A wheel and tire assembly, comprising:
- an axle assembly including an axle shaft, a pair of circular flange plates disposed at opposite ends of the axle shaft, and a pair of seals each disposed at an outer side of a respective flange plate;
- a pair of mounting discs each disposed at the outer side of a respective seal of the axle assembly;
- a pair of locking rings each disposed at the outer side of a respective mounting disc, each locking ring including:
- an inner side,
- an outer side,
- a central opening extending between the inner side and the outer side, and
- an annular, axially-extending, flange rib projecting from the inner side of the locking ring,
- wherein the inner side of the locking ring includes an annular outer portion disposed radially outward of the flange rib and an annular inner portion disposed radially inward of the flange rib;
- a cylindrical insert assembly including,
- a tubular body having an inner side and an outer side,
- a pair of axially spaced-apart, annular, radially-extending, flange wall portions projecting from the outer side of the tubular body,
- wherein the tubular body includes a central portion extending between the pair of flange wall portions and a pair of annular end portions each disposed axially outward of a respective flange wall portion, and
- a plurality of holes formed in the central portion of the tubular body;
- and
- a tire having a central opening defined by a pair of inner edges each including a respective bead assembly that is at least partially disposable within the respective annular, tire bead-receiving channel,
- wherein the wheel assembly adopts an assembled configuration in which the cylindrical insert assembly is disposed between the pair of locking rings and generally concentric about the axle assembly so that each one of the pair of radially-extending flange wall portions of the cylindrical insert assembly is disposed in opposing, facing, spaced-apart relationship to the annular outer portion at the inner side of the locking ring associated therewith to define an annular, tire bead-receiving channel therebetween,
- wherein the wheel assembly includes a first, air-pressurizable outer chamber and a second air pressurizable inner chamber,
- wherein the first air-pressurizable outer chamber is in fluid communication with the second air-pressurizable inner chamber and is defined between an outer side of the cylindrical insert of the wheel assembly and an interior surface of the tire, and
- wherein the second air-pressurizable inner chamber is in fluid communication with the first air-pressurizable outer chamber, and the second air-pressurizable inner chamber is defined by a space provided radially inward from a tubular body of the central insert assembly.