Abstract A pneumatic tire having a carcass and a tread disposed about the carcass wherein the ground contact surface of the tread, when the tire is viewed in cross-section, is generally sinuous in configuration to provide at the tread centerline a convex portion bounded at its opposite sides by a pair of reversely curved concave portions each of which is disposed between the tread centerline and the shoulder areas of the tire or lateral edges of the tread. The carcass underlying the tread has a cross-sectional contour in the crown area of the tire which generally approximates the sinuous configuration of the ground contacting surface of the tread. The tread may be thicker at the centerline than it is generally at the center of the two portions of the tread underlying the concave portions of the ground contacting surface of the tread.
In a method of manufacturing a pneumatic tire of the type having a carcass and a tread disposed over the carcass, and wherein the method includes assembling said tread and carcass, and curing the assembled tread and carcass under heat and pressure with the tire held in a generally toroidal shape and with the tread being maintained in a generally concave configuration in planes containing the rotational axis of the tire, the improvement wherein during curing of the tire the central portion of the tread and carcass are maintained at a diameter substantially greater than the diameter of portions of the tread and carcass respectively spaced on opposite sides of and immediately adjacent said central portion and less than the diameter of the lateral edges of the tread portion.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
129 words
In a method of manufacturing a pneumatic tire of the type having a carcass and a tread disposed over the carcass, and wherein the method includes assembling said tread and carcass, and curing the assembled tread and carcass under heat and pressure with the tire held in a generally toroidal shape and with the tread being maintained in a generally concave configuration in planes containing the rotational axis of the tire, the improvement wherein during curing of the tire the central portion of the tread and carcass are maintained at a diameter substantially greater than the diameter of portions of the tread and carcass respectively spaced on opposite sides of and immediately adjacent said central portion and less than the diameter of the lateral edges of the tread portion.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
73 words
In a method as described in claim 1, maintaining the tread portion of the tire and the underlying carcass portion of the tire in a generally sinuous cross-sectional configuration during curing of the tire to provide in the tire as molded a generally convex configuration of the tread and carcass over a central portion thereof and reversely curved generally concave portions on opposite sides of said central portion of the tread and carcass.