Abstract A vehicle tire which provides a simple means of mounting, dismounting, or exchanging tire treads. The tire carcass is designed in such a manner that the diameter increases by 15 percent or more when the tire is inflated to operating or operable pressure. On the carcass, in place of the conventional integral tread there is a wide annular groove or channel having spaced sidewalls. The tread comprises an annular nonstretchable flexible band or belt which snugly fits in the channel between the sidewalls. When the tire is inflated and expands radially outwardly, the nonexpandable tread is securely and firmly held in place in the channel, but it can be removed and replaced when the tire is deflated. The interengaging inner annular surface of the tread member or band and the outer surface or bottom of the tread receiving channel may be formed with complemental, interengaging means or lugs which are forced into interengagement with each other when the annular tread band is fitted into the channel and the tire is inflated to resist relative slippage between the tire and the annular belt tread member.
A vehicle tire comprising an inflatable tire carcass member of stretchable fabric, and having an annular and substantially nonreinforced tread member-receiving channel portion formed in the periphery thereof and a pair of spaced-apart, upraised shoulder portions forming opposite sides, and defining the limits of, the said channel portions; a flexible, resilient and nonstretchable annular tread member dimensioned to a fixed diameter measuring substantially less than that of the expanded diameter of said tire carcass member and further being of a width to thereby snugly seat in said tread-receiving channel portion in tight-fitting relation between said upraised shoulder portions when said tire carcass member is inflated; and reinforcing means built into each of said upraised shoulder portions and providing substantial local resistance to any inflation pressure applied to said tire carcass member to thereby ensure the concentration of a significant proportion of the said inflation pressure and thus the expansion resulting therefrom at the said tread-receiving channel portion to more firmly seal the said tread member in said channel portion.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
169 words
A vehicle tire comprising an inflatable tire carcass member of stretchable fabric, and having an annular and substantially nonreinforced tread member-receiving channel portion formed in the periphery thereof and a pair of spaced-apart, upraised shoulder portions forming opposite sides, and defining the limits of, the said channel portions; a flexible, resilient and nonstretchable annular tread member dimensioned to a fixed diameter measuring substantially less than that of the expanded diameter of said tire carcass member and further being of a width to thereby snugly seat in said tread-receiving channel portion in tight-fitting relation between said upraised shoulder portions when said tire carcass member is inflated; and reinforcing means built into each of said upraised shoulder portions and providing substantial local resistance to any inflation pressure applied to said tire carcass member to thereby ensure the concentration of a significant proportion of the said inflation pressure and thus the expansion resulting therefrom at the said tread-receiving channel portion to more firmly seal the said tread member in said channel portion.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
31 words
A vehicle tire as set forth in claim 1, wherein said reinforcing means comprises additional, annularly-disposed fabric cable members integrally formed in said upraised shoulder portions of said tire carcass member.