Tire with pre-stressed toroidal element

A tire and rim assembly comprising:

• a rim having a pair of wheel flanges, including a first wheel flange and a second wheel flange;
• a tire fastened to the rim, the tire including:
• a crown region;
• a first sidewall region extending from the crown region to a first bead area, the first sidewall region of the tire being affixed to the first wheel flange of the rim;
• a second sidewall region opposite the first sidewall region, the second sidewall region extending from the crown region to a second bead area, the second sidewall region of the tire being affixed to the second wheel flange of the rim;
• a toroidal element extending across a crown region of the tire, further extending along at least a portion of the first sidewall region of the tire, and further extending along at least a portion of the second sidewall region of the tire, the toroidal element having a central region located between inner and outer regions,
• wherein the central region is more elastic than the inner and outer regions,
• wherein the toroidal element is pre-stressed such that the toroidal element exerts a first axially outward force of at least 1000 pounds against the first wheel flange of the rim, and
• wherein the toroidal element exerts a second axially outward force of at least 1000 pounds against the second wheel flange of the rim.

A method of making a tire and rim assembly, the method comprising:

• providing a rim having a pair of rim flanges;
• forming a green tire having:
• a green tread,
• a pair of bead regions, including a first bead region and a second bead region, each of the pair of bead regions being axially outside and radially below the tread,
• green sidewall regions extending from the tread to the bead regions,
• a green toroidal element disposed radially below the tread and radially below at least a portion of each sidewall region, the green toroidal element having a pair of inextensible ply layers with green rubber disposed between the inextensible ply layers,
• wherein the pair of inextensible ply layers and the green rubber disposed between the ply layers extend from the first bead to the second bead;
• curing the green tire;
• applying at least 1000 pounds of force to move the pair of bead regions axially inward;
• and
• mounting the tire on the rim by placing the pair of bead regions in the pair of rim flanges.