Tire with a straight sidewall

Claim 2

A tire and wheel rim assembly, operable without pneumatic pressure in said tire, said tire having in cross-section: (a) a tread portion defining the outer periphery of the tire and a pair of sidewalls of a harder material than said tread portion extending axially and radially inwardly therefrom and terminating in bead portions for seating on a rigid wheel rim, the section midline of each sidewall being substantially straight, the tread portion having an axial width greater than the remainder of the tire so as to define a tire having a generally triangular cross-section; (b) a laterally inextensible reinforcing belt under substantially the entire width of the tread portion; (c) the thickness of the tire between the belt and the outer periphery being greater at the central area of the tread than at its edges and the belt never being outwardly convex toward the tread so that the edges of the belt will move toward each other when the belt is deflected by contact with the ground; (d) circumferentially inextensible reinforcement means located radially outwardly of the sidewalls and the inner surface of the belt and at least adjacent each edge of the belt to restrain radial expansion of the sidewalls when said tire is mounted on the rigid wheel rim; and (e) the rigid wheel rim having a pair of seats for the bead portions of the sidewalls, said rim being sized with respect to the bead portions so as to result in compression of the sidewalls between the rim and the circumferentially inextensible reinforcement means when the tire is mounted on the rim by seating the bead portions on the bead seats, thereby maintaining the belt in tension in the axial direction of the tire since the reinforcing means are located radially outwardly of the sidewalls and the inner surface of the belt and at least adjacent each edge of the belt, said sidewalls having a ratio of thickness to length sufficient for their straight configuration to be maintained in their compressed state.

Claim 3

A tire and wheel rim assembly as in claim 1, wherein said circumferentially inextensible reinforcement means is located between said tread and each sidewall.

Claim 4

A tire and wheel rim assembly as in claim 1, wherein said sidewalls have a ratio of thickness to length of 1 to 31/2.

Claim 5

A tire and wheel rim assembly as in claim 1, wherein said belt comprises a plurality of plies of substantially inextensible cords.

Claim 6

A tire and wheel rim assembly as in claim 4, wherein said belt comprises a pair of plies of steel cords having equal and opposite bias angles in the range of 10° to 80°.

Claim 7

A tire and wheel rim assembly as in claim 1, wherein said belt has three plies, one ply having a bias angle of 90° and the other plies having equal and opposite angles in the range of 10° to 45°.

Claim 8

A tire and wheel rim assembly as in claim 1, wherein said circumferentially inextensible reinforcement means comprises folded-ply edges.

Claim 9

A tire and wheel rim assembly as in claim 1, wherein said circumferentially inextensible reinforcement means comprises narrow biased strips of cord fabric.

Claim 10

A tire and wheel rim assembly as in claim 1, wherein said circumferentially inextensible reinforcement means comprises parallel 0° windings of cord around the edges of said belt.

Claim 11

A tire and wheel rim assembly as in claim 1, wherein the sidewalls are inclined at an angle in a range of 25° to 70° to the rotational axis of said tire.

Claim 12

A tire and wheel rim assembly as in claim 10, wherein said angle is in the range of 40° to 50° to the rotational axis of said tire.

Claim 13

A tire and wheel rim assembly as in claim 1, wherein the sidewalls and tread are of elastomeric material.

Claim 14

A tire and wheel rim assembly as in claim 12, wherein the elastomeric material of the tread is rubber.

Claim 15

A tire and wheel rim assembly as in claim 1, wherein each sidewall is provided with a portion of reduced stiffness near at least one of its ends.

Claim 16

A tire and wheel rim assembly as in claim 1, wherein the amount by which said sidewalls are compressed when said tire is mounted on said rim is in the range of 5 to 20% of the uncompressed length of the sidewalls.

