Abstract:
An improved nonpneumatic tire for a motor vehicle is described. The tire has a rim and one or more elastomeric materials bonded to the rim or to one another. The tire has an equatorial plane, an annular tread rotatable about an axis, and an annular elastomeric body. The elastomeric body has at least 48 openings, a first set of at least 24 openings extend from the first side and a second set of at least 24 openings extend from a second side, both sets extending toward the equatorial plane. The openings form equally spaced columns. The columns formed by the first set of openings are inclined to the radial direction. The columns formed by the second set of openings are inclined opposite to the columns of the first set. The improved tire is characterized by columns having cross sections equidistant from the equatorial plane. The cross section of each of the columns increases in thickness from a minimum to maximums at the radially inner and radially outer extremes of the column.
Abstract:
A valve (10) for a dual chamber tire comprises a hollow sleeve (15) with at least two ports (21) (22) therein each of which is connected with an inflation chamber. A hollow valve stem (31) is slidably disposed within the sleeve (15). A locking means (50) is capable of holding the stem (31) and sleeve (15) in two different operating positions. An air passageway (35) connects the hollow interior (32) of the stem with the interior (16) of the sleeve (15) and is arranged so that when the stem is locked in one of said two operating positions air can be supplied to two inflation chambers (12,14) simultaneously and when the stem is in the other of said two operating positions one of the inflation chambers (12) is isolated.
Abstract:
A pneumatic tire and wheel assembly of the drop center type is disclosed including an inflatable annular cord-reinforced tube for filling the well of the wheel. The uninflated diameter of the cord-reinforced annular tube is substantially equal to the diameter of the base of the wheel well but expands to a diameter greater than the diameter of the bead seats upon inflation.The foregoing abstract is not to be taken as limiting the invention of this application, and in order to understand the full nature and extent of the technical disclosure of this application, reference must be made to the accompanying drawings and the following detailed description.
Abstract:
A wheel assembly 10 for a tubeless pneumatic tire 11 is described. The wheel assembly 10 has a rim 12 for supporting the tire 11, a flange 14 removably attached to the rim 12, and a plurality of spaced studs 34 attached to the rim and threaded nuts 32 for securing the flange to the rim and for relieving pressurization from a mounted and inflated tire 11 in the event one of the threaded nuts 32 is loosened.
Abstract:
A tire which has an outer and an inner layer of compound in the non-skid portion of the tread thereof. The outer layer is composed of a lower rolling resistance compound than the inner layer is composed. The inner layer is composed of a compound which provides better traction than the compound of the outer layer provides.