The Goodyear & Tire Rubber Company

Michel Etienne Marquet

Phuoc Thuan Le

Christophe Rodicq

Tire tread

An improved pneumatic radial ply truck tire 10 having an aspect ratio below 0.70 is designed to replace two conventional truck tires on the trailer axle of semi-trailers. These tires 10 are commonly referred to as Super Single Tires. The improved tire 10 has a radially outer tread surface 30 which is defined by three radii of curvature R.sub.1, R.sub.2, and R.sub.3 on each side of the tread centerline C.sub.L. Radii R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 are internal to the tire 10 whereas radius R.sub.3 is external to the tire 10 and defines the outer surface 30C of the tread shoulder region. The combination of curvatures 30A, 30B and 30C yields a substantially rectangular contact patch greatly improving the treadwear rates of the tire 10. The tire 10 has the radius R.sub.2 in the range of 1.3 to 2 times the radius of curvature R.sub.1, the external radius R.sub.3 is in the range of 0.7 to 2.5 times the first radius of curvature R.sub.1, preferably in the range of 1.0 to 2.5 times R.sub.1, and the shoulder rib 25A adjacent the tread edge 21 is chamfered.

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Bastogne, Belgium

Michel Etienne Marquet