Dunlop Holdings Limited

Dunlop Gmbh

Tom French

Michael R Corner

Reginald Harold Edwards

Ian Kemp

Leslie Vernon Powell

Michael J Kenney

Thomas Holmes

Barrie J Allbert

William Eric Mitchell

William F Mitchell

A tire and wheel rim assembly having improved bead retention characteristics when run deflated. One or both bead seats is substantially straight and provided with an abutment respectively which is substantially continuous in the circumferential direction. Each abutment has a maximum radial dimension less than the minimum diameter of the tire bead reinforcement to allow fitment of the tire to a one-piece rim having a tire fitting well by conventional techniques. The taper of the bead seats is selected to enable abutments to be provided which have sufficient radial dimension or height relative to the adjacent bead seat such that under the action of road generated forces rotation of the tire beads about the adjacent abutment is effected to retain the tire beads at the bead seats.

Tire and wheel rim assemblies

A pneumatic tire and wheel rim assembly is disclosed in which the rim bead seats are defined by grooves having radially directed side portions which retain the associated tire bead against movement in an axial direction and each rim bead seat includes means in engagement with the tire bead to restrict rotation of the tire bead relative to the bead seat. Preferably said means comprises a plurality of projections formed integrally with part or all of the grooves which engage the associated tire bead to restrict rotation. Each projection may comprise a circumferentially extending rib or a tooth.

Pneumatic tire and wheel rim assemblies

A pneumatic tire and wheel rim assembly is disclosed in which the rim bead seats are provided with retaining means for retaining the associated tire bead therein. Preferably the bead seats comprise grooves the side portions of which are provided with the retaining means comprising projections such as teeth which engage and retain the associated tire bead in the groove. Alternatively the retaining means comprises retaining members each of which extends across the width of the associated groove through the tire bead to retain the bead in the groove. Preferably the rim is multi-component to facilitate assembly.

Pneumatic tire and wheel rim assembly

A tire and wheel rim assembly wherein the wheel rim includes adjacent to at least one bead seat a circumferentially extending groove and the tire bead has a radially and axially projecting extended toe portion which is axially and radially located within said groove. The toe is flexible in a direction substantially perpendicular to its length and substantially rigid in the direction of its length and provides an effective bead lock to retain the tire bead in position on the rim.

A tire molding matrix comprising a plurality of projections on the tread molding surface of the matrix, the projections being for molding a first, radially outer and a second radially inner, pattern in the tread of the tire incorporating at least one main drainage groove, the configuration of the projections changing distinctively at a predetermined level which is substantially parallel to the surface of the matrix for molding the tread ground-contacting surface of the tire and which is situated at a depth which is a predetermined amount less than the depth of the projection for molding the main drainage groove, the second pattern comprising a wholly radial extension of only a part of the first pattern.

Tire molding matrix

A pneumatic tire and wheel assembly containing an enclosing means for a lubricating material. The enclosing means will release the lubricating material into the tire when the tire becomes deflated.

Tire and wheel assemblies

A tire and a tire and wheel assembly in which the wheel rim has axially-outwardly-extending portions adjacent the bead seats and the tire has in the lower sidewall region a rubber buttress having a substantially axially-outwardly-extending radially inner face. This buttress is capable of tangential flexing relative to the wheel rim so that on deflation of the tire the radially inner face of the buttress contacts the axially-outwardly-extending rim portions to support the tire sidewall and accommodate relative movement between the wheel rim and the tire sidewall.

Pneumatic tires

A wheel having a pair of spaced-apart seats for tire beads and annular, axially extending rim portions extending from adjacent the bead seats and forming faces against which a sidewall of a tire can be deflected and supported when the tire is deflated.

Growing community of inventors

Sutton Coldfield, United Kingdom

Tom French