Radial tire with a low angle carcass overlay ply

A tire comprising:

• (a) at least one carcass ply reinforced with cords which are radially oriented between beads of the tire;
• (b) a tread and pair of sidewalls surrounding the carcass ply and terminating at a pair of annular, inextensible beads;
• (c) a belt structure interposed between the tread and carcass ply for annularly reinforcing the tire, the belt structure comprising a pair of belt plies in superimposed relation, each of the belt plies being reinforced by parallel cords disposed at angles greater than 15 degrees relative to a plane containing the midcircumferential centerline of the tread, the reinforcement cords of the plies being substantially inextensible in all conditions of the tire and extending in different directions from said plane;
• (d) a carcass overlay disposed between the carcass ply and belt structure, the carcass overlay consisting of a single ply with opposing marginal edges which extend laterally beyond the belt structure, the carcass overlay being reinforced with continuous parallel cords which are disposed at angles in the range of from 0 to 13 degrees relative to said plane;
• and
• (e) said tire being manufactured by applying said beads and wrapping said carcass ply and said carcass overlay on a generally cylindrical tire building drum, removing said tire from said cylindrical tire building drum, shaping said tire to a toroidal configuration and elongating said reinforcement cords, applying said belt structure and said tread over said carcass overlay and thereafter molding and vulcanizing said tire, said reinforcement cords of said carcass overlay being substantially inextensible after the tire is toroidally shaped, and being elongatable in corresponding relation to the blow-up ratio of the tire when the carcass and attached overlay and cylindrically shaped prior to toroidal expansion and application of said belt structure and said tread.