Explain these wheels

[AHa]

 

What can you tell me about these wheels? Why does it appear there are 6 valve stems? How did these wheels work? And, can anybody identify the maker?

Thank you

[oldford]

They are obviously clincher rims with non demountable round felloes. I've seen the multiple valve stems before on other wheels, can't remember what the purpose was. With this custom (probably home made) body and the fancy seat, they could be just for decoration and have no other purpose...

 

Frank

[1912Staver]

I believe those are studs for wheel weights. Although if those are clincher tires on a racing car they may be safety bolts.  They clamp the tire to the rim from the inside. Otherwise if clinchers have a flat at speed they can come off the rim and do very serious damage.

Motorcycles used them up until at least the late 1970's, but usually only 1 per wheel {straight side tires, not nearly as dangerous as clinchers }.

 

Greg in Canada

 

[Gunsmoke]

Most likely a European Gran Prix car of circa 1905-1908 era, perhaps Fiat, Benz, Itala, Isotta, photo taken much later perhaps during a vintage car event.

[Layden B]

Tire locks, there is a threaded stud that goes thru the wood felloe and has a formed plate on the end that presses on the clincher part of the tire from the inside. A nut on the outside of the wood felloe draws the plate tight. Sorry I do not have a drawing that would better explain. This picture shows 2 different examples of the nuts.

More often these are seen on single tube tires.

The intent is to keep the tire from rolling off the rim on turns. White early all natural latex rubber tires were quite flexible.

On the front wheel at the 10 o'clock position the fitting looks a bit larger. That would be the tube stem to inflate the tire. With metal stem tubes and a rim nut threaded on the outside of the stem, both inflation and locking can be both done at that location.

[Spinneyhill]

I had them on my trail bike in the '70s as "rim locks", to stop the tire coming off or rotating. They weren't tight enough; the front tire rotated (coming down off wheel stands bounding over tussock) and pulled the valve out.

[ArticiferTom]

Agree on these being clinchers . Multi tube tire had maybe two or three valve stems . Was told there on early cars because garage / service was so lacking  . The spare inner tubes where in place ready to fill if first one goes flat . The cars I seen on also had two tires on each side running board  for spares . 

[Dave Mellor NJ]

I've heard of some early tubes made in segments like a string of sausages. Perhaps this is what you have here, each with its own stem

[Layden B]

Many early cars with double spares do so because the tire size is different front to rear.

Model T Fords 1909 thru 1918 used 30x3 fronts and 30x3 1/2 rears. That is a 24" rim in front and a 23" rim in back, with the difference in tires, the outside diameter of both was 30".

[oldcarfudd]

The safety bolts weren't used only on racing cars.  My Curved Dash Olds has them, and so did a 2-cylinder Buick I used to own.

[Craig Gillingham]

I think this is a Locomobile, one of the early racing cars from 1905.

 

 

Edited December 2, 2019 by Craig Gillingham (see edit history)