Wheel well filler

Claim 1

A wheel well filler and rim assembly for mounting a pneumatic tire of the type having a U-shaped cross section and bead portions at the edges comprising a generally cylindrical rim having bead seats and an annular wheel well between said bead seats, said bead seats having a greater diameter than said wheel well, a wheel well filler of flexible, resilient material disposed in said well, said filler having a depth not greater than the depth of said well and a length less than the circumference of said well providing a gap in said well between spaced-apart ends of said filler, an inextensible reinforcing member extending circumferentially of said well and being molded in said filler, said reinforcing member having a circumference substantially the same as the circumference of said rim at said well, and a tension-applying over-center latch positioned in said gap and fastened to one of the spaced-apart ends of said reinforcing member and in detachable engagement with the other of said spaced-apart ends to form a circumferentially continuous ring, said wheel well filler and reinforcing member forming a one-piece assembly for mounting in said wheel well with said latch as a unit, said latch having a depth not greater than the depth of said well so that said filler including said latch has a diameter not greater than the diameter of said bead seats, and placing said ring and said reinforcing member under tension whereby said filler is pressed against said rim for application of said over-center latch and retention of said filler in said well without turning relative to said rim during rotation of said assembly.