Abstract: A pneumatic tire, which comprises a tread portion (2) having a pair of tread edges, a pair of axially spaced bead portions (4), a pair of sidewall portions (3) extending between the tread edges and the bead portions (4), a bead core (5) disposed in each of the bead portions (4), a carcass (6) extending between the bead portions and turned up around the bead cores, a rubber tread disposed radially outside the crown portion of the carcass defining the tread portion, and a belt (7) made of at least one spirally wound belt cord (11) disposed between the carcass and the rubber tread, the belt cord (11) comprising a higher modulus strand (13A) and a lower modulus strand (14A) which are twisted together, the higher modulus strand (13A) made of at least one continuous organic filament (13) having a higher elastic modulus, the lower modulus strand (14A) made of at least one continuous organic filament (14) having a lower elastic modulus, and in a unit length of the belt cord, the length (L1) of the higher modulus fila

Abstract: A pneumatic tire has a carcass composed of at least one carcass ply extending from a tread part through sidewall parts and turned up around a bead core in each of two bead parts. The carcass ply comprises a plurality of ply strips which are continuously arranged in the tire circumferential direction with overlapping portions, wherein one end in the tire circumferential direction of one ply strip overlaps to an outer surface of an adjacent ply strip adjacently arranged on one end side, and the other end in the tire circumferential direction of the one ply strip overlaps to an inner surface of an adjacent ply strip adjacently arranged on other end side.

Abstract: A passenger radial tire which comprises a tread portion, a pair of axially spaced bead portions, a pair of sidewall portions extending therebetween, a pair of bead cores disposed one in each bead portion, and a carcass extending between the bead portions and turned up around the bead cores from the axially inside to the outside thereof to form two turned up portions and one main portion therebetween, wherein in at least the sidewall portions no bead apex exists and the carcass turned up portions are located adjacently to the carcass man portion, and in each bead portion a bead reinforcement extending radially outwardly into the sidewall portion is disposed.

Abstract: A product and process for imparting decorative appliques to the sidewalls of tires during the curing operation are presented. In one embodiment, a spool of applique composite material is maintained for feeding into a tire mold or onto a transfer device, thereby defining a ring for vulcanization to a tire. The applique consists of a laminate received upon a carrier, the laminate having a first barrier layer and a congruent second decorative layer. The laminate is received by a tire sidewall between two grooves which serve to isolate the decorative layer from the tire itself. In another embodiment a laminate of white and barrier rubber stock is formed and then configured into a cylinder. A plurality of bands are cut from the cylinder then transferred to a fixture by reorienting the bands to conform to the angle of the sidewall of the tire at the point with which the band is to be adhered.

Abstract: A tire, intended to be inflated but capable of running in a deflated condition, the carcass (2) of which incorporates, at each of the sidewalls (5) thereof, a first and a second reinforcing insert (16, 17) having in cross-section a substantially lenticular form tapering to the ends, interposed between a first carcass ply (10) and a second carcass ply (11) and mutually joined at the tire maximum-chord point. Also applied to each sidewall against the carcass ply (10) turned to the inner part of the tire is an elastic support insert (13) of lenticular cross-section having a maximum thickness portion (13a) disposed at the junction point (18) between the two reinforcing insertions (16, 17). The elastic support insert (13) comprises a substantially stiff counter core (14) of lenticular cross-section, and a cover (15) made of elastomeric material have a low modulus of elasticity, coating the counter core (14) at one side thereof turned towards the carcass plies.

Abstract: A pneumatic radial tire has a double crown structure that an annular recess portion is arranged in a tread at a given region in a widthwise direction thereof, in which the tread is divided into a central region, a pair of middle regions and a pair of side regions and at least one auxiliary reinforcing cord layer is arranged on a belt so as to substantially envelop a crown portion of a carcass and a full radially outer surface of the belt, provided that a stretching ratio of the cords in the auxiliary reinforcing cord layer in the central region and side regions is equal to or more than that in the middle regions, whereby high-speed durability is improved together with excellent drainage while controlling the increase of tire weight and cost as much as possible.

