Expandable tire rim arrangement and method of installation
AssigneeCaterpillar Tractor Co.
InventorsCharles E. Grawey, John J. Groezinger
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An expandable tire rim arrangement is disclosed including a transversely split tire supporting rim having an outer peripheral tire engaging surface, an inner peripheral surface, and relatively circumferentially movable ends disposable between a rim diameter reducing position for ease of insertion of the supporting rim axially into a tire and a rim diameter increasing position, and a rim expanding and wheel mounting assembly having diametric dimensions somewhat larger than the diameter of the inner peripheral surface of the supporting rim when in its diameter reducing position and being axially slidably insertable into the supporting rim for tightly expanding it against the tire.
Claims19
An expandable tire rim arrangement comprising;
- a transversely split tire supporting rim having an outer peripheral tire engaging surface, an inner peripheral surface, and circumferentially relatively movable ends disposable between a reduced diameter position for ease of insertion of said supporting rim axially into a tire and an increased diameter position;
- and
- a rim expanding and wheel mounting assembly including a cylindrical surface portion somewhat larger than the diameter of said inner peripheral surface of said supporting rim when in its reduced diameter position and including tapered surface means on at least one of said supporting rim and said wheel mounting assembly for guidably assuring slidable insertion of said wheel mounting assembly in one axial direction into said supporting rim for expanding it to its increased diameter position and tightly against the tire.
An expandable tire rim arrangement for use with an oval pneumatic tire having a pair of transversely spaced and radially inwardly disposed annular restraining devices therein and thereby providing a substantially nonexpandable inner peripheral mounting surface thereon, comprising;
- a transversely split tire supporting rim having a outer peripheral tire engaging surface, an inner peripheral surface, and circumferentially relatively movable ends disposable between a reduced diameter position for ease of insertion of said supporting rim axially into such tire and an increased diameter position;
- and
- a rim expanding and wheel mounting assembly including a cylindrical surface portion larger than the diameter of said inner peripheral surface of said supporting rim when in its reduced diameter position and being slidably insertable into said supporting rim in one axial direction for tightly expanding it to its increased diameter position against said tire and with an interference fit of up to 2% of the diameter of the mounting surface of the tire to assure positive frictional engagement therewith.
A method of mounting an oval pneumatic tire on an expandable tire rim arrangement comprising;
- inserting a transversely split tire supporting rim freely axially within the tire with the opposite ends thereof in an overlapping reduced diameter condition;
- expanding said supporting rim within the tire until said ends abut;
- and
- inserting a wheel mounting assembly having a cylindrical surface portion guidably axially within said supporting rim in one axial direction to further expand said supporting rim tightly against the tire and with said ends disposed in peripherally spaced apart relation.
An expandable tire rim arrangement comprising;
- an oval pneumatic tire having an inner peripheral base with a central tubular section and a radially inwardly disposed roll restraining hoop on each side thereof;
- a transversely split tire supporting rim outwardly peripherally engaged with said tire and having a central body portion radially aligned with said central tubular section and said roll restraining hoops of said tire;
- and
- a wheel mounting assembly disposed radially within said supporting rim and having diametral dimensions sufficient to expand and maintain said supporting rim in an interference fit with said tire including a laterally spaced pair of cylindrical mounting surfaces which are radially aligned with said roll restraining hoops to better transfer loads therebetween.
An expandable tire rim arrangement comprising;
- a tire having an inner peripheral base portion;
- tire supporting rim means forming a pair of laterally spaced apart outer peripheral tire engaging surfaces, a radially outwardly raised center section therebetween, and a pair of laterally spaced apart inner peripheral surfaces, for mating engagement with said base portion of said tire at a reduced diameter condition;
- and
- a wheel mounting assembly including cylindrical surface means diametrically larger than said reduced diameter condition for radially outward engagement against said spaced apart inner peripheral surfaces of said rim means for expanding said spaced apart outer peripheral surfaces and said raised center section interlockingly tightly against said tire.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.