Pneumatic tire inserts
OwnerRichard B. McFarlaneinventor
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Abstract
A method and article of manufacture is herein disclosed for eliminating the need for pressurized air in a vehicular pneumatic tire. A resilient tubular insert is inserted and carried within a tire casing to simulate pneumatic conditions. The resilient material possesses a longitudinal bore which in combination with a particular range of durometers, enhances the "pneumatic" characteristics of the tire insert. Preferably, the tire insert is discontinuous and is designed to have a diameter greater than the internal diameter of the tire casing under deflated conditions.
Claims2
A tire insert designed to be carried within a pneumatic tire casing mounted on a wheel rim, said tire insert comprising:
- (a) a resilient annular member;
- (b) having an internal annular bore means dimensioned such that said bore means defines an empty volume from 0.1444 to 0.3136 of the total volume of said member;
- (c) said insert having a durometer hardness of between 30 and 65, as measured by a Type A Shore Durometer Testor, wherein
- (d) if L is the total length of the mean circumference of said annular member and C is the total length of the mean circumference of said pneumatic tire casing on said rim, L is larger than C prior to insertion of said insert in said pneumatic tire casing, by an amount between 0.005 C and 0.013 C and wherein
- (e) if D is the mean diameter of a cross-section of the resilient annular member, W the width of the casing at normally inflated conditions and T the wall thickness of the tire casing, under normally inflated conditions, then D=W-2T, whereby said insert is frictionally retained within said pneumatic tire casing against circumferential sliding movement relative to said tire casing when in use.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.