Belt ply for pneumatic tires including transverse extension zones

A tire having a belt ply, a carcass, and a tread surface, said belt ply comprising:

• a ring of sheet material extending in the circumferential direction around the tire between the tread surface and the carcass, said ring having opposed edges and having transversely extending areas that are smooth and flat and extend continuously from one edge of the ring to the opposite edge of the ring, said ring being further formed with a plurality of circumferentially spaced extension zones comprising rows of projections, each row comprising individual projections each of which extends in a transverse direction relative to the circumference of the tire, each row being spaced from the circumferentially adjacent row by one of said smooth and flat areas, each row also being formed with openings between each projection to impart lateral flexibility to the ring in tile region of each row of projections.