Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim
346 words
A wheel rim and disc assembly (10) for use in a safety tire and wheel assembly which includes a pneumatic tubeless tire (12), said wheel rim and disc assembly comprising: an inboard rim part (16) comprising rim base means including a rim base (18), a tire bead retaining flange (20) integrally carried at an inboard edge of said rim base and a cylindrical band (32, 36)at a flange-remote edge of said rim base, a wheel mounting disc (40) having a central wheel mounting portion (46) and an outer marginal flange (52) telescoped into and secured to said cylindrical band, said flange having an outer surface (62) protruding axially outboard beyond and clear of said flange-remote band edge (30), an outboard rim part (80) comprising demountable flange means including a cylindrical hoop (82) adapted to be telescopically received from an axially outboard direction over said disc flange (52), an outboard tire bead retaining flange (84) integrally projecting from one edge of said hoop and an inboard edge (88, 92), annular resilient sealing means (130) disposed between said disc flange outer surface (62), said inboard edge (88) and an opposing surface (30) of said rim base band edge, and means (120, 128) for axially clamping said outboard rim part on said rim base means with said sealing means being captured in compression between said inboard edge, said rim base opposing surface and said disc flange outer surface so as to seal against air leakage, said disc having air bleed passage means (70) outboard of said sealing means and normally sealed from the tire cavity by said sealing means, said clamping means being constructed and adapted to engage and exert clamping stress on said outboard rim part over a range of relative movement therebetween in the axial direction of said rim base means which is sufficient to permit loss of sealing pressure at said sealing means prior to loss of clamping engagement at said clamping means to thereby permit air leakage past said sealing means through said air bleed passage means to atmosphere within said range of relative movement.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
346 words
A wheel rim and disc assembly (10) for use in a safety tire and wheel assembly which includes a pneumatic tubeless tire (12), said wheel rim and disc assembly comprising: an inboard rim part (16) comprising rim base means including a rim base (18), a tire bead retaining flange (20) integrally carried at an inboard edge of said rim base and a cylindrical band (32, 36)at a flange-remote edge of said rim base, a wheel mounting disc (40) having a central wheel mounting portion (46) and an outer marginal flange (52) telescoped into and secured to said cylindrical band, said flange having an outer surface (62) protruding axially outboard beyond and clear of said flange-remote band edge (30), an outboard rim part (80) comprising demountable flange means including a cylindrical hoop (82) adapted to be telescopically received from an axially outboard direction over said disc flange (52), an outboard tire bead retaining flange (84) integrally projecting from one edge of said hoop and an inboard edge (88, 92), annular resilient sealing means (130) disposed between said disc flange outer surface (62), said inboard edge (88) and an opposing surface (30) of said rim base band edge, and means (120, 128) for axially clamping said outboard rim part on said rim base means with said sealing means being captured in compression between said inboard edge, said rim base opposing surface and said disc flange outer surface so as to seal against air leakage, said disc having air bleed passage means (70) outboard of said sealing means and normally sealed from the tire cavity by said sealing means, said clamping means being constructed and adapted to engage and exert clamping stress on said outboard rim part over a range of relative movement therebetween in the axial direction of said rim base means which is sufficient to permit loss of sealing pressure at said sealing means prior to loss of clamping engagement at said clamping means to thereby permit air leakage past said sealing means through said air bleed passage means to atmosphere within said range of relative movement.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
54 words
The wheel assembly as set forth in claim 2 wherein said disc outer marginal flange (52) is press fit into said rim base (18) and secured thereto by a circumferential weld (64) at the junction of an axially inboard edge of said disc flange and juxtaposed adjacent inner surface (32) of said rim base.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
111 words
The wheel assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said outer surface of said disc flange comprises a generally cylindrical first sealing surface (62), said outboard edge of said rim base having a second sealing surface (30) inclined radially inwardly and in an inboard direction at an angle of about 60° to the wheel axis, and said outboard rim part inboard edge having a third sealing surface (88) inclined radially inwardly in an outboard direction at an angle of about 60° relative to the wheel axis, said three sealing surfaces thereby defining an annular cavity which in radial cross-section when juxtaposed to said sealing means defines a substantially equilateral triangle.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
32 words
The wheel assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said disc (40) has a stock thickness different from the stock thickness of said inboard and outboard rim parts (16 and 80).
