a 'Stepney' spare wheel consisted of a rim and tyre that clipped onto the original wheel. Its possible that Stepney wheels were carried and attached and removed as and when required

http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/topic/173218-ww1-military-motors-1916-set-x-50-cards/?page=210

The ' Stepney ' spare wheel and tire system was an ingenious vehicle spare wheel and tyre system invented by Welsh brothers Thomas and Walter Davis, who were Ironmongers by trade from the town of Llanelli in South Wales, with the name for their ' Stepney ' invention coming from the name of the street in Llanelli where they had their Ironmongers business ' Stepney Street '.

The Davis brothers' Stepney system was intoduced at a time when motor vehicles typically did not have a spare tyre, and being ironmongers by trade, the Davis brothers designed a circular metal rim to which was fitted an inflated spare tyre, and in the event of a puncture or other tyre damage which caused the tyre to be changed, the ' Stepney ' rim and spare tyre could be easily and quickly clamped to the wheel rim having the damaged tyre, and securely held in place by two strong ' Butterfly Clamps ' which were easily tightened by thumb screws, and it was claimed that a ' Stepney ' spare wheel & tyre could be easily and quickly fitted without the use of any tools, or the need for the vehicle to be jacked up.

The Davis brothers patented their ' Stepney ' vehicle spare wheel & tyre system, and introduced it for sale in January 1906 by their Company the ' Stepney Spare Motor Wheel Ltd. ', and their ' Stepney ' system was so successful, that in just a few short years, the Davis bothers were both millionaires with vast numbers of their ' Stepney ' systems being sold not just throughout Britain, but also all over the world. Their 1913 advertisement, claimed that 400,000 ' Stepney ' spare wheel & tyres had already been sold.

The ' Stepney ' spare wheel & tyre systems was used by the British, and Empire's military during WW1 on various vehicles, and from the photographic evidence, they were mainly used as the spare wheel on Ambulances.

After WW1, the company moved from Llanelli to Waltamstow, London, and as more and more vehicles started to be sold already equipped with a spare wheel & tyre already fitted to a road wheel, the ' Stepney ' system became obsolete, and the Davis brothers concentrated on rubber tyre manufacturing, forming the Stepney Tyre & Rubber Co., also based in Walthamstow, London.

http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/topic/173218-ww1-military-motors-1916-set-x-50-cards/?page=210
http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/topic/173218-ww1-military-motors-1916-set-x-50-cards/?page=2