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US 4,938,437 AGranted
Rubberless tire bead assemblies and methods of making same
AssigneeNational-Standard Company
InventorDoyle W. Rausch
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Rubberless tire bead assemblies are disclosed, containing either a single wire element or multiple wire elements wound about an axis to provide a plurality of convolutions of the single wire or multiple wire elements to provide the bead hoop and shape-retaining members engaging the bead hoop about the circumference of the bead hoop to retain the bead assembly in a planar configuration. Rubber tire bead assemblies having wire termination ends positioned internally or externally with respect to the bead assembly and methods of making these bead assemblies are disclosed.
Claims158
A tire bead assembly comprising:
- a predetermined length of a single wire having two ends thereon substantially free of an envelope of rubber-type materials extending along its length and wound about an axis to provide a plurality of convolutions of said single wire to provide a bead hoop, with each convolution of said single wire in substantially wire-to wire contact with at least one adjacent convolution of said single wire and positioned substantially in a plane parallel to the other convolutions of said single wire to provide a tire bead assembly having an inside diameter surface, an outside peripheral surface and sidewall surfaces, with at least one end of said predetermined length of single wire located on one of said surfaces of said tire bead assembly, and
- shape-retaining means engageable with at least a portion of said plurality of convolutions of said single wire of said tire bead assembly, said shape-retaining means engaging a substantial portion of the perimeter of said bead hoop cross-section and engaging at least a portion of the circumference of said bead hoop of said bead assembly to retain the bead assembly in planar configuration perpendicular to the axis of revolution of said bead hoop and to retain each convolution of said single wire in substantially wire-to-wire contact with at least one adjacent convolution of said single wire to provide for void volumes within said bead assembly to permit entrapped air to be dissipated and minimized during a tire building operation.
The tire bead assembly in accordance with clam 29 wherein said cushioning means is a reinforced fabric material.
A tire bead assembly comprising:
- a predetermined length of nominally circular cross-sectional single wire having two ends thereon substantially free of an envelope of rubber-type materials extending along its length and wound about an axis to provide a plurality of convolutions of said single wire to provide a bead hoop having a bead wire array therein, with each convolution of said single wire in substantially wire-to-wire contact with at least one adjacent convolution of said single wire and positioned substantially in a plane parallel to the other convolutions of said single wire to provide a tire bead assembly having an inside diameter surface, an outside peripheral surface and sidewall surfaces, with at least one end of said predetermined length of single wire positioned internally with respect to said bead wire array, and
- shape-retaining means engageable with at least a portion of said plurality of convolutions of said single wire of said tire bead assembly, said shape-retaining means engaging a substantial portion of the perimeter of said bead hoop cross-sections and engaging at least a portion of the circumference of said bead hoop of said bead assembly to retain the bead assembly in a planar configuration perpendicular to the axis of revolution of said bead hoop, to retain adjacent convolutions of said single wire in substantially wire-to-wire contact and to provide for void volumes within said bead wire array to permit entrapped air to be dissipated and minimized during a tire building operation.
A tire bead assembly comprising:
- a predetermined length of nominally circular cross-sectional single wire having two ends thereon substantially free of an envelope of rubber-type materials extending along its length and wound about an axis to provide a bead hoop having a bead wire array therein, with each convolution of said single wire in substantially wire-to-wire contact with at least one adjacent convolution of said single wire and positioned substantially in a plane parallel to the other convolutions of said single wire to provide a tire bead assembly having an inside diameter surface, an outside peripheral surface and sidewall surfaces, with at least one end of said predetermined length of single wire positioned on one of said sidewall surfaces with respect to said bead wire array, and
- shape-retaining means engageable with at least a portion of said plurality of convolutions of said single wire of said tire bead assembly, said shape-retaining means substantially engaging a substantial portion of the perimeter of said bead hoop cross-section and engaging at least a portion of the circumference of said bead hoop of said bead assembly to retain the bead assembly in a planar configuration perpendicular to the axis of revolution of said bead hoop, to retain adjacent convolutions of single wire in substantially wire-to-wire contact and to provide for void volumes within said bead wire array to permit entrapped air to be dissipated and minimized during a tire building operation.
A tire bead assembly comprising:
- predetermined lengths of nominally circular cross-sectional multiple wires substantially free of an envelope of rubber-type materials extending along their length and wound about an axis to provide a plurality of convolutions of said multiple wires to provide a bead hoop, with each convolution of said multiple wires in substantially wire-to-wire contact with at least one adjacent convolution of said multiple wires and positioned substantially in a plane parallel to the other convolutions of said multiple wires to provide a tire bead assembly having an inside diameter surface, an outside peripheral surface and sidewall surfaces, and
- shape-retaining means engageable with at least a portion of said plurality of convolutions of said multiple wires of said tire bead assembly, said shape-retaining means substantially engaging a substantial portion of the perimeter of the bead hoop cross-section and engaging at least a portion of the circumference of the bead hoop to retain the bead assembly in a planar configuration perpendicular tot he axis of revolution of said bead hoop and to retain each convolution of said multiple wires in substantially wire-to-wire contact with at least one adjacent convolution and to provide for void volumes within said bead wire array to permit entrapped air to be dissipated and minimized during a tire building operation.
A tire bead assembly comprising:
- predetermined lengths of nominally circular cross-sectional multiple wires substantially free of an envelope of rubber-type materials extending along its length and wound about an axis to provide a plurality of convolutions of said multiples to provide a bead hoop having a bead wire array therein, with each convolution of said multiple wires in substantially wire-to-wire contact with at least one adjacent convolution of said multiple wires and positioned substantially in a plane parallel to the other convolutions of said multiple wires to provide a tire bead assembly having a an inside diameter surface, an outside peripheral surface and sidewall surfaces, with at least one of said ends of said predetermined lengths of multiple wires positioned internally with respect to said bead wire array, and
- shape-retaining means engageable with at least a portion of said plurality of convolutions of said multiple wires of said tire bead assembly, said shape-retaining means engaging a substantial portion of the perimeter of the bead hoop cross-section and engaging at least a portion of the circumference of the bead hoop to retain the bead assembly in a planar configuration perpendicular to the axis of revolution of said bead hoop, to retain adjacent convolutions in said substantially wire-to-wire contact and to provide for void volumes within said bead wire array to permit entrapped air to be dissipated and minimized during a tire building operation.
The tire bead assembly in accordance with clam 133 wherein said predetermined length of said elongated material includes one end thereof anchored between the wire convolutions within the bead hoop.
A tire bead assembly comprising:
- predetermined lengths of nominally circular cross-sectional multiple wires substantially free of an envelope of rubber-type materials extending along its length and wound about an axis to provide a bead hoop having a bead wire array therein, with each convolution of said multiple wires in substantially wire-to-wire contact with at least one adjacent convolution of said multiple wires and positioned substantially in a plane parallel to the other convolutions of said multiple wires to provide a tire bead assembly having an inside diameter surface, an outside peripheral surface and sidewall surfaces, with at least one of said ends of said predetermined lengths of multiple wires positioned externally on one of the side wall surfaces with respect to said bead wire array, and
- shape-retaining means engageable with at least a portion of said plurality of convolutions of said multiple wires of said tire bead assembly, said shape-retaining means engaging a substantial portion of the perimeter of the bead hoop cross-section and engaging at least a portion of the circumference of the bead hoop to retain the bead assembly in a planar configuration perpendicular to the axis of revolution of said bead hoop, to retain adjacent convolutions in said substantially wire-to-wire contact, and to provide for void volumes within said bead wire array to permit entrapped air to be dissipated and minimized during a tire building operation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.