← Back to Patent Explorer
US4052237A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Closed torus tire

Assignee: Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co
•
Filing: 1976-01-05
•
Granted: 1977-10-04
•
Expires: 1996-01-05
📄 Original PDF 🌐 Google Patents 🔄 Sync Now

Abstract

Abstract Method and apparatus for building a cord or wire wound carcass for a closed torus tire. An endless flattened inflatable tube providing a liner for the carcass and coaxially spaced bead rings are placed on a support comprising a cylindrical array of rolls. The bead rings are spaced axially to control the length of each turn of cord or wire wound in the flattened oval path around them. A single wire or cord is wound in a flat oval orbit about the liner and bead rings by orbiting a spool along a track having two straight parallel portions, one inside, the other outside the bead rings and liner. The parallel track portions are connected at their ends by semi-circular track portions. No rigid core is required. After winding the cord or wire about the liner and bead rings, the liner is inflated and the bead rings are shifted axially toward each other to the axial spacing appropriate for the inflated tire in use.

Inventors

  • 👤 Paul E. Appleby
  • 👤 Stanley J. Houck
  • 👤 Richard B. Nash

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-24 11:02
CPC Classifications
B; B29; B29D; B29D30/00; B29D30/06; B29D30/08

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 7
Claim 1
Independent Claim 177 words
The method of making a closed torus tire having continuously wound cord reinforcement and comprising disposing an endless flattened empty tube coaxially about a cylindrical support to form an inflatable liner; locating a pair of inextensible endless bead cores coaxilly about said support each adjacent to a respective axial end of said tube, said cores being spaced axially apart a distance effective to determine the peripheral length of each single turn of cord wound continuously around said pair of cores; winding said cord continuously about said bead cores in a flattened oval path wherein said cord extends in substantially straight parallel lines respectively inwardly and outwardly adjacent to said cores thereof while rotating said cores about the axis of said support in timed relation with said winding; then shifting each of said bead cores axially toward the other thereby relocating said cores relative to the periphery of the torus of cords therearound inflating said tube; and applying a breaker belt and tread circumferentially about the cord wound liner tube and said bead cores and curing the tire.
Claim 2
Independent Claim 177 words
The method of making a closed torus tire having continuously wound cord reinforcement and comprising disposing an endless flattened empty tube coaxially about a cylindrical support to form an inflatable liner; locating a pair of inextensible endless bead cores coaxilly about said support each adjacent to a respective axial end of said tube, said cores being spaced axially apart a distance effective to determine the peripheral length of each single turn of cord wound continuously around said pair of cores; winding said cord continuously about said bead cores in a flattened oval path wherein said cord extends in substantially straight parallel lines respectively inwardly and outwardly adjacent to said cores thereof while rotating said cores about the axis of said support in timed relation with said winding; then shifting each of said bead cores axially toward the other thereby relocating said cores relative to the periphery of the torus of cords therearound inflating said tube; and applying a breaker belt and tread circumferentially about the cord wound liner tube and said bead cores and curing the tire.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 54 words
Method as claimed in claim 1, including placing a liner in sheet form about said cylindrical support and folding lateral portions thereof axially inwardly over the central portion thereof and lapping the edges of said lateral portions one on the other to form in said endless flattened empty tube a circumferentially extending lapped splice.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 41 words
Method as claimed in claim 2 including disposing a bead spacer element circumferentially about said support and joining said element integrally to said liner, and treating the outward surface of said central portion to prevent adhesion thereto of said lateral portions.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 32 words
Method as claimed in claim 1, comprising locating said bead cores circumferentially about said liner and folding lateral portions of said liner around the respectively associated bead cores to form said tube.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 42 words
Method as claimed in claim 1, comprising folding lateral portions of said liner axially inwardly to form a circumferentially extending splice and then locating said bead cores adjacent to and axially outward of the respectively associated axial ends formed by said folding.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 43 words
Method as claimed in claim 1, comprising shifting said bead cores by inflating said tube and the torus of cord thereon to increase the radial height and decrease the axial width of the closed torus thereby urging the bead cores toward each other.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US1274910A Cited
US1385220A Cited
US2915102A Cited
US3057396A Cited
US3245853A Cited
US3392072A Cited
US3375150A Cited
US3458146A Cited
US3606921A Cited
US3613762A Cited
US3864188A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1980-10-03 1981-04-04 1981-10-04 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1984-10-03 1985-04-04 1985-10-04 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1988-10-03 1989-04-04 1989-10-04 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

Assigned Categories & Tags

No categories assigned to this patent yet.

Assign Category Tag