Terry Bond Posted June 11, 2019 Share Posted June 11, 2019 Came across this interesting photo - obviously custom wheels are not a recent creation! Assume this is circa 1903-5 era and probably European, but would love to know what car and more about those strange wheels. Terry 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rusty_OToole Posted June 11, 2019 Share Posted June 11, 2019 (edited) Looks like some kind of built in springs in the wheels. The tires themselves are solid rubber. Probably an attempt to make a puncture proof tire/wheel that rode as well as a pneumatic tire. There were quite a few patent wheels and tires in the early days, some quit bizarre. Just a week ago in a local junk yard I saw a pair of pre 1920 Dayton Airless white rubber tires on rims. They were stuffed with segments of foam rubber encased in a woven wrapping. Punctures and tire wear were a big problem back then, if you went 50 miles without a flat tire you were lucky and tire life was 5000 miles or less. If that car is still around the solid rubber tires are probably still on it, and still good after 100+ years. Edited June 11, 2019 by Rusty_OToole (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 11, 2019 Share Posted June 11, 2019 They are spectacular! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1937hd45 Posted June 11, 2019 Share Posted June 11, 2019 Reminds me of the Glidden Napier with rail road conversion wheels. Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spinneyhill Posted June 11, 2019 Share Posted June 11, 2019 My grandparents lived next to the Gisborne to Motu railway line. Grandma joked for years about a dream she had of driving the car home from town (about 10 miles) on the rails, with no tires! I remember the line being pulled up, perhaps in the '60s. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Wetherbee Posted June 11, 2019 Share Posted June 11, 2019 A few years ago on one of the Ford Forum areas, there was a thread about very similar wheels that were made as aftermarket accessories for a Model T. The guy had a pair of these and wanted the other two. He was able to find patent drawings online so they knew who made them at the time, but finding the thread would be a challenge.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8E45E Posted June 11, 2019 Share Posted June 11, 2019 (edited) There was the Kennedy 'Spring Wheel', from around 1910. Vintage ad on Page 8 here.---------------------> https://news.google.ca/newspapers?nid=hqOjcs7Dif8C&dat=19110225&printsec=frontpage&hl=en One mounted on a buggy here: Craig Edited June 12, 2019 by 8E45E Added photos (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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