Abstract: A pneumatic radial tire in which a tread weight .alpha. per unit ground contact area is selected to be not greater than 1.80.times.10.sup.-3 kg/cm.sup.2, a cord reinforcing ply which extends up to a location outside of a top end of a bead filler in a radial direction of the tire is disposed in a bead portion and a cord angle .theta. of the cord reinforcing ply relative to a circumferential direction of the tire is selected to be 25.degree.-80.degree., a height RH of the cord reinforcing ply from a rim base up to the top end of the cord reinforcing ply, which is measured in the radial direction of the tire, is selected to satisfy the ratio, RH/SH=0.28-0.65, with SH being a cross-sectional height of the tire, and a height FH of the bead filler from the rim base up to the top end of the bead filler, which is measured in the radial direction of the tire, is selected to satisfy the ratio, FH/SH=0.11-0.28, with SH being the cross-sectional height of the tire.

Abstract: In order to improve the resistance of a crown reinforcement (20) of a radial tire to perforations, cuts and the drawbacks resulting therefrom, the crown reinforcement (20) is formed of three plies (21, 22, 23) of non-stretchable metal wires or cables. The resistances R.sub.1, R.sub.2, R.sub.3 of these plies being such that1.5.ltoreq.R.sub.1 /R.sub.2 .ltoreq.2.5and0.5.ltoreq.R.sub.3 /R.sub.2 .ltoreq.1.5,the two radially outer plies (22, 23) having wires or cables separated by a distance (e) equal to at least their diameter.

Abstract: A heavy duty pneumatic radial tire comprising a carcass, a tread and a belt layer consisting of four belt plies piled radially one above another and containing steel cords therein. The four belt plies consist of a large belt ply having a width wider than that of the other belt plies, a middle belt ply arranged radially inward of the large belt ply and having steel cords oblique in the same directions as those of steel cords of the large belt ply, a first small belt ply arranged between the large belt ply and the middle belt ply and having steel cords oblique in opposite directions to those of the cords of the large belt ply and a width smaller than that of the middle ply, a second small belt ply arranged radially inward of the middle belt ply and having steel cords oblique in opposite directions to those of the cords of the large belt ply and a width smaller than that of the middle belt ply.

Abstract: A radial tire for motorcycles which comprises: a carcass ply of organic fiber cords arranged radially at an angle of 70 to 90 degrees to the tire equator and turned up around bead cores to form two turned up portions and a main portion therebetween; and a belt disposed radially outside the carcass and inside a tread, wherein the radial height Ht of the radially outer edge of each carcass turned up portion is 0.5 to 1.2 times the radial height of the tread edge, both from the bead base. The belt is composed of three pieces, two lateral pieces and a central piece therebetween, each piece being made of at least one spirally wound cord having an elastic modulus of not less than 600 kgf/sq.mm and formed by winding spirally a ribbon of rubber in which the at least one cord is embedded. The width of the central piece of the belt is 0.1 to 0.6 times the tread width. The central piece is differed from at least one of the lateral pieces in respect of cord specification and/or cord arrangement.

Abstract: Front and rear lenses of a composite eyeglass lens are laminated together by holding the front lens in an X, Y adjustable stage on a laminating axis, holding the rear lens in a predetermined position relative to the laminating axis, and moving the two lenses together on the laminating axis to spread an adhesive between them. The rear lens holder is rotatable around a laminating axis and has an adjustable center foot adhesively tacked to the rear lens and an array of surrounding pressure feet for pressing the rear lens uniformly against the front lens in a process that can be observed by the operator. Then, the adhesive between the pressed-together lenses is cured by UV radiation directed through the front lens before the lenses are removed from the laminator.

Abstract: A belted radial tire has a belt composed of a breaker and a band, the breaker disposed radially outside a carcass and comprising at least two plies of cords inclined with respect to the tire equator so that the cords in each ply cross the cords in the next ply, the band disposed on the radially outside of the breaker and composed of a strip of rubberized parallel organic fiber cords which strip is wound spirally and continuously around the breaker from its one edge to the other edge, the number of the organic fiber cords in the strip being in the range of 10 to 25, the winding pitches of the strip changed in the axial direction of the tire so that the pitches are greater in a central region of the breaker than side regions, the pitches in the side regions being substantially a half of the strip width, and the pitches in the central region being not less than the strip width.

