Abstract: A process and method for retreading a heavy duty tire with a polyurethane tread where, after a tire carcass is inspected, cleaned and the worn tire tread is removed, the tire carcass receives a tube fitted therein and is installed in a mold cavity, between top and bottom mold rings. The mold rings each include spaced segments that inter-digitate and will form equal spaced tread voids in a finished recapped tire. The bottom mold ring inner edge top includes a continuous sealing lug, and the top ring is open to pass a flow of polyurethane materials, that is received off of a lower edge of a cone shaped spreader positioned onto the tire carcass top side wall and slides, as a sheet, into the mold, filling the mold cavity from bottom to top, forcing air from the mold ahead of the fill and forming the recapped tire tread.

Abstract: An apparatus for retreading a heavy duty tire with a polyurethane tread where a tire carcass that is suitable for retreading receives a tube fitted therein and is installed on its side in a mold cavity, between top and bottom rings, that each include spaced segments extending from opposing top and bottom ring surface that inter-digitate to form the equal spaced tread voids in a finished recapped tire, with bottom ring inner edge including a continuous sealing lug, and the top ring is open to pass a flow of polyurethane materials from a lower edge of a cone shaped spreader that is positioned onto the tire carcass top side wall and directs a flow of polyurethane materials from the cone surface into the mold, filling the mold cavity from bottom to top to form a recapped tire tread.

Abstract: A vacuum forming process for manufacturing a transport tire from an elastomeric material that include steps of: in a mold having a cavity or annular area, positioning a transport tire core of plies, belt and beads that has been laid-up on a mandrel. Fitting a cover in sealing engagement over the mold top and fitting a cylindrical canister, that is open at a top end, through the center of the cover and into the mold center and pouring an elastomeric material mixture into the canister that includes a needle valve in its lower end that exhausts into one end of the mold annular area.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for filling a tire and wheel assembly cavity, that can be a large tire and wheel, with a flexible closed cell polyurethane foam that is passed as a mixture of reacting constituents through a fill hose whose end is fitted between the tire bead and wheel rim, and after filling and removal of the fill hose end, providing for lifting and maintaining the tire bead in engagement with the wheel rim as the reacting materials complete their reaction, uniformly filling the tire and wheel cavity with the flexible closed cell polyurethane foam that has expanded and urges the tire bead into sealing engagement with the wheel rim.

Abstract: A vacuum forming apparatus for forming a tire, wheel, or other item in a mold having a cavity with the shape of the item to be cast that is contained in the apparatus. The vacuum forming apparatus utilizes a bell shaped outer cover arranged to seal along its lower edge to a mold base plate, and includes a canister maintained under a deep vacuum and arranged in or connected to the apparatus as a reservoir to receive a mixture of urethane constituents, with the deep vacuum removing air from that mixture, and the air free mixture is passed through a valve and into the mold cavity. A low level vacuum is pulled through a vent valve in the bell shaped outer cover to pull the flow of urethane material through the cavity, filling the mold. With the cavity filled, the canister valve is shut and the vent valve in the bell shaped outer cover is closed, allowing the urethane material in the mold cavity to cure, and the mold is broken open and the cast item is removed from the cavity.

Abstract: A plies sleeve for use in forming a core of plies and beads on a core build mandrel where the plies sleeve is woven as a tubular sleeve having a uniform circumference that will stretch laterally, increasing the sleeve circumference to fit over a top surface or crown of the core build mandrel and is of a length to where each sleeve side will fold down an opposite core build mandrel side, passing around a tire bead, back up the cored build mandrel side and over the top surface or crown edge. Which outward sleeve stretching is provided by a select weave where Rayon cords are spiral wound as vertical components of approximately seven point (7.5) pics per inch, and elastic cords are included as horizontal components of approximately eight (8) pics per inch that are formed as pre-cure elastic cords from a urethane material and are cotton wound, to allow for sleeve stretching and provide for a return of the plies sleeve to its un-stretched state.

