The General Tire & Rubber Company

John A Welch

James E Britton

Richard D Hein

Tiong H Kuan

Richard Nicholas Crano

John G Sommer

Dennis E Bible

Fredric D Metcalf

Joseph L Grant

Victor R Rilling

A pneumatic tire assembly is capable of supporting a vehicle wheel rolling for a limited distance when the air in the assembly has escaped. The tire of the assembly is prevented from going completely flat by an annular insert, preferably of a high modulus elastomeric material, that is placed inside the tire and fits over the wheel rim and between the beads of the tire. The annular insert is of a novel construction that is lightweight and flexible enough to be stretched over a conventional rim, yet is able to support the load normally borne by the inflated tire and also resists unseating of the beads.

Pneumatic tire assembly

Blends of low molecular weight crystalline polyethylene and crystalline EPDM polymers exhibit good processing and on curing show unexpected high flexural modulus. The addition of reinforcing agents will raise the modulus and other physical properties but the processability can remain satisfactory.

Polyethylene-EDPM compositions

Discloses method of forming a belted radial tire from a cylindrical radial green tire band having biased corded belts which are adapted to pantograph and expand circumferentially as the tire band is shaped to be molded into a finished tire without 'S-ing' of the radial cords of the carcass plies under the belts of the finished tire as may be caused by the pantograph action of the belts while the tire band is being expanded into finished shape. Involves lowering a belted radial green tire band of generally cylindrical shape to seat into a conventional tire molding press over the inflatable curing bladder, then applying inflation pressure into the curing bladder to a first pressure level while partially closing the press. The inflation pressure is continued to a second pressure level while continuing to close the press. The belts pantograph and circumferentially expand substantially completely through application of the second pressure until the tire band has reached a generally circular U-shape. The second pressure level is held while the press is in partially open position for a sufficient time interval to retain the belts in expanded position while the carcass cords under the belts stretch to be disposed at substantially 0.degree. with respect to the tire axis. The pressure is then lowered from the second pressure level to about the same as the first pressure level while the press remains partially open to permit ready closure of the press about the tire band. Then the press is fully closed and the higher molding pressure and temperature is applied to cure the tire band into a finished tire as usual.

Method of forming belted radial tires from a cylindrical tire band

A pneumatic tire with an internal toroidal safety structure that expands and provides emergency support between the tire tread and the wheel rim if the tire loses inflation pressure. The safety structure has an outer circumferential belt comprising one or more superposed layers of cord reinforced strips, the belt being secured to the safety structure in a relatively narrow central circumferential zone so that radial expansion of the toroidal safety structure is readily accommodated should the tire lose inflation pressure. The belt bears between the inner surface of the tread portion of the tire and the safety structure in the event of tire deflation or underinflation and thus guards against puncture. The safety structure may be an internal inflatable tube or a flexible resilient foam member, for example.

Pneumatic tire with puncture resistance internal safety structure

An improved elastomeric bearing structure adapted for use to support members such as beams or decks upon piers, foundations, sills, etc., to accommodate static and dynamic loading, thermal movement, non-parallel surfaces or rotation caused by beam deflection and the like. Bearing structure includes a monolithic elastomeric member which defines two substantially parallel side surfaces bounded at their peripheries by a curvilinear edge surface; the elastomeric member is confined at its edge surface by a plurality of elongated inextensible tension members disposed in both vertically spaced apart relation and horizontally offset or staggered relation and of selected accumulative height to allow selected adjacent areas of the edge surface to remain unconfined. Such structure permits a substantial increase in horizontal shear deflection for a bearing of specified thickness while also permitting superior accommodation to rotation caused by beam deflection and limiting deflection caused by vertical loading.

Growing community of inventors

Cuyahoga Falls, OH, United States of America

John A Welch