The New Connolly Band Tire.
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Nearly 90 years ago, the foundations of the business of J. W. and T. Connolly, Ltd., were laid by a grandfather of a present manager of the company. The business conducted by this concern has always been largely connected with the tiring and building of wheels for road vehicles. For some years past a grip pattern of solid-rubber tire has been handled by Connolly's, and this has been placed
on the market in a large number of standard sizes. The Goodrich pattern wired form of tire is another speciality which has passed through the same hands in considerable quantities during the past few years. Since the 1st January, this company has been securing data and conducting exhaustive tests with a new make of solid band tire, and, as the result of a series of very successful experiments, the Connolly band tire is now being placed on the market on a large scale, and steps are to be taken shortly to compete for those large orders
which are now of frequent occurrence from users of commercial-motor vehicles. The chief claim made on behalf of this new tire is its extreme resilience, and it is found that this is secured both by the adoption of a special form of cross section, and by the careful treatment of first-class material. We are interested to hear that considerable business with this new production is already being done, and that orders have been secured from, amongst others, McNamara and Co. Ltd., Selfridge and Co. Ltd., and Carter, Paterson and Co. Ltd. Considerable running experience has been obtained on the motorbuses at Eastbourne and Cambridge, and it is largely on the basis of the satisfactory results achieved in these last two cases that the company eventually decided to take up thoroughly the solid-rubber-tire trade for commercial-motor vehicles. Another interesting test, and one which is likely to afford considerable data of value, is the running of a set of these new hand tires on a Foden 5-ton steam wagon. So far, we are told, 10,000 miles has been recorded and the tires are " still running."
The construction of the Connolly band tire is quite simple and possesses no unusual features. It is, however, Ivorthy of notice that this maker does not employ flanges or locking rings to retain the tire and its steel hand in position on the felloe. The tires are forced into place hydraulically, and reliance is placed on this original fixing to retain them rigidly in position. On the larger sections it is occasionally thought wise to place small rivets at intervals in the overlapping edges of the steel felloe band. These rivets are intended to act as registers to the tires. The list of sections which are to be' held in stock is a most comprehensive one; no fewer than 59 sizes are offered: the smallest tire is the 790 mm. by 90 mm., and the heaviest is the 1.070 min. by 160 mm. The 160 mm.-wide sections are suitable for loads up to 4,800 lb. The tires are pressed on to the wheels free of outlay, and a small charge only is made for the initial fitting of the steel band_ The offices of the company are at 46 and 48 and 57 to 67. Wharfdale Road, King's Cross, London, N.