The Modern Bicycle and Its Accessories

by Alex Schwalbach; Julius Wilcox

The Minute Repair Kit can be used on either an inner tube or a hosepipe tire. It does not, like some other repair kits, cut and impair the strength of the fabric, but simply forces and holds the threads apart while the patch is inserted and cemented, when the threads are allowed to assume their normal positions. The repair is not made with a plug as usual, which is sometimes liable to become displaced when in use, or leak air when the tire is inflated and the fabric distended, but is made with a flat patch or disk of pure rubber, strengthened by a cloth backing, and is placed on the inside or inner wall of the tire.

The Newton Puncture Repair Tool somewhat resembles the other plastic repair tools previously mentioned, with the exception that the solution is not carried in collapsible tubes, but is contained in the tool itself, the tool holding sufficient cement to repair three punctures. In case of large punctures, however, where a plug is necessary, they use a plug which differs from the ordinary mushroom plug because it has two heads to it, one head being very much larger than the other. In inserting these plugs the small head of the plug is firmly gripped with a pair of plyers, and both the plug and the jaws of the plyers are liberally coated with cement. The end of the plug gripped by the plyers is then forced into the puncture, leaving the large flange remaining on the tread of the tire, and to which it will adhere firmly.

The “[Sure Thing]” Tire Mender repairs punctures in single tube tires without either cement or patent solution, using small rubber bands which are plugged and rivetted inside and out. A long steel needle, having on one end a large ring to hold it by, and on the other end a long slit or eye, with an opening in it, is used as a tool. On this tool ten or twelve little elastic rubber bands are slipped in order to repair an ordinary puncture. For large punctures more bands are added. The needle end of the tool is then inserted into the tire, leaving the opening of the eye outside of the tire. One repair band at a time is then pushed into the slit of the tool and then pushed through the puncture. The tool is then withdrawn, and this operation is then repeated until all the bands are inside the tire. A third operation consists in drawing the bunch of bands out through the puncture until nearly half of their length is outside. This causes them to stretch to almost their full tension without pulling clear out. A head of rubber bands like a rivet remains on the inside as well as on the outside of the tire.

SURE THING
REPAIR TOOL.

The constant tendency of the bands to expand sideways and contract lengthwise forms a positive and permanent stoppage of the leak. The fourth operation consists in releasing the bands through the opening of the eye. The ends of the bands can be trimmed down to a sixteenth of an inch without danger of their drawing back into the tire. It is better to ride the tire a few minutes before doing so, as the bands will then have settled into place. Very often the bands are not cut off at all. One of the main and good features of this repair is that no solution or cement of any kind is required, and therefore the tool is always ready for use.

VULCANIZING.

The riding public as a rule knows very little about the process of vulcanization, and very often have objected to the time taken and the charges made by repairers for vulcanizing, and perhaps after reading what is here stated as to the necessary operations in vulcanization of a tire the riding public will be more gracious as regards the time allowed and be more willing to pay the charges asked for vulcanization.

The first principle to be employed to vulcanize a tire is cleanliness. A successful result cannot be expected if the hands of the operator are oily or greasy. Four ingredients are used in the vulcanization process, viz., naphtha, vulcanizing cement, friction or coated fabric and pure gum. Naphtha is used to clean the surfaces to be united. Vulcanizing cement is used to cement the surfaces to be united firmly. Friction or coated fabric is employed as a strain resisting agent, and the pure gum is used to make the hole airtight, and also to make the rubber cover as it was originally. The vulcanizing cement is nothing but dissolved pure gum of the same consistency as the pure gum.