Claim 17

A tire operable without pneumatic pressure in said tire, said tire having in cross-section: (a) a tread portion defining the outer periphery of the tire and a pair of sidewalls of a harder material than said tread portion extending axially and radially inwardly therefrom and terminating in bead portions for seating on a rigid wheel rim, the section midline of each sidewall being substantially straight, the tread portion having an axial width greater than the remainder of the tire so as to define a tire having a generally triangular cross-section; (b) a laterally inextensible reinforcing belt under substantially the entire width of the tread portion; (c) the thickness of the tire between the belt and the outer periphery being greater at the central area of the tread than at its edges and the belt never being outwardly convex toward the tread so that the edges of the belt will move toward each other when the belt is deflected by contact with the ground; (d) circumferentially inextensible reinforcement means located radially outwardly of the sidewalls and the inner surface of the belt and at least adjacent each edge of the belt to restrain radial expansion of the sidewalls when said tire is mounted on the rigid wheel rim; (e) said tire being mountable on a rigid wheel rim which has a pair of seats for the bead portions of the sidewalls, said rim being sized with respect to the bead portions so as to result in compression of the sidewalls between the rim and the circumferentially inextensible reinforcement means when the tire is mounted on the rim by seating the sidewall beads on the bead seats of the rim, thereby maintaining the belt in tension in the axial direction of the tire since the reinforcing means are located radially outwardly of the sidewalls and the inner surface of the belt and at least adjacent each edge of the belt, said sidewalls having a ratio of thickness to length sufficient for their straight configuration to be maintained in their compressed state.

Claim 18

A tire operable without pneumatic pressure in said tire, said tire having in cross-section: (a) a tread portion defining the outer periphery of the tire and a pair of sidewalls of a harder material than said tread portion extending axially and radially inwardly therefrom and terminating in bead portions for seating on a rigid wheel rim, the section midline of each sidewall being substantially straight, the tread portion having an axial width greater than the remainder of the tire so as to define a tire having a generally triangular cross-section; (b) a laterally inextensible reinforcing belt under substantially the entire width of the tread portion; (c) the thickness of the tire between the belt and the outer periphery being greater at the central area of the tread than at its edges and the belt never being outwardly convex toward the tread so that the edges of the belt will move toward each other when the belt is deflected by contact with the ground; (d) circumferentially inextensible reinforcement means located radially outwardly of the sidewalls and the inner surface of the belt and at least adjacent each edge of the belt to restrain radial expansion of the sidewalls when said tire is mounted on the rigid wheel rim; (e) said tire being mountable on a rigid wheel rim which has a pair of seats for the bead portions of the sidewalls, said rim being sized with respect to the bead portions so as to result in compression of the sidewalls between the rim and the circumferentially inextensible reinforcement means when the tire is mounted on the rim by seating the sidewall beads on the bead seats of the rim, thereby maintaining the belt in tension in the axial direction of the tire since the reinforcing means are located radially outwardly of the sidewalls and the inner surface of the belt and at least adjacent each edge of the belt, said sidewalls having a ratio of thickness to length sufficient for their straight configuration to be maintained in their compressed state.

Claim 19

A tire as in claim 16, wherein said circumferentially inextensible reinforcement means is located between said tread and each sidewall.

Claim 20

A tire as in claim 16, wherein said sidewalls have a ratio of thickness to length of 1 to 31/2.

Claim 21

A tire as in claim 16, wherein said belt comprises a plurality of plies of substantially inextensible cords.

Claim 22

A tire as in claim 19, wherein said belt has a pair of plies of steel cords having equal and opposite bias angles in the range of 10° to 80°.

Claim 23

A tire as in claim 16, wherein said belt has three plies, one ply having a bias angle of 90° and the other plies having equal and opposite angles in the range of 10° to 45°.

Claim 24

A tire as in claim 16, wherein said circumferentially inextensible reinforcement means comprises folded-ply edges.

Claim 25

A tire as in claim 16, wherein said circumferentially inextensible reinforcement means is comprised of narrow biased strips of cord fabric.

Claim 26

A tire as in claim 16, wherein said circumferentially inextensible reinforcement means comprises parallel 0° windings of cord around the edges of said belt.

Claim 27

A tire as in claim 16, wherein the sidewalls are inclined at an angle in a range of 25° to 70° to the rotational axis of said tire.

Claim 28

A tire as in claim 25, wherein said angle is in the range of 40° to 50° to the rotational axis of said tire.

Claim 29

A tire as in claim 16, wherein the sidewalls and tread are of elastomeric material.

Claim 30

A tire as in claim 27, wherein the elastomeric material of the tread is rubber.

Claim 31

A tire as in claim 16, wherein each sidewall is provided with a portion of reduced stiffness near at least one of its ends.

