Tubeless Tyre Invented in U.S.A.

Grey River Argus, 9 August 1948, Page 8

Tubeless Tyre Invented in U.S.A.

Ist the tubeless tyre a practical proposition ? Many tyre users have asked thmselves this sort of question after reading about one or other of the new inventions of this kind which are always cropping un. A tubeless tyre, 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 impereable synthetic 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 object of sealing punctures. It is not yet clear whether this type of tyre will be successful or not. On the face of it, it seems doubtful whether it would resist always the puncturing action of, for instance, a moderate-sized 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 the war the Dunlop Rubber Company produced large Quantities of tubeless, bullet-proof tyres, running at atmospheric 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 much to 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 permanently more resistant to' punctures and air leakage, or else cheaper than the tyre with a normal tube. Information on these points is still lacking, but future developments will be watched with interest.