BIRD'S CHROME TYRE. ———-♦———• A SPLENDID SUBSTITUTE FOR RUBBER

Progress, Volume II, Issue 7, 1 May 1907, Page 270

BIRD'S CHROME TYRE. — — — -♦ — — — • A SPLENDID SUBSTITUTE FOR RUBBER

A Unique and Practical Idea. It is the old, old story— so many futile attempts to solve a problem on orthodox lines, and the solution eventually found in a complete departure from the beaten track So has it been with the eternal tyre trouble. Efforts innumerable have been made to produce a satisfactory substitute for rubber, and all sorts of compositions have been tried. But the rubber tyre, with its liability to puncture, to " blow out " and to wear out with money-eating rapidity, still remains the dominant covering for the motor wheel, albeit it is now aided by a variety of. costly accessories At length, however, a healthy and promising rival has arisen, and if the reasonable anticipations of its sponsors are realised, ISew Zealand will be able to claim the honour of having solved the problem and earned the gratitude of the motorists of the world Undoubtedly in the unique and practical creation of Mr. W. H Bird's inventive genius, The B?rd lyre Company has got hold of what promises to be one of the "best good things— a comparatively inexpensive and thoroughly serviceable tyre The Kditor of Progress, when in Wanganai recenth, availed himself of the opportunity of inspecting the inventor's orjginal full-sj^ed model, and it i& but stating a truism to say that he was profoundly impressed by the tremendous potentialities of t2v> invention. It is *o simple yet so evidently effective, and a careful and critical c- animation seems to

fully justify all the claims that are made on its behalf. And what are these claims ? Let us state them categorically — I—it1 — it is economical. The first cost will be much below that of the present-day tyre, and the repair bill will be proportionately reduced. 2—lt2 — It is as light as a good rubbei tyre, while possessing greater density and substance 3—lt3 — It is simple in construction thereby necessitating no very expensive and elaborate machinery. 4 The material of which it is constructed (chrome leather) is obtainable in all countries s—it5 — it will afford practically complete immunity from puncture or " blow out " 6—lt6 — It will have less liability to skid or side-slip. 7—lt7 — It will possess greater wearing qualities B—Protective8 — Protective armouring will not be necessary but if desired it could be satisfactorily applie ! to the tyre itself, an obvious impossibility with the rubber article 9 — Retaining the pneumatic principle, it possesses the resilient qualities of a rubber tyre. 10 — It is attachable to the rim of the wheel by any existing method. Obviously for a tyre possessed of these qualities and virtues there must once it is satisfactorily placed on the market, be an enormous demand. Later on we will refer to the financial possibilities of the invention Just here, however, it is more appropriate that we should give our readers a description of the tyre, So that, by familiarising them