Abstract: A vacuum forming apparatus and process for its use in forming a transport tire from an elastomeric material that includes a mold having a cavity or annular area wherein a transport tire core of plies, belt and beads is laid-up on a mandrel located within the mold. The mold receives a cover fitted in sealing engagement over the mold top and a cylindrical canister is fitted through the center of which cover and the mold center that is open at a top end to receive a pour of an elastomeric material mixture and includes a needle valve in its lower end that exhausts into one end of the mold annular area.

Abstract: A tire insert system for assembly into a continuous ring during its positioning within a tire, and is supported on a wheel web between the wheel flanges where the continuous tire insert ring is mounted to the wheel to support a tire load for a significant travel distance should that tire lose air. The four tire insert segments each include an arcuate shaped outer portion that, when assembled end to end, form the insert ring, and each tire insert segment includes an anchor plate that is an arcuate section when assembled side by side with other anchor plates forms a flat disk having an open center portion, which anchor plate is secured to the tire insert on its top end and includes mounting holes formed in its lower portion for receiving bolt type fasteners fitted therethrough and through forward and rear wheel sections, sandwiching the anchor plates therebetween, forming the tire insert ring in the tire during a mounting of the tire between wheel flanges.

Abstract: A urethane wheel that is manufactured by molding, casting, or vacuum forming methods in a mold having a wheel shaped cavity that a wheel core formed from a rigid material such as steel or aluminum has been supported in to receive a flow of a urethane material directed therearound, encapsulating the entire wheel core and forming a wheel capable of supporting a car or light truck traveling at highway speeds.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for forming a core of plies, belts and beads and for positioning the core in a mold for forming an elastomeric tire. The core is built up on a mandrel of the inner mold that is formed from hard foam core segments positioned between top and bottom hub plates, around a center hub that includes flow passages formed therethrough and through the hub plates. Plies for building the core are formed as a woven sleeve for passage along an expander cone and over the mandrel whereon a separator has been positioned, and a bead is passed over each sleeve end that receives a bead centering plate fitted through the sleeve, capturing the bead and positioning it on the mandrel side and provides for folding the plies end over the bead and up each mandrel side.

Abstract: A system for manufacturing an elastomeric tire utilizing a separate formation of a package having a tire core shape and containing tire belts, plies and beads. The package is formed by a laying up of layers of pre-cure elastomer intradigitated with sections of porous fabric, where the fabric fibers are placed at desired crossing angles to one another, and the pre-cure elastomer layers are positioned therebetween as a sandwich, with the sandwich then cold rolled into the tire core shape. Inelastic hoop shaped beads are fitted to and encapsulated in the tire core side walls ends and, as required, an inelastic belt is fitted around the tire core tread area that is secured thereto as by cold rolling a layer of pre-cure elastomer thereover, completing the tire core package. The tire core package is fitted into a mold, preferably a spin casting mold, and is supported therein equidistant from the mold cavity walls to receive an elastomer sprayed therein as the mold is spun.

Abstract: An elastomeric tire with arch shaped shoulders for mounting onto a rim that is manufactured by spin casting or molding methods that includes an annular cavity that is centered under the tire tread having equal thicknesses of side walls and an area under the tread whose slope outwardly into shoulder that the side walls upper ends intersect that have greater thickness and which side walls lower ends include beads that are each spaced a selected distance from the surfaces of the side wall ends that slope upwardly from inner to outer surfaces and with the tire preferably including plies that extend across the tire having ends that wrap around the beads and belts fitted around the tire circumference, above the plies, and including porous spacers fitted between the layers of plies and belts to pass a flow of the elastomeric material therethrough during tire formation.

Abstract: A run flat tire that includes a tire casing and an inner support fitted within which tire casing, with the inner support to support the tire casing load upon run flat tire deflation. The tire casing and inner support are for mounting to a rim, the tire casing side wall bead ends to fit against side wall ends of the inner support that are maintained against rim interior stepped sections. The inner support is formed from an elastomeric material, preferably by casting or molding methods, to include an interior arch shaped cavity centered under the inner support outer surface having at least one hundred forty (140) degrees and not more than one hundred eighty (180) degrees of arc, and has a uniform thickness between the inner support inner and outer surfaces that is selected to support a particular anticipated load, after tire deflation, to support, in compression, the tire load for a target distance and speed.