Bridgestone/firestone, Inc.

Bridgestone/firestone Research, Inc.

Dale R Harrigle, Jr

Gregory D Chaplin

James M Kirby

Charles D Spragg

Stephen M Vossberg

John D Clothiaux

James A Williams, Jr

Allen C Kearney

Thomas S Fleishchman

A pneumatic race tire has an elastomeric casing with a tread in the crown portion thereof, a pair of bead areas and a body ply carcass extending continuously between the bead areas and through the sidewalls and crown portion. A continuous thin annular band formed of a high strength, lightweight material such as metal, fiberglass, a composite material or the like is located radially inwardly of the tread and between the tread and body ply carcass to enhance tire performance by reducing the thickness of the tread area.

Race tire containing band element

A pneumatic tire having a tread, a pair of sidewalls each terminating in an annular bead area, and a pair of beads located within the bead areas, for mounting the tire on a rim. Each of the beads is formed by at least one strand of metallic wire wound upon itself into a spiral and terminating in inner and outer ends, which ends circumferentially overlap each other. The beads are placed in the tire so that the spiral orientation of the beads are opposite to each other and the inner ends of the beads are in substantial axial alignment to reduce radial force variations on the tire.

Pneumatic tire having opposite spiral oriented beads

Growing community of inventors

Akron, OH, United States of America

Dale R Harrigle, Jr