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
56 words
The wheel assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said disc (40) has a radially extending clamp mounting portion (50) between said disc flange (52) and said disc central mounting portion (46) and said clamping means comprises a ring (100) secured to said outboard rim part adapted to seat against said disc clamp mounting portion.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
34 words
The wheel assembly set forth in claim 1 wherein said cylindrical hoop (82) of said outboard rim demountable flange means (80) has a sliding clearance fit as telescopically received onto said disc flange (52).
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
60 words
The wheel assembly set forth in claim 4 wherein said outboard rim part (80) has a 5° bead seat portion (86) between said cylindrical hoop and said outboard tire bead retaining flange (84), and said clamping ring (100) is abutted at its outer periphery (102) to said bead seat portion (86) and secured thereto by weld means (104 and 106).
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
248 words
A wheel rim assembly for pneumatic tubeless tires comprising a wheel mounting disc (40), rim base means (16) including a generally cylindrical rim base (18) received over said disc and first flange means (20) carried at one edge of said rim base, demountable flange means (80) including a cylindrical hoop (82), received over said disc and second flange means (84) carried at one edge of said hoop circumferentially continuous resilient sealing means (130) disposed between said disc and juxtaposed sealing surfaces (30 and 88) on said rim base means (120, 128) and said demountable flange means, means for releasably clamping said demountable flange means to said rim base means and said disc with said sealing means captured in compression between said sealing surface means for normally sealing the internal cavity of a tire mounted on said wheel rim assembly; said disc having air bleed passage means (70) such that improper mounting of said demountable flange means on said rim base means permits air leakage past said sealing means through said air bleed passage means to atmosphere; said clamping means comprising first threaded means (120) carried by said disc and means including second threaded means (128) adapted to be received by said first threaded means, said first and second threaded means being dimensioned in the axial direction of said rim base means sufficiently to permit loss of sealing engagement at said sealing means prior to loss of threaded engagement at said threaded means upon loosening of said threaded means.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
248 words
A wheel rim assembly for pneumatic tubeless tires comprising a wheel mounting disc (40), rim base means (16) including a generally cylindrical rim base (18) received over said disc and first flange means (20) carried at one edge of said rim base, demountable flange means (80) including a cylindrical hoop (82), received over said disc and second flange means (84) carried at one edge of said hoop circumferentially continuous resilient sealing means (130) disposed between said disc and juxtaposed sealing surfaces (30 and 88) on said rim base means (120, 128) and said demountable flange means, means for releasably clamping said demountable flange means to said rim base means and said disc with said sealing means captured in compression between said sealing surface means for normally sealing the internal cavity of a tire mounted on said wheel rim assembly; said disc having air bleed passage means (70) such that improper mounting of said demountable flange means on said rim base means permits air leakage past said sealing means through said air bleed passage means to atmosphere; said clamping means comprising first threaded means (120) carried by said disc and means including second threaded means (128) adapted to be received by said first threaded means, said first and second threaded means being dimensioned in the axial direction of said rim base means sufficiently to permit loss of sealing engagement at said sealing means prior to loss of threaded engagement at said threaded means upon loosening of said threaded means.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
72 words
The wheel rim assembly set forth in claim 7 wherein said first threaded means comprises a plurality of threaded studs (120) affixed in a circumferential array to said disc (40), and wherein said second threaded means comprises a plurality of nuts (128) received onto said studs, the threaded length of said studs being such as to permit loss of sealing at said sealing means before said nuts are removed from said studs.