The Tubeless Tyre

Chronicle (Levin), 8 July 1948, Page 3

The Tubeless Tyre

Is the tubeless tyre a practical proposition? Many tyre users have asked themselves this sort of question after reading about oue or other of the new invenfions of this kind which are always cropping up. A tubeless tvre capable of retaining air under pressure is under experiment in the U.S.A. It takes the form of a standard type of cover fitted with an •inner lining of impermeable synthetio rubber, a specially shaped head to seal the air at the junction with the rim, and a valve fitted in the rim- itself, A dough-like compound is also placed inside the lining in the tread area, with the objeet of sealing punctures. ^t is not yet clear whether this type of tyre will be suecessful or not. On the face of it, it seems doubtful whether it would resist always the puncturing aetion of, for instance, a moderatesized nail, and any puncture of this kind would undoubtedly be more difficult to mend in a cover than in a tube. Failure to give systematic attention to the air seal could easily lead to trouble. During th'e war the Dunlop Rubber Company produced large quan'tities of tubeless bullet-proof tyres, running at atmospheiyc pressure, which gave excellent service on military vehicles. A modified version capable of retaining air under pressure was also made experimentally, but was not considered practical by the military authorities. Both' these tyres were mueh.too heavy and expensive for general use, and also gave rather a hard ride. In order to be acceptable, a tubeless tyre would need to be either permanent^ ly more resistant to punctures and*" aif leakage, or else eheaper, than the tyre with a normal inner tube. Information on- these points is still lacjcing, but future developments will be watched with interest.