Tire and rim combination with safety insert

A wheel rim assembly for pneumatic tubeless tires comprising rim base means including a generally cylindrical rim base, first flange means carried at one edge of said rim base and a cylindrical band at a flange-remote edge of said rim base with a diameter which is less than that of said rim base;

• demountable flange means including a cylindrical hoop received over said band, second flange means carried at one edge of said hoop and radially and axially inwardly facing conical surface means at a flange-remote edge of said hoop;
• circumferentially continuous resilient sealing means disposed between said surface means and an opposing surface on said rim base means;
• means for releasably clamping said demountable flange means on said rim base means with said sealing means captured in compression between said surface means and said opposing surface for normally sealing the internal cavity of a tire mounted on said wheel rim assembly;
• and air bleed passage means in said band, said clamping means being constructed and adapted to engage and exert clamping stress on said demountable flange means over a range of relative movement therebetween in the axial direction of said rim base means which is sufficient to permit loss of sealing pressure at said sealing means prior to loss of clamping engagement at said clamping means and thereby permitting air leakage past said sealing means through said air bleed passage means to atmosphere within said range of relative movement.

A wheel rim assembly for pneumatic tubeless tires comprising rim base means including a generally cylindrical rim base, first flange means carried at one edge of said rim base and a cylindrical band at a flange-remote edge of said rim base with a diameter which is less than that of said rim base;

• demountable flange means including a cylindrical hoop received over said band, second flange means carried at one edge of said hoop and radially and axially inwardly facing conical surface means at a flange-remote edge of said hoop;
• circumferentially continuous resilient sealing means disposed between said surface means and an opposing surface on said rim base means;
• means for releasably clamping said demountable flange means on said rim base means with said sealing means captured in compression between said surface means and said opposing surface for normally sealing the internal cavity of a tire mounted on said wheel rim assembly;
• and air bleed passage means in said band, improper mounting of said demountable flange means on said rim base means permitting air leakage past said sealing means through said air bleed passage means to atmosphere;
• said clamping means comprising first threaded means carried by said rim base means and means including second threaded means adapted to be received by said first threaded means, said first and second threaded means being dimensioned in the axial direction of said rim base means sufficiently to permit loss of sealing engagement at said sealing means prior to loss of threaded engagement at said threaded means upon loosening of said threaded means.

A safety tire and wheel assembly comprising a vehicle wheel including a wheel rim having axially spaced bead flanges and a rim base;

• a tire having axially spaced bead toes and a circumferential tire tread;
• and safety means including an axially incompressible first portion extending circumferentially around said rim and having axially spaced side edges clamping said bead toes against said bead flanges such that said tire tread is spaced radialy outwardly of said rim base to define a tire cavity, said wheel rim including means for inflating said tire cavity and means for preventing inflation of said tire cavity in the event of improper assembly of said safety tire and wheel assembly;
• said wheel rim comprising a first rim segment including one of said bead flanges, a second rim segment including the second of said bead flanges adapted to be telescopically axially received over said first rim segment, annular sealing means disposed between opposing portions of said first and second rim segments and means for clamping said second rim segment onto said first rim segment with said annular sealing means captured in compression between said portions of said rim segments for sealing said tire cavity, and wherein said means for preventing inflation comprises air bleed passages in one of said first and second rim segments for venting said cavity to atmosphere in the event of loss of sealing engagement at said sealing means;
• said clamping means comprising first threaded means carried in fixed position relative to said first rim segment, and second means adapted for threaded fastening engagement with said first threaded means, said first and second means being dimensioned to permit loss of sealing engagement at said sealing means and venting of said cavity to atmosphere through said air bleed passages while said first and second means are threadably engaged in the event of loosening of said first and second means.

A safety tire and wheel assembly comprising a vehicle wheel including a wheel rim having axially spaced bead flanges, and a rim base;

• a tire having axially spaced bead toes and a circumferential tire tread;
• and safety means including an axially incompressible first portion extending circumferentially around said rim and having axially spaced side edges clamping said bead toes against said bead flanges such that said tire tread is spaced radially outwardly of said rim base to define a tire cavity, said wheel rim including means for inflating said tire cavity and means for preventing inflation of said tire cavity in the event of improper assembly of said safety tire and wheel assembly;
• said wheel rim comprising a first rim segment including one of said bead flanges, a second rim segment including the second of said bead flanges adapted to be axially assembled to said first rim segment, annular sealing means adapted to be disposed between opposing portions of said first and second rim segments and means for releasably clamping said second rim segment onto said first rim segment with said annular sealing means captured in compression between said portions of said rim segments for sealing said tire cavity, said means for preventing inflation comprising air bleed passage means in one of said first and second rim segments for venting said cavity to atmosphere in the event of loss of sealing engagement at said sealing means;
• said clamping means being adapted to engage and exert clamping stress on said second rim segment over a dimension in the axial direction of said first rim segment which is sufficient to permit loss of sealing pressure at said sealing means prior to loss of clamping engagement at said clamping means, permitting air leakage past said sealing means through said air bleed passage means to atmosphere.