Abstract:
A rapid inflation system is provided for the tires of a machine such as an agricultural machine which must periodically move between field conditions and road conditions. The system can relatively rapidly inflate the tires from a lower field ready state to a higher pressure road ready state by the use of a high pressure reservoir chamber defined within the tire.
Abstract:
The invention proposes a technique of preventing a propagation of a damage in a reinforcing layer to a toric air bag even if the reinforcing layer arranged on an outer peripheral side of the toric air bag in a safety tire to suppress an unnecessary size growth of the toric air bag and allowed to a proper expansion deformation of the toric air bag in the puncture of the tire or the like is damaged by foreign matters entered through a puncture hole into the tire, in which the reinforcing layer separately arranged from the toric air bag is fitted on the outer peripheral side of the toric air bag having a hollow torus shape over its full periphery to suppress the propagation of the damage in the reinforcing layer to the toric air bag through an interface layer therebetween.
Abstract:
A rubber-fiber composite material of the present invention comprises a non-woven fabric and a rubber which coats the non-woven fabric. At least a part of the non-woven fabric is made of an organic fiber having a single fiber diameter of 10 to 35 μm, a fiber length of 30 to 100 mm and a tensile modulus of 50 GPa or higher. By the use of the non-woven fabric at least a part of which is made of the organic fiber having the above properties, a sufficient impregnation of rubber into the inside of the non-woven fabric is ensured to enable the production of the rubber-fiber composite material having a high stiffness. Using the rubber-fiber composite material of the present invention as the reinforcing material for rubber articles, the resultant rubber articles have enhanced stiffness, improved durability and reduced weight.
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, the insert casing including an insert bead adapted to push against the tire bead and to hold the tire bead firmly against the inner surface of the rim lip, the inner wall of the vehicle tire and the outer surface of the insert casing defining an internal tire space to be pressurized for inflation of the vehicle tire or depressurized for the deflation of the vehicle tire via the insert valve, the tire bead and the insert bead interposed between the internal tire space and the insert valve, the bead spacer extending from the insert bead to an insert valve area corresponding in use to the insert valve location whereby to define at least one air passage for communication of the internal tire space with the insert valve, wherein the bead spacer is made of material sufficiently flexible to substantially conform to the contours of the wheel rim and sufficiently incompressible to provide the air passageway.
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 support device for a pneumatic tired wheel for supporting the tire in a deflated or run-flat condition includes circular segment support members, each having a transverse cylindrical web and opposed radially inwardly projecting flange portions. The support member segments are interconnected by linkages which provide for radially extending and retracting the segments so that the support device may be mounted on a fixed or one-piece wheel having a rim portion with a diameter less than the opposed tire bead support flanges and with or without removing a tire entirely from the wheel. Threaded bolts are mounted on the wheel rim and extend radially outwardly into engagement with a link member of each of the linkages to cause the linkages to radially extend or retract the support segments. The segment webs are crowned to aid in centering the tire on the support device during operation thereof and tire gripping surfaces may be formed on the segment webs to minimize lateral or circumferential slippage of the tire relative to the support device.
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 tire assembly comprising outer and inner tires having at least one vent and one plug is described. The vents and plugs mate in the assembly providing an air tight seal in the bead seal region of the tires. The vents or plugs permit air to escape from the outer tire if an attempt is made to mount the outer tire on a rim without a mating inner tire.
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.