Uniroyal Inc.

Uniroyal, A.g.

Georg Freudenstein

Karl A Grosch

Gerhard Franz-Josef Senger

A method for determining the preferred direction of rotation of a vehicle tire including determining the direction of rotation of the tire in which the lateral structural force acting on the tire is greater. After this determination the tire is marked in a manner indicating the direction of rotation in which the lateral structural force is greater. In this way the tire may be mounted on a vehicle so that the conventionally forward direction of rotation of the tire is in the direction of greater lateral structural force so that the effect of the forces acting on the tire which tend to alter its direction of travel are minimized. An alternative method to accomplish the same result is to determine the direction of rotation of the tire in which the angular difference between the slip angle of the tire due to the lateral structural force acting on the tire and the slip angle of the tire due to the self-aligning torque acting on the tire is smaller and to mark the tire in such a manner that the tire may be mounted on a vehicle so that the conventionally forward direction of rotation of the tire is in the direction of smaller angular difference whereby the effect of the forces acting on the tire which tend to alter its direction of travel are minimized. This abstract is not to be taken either as a complete exposition or as a limitation of the present invention, however, the full nature and extent of the invention being discernible only by reference to and from the entire disclosure.

Method for determining the preferred direction of rotation of a tire

A method for determining the preferred direction of rotation of a vehicle tire including determining the direction of rotation of the tire in which the lateral structural force acting on the tire is greater. After this determination the tire is marked in a manner indicating the direction of rotation in which the lateral structural force is greater. In this way the tire may be mounted on a vehicle so that the conventionally forward direction of rotation of the tire is in the direction of greater lateral structural force so that the effect of the forces acting on the tire which tend to alter its direction of travel are minimized. An alternative method to accomplish the same result is to determine the direction of rotation of the tire in which the angular difference between the slip angle of the tire due to the lateral structural force acting on the tire and the slip angle of the tire due to the self-aligning torque acting on the tire is smaller and to mark the tire in such a manner that the tire may be mounted on a vehicle so that the conventionally forward direction of rotation of the tire is in the direction of smaller angular difference whereby the effect of the forces acting on the tire which tend to alter its direction of travel are minimized.

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Aachen-Brand, Germany

Georg Freudenstein