Pneumatic tire with sidewall insert

A pneumatic tire comprising:

• a ground-engaging tread portion extending about the circumference of the tire and merging into a sidewall portion at each lateral edge, said sidewall portions extending radially inwardly and each terminating in a bead portion;
• an annular substantially inextensible bead reinforcing member positioned in each of said bead portions;
• a carcass ply extending from one of said bead portions to the other of said bead portions, lateral ends of said carcass ply extending around said pair of bead reinforcing members;
• a first elastomer reinforcing member positioned in each bead portion and disposed axially outwardly of said carcass ply and radially outwardly of said bead reinforcing member;
• and,
• a second elastomer reinforcing member positioned in each bead portion, at least a portion of said second member being disposed axially inwardly of said carcass ply, said second member portion extending from about each of said bead reinforcing members radially outwardly to a point spaced from a nominal rim diameter of the tire a distance no greater than approximately 65% of the tire section height, said second member portion constituting approximately 2 to 10% of one-half of the maximum section width of the tire immediately radially outward of said bead reinforcing member so as to increase the angle said carcass ply forms with the centerline of the tire to not less than approximately 40 degrees.

A pneumatic tire comprising:

• a body including a ground-engaging tread portion, a pair of sidewall portions and a pair of bead portions;
• an annular substantially inextensible bead reinforcing member positioned in each of said bead portions;
• an annular first elastomer reinforcing member positioned radially outwardly of said bead reinforcing member and adjacent thereto;
• a toroidally-shaped carcass ply, comprising a plurality of cords, positioned in said ground-engaging tread portion and said pair of sidewall portions, said carcass ply having a central portion and a pair of end portions folded around a respective one of said bead reinforcing members;
• and,
• means for enhancing the durability of the tire, said means comprising a second elastomer reinforcing member positioned in each bead portion and disposed axially inwardly of both said carcass ply central portion and said end portions, said second reenforcing member extending radially outwardly from approximately adjacent each bead reinforcing member, and wherein said carcass ply cords in said central portion immediately adjacent said bead reinforcing member are disposed at an angle of not less than approximately 40.degree. to the centerline of the tire due to the positioning of said second elastomer reenforcing member axially inwardly of said carcass ply, wherein said second reinforcing member extends from about said bead reinforcing member radially outwardly to a point spaced from the tire nominal rim diameter a distance no greater than approximately 65% of the tire section height.