Claim 32

A tire as in claim 16, wherein the amount by which said sidewalls are compressed when said tire is mounted on said rim is in the range of 5 to 20% of the uncompressed length of the sidewalls.

Claim 33

A tire, operable without pneumatic pressure and mountable on a rigid wheel rim, comprising: (a) a tread having a convex outer surface; (b) a reinforcing belt beneath said tread, the tread-facing surface of said reinforcing belt being outwardly non-convex, said reinforcing belt being substantially inextensible in the direction of the axis of said tire; (c) substantially straight sidewalls extending inwardly from beneath from said tread toward said rim so as to define a tire having a generally triangular cross-section, said sidewalls being of harder material than said tread; (d) circumferentially inextensible reinforcement means located radially outwardly of the sidewalls and the inner surface of the belt and at least adjacent each edge of the belt to restrain radial expansion of the sidewalls when said tire is mounted on the rigid wheel rim; (e) the length of said sidewalls and the size of said rim being such that, after mounting said tire on said rim, each sidewall is compressed between said rim and said circumferentially inextensible reinforcing means, thus creating and maintaining said reinforcing belt in tension in the axial direction of said tire since the reinforcing means are located radially outwardly of the sidewalls and the inner surface of the belt and at least adjacent each edge of the belt, said sidewalls having a ratio of thickness to length sufficient for their straight configuration to be maintained in their compressed state.

Claim 34

A tire, operable without pneumatic pressure and mountable on a rigid wheel rim, comprising: (a) a tread having a convex outer surface; (b) a reinforcing belt beneath said tread, the tread-facing surface of said reinforcing belt being outwardly non-convex, said reinforcing belt being substantially inextensible in the direction of the axis of said tire; (c) substantially straight sidewalls extending inwardly from beneath from said tread toward said rim so as to define a tire having a generally triangular cross-section, said sidewalls being of harder material than said tread; (d) circumferentially inextensible reinforcement means located radially outwardly of the sidewalls and the inner surface of the belt and at least adjacent each edge of the belt to restrain radial expansion of the sidewalls when said tire is mounted on the rigid wheel rim; (e) the length of said sidewalls and the size of said rim being such that, after mounting said tire on said rim, each sidewall is compressed between said rim and said circumferentially inextensible reinforcing means, thus creating and maintaining said reinforcing belt in tension in the axial direction of said tire since the reinforcing means are located radially outwardly of the sidewalls and the inner surface of the belt and at least adjacent each edge of the belt, said sidewalls having a ratio of thickness to length sufficient for their straight configuration to be maintained in their compressed state.

Claim 35

A tire as in claim 31, wherein said sidewalls have a ratio of thickness to length of 1 to 31/2.

Claim 36

A tire as in claim 31, wherein said belt comprises a plurality of plies of substantially inextensible cords.

Claim 37

A tire as in claim 33, wherein said belt has a pair of plies of steel cords having equal and opposite bias angles in the range of 10° to 80°.

Claim 38

A tire as in claim 31, wherein said belt has three plies, one ply having a bias angle of 90° and the other plies having equal and opposite angles in the range of 10° to 45°.

Claim 39

A tire as in claim 31, wherein said circumferentially inextensible reinforcement means comprises folded-ply edges.

Claim 40

A tire as in claim 31, wherein said circumferentially inextensible reinforcement means is comprised of narrow biased strips of cord fabric.

Claim 41

A tire as in claim 31, wherein said circumferentially inextensible reinforcement means comprises parallel 0° windings of cord around the edges of said belt.

Claim 42

A tire as in claim 31, wherein the sidewalls are inclinded at an angle in a range of 25° to 70° to the rotational axis of said tire.

Claim 43

A tire as in claim 39, wherein said angle is in the range of 40° to 50° to the rotational axis of said tire.

Claim 44

A tire as in claim 31, wherein the sidewalls and tread are of elastomeric material.

Claim 45

A tire as in claim 41, wherein the elastomeric material of the tread is rubber.

Claim 46

A tire as in claim 31, wherein each sidewall is provided with a portion of reduced stiffness near at least one of its ends.

Claim 47

A tire as in claim 31, wherein the amount by which side sidewalls are compressed when said tire is mounted on said rim is in the range of 5 to 20% of the uncompressed length of the sidewall.