to one ton capacity, and this makes it safe to presume 

 that twin pneumatics can be successfully used on two-ton vehi- 

 cles. Their use permits a much greater speed than is possible 

 with solid tires, and high speed is the important factor in a good 

 many uses to which commercial motor vehicles are put. Both 

 the Fiske and Michelin twin pneumatic are provided with quick 

 demountable rims. 



Firestone and Hartford are the two companies which have 

 already placed demountable rims for solid tires on the market. 

 The Firestone device comprises essentially a clamping flange and 

 a retaining ring, the latter held in place by 14 nuts and bolts; 

 when the nuts are removed the flange and, of course, the retain- 

 ing ring are released, and rim and tire both may be removed and 

 replaced by a spare rim and tire which it is assumed are carried 

 for the purpose, and which are put on by merely reversing the 

 operation. The Hartford demountable employs the principle of 

 the wedge ring, provision against irregularities in wheel and 

 band diameters being made by splitting it and allowing for clear- 

 ances to permit of positive seating of wedges and to prevent 

 springing of the rims while in use on heavy trucks. The beveled 

 inner surface of the rim corresponds with the taper of the wedges, 

 which latter are held in place by eight small lugs, secured by bolts 

 passing through holes in the rim. A double wedge ring is placed 

 in the center of the felloe band to form the inner seat for each 

 of the individual rims where twin tires are used. The rim is 

 designed for use w-ith either single or twin tires, and may be 

 applied to any wheel fitted for the standard types of side-flanged 

 or side-wire tires. At least two other well known tire companies, 

 the Continental and Morgan & Wright, are working on demount- 

 able rims for solid tires, and are likely to place them on the 

 market in the near future. 



In addition to the rubber block tire made by the Kelly-Spring- 

 field Company, there were shown, as usual, several cushion or 

 semi-solid tires. The Swinehart and the Motz were the best 

 known of these, in which the design of the central core is the 

 essential feature. One of the new developments in this class is 

 the United States tire. In shape it is frustum pyramid, the flat- 

 tened apex of which is indented. The hollowed core also is of 

 pyramid shape, and the base of the tire is split to increase the 

 resiliency, which, of course, is claimed to rival that of pneumatic 

 tires. Another is the Goodyear-Motz. made by the Goodyear Tire 

 and Rubber Company. This tire is intended primarily for use on 

 electric automobiles. By an ingenious combination of slantwise 

 webbings, undercut sides and a unique double tread, the tire itself 

 is rendered proof against punctures, blowouts, patching and tire 

 troubles, and at the same time is said to give the easy-riding 

 qualities of the pneumatic tires. The Goodyear-Motz ti;-e, by 

 reason of its extra traction and double tread, possesses excellent 

 non-skid properties. 



