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A Resilient Tire for Heavy Work.

8th August 1907, Page 5
8th August 1907
Page 5
Page 6
Page 5, 8th August 1907 — A Resilient Tire for Heavy Work.
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On a recent occasion, a representative of " THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR had an opportunity of putting to thorough test the tires which are marketed by the " K.T." Syndicate, Limited, of 52, Oueen Victoria Street, London, E.C. company has been in existence for a matter of two years, and, during the greater part of that time, progressive experiments in the construction of the " K.T." tires have been proceeding, Much money has been spent in this way, and both practical road and laboratory tests have been undertaken, with the result that a tire with somewhat remarkable running qualities is now turned out by the syndicate. It is now ready to be put on the market on a considerable scale, and, under the able guidance of Mr. A. E. Gelder, the manager, who has had very useful experience in the motor world, and who was formerly sales manager of the English branch of the Swinehart Tire Company, should meet with much success. The demonstration afforded to our representative took place over a distance of some 130 miles, and it proved conclusively that this type of tire is one of the most resilient which has been offered for use on heavy commercial motors. It has all the advantages of a solid rubber tire, inasmuch as punctures are unknown, and it possesses, at the same time, many of the virtues of the pneumatic tire with a continuous air tube. The very easy riding afforded by this tire should prove of distinct advantage where the cartage of perishable goods is to be undertaken, and such a tire permits a very much greater average speed to be kept up without the possibility of damage to the mechanism of the tar through the excessive vibration set up by the indifferent road surfaces which are met with in the Metropolis and elsewhere. Our sectional illustration will show the method of construction of the tire. A broad binding rim is shrunk, or pressed, on to the felloes of the wheel and it is then turned truly circular. The rim is the subject of a separate patent, taken out by the " K.T." Syndicate, and its object is to give great resistance to distortion and, at the same time, to keen the weight of the wheel ,diown as low as possible. The actual tread of the tire is in the form of round, hollow pads of rubber ; these pads are projections from a continuous band of rubber and they are arranged in two rows, staggered as shown in the accompanying illustrations. The rubber band is placed within a perforated steel rim, through the holes in which the hollow pads protrude; each of these is slightly larger in diameter than the hole in the perforated rim, and must, therefore, be forced into position. When the rubber band is in place in the perforated rim, its inside diameter is inch less than the external diameter of the binding rim,

over which it is now forced by hydraulic pressure. Creeping of the tire is almost impossible on account of the grip due to such a high compression of the rubber. As an additional security, however, tapped washers are placed in a few of the air chambers, and into these fit the threaded portions of setscrews which pass through the felloes and the binding-rim. N.Vhen the wheel and tire are assembled as described, the hollow chamber in the base of each pad is hermetically sealed and the imprisoned air gives greater resiliency to the pad ; vibration is thereby much reduced. The best of steel springs, in combination with solid rubber tires, is incapable of absorbing the vibration set up by travelling at speeds above r5 miles an hour, and if the vehicle is a heavy one, such as a bus or lorry, 5 miles an hour is about the limit for smooth running. This has long been realised by automobile engineers and they have for this reason largely employed pneumatic tires on account of the greater period of elasticity which is offered by the air therein contained. Each pad on the " K.T." tire has an air space equal to I of its whole volume and, whilst the riding is not quite equal to the pneumatic tire with continuous air tube, its running is so smooth that, even at high speeds, the vibration is barely perceptible. The patentees claim for this tire many advantages, amongst which are :—

T—Ail friction between the rubber and metal is eliminated.

2—The rubber is never placed in tension, but is always compressed by the load and, therefore, offers greater resistance to cutting. 3—The heel and toe movement tends to decrease skidding and side-slip. 4—The tire offers less resistance to traction owing to the fact that the work put into the rubber, in compressing the pads, is again given out as the pads are leaving the road.

In order to prove the accuracy of the last-mentioned claim, the Krieger Electric Carriage Syndicate, Ltd., made three very interesting tests with one of its electric vehicles. For the first, test, all the wheels were fitted with continuous, tubular, pneumatic tires; for the second test the pneumatic tires were retained for the drivers, but " K.T." tires were fitted to the leaders ; the third test was carried out with all four wheels fitted with " K.T." tires. The conditions of weight, speed, and roads, were practically the same throughout, but the results showed for 12 readings of the ampil-emeter, the following totals :—No. I, 498; No. 2, 473 ; and No. 3) 445The reading of the voltmeter was constant throughout the three runs. The:-.e figures go to prove that the " K.T. tires, when compared with ordinary pneumatics, required 1 / .9 per cent, less electrical energy to propel the same vehicle.

The makers guarantee this tire for s,000 to mo,000 miles, according to the class of vehicle on which it is to be used.

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People: A. E. Gelder
Locations: London

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