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The old method of making a tire perfectly round, and having its ends welded together, and while expanded by heat placing it on the wheel, which, by its contraction in cooling, it tightly grasps, is open to the objection that when the wheel shrinks from dryness, or expands from moisture, the iron tire does not equally expand and contract.; so that sometimes it is too loose, and at others too tight, on the wheel. This has been, in some measure remedied by having the ends of the tire, instead of being welded together, connected by a screw, so that they may be brought closer. together, to compensate for the shrinking of the wheel. Although possessing many advantages, this method ia open to the serious drawback, that an imperfect jaint is caused by the space between the ends of the tires. A cap has been fitted over the joint to remedy this difficulty, but has not perfectly succeeded. Our illustration represents a method invented by N. J. Skaggs, of Talladega, Ala., by which all the advantages of a tire that can be tightened are obtained, and at the same time an almost unbroken or continuous joint is made in any position of the tire. Fig. 1 is a side view of the improvement, and Fig. 2 a cross section of the same. A A are the fellies of a wheel, constructed in the usual way. B is the tire, which is shrunk on the wheel as we have described above; the ends are not united by a weld, but have square heads, C C , formed on them, one on each, the heads being formed on the inner side of the tire, their outer ends abutting against the opposite ends of the felly, A, which are not connected (see Fig. 1). D is a rod, having a right and left screw thread *—mod on it, and a square, E, in its center. The sce portions of the rod pass into the heads of C C', connect the ends of-the tire. These ends are arranged at their surfaces, c c', as to form a "lap joint," that is, a recess is formed on one head, c', and the piece, c, of the other head overlaps it. From this description it will be seen that a continuous joint or connection is formed, and that the bolt, D, is protected without the use of a cap or socket. The square, E, is turned by an ordinary screw-wrench, which by tm-niiigJX diaws-C _C'_ nearer together, or further apart, so that the tire may be always kept tight on the wheel. It is a very simple and complete contrivance. Further information may be obtained by addressing Mr. Skaggs, as above'. This tiro was patented November 3, 1857.
