A New Block Tire.
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The Torrilhon Blocks are Moulded in One Piece and Cut After Vulcanisation.
The possible employment of a sectional form of indiarubber tire has always had great attractions for those who are interested in the running of commercial motor vehicles. A large number of such patterns has been placed on the market during the past year or two, and, as yet, the em
ployment of any one of such types has by no means become common in England. The General Omnibus Company, of Paris, has looked with favour on this class of tire for many months, and its omnibuses run on block tires in very many cases. The officials of the Public Carriage Department of Scotland Yard have not been favourably inclined towards the empknment of a sectional type of tire for heavy publicservice vehicles, and there is no doubt that the possibility of unequal wear taking place on many of the patterns, which have been submitted to them, has been responsible for their actiod in this matter.
La SocietO Anonyme des Anciens Etablissements J. B. Torrilhon, of Clermont-Ferrand, and of Paris, has placed upon the market a new form of sectional tire, which embodies certain interesting features. This company claims that ii has produced an elastic tire of most simple form, which will permit of rapid dismounting and replacement, but which, at the same time, is incapable of being torn from its rim. It is maintained that an ordinary tire, which is mounted in a channel-section rim with incuryed flanges, cannot be entirely immobile in the rim unless that portion of the rubber which is inserted between the lips of the rim is inextensible, at least in a direction which is perpendicular to the axis of the wheel, but that, if this portion is inelastic, it becomes impossible to press it into the rim between the ineurved flanges. The system, which has been introduced by J. B. Torrilhon, apparently secures a tire which can be fixed rigidly in the rim, and which it is yet possible rapidly to insert or remove.
An examinatiOn of the illustrations, which we reproduce, will render the Method of construction quite clear. It will be seen thai a small portion of one of the flanges of the rim is removable on one Side fOr a length of six or seven inches, and, in this way, an -opening is left through which the blocks Of the tire may be inserted; these blocks, of course, are arranged in suitable pre-determined lengths. It will be seen that each piece; after insertiOn, has to he pushed round
in the rim circumferentially, and other blocks are then inserted, until such time as the whole of the rim is quite full. it then only remains to close the previously-mentioned opening by the special cover piece, which exactly fits the cutaway portion of the rim. Once this piece is properly screwed into position, it is impossible for any portion of the tire to leave its place. Tires which are intended for fitting to wheels for motor vehicles have each section separated from its neighbour by a cross piece, which is screwed into the rim, as shown in one of our illustrations. This method entirely prevents any chance of the blocks' creeping round in the rim. Before placing the last block in position, it is advis able to make quite sure that there is no play whatever between those pieces which have already been mounted. If purchasers consider it necessary, the manufacturers are quite willing to provide two or three removable pieces of the rim, in order to facilitate rapid replacement of the blocks.'
The claims made by the company for this new form of tire are as follow : (1) that the mounting of the blocks does not require rods, force bars, removable clips, or any other small piece which is liable to become broken or to leave the rim.; (2) that it is the most simple and easy system for the mounting and dismounting of tires, requires no special tools, and renewals can be performed without professional knowledge ; (3) that the replacement of a tire requires no great strength, and can be made quite easily en route, if thought necessary ; (4) that under no circumstances can the tire creep in the rim, owing to the provision of the cross pieces, which separate the sections, on wheels which are intended for automobile work; (5) that this system is adapted for single, twin, or triple tires, and that it provides for efficient construction with the minimum width of rim; (6) that it is quite possible to use these tires to present either a continuous or an interrupted surface, and, as the space between the blocks depends only on the locking plates and can be varied at will, the resiliency of running can be altered to suit requirements. I.astly, an important claim is made on behalf of this new production, and that is, that the reproach which has so often been brought against the block tire, viz., that unequal wear takes place, owing to the fact that each block is moulded separately, cannot be advanced in the case of the Torrilhon tire, as the whole rubber is moulded in one piece, and is cut afterwards; this ensures absolute uniformity of texture, vulcanisation and compression, and should lead, in the ordinary
course of events, to very regular wear throughout the whole of the working life of the tire.
We illustrate two wheels which have done good service, and we are informed by the maker that they were put into service on the 15th May, 1907, and that they did not require re-rubbering until the I-5th July, 1908. They have been performing an average journey of 75 kilometres per day, at speeds up to 30 kilometres an hour on occasion. The maximum axle-weight which they have been called upon to sup
port has been 2,500 kilos., and the total service of the one set of rubbers has been reported by the owner of the vehicle on which they were fitted to be 23,000 kilometres.
The Torrilhon Company enjoys a large business, in France and many other parts of the Continent of Europe, both for tires and general rubber goods. It desires to get into touch with a reliable and influential agent for the United Kingdom, and one who is in a position to handle the trade on comprehensive and expert lines. This request was announced, on one of our advertisement pages, in last week's issue.