Firestone Industrial Products Company, LLC

Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations, LLC

Bfs Diversified Products, LLC

Jason B Smith

Pradipta N Moulik

Joshua R Leonard

Hao Wang

John D Rensel

Graham R Brookes

Stephen C Street

Jon Irvin Stuckey

Paul P Koeske

Michael C Howard

David J Zemla

David D Jackson, Jr

Jeffrey T Capek

Jonathan D Wood

Keith A Taylor

Michelle A Correll

Mark McEwen

James C Updegraff

Brandon J Ward

The present disclosure relates to a bead clamp ring for covering a bead clamp of a tire building machine during a tire building process, comprising an annular body formed of a flexible material that includes a central body portion, a proximal end body portion, and a distal end body portion. The proximal end body portion includes a securing to secure the bead clamp ring to the drum. The distal end body portion includes a bead lug to engage the bead clamp. The bead lug includes an annular recess, which includes a proximal recess portion communicated with the open recess end and an enlarged distal recess portion defining the closed recess end. The enlarged distal recess portion extends radially below the proximal recess portion and has a greater radial depth than the proximal recess portion. The enlarged distal recess portion is located distally of a mid-point of the bead lug length.

Bead clamp ring

A jounce bumper assembly dimensioned for securement on or along an associated end member of an associated gas spring assembly. The jounce bumper assembly includes a bumper mount dimensioned for securement to the associated end member. A jounce bumper supported on the bumper mount for axial displacement therealong. A biasing element is disposed peripherally about the bumper mount and positioned axially between the jounce bumper and the associated end member. The biasing element has a fully-compressed, solid height that is operative to maintain the jounce bumper assembly in axially-spaced relation to the associated end member under a full jounce load condition. Gas spring assemblies including such a jounce bumper assembly, and suspension systems including one or more of such gas spring assemblies are also included.

Jounce bumper assemblies as well as gas spring assemblies including same

An end closure () is dimensioned for securement to a gas spring end member (). The end closure is dimensioned to form a substantially fluid-tight, friction-fit connection with a flexible spring member () that is in an at least substantially-cured condition. The end closure () can include an end wall portion (), a first side wall portion () that extends from along the end wall portion () and a second side wall portion () that is disposed radially inward of the first side wall portion and is axially-offset relative to the end wall portion. The second side wall portion at least partially forms a mounting seat that is dimensioned to form a substantially fluid-tight, friction-fit connection between at least the second side wall portion of the end closure () and the flexible spring member (). A gas spring assembly as well as a suspension system and methods of assembly are also included.

End closures as well as gas spring assemblies and methods of assembly including same

A cab fairing for attaching to an associated truck cab includes a fairing panel having an attachment end; a hinge connected to the attachment end and configured to connect to the associated truck cab; and an actuator connected to the fairing panel that is configured to switch the fairing panel between a first coverage state and a second coverage state.

Moveable cab fairings

Various embodiments of a tire assembly having an inner tire and an outer tire are disclosed.

Tire assembly including an inner tire and an outer tire

A transport vehicle includes a cab; a trailer carried by the cab, the cab and the trailer forming a gap therebetween; and a fairing carried by the cab and at least partially covering the gap. The fairing includes at least one fairing panel; and a hinge connected to the at least one fairing panel and the cab or the trailer. The hinge allows the at least one fairing panel to switch between a first coverage state and a second coverage state.

An end member assembly () that is dimensioned for use in forming a gas spring assembly () can include an end member body () that is dimensioned for securement to a flexible spring member () of the gas spring assembly (). The end member assembly () can also include a compliant support structure () that is operatively connected to the end member body () to support the end member body in spaced relation to an associated structural component (SC). The end member body () can include a side wall () that extends in overlapping (OL; OL) relation with at least a portion of the compliant support structure (). The end member () can also form at least one chamber () within the end member body () and compliant support structure (). A gas spring assembly () and a suspension system () are also included.

Fluid spring and rubber spring assembly

A pressurizable gas reservoir can include a first end member and a second end member that is disposed in longitudinally-spaced relation to the first end member. A flexible reservoir member can extend between opposing first and second ends. The first end secured to the first end member and the second end secured to the second end member. The flexible reservoir member at least partially defines a reservoir chamber between the first and second end members that is capable of storing a quantity of pressurized gas for an extended duration of time. The first and second end members can be maintained in substantially-fixed axial position relative to one another. A suspension system including such a pressurized gas reservoir and a method of assembly are also included.

Pressurized gas reservoirs including an elastomeric wall

A flexible spring member includes a flexible wall that is at least partially formed from an elastomeric material. The flexible wall can have a longitudinal axis and extend peripherally about the axis and longitudinally between first and second ends. The flexible wall can also include an outside surface and an inside surface that can at least partially define a spring chamber. A radial-biasing band can be disposed along the outside surface of the flexible wall in longitudinally-spaced relation to the first and second ends. The radial-biasing band can be at least partially formed from an elastomeric material and can be operative to elastically bias at least a portion of the flexible wall in one of a radially-inward direction and a radially-outward direction in an inflated condition of the gas spring assembly. A gas spring assembly and a method of manufacture including such a flexible spring member are also included.

Flexible spring members, gas spring assemblies and methods

A flexible wall and end structure assembly includes a flexible wall and an end structure. The flexible wall is formed from an elastomeric material and a filament structure. A bead wire is formed into an open end of the flexible wall. The end structure is received along the open end of the flexible wall and forms a substantially fluid-tight seal therewith. A portion of the filament structure is compressed between the bead wire and the end structure and extends therefrom in radially-outwardly spaced relation to said end structure. A gas spring assembly including such a flexible wall and end structure assembly is included. A method of manufacture is also included.

Gas spring assembly and method of manufacture

A multi layered tire former bladder and a method for making the bladder is described. The multi layered bladder includes a elastomeric bladder having an outer surface and an inner surface; a release coating on the outer surface of the bladder; and at least two fabric reinforcing plies which include a first outer ply embedded in the bladder below the outer surface and an inner surface fabric ply at the inner surface of the bladder. In the method of making the bladder an air dried release coating is applied to the outer elastomeric surface of the bladder.

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Avon, IN, United States of America

Jason B Smith