Abstract:
A wheel assembly is disclosed, the wheel assembly including a rigid wheel including a radially outer rim wall presenting a polygonal shape with a plurality of outermost vertices connecting a plurality of planar faces, and a flexible tire mounted on the outer rim wall. The tire is supported by the vertices of the rim wall and is separated from the rim faces by a space, portions of the tire located between the vertices being configured to flex inwardly when subject to ground engaging pressure.
Abstract:
A tire for a cycle having a substantially toroidal shape, the tire including a tread adapted to be in contact with the ground, a base adapted to be fixed on the peripheral portion of a cycle rim, and two sides connecting the tread and the base, a lip having a height h greater than twice its thickness e and projecting from the upper portion of each of the two sides, in the vicinity of the tread. The height of the tip is greater than 15% of the width S of the tire in an inflated state. The lips can be constituted by the non-attached extension of the tread and, in particular, by a ply of material affixed to the top of the tire and whose edges are left free on a height greater than 15% of the width of the tire, or each lip can be arranged on an intermediate element adhered on the sides and/or the base of the tire, the intermediate element being capable of being a ring including an annular channel open towards its periphery and two lips projecting from each side of the channel.
Abstract:
A wheel structure is generally composed of a wheel frame and a tire. The wheel frame is a combination of a male frame and a female frame, wherein outer surfaces of the male and female frames are formed with ridges and the center portions of which are formed with locating holes. The male frame is formed with a rib having an extension, and a plurality of locating blocks protruding from an inner wall of a trough of the male frame. The female frame also has a plurality of locating grooves corresponding to the locating blocks of the male frame. The tire is made of plastics foam material having an opening at the center and a reduced section near the opening. The tire is sleeved onto the male frame and confined by the rib, and the female frame is engaged with the male frame by the locating blocks meshing with the locating grooves, as well as fasteners to secure the tire on the wheel frame.
Abstract:
An elastomeric tire for mounting onto a rim that is manufactured by casting or molding methods to include an interior arch shaped cavity that is centered under the tire tread to have at least one hundred forty (140) degrees and not more than one hundred seventy (170) degrees of arc, and with the cavity arch duplicated around the tire exterior, below the tire tread. A uniform tire wall thickness is provided that is selected for a particular anticipated load as the tire will carry, with the tire side wall ends maintained at the rim aligned ends, supporting the load carried by the tire in compression, and with the tire, at atmospheric pressure, providing ride and wear characteristics that are comparable to a pressurized pneumatic tire carrying a like load, and which tire of the invention interior arch shaped cavity can be pressurized to add to its inherent load supporting character to safely support even greater loads.
Abstract:
A vehicle wheel has a wheel rim with a radially inwardly positioned mounting surface and rim flanges connected axially to opposite ends of the the mounting surface. A pneumatic vehicle tire with a carcass including at least one carcass ply is provided. The pneumatic vehicle tire has a tread and two sidewalls. The pneumatic vehicle tire is mounted on the inner mounting surface of the wheel rim so as to substantially enclose the mounting surface of the wheel rim. The rim flanges have a radially outwardly projecting end portion serving as axial contact surfaces for a respective one of the sidewalls.
Abstract:
A tire of the closed torus type is made solid with a rim due to bead wireshich hug a body tightly between themselves and the rim. At each lateral end of the rim, a shoulder is provided and extended by a seat. Diameter .phi..sub.s of the seat is always less than the shoulder diameter .phi..sub.c, and the shape of the bead wire assumes the shape of the rim over at least a 45.degree. sector.
Abstract:
A closed torus tire may be inflated by means of a circumferential conduit located at the interface of the tire and a rim. The closed inflation chamber of the closed torus tire communicates with the circumferential conduit via an air inlet passageway through the annular base region of the tire's carcass. An inflation valve passageway through the rim also communicates with the circumferential conduit to provide an air conduit means for inflating the closed torus tire.
Abstract:
A tubular tire for cycles comprising a tubular toroidal body including an inner airtight tube to be inflated, the tire body or carcass being equipped, on the outer surface mating the wheel rim, with a rubberized tape having projecting portions such as profiles or prominences adapted to ensure a better engagement between the tire and the rim.The carcass is built by longitudinally joining together the edges of a rubberized fabric, the junction being radially external with respect to the tire and below the tread. The edges are joined either by overlapping or by abutment of the edges. In this latter case a reinforcement strip is provided between the carcass and the tread. An additional narrow strip protecting the junction is provided between the carcass and the inner or air tube.According to an embodiment the tire has a tunnel shaped cross-section obtained by suitably shaping the rubberized tape and the tire body when vulcanizing the tire.The tubular tire can further be provided with an additional band of gummy material forming a cordonnet having two side pseudobeads for the engagement of the tire with conventional wheel rims.The tire body is built from an endless band of a rubberized textile material being either a cross-biased ply structure or a square woven fabric. In the latter case the endless band provides for a limited overlapping of the ends of an open band that is covered by a strip of the same fabric so that the untruncated threads of the strip are parallel to the band threads that have been cut in order to maintain a mechanical continuity of the toroidal carcass. The invention relates also to the improved methods for manufacturing such tubular tires.
Abstract:
In many designs, a tire (14) of a wheel (10) is inadequately restrained with respect to a tire supporting rim assembly (12) of the wheel. Movement of the tire (14) with respect to the rim assembly (12) results in a wastage of energy. In the present invention a wheel assembly (10) has a rim assembly (12) and a tire (14) mounted on the rim assembly (12). The rim assembly (12) has an annular elastic element (22) affixed thereto for increasing the coefficient of friction between said rim assembly (12) and the tire (14).
Abstract:
A rim for a pneumatic tire carcass has a pair of rim portions which are securable together to form such rim. One rim portion is integral with a wheel hub and includes a plurality of pockets or guide openings formed therein. The other rim portion includes guide members which correspond to these pockets and which are positionable therein to position the rim portions relative to each other. Apparatus for separating the rim portions with the tire carcass mounted on them is disclosed, as is apparatus for pulling the tire carcass off a rim portion after the other rim portion has been separated therefrom. In another embodiment, a pair of rim portions are assembled by positioning posts fixed on one rim portion into angled slots defined by the other rim portion, and rotating one rim portion relative to the other, the posts being drawn into the slots during such rotation to draw the rim portions together. In yet another embodiment, the tire carcass is supplied with an inner peripheral stiffener, which is seatable in a groove formed by a pair of fixed-together rimmed portions to center the tire carcass thereon. Also, another embodiment includes an annular plate and rim portions mounted in spaced relationship on either side thereof.