Abstract:
A bead lock including an insert casing and a bead spacer for providing an air passageway in a vehicle tire to be mounted on a wheel rim on which is located an insert valve and a rim lip for retention of the vehicle tire bead, said insert casing including an insert bead adapted to push against said tire bead and to hold said tire bead firmly against the inner surface of said rim lip, the inner wall of said vehicle tire and the outer surface of said insert casing defining an internal tire space to be pressurized for inflation of said vehicle tire or depressurized for the deflation of said vehicle tire via said insert valve, said tire bead and said insert bead interposed between said internal tire space and said insert valve, said bead spacer extending from said insert bead to an insert valve area corresponding in use to said insert valve location whereby to define at least one air passage for communication of said internal tire space with said insert valve, wherein said bead spacer is made of material sufficiently flexible to substantially conform to the contours of said wheel rim and sufficiently incompressible to provide said air passageway.
Abstract:
A three-chamber tire comprises a tire body including a bead mounted to a rim and an interior hollow space therewithin to form a service chamber; a low-pressure chamber mounted circumferentially around the interior hollow space of the tire, said low-pressure chamber including a wall, at least part of which is flexible, to form a partitioned, closed space; a high-pressure chamber mounted, adjacent to the low-pressure chamber, circumferentially around the interior hollow space of the tire, the high-pressure chamber including a wall, at least part of which is flexible, to form a partitioned, closed space; a bulge portion mounted to the outer surface of the high-pressure chamber and normally urged, in a direction toward the rim to be pressed; and a control valve for the low-pressure chamber positioned between the service chamber and the low-pressure chamber, in communication with each other, wherein the communication therebetween is cut off when the air pressure of the low-pressure chamber reaches a predetermined pressure; a control valve for the high-pressure chamber enabling the communication between the high-pressure chamber and the low-pressure chamber to be possible depending on the decrease in the air pressure of the service chamber, while enabling the communication to be cut off when the air pressure of the high-pressure chamber reaches a predetermined pressure.
Abstract:
A wheel and tire assembly which includes inner and outer tubeless tires mounted on the wheel. The two tires together define inner and outer air chambers which are pressurized through separate air valves. The outer tire includes a plurality of radially spaced projections on its inner surface which define passageway between the inner and outer tires at their respective beads to allow the filling of the outer chamber. The inner tire may include a bevelled end portion at its bead to further facilitate filling of the outer chamber.
Abstract:
A dual-chamber pneumatic tire having two separate concentric annular air chambers. The outermost air chamber, disposed behind the tire tread normally in contact with the ground has a relatively small volume, is toroidal and substantially elliptical in cross-section and is inflated at a higher pressure than the innermost chamber disposed in the remaining volume of the tire. The two chambers are separated by an elastically deformable, collapsible partition wall or diaphragm which is integrally attached to the interior tread surface near the sidewalls or which is, alternatively, made removable. The low pressure innermost chamber is inflated by means of a conventional air valve or by a regulator valve between the innermost chamber and the outermost chamber, while the outermost chamber is inflated by means of an air valve connected to the wall or diaphragm by means of flexible hose, or, alternatively by a valve disposed at the base of the tire sidewalls. The structure of the invention is particularly adapted to tubeless tires.
Abstract:
PUNCTURE PROOF OR UNDERFLATABLE TIRE WHICH MAY BE OF THE TUBED OR TUBELESS VARIETY BUT IN EITHER EVENT PROVIDED WITH A PLURALITY OF SUBSTANTIALLY AIR-TIGHT CELLS ADJACENT A MANIFOLD WHICH IS ADAPTED TO HAVE A NORMAL INLET FROM THE EXTERIOR OF THE TIRE THROUGH A TIRE VALVE WHICH MAY PASS THROUGH THE WHEEL RIM AND WHEREIN THE MANIFOLD IS CONNECTED TO EACH OF THE CELLS THROUGH A VALVE WHICH PERMITS AIR TO PASS THROUGH THE MANIFOLD TO A CELL WHEN THE PRESSURE OF A PARTICULAR CELL HAS CRITICALLY DROPPED DUE TO A PUNCTURE OF A RUPTURE OF A WALL THEREOF. THE TIRES IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE INSTANT INVENTIONALLY ALSO INCLUDE A SPECIAL VALVE LOCATED BETWEEN EACH CELL IN THE MANIFOLD OF SUCH NATURE AS WILL PERMIT AIR FROM THE MANIFOLD TO BE PASSED TO A CELL WHICH HAS LOST AIR AND WILL ALSO PERMIT AIR TO BE PASSED FROM THE CELL BACK TO THE MANIFOLD WHEN THE MANIFOLD PRESSURE HAS BEEN RELIEVED BY OPENING ITS INLET VALVE.