Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire, LLC

Bridgestone Corporation

Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations, LLC

Craig K McClung

David O Stalnaker

Richard J Macioce, Jr

Erik F Knuth

Paul M Neugebauer

Hiroshi Egami

Alberto Del Grosso

Alleva Lorenzo

Daniel Hentosz, Sr

Kurata Takayuki

Yukitake Kosuke

A method of fabricating a substantially rigid hardened wear surface for a tire tread wear testing apparatus is provided, the method comprising making a cast of a road surface on which tread wear of the tire is to be tested, providing a layer of adhesive mixed with at least one aggregate and configured for hardening to create the substantially rigid hardened wear surface, while the layer of adhesive is unhardened: (a) coating the layer of adhesive onto a road wheel of the tire tread wear testing apparatus, and (b) stamping an impression of the cast into the layer of epoxy adhesive for producing the wear surface adapted for emulating one or more surface roughness characteristics of the road surface.

Engineered surfaces for laboratory tread wear testing of tires

An indoor tire testing apparatus has a rotatable road wheel with an abrasive surface and a tire support mechanism for rotatably supporting and moving a tread of a tire into contact with the abrasive surface. A vacuum chamber having a pair of nozzles is located adjacent the area of contact between the abrasive surface and tire tread. A movably mounted shroud is formed by a plurality of metal panels and forms a chamber for receiving a tire therein during testing. Temperature and moisture is controlled within the shroud interior and vacuum chamber through a duct connected to the shroud. A plurality of brushes partially close open sides in the vacuum chamber and shroud to prevent the escape of powder and particles from within the chambers. The vacuum nozzles remove the powder and particles to a remote location to prevent their dispersion into the surrounding atmosphere.

Collection shroud for indoor tire test apparatus

A powder dispensing/collection device for indoor testing of pneumatic tires includes a first outer housing ( ) having an open end ( ) facing a road wheel ( ). First and second adjustable shrouds ( ), ( ) are disposed on an upper and lower portion of the outer housing respectfully. The shrouds are selectively moveable in a direction perpendicular to a width (w) of the outer housing. A second inner housing ( ) is partially enclosed by the outer housing and has an open end ( ) facing the road wheel which protrudes out from the outer housing a predetermined distance. At least one of the outer walls of the inner housing and the inner walls of the outer housing define a vacuum collection chamber ( ). The inner housing is manually moveable within the outer housing so that the distance between the open end of the inner housing and the road wheel can be adjusted. A hose ( ) extends through an aperture ( ) in the inner housing and into the dispensing chamber. A spray nozzle ( ) is connected to the free end of the hose. The position of the spray nozzle within the dispensing chamber is adjustable by manually moving the nozzle backward or forward within the inner housing. At least one vacuum duct ( ) is operatively connected to a rear wall ( ) of the outer housing for transferring a vacuum force to the vacuum collection chamber.

Powder dispensing/collection manifold for indoor wear testing

Growing community of inventors

Massillon, OH, United States of America

Craig K McClung