Compression sidewall tire reinforced for deflated operation
AssigneeThe Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
InventorThomas N. H. Welter
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A compression sidewall tire reinforced for operation while deflated. A pair of junction portions connect the sidewalls and shoulders. Each of the shoulders extends axially outward and radially inward from the tread, and each of the sidewalls extends axially outward and radially outward from the mounting portions. The sidewalls are constrained against outward expansion by the rim and junction portions. The shoulders are reinforced with a plurality of circumferentially spaced ribs to resist movement toward the ground when the tire is deflated and under normal load. A circumferentially continuous rib may also be positioned on the exterior surface of each junction portion to further reinforce the tire.
Claims8
A pneumatic compression sidewall tire suitable for operating in an inflated or a deflated condition, comprising an annular body of elastomeric material, a circumferentially extending ground-engageable tread portion at the outer periphery of said body, a shoulder portion extending from each axially outer extremity of said tread portion and axially outward and radially inward from said outer extremity, a pair of spaced-apart mounting portions for mounting on a rim, a sidewall extending axially and radially outward from each mounting portion, a pair of junction portions respectively connecting the shoulder portions and sidewalls, the maximum section width of the tire being at the junction portions when the tire is under normal inflation pressure and load, the thickness of said shoulder portions being less than that of the sidewalls, a ply of reinforcing cords extending circumferentially around the tire and extending from each junction portion through a respective shoulder portion and at least to a point radially inward of the tread portion, means to maintain the shoulder portions out of engagement with the ground when the tire is deflated and under normal load, said means including a plurality of circumferentially spaced ribs on the interior and exterior surfaces of each shoulder portion, each rib being disposed at an angle of from 0 to 10 degrees relative to a radial plane of said tire passing through the rib, the ribs on the interior surface of each shoulder portion extending from the respective junction portion to a point axially inward of the respective axially outer edge of the tread, the ribs on the exterior surface of each shoulder portion extending from the respective junction portion to the respective axially outer edge of the tread, the ribs on the interior and exterior surfaces of each shoulder portion being congruently spaced whereby each shoulder portion has a minimum thickness which is equal to the thickness of the shoulder portion without any ribs formed thereon and has a maximum thickness which is equal to said minimum thickness plus the maximum thickness of a rib on the interior surface of the shoulder portion and the maximum thickness of a rib on the exterior surface of the shoulder portion.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.