The Goodyear & Tire Rubber Company

William T Smith

Timothy Michael Rooney

George T Watts

Allan J Robinson

A multi-piece rim assembly comprises a rim base, sealing member, lock ring and bead seat band. The sealing member and lock ring have specified positions such that each is at least partially disposed in an annular groove in the radially outer surface of the rim base, with the lock ring being nearer to an axial end of the rim base than the sealing member. The bead seat band is coaxial with and slidably mounted around the rim base. When all of the components of the rim assembly are in their specified positions, the bead seat band engages the sealing member to form an airtight seal. If the entire lock ring is not in its specified position, an axial end of the bead seat band contacts the lock ring and prevents the airtight seal from being formed.

Rim assembly

An annular ring-shaped run flat device is used in tires to permit continued use of the tire even when the tire is operating at low pressure or is completely deflated. This device is comprised of a rigid section and a non-rigid section. The tire, when it collapses, due to a reduction in pressure, comes to rest on the surface of the non-rigid, resilient, impact resistant section. This device is easy to assemble, can be used with conventional multi-piece rims, is light weight, durable and capable of absorbing impact under both inflated and deflated conditions. The device can also be used as a positive and non-positive bead spacer to prevent dismounting of the tire beads when tire pressure drops.

Run flat device

An adapter, to facilitate the use of a bead-loosening tool for demounting a tire mounted on a wheel-rim, has a base plate with a slot therethrough through which the force-transmitting and flange-engaging means of a bead-loosening tool may extend. One surface of the adapter presents a configuration that is complementary to the configuration presented by an axially outer end of a wheel-rim. The foregoing abstract is not to be taken as limiting the invention of this application, and in order to understand the full nature and extent of the technical disclosure of this application, reference must be made to the accompanying drawings and the following detailed description.

Adapter for a tire bead loosening tool

A tire and rim assembly has a closed torus tire mounted upon a three-piece rim that may be adapted for use with a variety of wheels and vehicles. The rim consists of a rim base, a tapered base band and an expandable locking ring. An adapter may be attached to the rim base to facilitate the use of the tire and rim assembly with various wheels. In the preferred embodiment the rim base is a weldment.

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Uniontown, OH, United States of America

William T Smith