The Modern Bicycle and Its Accessories

by Alex Schwalbach; Julius Wilcox

The next step is the application of the tread strip, which serves a double purpose. In the road tire it is used to thicken the tire at its most vulnerable points, and in the track racing tire serves as a tread and as a protector of the threads. The outer cover is now put on, the ends spliced and the tire is ready for the mold. A great increase of speed is obtained by this method of construction, and the pliability, elasticity and yielding qualities of the Kangaroo tire lend an additional pleasure to road riding. Its constructive features make punctures exceedingly rare and easily repaired.

The intermediate inner tube, it is claimed, positively prevents porosity. The method of manufacture, as above described, produces their road tire. The only difference between their track tire and road tire is that in the racing tire the outer shoe is omitted. In all other respects they are the same.

REPAIR TOOLS.

Next to the make of tire, its resilient and lasting qualities, the efficiency of the valve and the merit of the various claims for advantage set forth by the different makers, the question of emergency repair in case of puncture, is equal, in importance with any of the foregoing considerations. In the early days of the pneumatic, a puncture upon the road was a matter of grave moment, and the more serious accident of the tearing off of the valve stem, or the cracking of the shoe itself, was a cause for lamentation, indeed. Repair shops were not then equipped with the necessary means to quickly set such conditions to right, and the emergency repair kits furnished riders were exceedingly crude compared with those now provided by every first-class tire manufacturer. Today, however, the rider, by virtue of the improved puncture repairing tools carried in his tool bag, regards the average puncture merely as a possible incident of his spin, and more serious mishaps to either tire or valve stem are handled by the ordinary repair man, where, not many years ago, they necessitated the sending of the tire to the makers and a consequent long and tedious delay, with the alternative of purchasing a new tire.

GOODRICH JIFFY TOOL.

Of course the old solid tires that were so long in use on the [ordinary] and on the first safeties did not need many repairs. Not being air cushions, they could not be punctured, their main trouble being usually their liability to get detached from the rim and the tendency to stretch. The usual method of relieving this excess in length caused by stretching was to cut them, take out a piece and revulcanize them together again, but even this was not done very often. When the cushion tire came in vogue, considerable difficulty was experienced, owing to the fact of their wearing in a peculiar manner. They did not break, as might be expected, on the outside, but they broke from the walls, as the hollow core itself did not offer sufficient support, and many efforts were made to solve this problem. The first Dunlop pneumatic tires used in this country, as before stated, were very difficult to repair, but when once the tube was brought to light, patching it was an easy thing. In fact, the same method of repairing the inner tube is today in use. A portion of the tube immediately surrounding the puncture is roughened with sandpaper to remove the sulphur bloom, a little rubber solution is smeared around the spot, a piece of sheet rubber, or material similar to that of which the tube is constructed is similarly smeared with solution, and when this solution reaches what is called a “tacky” condition, the patch is pressed over the puncture until it gets “set,” and the only improvement in repairing inner tube tires is what is known as the Morgan & Wright quick repair method. In this method the inner tube has an addition of a thin web or film of rubber which lies inside of the inner tube, next to the rim, and adds about 1½ ounces to the weight of the tire, and yet does not affect the resiliency of the tire in any way. Should, however, a repair in this method fail, the old method of withdrawing the tube from the casing can still be adopted. One method of repairing this style of inner tube is as follows: A repair tool, having a hollow needle point containing thick rubber solution, is inserted through the outer casing and the inner tube; the top of the tool containing the solution is then withdrawn, and this top contains a slender wire, which, when in place, was in the hollow needle. The butt end of this hollow needle plug is then screwed into the tube, which, therefore, forces the cement through the needle point and down on top of the web or film of rubber inside of the tube. The needle and needle plug are then withdrawn; the tire is then pressed together, and upon releasing it the quick repair strip adheres to the punctured spot, and the tire is permanently repaired. The first hosepipe tires used in this country were extremely difficult to repair, and it looked for a time as if the repair of this type of tire could not be made a success. When punctured it was extremely hard to locate the leak and still harder to repair it properly. After numerous abortive attempts to produce a repair kit that would be satisfactory in every way, the mushroom patch was introduced. The next great step forward in repairing tires was that of vulcanizing them where punctured, but at that time this necessitated their being returned to the rubber works to be repaired. At present every bicycle repairer of any consequence does his own vulcanizing, and there is now a neat little vulcanizer on the market by which every rider can do his own vulcanization. But of the process of vulcanization we will treat later on. A peculiar fact, however, is that when Mr. Boothroyd suggested building a hosepipe tire he at the same time suggested the use of plugs for repairs, and the use of plastic compounds also. There are a number of repair kits on the market today, and among the most popular is one called the Hartford. This kit contains the usual mushroom plugs, a pair of light steel plyers to hold the plugs and to force them through the tire, with the necessary solution, and among the plastic compounds that are popular are those known as the Vimoid, the [Goodrich Jiffy], the Palmer, the Chase, the “Kokomo Korker,” and the Amazon. All these plastic compound repair kits are operated on the one principle. The puncture is first located, and the wheel is then turned so as to work from the under side. The compound is contained in a collapsible tube, which is inserted into a nickel-plated holder, which has a hollow needle point. This needle point is inserted in the puncture and the compound is forced through the puncture, which operation leaves a mass resembling a large button over the puncture. The instrument is then withdrawn with a twisting motion. These compounds are necessarily very quick drying, and after two or three moments of waiting the tire is inflated, and, if the operation has been a success, the puncture is permanently repaired.

The Common Sense Repair Kit has a cutter which cuts a clean hole through the puncture in the tire, instead of burning the same out, and also avoids the tearing caused by expanding tools. The plugs in use with this repair kit have a tapered stem, to which is attached a strong linen loop. The back of the plug also has a slight indentation to guide the pointer while pushing it through the tire. The kit is used as follows: After the hole has been cut and the parts thoroughly cleaned and cement applied, the plug is forced in the tire up to the flange, the linen loop being retained on the outside by passing it over the thumb. The plug is then forced inside the tire with the pointer, after which it is drawn up against the tire by means of the linen loop.

The Griswold Repair Tool takes the ordinary mushroom plug and inserts it in easily and perfectly. The tool itself is a pointed sliding expansion holder, which carries the plug on the inside of it and forces the head of the plug through the tire, and upon withdrawing the tool leaving one end of the plug sticking through the puncture. This end is then cut off smoothly with the tread of the tire.