Tire and wheel configuration
AssigneeCaterpillar Tractor Co.
InventorsCharles E. Grawey, John J. Groezinger
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In many designs, a tire (14) of a wheel (10) is inadequately restrained with respect to a tire supporting rim assembly (12) of the wheel. Movement of the tire (14) with respect to the rim assembly (12) results in a wastage of energy. In the present invention a wheel assembly (10) has a rim assembly (12) and a tire (14) mounted on the rim assembly (12). The rim assembly (12) has an annular elastic element (22) affixed thereto for increasing the coefficient of friction between said rim assembly (12) and the tire (14).
Claims16
In a rim assembly (12) having a rim portion (24) adapted to have mounted thereon a closed torus tire (14) having a pair of roll restraining hoops (16) and a shoulder portion (30) axially outward from each of said roll restraining hoop (16), the improvement comprising:
- said rim assembly (12) including means (22) for reducing the rolling resistance of the closed torus tire (14), said means (22) including an elastomeric element (22) positioned solely between said shoulder portion of said closed torus tire and said rim portion (24) and being bonded to said rim portion (24).
A rim assembly (12) adapted to have mounted thereon a closed torus tire (14) which has a pair of spaced apart roll restraining hoops (16) and a rim contacting periphery (19) having a shoulder portion (30) axially outward from each of said roll restraining hoops, said rim assembly comprising:
- a rim portion (24) having a tire retaining periphery (18);
- and
- an elastomeric element (22) positioned solely between the shoulder portion (30) of said closed torus tire and the adjacent portion of the tire retaining periphery (18), said elastomeric element (22) being affixed to said rim portion.
A wheel assembly (10) comprising:
- a rim portion (24) having a tire retaining periphery (18);
- a closed torus tire (14) mounted on said rim portion and having a pair of roll restraining hoops (16) and a rim contacting periphery (19), said rim contacting periphery including a shoulder portion (30) positioned axially outward from each of said roll restraining hoops (16);
- and
- a pair of elastomeric elements (22) affixed to said rim portion (24), each of said elastomeric elements (22) being positioned between one of said shoulders (30) of the closed torus tire (14) and the adjacent portion of the tire retaining periphery.
In a wheel assembly (10) having a closed torus tire (14) mounted on a rim portion (24) of a rim assembly (12), said closed torus tire (14) having a pair of roll restraining hoops (16) and a shoulder portion (30) axially outward from each of said roll restraining hoops (16), the improvement comprising:
- said rim assembly (12) including means (22) for reducing the rolling resistance of said closed torus tire (14), said means (22) including an elastomeric element (22) positioned between said shoulder portion (30) and said rim portion (24), said elastomeric element being attached only to said rim portion (24) and is free from being immediately intermediate any of said roll restraining hoops (16) and said rim portion (24).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.