US 4,111,249 AGranted

Band reinforced radial tire

AssigneeGrumman Aerospace Corporation

InventorEdward G. Markow

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Abstract

A resilient pneumatic tire which is reinforced by a radially stabilized compression element such that the vehicle on which the tire is mounted can be operated safely in an essentially normal manner regardless of the state of pressurization of the tire. The compression element can be a solid flexible band of high-strength metal or plastic, or can comprise a layered construction having at least a pair of concentric metal bands which have a resilient material sandwiched therebetween. The compression element is stabilized by radial means such as plies comprising radial cords or wires. The radial elements have freedom in shear with respect to one another and they share radial loads imposed on the compression element and tire such that they reinforce and stabilize the compression element and tire. Alternately, the radial stabilizing means can be radial rib-like elements cast or formed integrally in the sidewall of the tire. The radially stabilized band behaves as a supple tensile element when the tire is operated in a pressurized condition, but acts as a stabilized structural compressive element for unpressurized operation.

Claims5

Dependent claims

In a pneumatic tire having a casing with a tread portion in the crown thereof, sidewalls extending from said crown on either side to annular bead portions on the inner periphery on each side of the tire, said beads being adapted to mount said tire on the rim of a wheel, that improvement therein which comprises:

a resilient annular element having at least one solid relatively thin annular band of high-strength material fixed in said tire radially inwardly of said tread protion, said annular band having a width substantially spanning the width of said crown, said annular band behaving as a supple tensile member when said tire is operated in a pressurized condition and acting as a structural flexible-arch compression member wherein said arch configuration allows coacting tension loads in the sidewalls to act over a substantial portion of the circumference of the sidewalls when stabilized in unpressurized operation;
and
means to radially stabilize said annular element, said means comprising a multiplicity of closely spaced substantially radial spoke-like reinforcing elements having freedom in shear with respect to one another in said sidewalls connected to said beads and extending therefrom at least to the crown region of said tire and being operatively connected to said annular element with the loads therebetween being transmitted at least in part by said casing, whereby said relatively thin radially stabilized annular element can support the unpressurized tire for operation underload.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.