Abstract: A pneumatic radial tire for truck and bus comprises a carcass ply containing cords arranged substantially in a radial direction of the tire and a belt superimposed about said carcass ply and comprised of plural belt layers each containing steel cords arranged at a cord angle of 5.degree.-20.degree. with respect to an equator of the tire. In this case, the steel cord for the belt layer has a two-layer structure of a core comprised of two steel filaments and a single sheath comprised of 6-8 steel filaments and satisfies the particularly relationships on filament diameter, twisting pitch, bending rigidity, tensile strength and distance between adjoining cords.

Abstract: In a pneumatic tire of the type wherein both end portions of a carcass layer are supported by a pair of right and left bead cores, respectively, and at least two belt layers are disposed on the outer periphery of a tread of the carcass layer, a cord reinforcing layer having a cord weight per unit width of not greater than 1.30 g/mm on a radial section and a cord angle of not greater than 80.degree. with respect to a tire circumferential direction is disposed at a buttress portion between a maximum width portion of a tire section and the end portion of the belt layers in a tire width-wise direction.

Abstract: A tire for heavy load with a aspect ratio of 80% or less has five ribs which are a center rib extending on a tire equator, a pair of outer ribs extending along a tread edge and a pair of intermediate ribs each extending between the center rib and the outer ribs. An outer end line of the intermediate rib extends in the circumferential direction in zigzags. In a state of 5% internal pressure, a distance (X) from the tire equator line to a center line (Q) of the zigzagged outer end line is in a range of 0.25 to 0.275 times the tread width (WT). A tread radius of curvature R under the state of 5% internal pressure and a difference (Y=y2-y1) satisfy the following equation (1):-0.001R+0.4 mm.ltoreq.Y.ltoreq.-0.00357R+2.

Abstract: When polyester fiber cords having elongations under loads of 0.5 g/d and 2.25 g/d within particular ranges and a heat shrinkage (177.degree. C. 30 minutes) within a particular range are used in a carcass ply of a pneumatic radial tire, the ride comfortability, tire uniformity and tire appearance can simultaneously be improved.

Abstract: Using an unsintered or sintered polytetrafluoroethylene yarn as at least part of warp and/or filling, a seamless tubular fabric is constructed. This construction is made by circular weaving or by inserting the filling into the warp prepared in the form of a hank or skein.

Abstract: A pneumatic radial tire comprising a toroidal carcass layer having a number of radially extending cords buried therein, a belt layer arranged on a radially outer side of the carcass layer and containing a number of nonstretchable cords inclined to an equatorial plane of the tire, and a reinforcing layer arranged between the carcass layer and the belt layer and containing a number of reinforcing elements. The reinforcing elements extend in parallel to the tire equatorial plane as a whole, and are waved at a substantially equal wavelength. The phase of a plurality of the reinforcing elements among all the reinforcing elements buried in the reinforcing layer is different from that of the remaining reinforcing element or elements.

Abstract: A steel cord is disclosed for use in reinforcing rubber products, especially automobile tires. In order to provide desirable rubber penetrability and break-resistance, three to six material wires are intertwisted into a steel cord having an elliptically shaped cross section having a ratio of its major diameter to its minor diameter of between 1.1 and 2.2. The cord is formed such that its material wires substantially contact each other near the ends of the major axis of the ellipse and are separated from each other near the end of the minor axis. The cord of the invention is normally formed such that a ratio the twist pitch to the material wire diameter is in the range of 30-80. However, if a high elongation of more than 5% is necessary, such can be imparted by intertwisting material wires such that the ratio of the twist pitch to the material wire diameter is in the range of 10-28.

Abstract: Thermoplastic elastomer film vacuum bags are provided which readily conform to the surface contour of the workpiece at low pressures without failure. The thermoplastic elastomer film can be made into thin films which are able to withstand higher pressures and temperatures than the prior art nylon films. The films can also withstand the presence of epoxide and phenolic resins during pressure and cure without degradation. Preferred thermoplastic elastomers are block copolymers such as Hytrel. The films are pliable and can be used with minimal or no pleating.