Tire insert

In combination, a tire rim, a tubeless pneumatic tire mounted on said rim, said tire having a tread and sidewalls, and a toroidal insert lying within and adjacent the sidewalls of said tire, said insert consisting of a preformed, torus-like cellular or foam core having a central axis, a radially inner surface portion with respect to said central axis, a radially outer surface portion with respect to said central axis, tire cord radially wound around said core, and at least one belt-like load bearing member having tire cord therein, said belt-like member being circumferentially wound around the radially outer surface portion such that the insert, in cross-section, has relatively thick, substantially oval middle portion extending between the beads of said tire and a pair of relatively thin leg portions each extending from a respective side of the substantially oval middle portion along a respective adjacent sidewall of said tire, to about the midpoint of said adjacent sidewall, said belt-like member surrounding said substantially oval middle portion but not extending into said leg portions and whereby, when the tire is deflated while supporting a rated load the tread and sidewalls collapse, with the substantially oval middle portion of the insert supporting the collapsed tread portion of the tire, and each of the leg portions of the insert lying between and supporting the adjacent, collapsed sidewalls of the tire.