with the details of construction, they may be better able to judge for themselves as to the reasonableness of the claims set out above. We need scarcely add m this connection, that anything approaching a full realisation of the merits of the Bird tyre can only be attained by personal inspection There is that about the tyre which speaks for itself it looks and feels the good thing which we honestly believe it to be As we have already said, the Bird tyre is constructed of chrome leather As all experienced motorists are aware, many attempts have been made to produce a leather tyre, but so far without success. The method usually applied by the experimentalists has been to cut long strips of a suitable size and shape and to mould them to the wheel. This means, of course, that only the very finest portions of each side of leathei could be used, the process bemg to place layer upon layer until the necessary thickness is attained At the very outset a tyre so constructed is open to objection, in that it requires attention immediately the first layer of leather is worn through Furthermore, the continuous rolling tends to make the tyre thinner and thinner, while any stretch left in the leather is developed unequally, thus throwing the tyre out of shape. Mr. Bird has completely departed from the old lines. His tyre is constructed so as to make the edge of the leather engage the ground Small pieces of chrome leather, cut in the shape of the cross section of the tyre, are placed side by side, and the tyre is built up of these pieces until the circle is complete. Compression and vulcanisation complete the process, the leaks having been pieviously tieated with the vulcanising solution, and the whole becomes a united ma^s Tt is s.gn.ficant that whereas >« all attempts to use leather m the ordmary way only the prime portions of a hide could be utilised, with Mr Bird's method the whole hide may be used up, including the softest portions, and instead of deterioration, the resiliency of the tyre is enhanced, and all waste avoided. The tyre shown in our illustration, though crudely constructed, weighs 17|lbs , is 28 x 4m and is one inch thick on the tread The 28 x 3£ inch tyre which is replaced weighed 15lbs , and is much less in substance. The question may be asked, will not the wear have the time stretching effect as m the case of using leather on its suiface ? We understand that this would not be the case, as any chance which the running of the wheel might make would have the effect of thickening and not thinning, the leather, thus if anything increasing the torsional compression. Another point which may probably be raised by the uninitiated is as to the probable swelling effect of water on the leather. If the leather used in the Bird tyre was the ordinary brown variety, with which we are all familiar, that might be so, and any attempts at treatment might have the effect of unduly hardening it ; but the leather employed by Mr Bird is known m the trade as " chrome " and is enormously strong, besides being so much like rubber m its texture and appearance that many people viewing; the tyre have mistaken it for that material Tennis players are familiar with " chrome sole," as it is becoming very popular as a substitute for rubber, than which it is said to wear three times as long while affording equal comfort and spring. However, it might be stated as a fact that the effect of water on chrome leather is not at all simihar to that produced on brown leather. True, in, its raw |tate it will absorb a certain amount of water — which has little or no softening effect when compared with ordinary leather — but after having been subjected to the vulcanising and compression processes the pores will be sealed, and its absorbent properties will be practically nil, not more at most than sufficient to give a greater grip on the wet roads and minimise the danger of side slip, that great peril of the motorist. Perhaps the chief factor in tyre troubles is the great internal pressure necessary to keep the ordinary tyre m shape The air is forced mto the inner tube to the extent of about eighty pounds to the square inch That being so, any slight injury from without is quickly aggravated from withm, and the very efforts of the motorist to keep his tyres in condition by complete inflation only hasten the end. The Bird tyre, possessing greater density does not require the same inner pressure in order to secure the necessary rigidity for a fast tyre, thus putting much less strain both upon itself and the tube With regard to the wearing qualities of chrome leather, an experiment within the reach of any interested person is to obtain a piece cf chrome sole leather, a piece of rubber, and a file A very few seconds will suffice to demonstrate that whereas , rubber may be easily filed it is by no means easy to make an impression on the leather. Looking at it, then, from every point of view, the Bird tyre appears to "fill the bill," and to be possessed of enormous possibilities. A company in which s several of our most influential colonists are interested, has been formed for the purpose of securing patent rights throughout the world and of subi sequently disposing of those rights in the different : countries. All the shares were taken up by the t members of the original syndicate, some of whom, i hOAvever, have disposed of a small portion of their

holdings at a substantial profit. If the enterprise materialises — and we see no reason why it should not do so — it should certainly prove one of the biggest ' ' scoops ' ' ever brought off in Australasia, making the fortunes of the fortunate holders, and result in a splendid advertisement for New Zealand. We need not dwell upon the financial potentialities of an invention like this, nor, indeed, would it be possible to venture even an approximate estimate in face of the amazing growth of the motor car industry Last year the output of gars in the world totalled 193,000, and their total value, at the very low average of each, was £39,000,000. And yet the industry is only m its beginning. Clearly he would be a rash man who would hazard a guess at the value of the rights of a property like the Bird tyre. In conclusion we may say that provisional protection has already been granted to Mr Bird's invention m New Zealand, in the Commonwealth of Australia, and in Great Britain, and the Company expects at any time now to be informed that full patent rights have been granted. We bke the tyre ; we shall be surprised if it does not prove to be just what is wanted, and we heartily wish Mr. Bird, of Wanganui, and those associated with him, the greatest possible measure of success.