Abstract:
The present invention relates to a tube guard for protecting inner tubes of relatively thin tires. The tube guard is comprised of a unitary annular guard member molded from a solid flexible synthetic polymeric material having a high Shore hardness. The guard member includes a central section having a greater cross-section at the mid portion of the central section and two peripheral, generally parallel, tapered sections integral with and extending inwardly from the central section. The outer surface of the tube guard is rough to prevent slippage relative to the outer casing of the tire and the inner surface of the tube guard is smooth to prevent damaging the inner tube.
Abstract:
A novel construction for locally strengthened tire flaps made of rubber and having circumferentially uniform cross-sectional characteristics is disclosed, together with a method of producing such flaps. In the preferred form of the invention, the major portion of the flap is made of a standard soft rubber stock, while the remaining minor portion of the flap, in which the valve-stem-accommodating hole is provided, is made of a different rubber stock having, when cured, a greater hardness and resistance to distortion or tearing stresses than the standard rubber stock. The flap is produced by splicing the two ends of an appropriately short length of the raw hard rubber stock to the respective ends of an appropriately longer strip of the raw soft rubber stock, thereby forming a ring, and then introducing the ring into any suitable annular mold, e.g. a compression mold, for final shaping and curing by which the two rubber sections are vulcanized into an integral continuous structure.
Abstract:
A tire sidewall repair patch having overlapping plies of reinforcing cords positioned in the patch. An inner margin of the patch has a concave edge which conforms generally to the shape of a bead portion of a tire. The side edges are connected to a generally convex outer edge to reduce edge pulling. The reinforcing cords are concentrated in the central portion adapted to cover the tire injury. Flexibility of the side portions at the inner margin is provided by reducing the number of plies extending into the side portions.
Abstract:
Improved flaps for tires have a reinforcement in the region of the increased thickness of material around the valve hole and the reinforcement comprises a rigid tubular insert within the valve hole and a layer of reinforced elastomer which forms a covering of the radially inner surface of the flap all around the insert.
Abstract:
The subject invention discloses the use of syndiotactic-1,2-polybutadiene in the supporting carcass and/or innerliner of a tire. The incorporation of syndiotactic-1,2-polybutadiene into rubber compositions which are utilized in the supporting carcass or innerliner of tires greatly improves the green strength of those compositions. The incorporation of syndiotactic-1,2-polybutadiene into halogenated butyl rubbers which are utilized as innerliner compositions also greatly improves the scorch safety of such compositions. The subject invention more specifically discloses a pneumatic rubber tire which comprises a circumferential rubber tread, a supporting carcass therefor, two spaced beads, two rubber sidewalls connecting said beads and an innerliner; wherein said supporting carcass is comprised of from 1 to 25 phr of syndiotactic-1,2-polybutadiene having a melting point which is within the range of 120.degree. C. to 190.degree. C. and at least one rubber selected from the group consisting of polyisoprene, styrene-butadiene rubber, and polybutadiene rubber.
Abstract:
A tire repair patch having overlapping plies of reinforcing cords, a base cushion gum layer and an intermediate cushion gum layer positioned between at least two of the plies. The intermediate cushion gum layer has a thickness greater than the thickness of the plies and suspends some of the plies for distributing the forces transmitted through the patch at the injured portion of the tire.
Abstract:
A tire repair patch having at least one ply package enveloped by an unvulcanized base cushion gum layer and an unvulcanized top cushion gum layer joined at the edges of the ply package. The overlapping plies of reinforcing cords in the ply package are coated with rubber and are at least partially vulcanized prior to assembly of the patch to increase the strength of the patch and decrease the curing time upon application to a tire.The patch is made by coating the plies with rubber, laying the plies one on top of the other to form the ply package, heating the package to cure the rubber coating and then positioning the ply package between the unvulcanized cushion gum layers. An unvulcanized intermediate cushion gum layer may be positioned between two ply packages where there is more than one ply package in the patch.
Abstract:
Tubeless tire inner liners of butyl rubber or halobutyl rubber are formed by applying to the inner surfaces of such tire carcasses, either during their manufacture, or to previously made tires, i.e. new tire casings or used tire casings for retreading, a coating of the said rubber, as a sprayable, self-curing, or mild heat curing rubber cement, the rubber or blends of rubbers having a viscosity average molecular weight, in the case of a single rubber, or a calculated averaged viscosity average molecular weight, in the case of a blend of rubbers, of between about 28,000 and about 285,000, with the cement having a total solids content of between about 20 and about 80 wt. %, the remainder being organic solvent.