Expanding and contracting bicycle rim
OwnerJohn E. Renkoinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An improved wheel for a bicycle or similar vehicle has a segment in the rim of the wheel which is selectively removable from the usual circular path of the rim, creating a gap in the rim. The rim is then contracted to form a smaller circle. With the smaller diameter, a tire, with or without a tube, can be placed on, or removed from, the rim without the necessity to stretch or otherwise deform the tire or tube. The spokes are held with respect to the rim during contraction of the rim, so the spokes bow during contraction. A band extends around the rim to hold the spoke ends, and one end of the band spans the gap to maintain alignment of the rim so the rim is always circular.
Claims8
In a wheel comprising a rim extending through a first circular path, a hub centrally of said rim, a plurality of flexible spokes connecting said rim to said hub, and a tire mountable on said rim, the improvement comprising a segment of said rim selectively removable from said first circular path for defining a gap in said rim, means for urging said rim without said segment into a second circular path that is smaller than said first circular path, and a tongue extending across said gap for maintaining alignment of said rim adjacent to said gap.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.