Abstract: In an open-sided bicycle tire having a plurality of carcass plies enclosing a pair of beads, and extending over the sidewalls and tread of the tire, at least one ply of a breaker is disposed between the plies of the carcass lying immediately under the tread.

Abstract: A predominantly styrene-butadiene copolymer rubber (SBR) tire tread compound may be reinforced with a special high structure carbon black designated herein as a N103, having a relatively high volatiles content (as indicated by its iodine number), and a superfine particle size smaller than about 20 nanometers (nm), a DBPA greater than 120 cm.sup.3 /100 g carbon black, and an I.sub.2 No in the range from 130-160 mg/g, in an oil extended tread compound in which there is at least 30 parts of processing oil per 100 parts of rubber; the presence of this N103 black in a major amount relative to the total amount of high structure black, is essential.

Abstract: A system for automated pressurization of pneumatic tires includes an air pump which is driven by the vehicle engine and provides a continuous output of pressurized air. The pressurized air can either be routed to the tires or vented to the atmosphere under control of a manually-actuated selector valve having inflate, neutral and deflate modes of operation. A second selector valve can be set to designate which of the vehicle tires are to be inflated or deflated.

Abstract: Radial tires for motorcycles comprising a tread portion, side wall portions, bead portions, a carcass, a breaker, and optionally a reinforcing cord layer arranged outside the carcass and extending from one bead portion to the other bead portion and bead apexes made of a hard rubber, said tread portion having a plurality of longitudinal grooves in the circumferential direction at an angle of at least 5.degree. with respect to the cords of the most outer ply of the breaker. The motorcycle radial tires of the invention have an improved transverse stiffness at the side wall portions and moreover do not cause cracks at the bottom of the grooves in the tread portion.

Abstract: A radial ply tire has a belt structure with a pair of edge strips of square woven fabric. A portion of each edge strip is disposed between a pair of belt plies that are adjacent to one another, and the edge strips may be folded around the respective axial edges of the radially innermost belt ply.

Abstract: A radial collapse tire building drum having a hub, a plurality of axially extending cylindrical body segments disposed around the hub, a first radial support at one axial end of the hub and supporting one axial end of the segments, a second radial support at the other axial end of the hub and supporting the other axial ends of the segments, and a collapsing mechanism disposed within the drum between the first and second radial supports and operable to move the segments either radially outwardly with respect to the hub to form a cylindrical body concentric with the hub, or radially inwardly towards the hub to collapse the cylindrical body of the drum. A main drive shaft is secured to the hub with its axis co-extensive with the hub axis and there is a hollow shaft through which the main drive shaft extends.

Abstract: A vehicle wheel having a rigid rim on which can be mounted a pneumatic rubber tire. The tire beads are adapted to be disposed on the radially inner side of the rim ring. Deep mounting beds are located axially inwardly of the rim seating surfaces for the tire bead. In order to prevent the penetration of water and dirt into the deep mounting beads, the tire beads each have a cross-sectional shape which on the one hand during mounting allow the tire bead to enter the mounting space having the deep bed, and on the other hand in the operating position of the tire close off the mounting space having the deep bed region.

Abstract: A high-durable pneumatic radial tire is disclosed using steel cords in at least one of the carcass and the belt. This steel cord is produced by twisting plural steel filaments each having a tensile strength of not less than 220 kgf/mm.sup.2, whose metallic structure being a fine pearlite structure having an average value of interlamellar distance between cementites of 300-500 .ANG. and an average sectional area of single pearlite crystal grain in filament section of not more than 20 .mu.m.sup.2.

Abstract: A pneumatic radial tire having a high durability is disclosed, which comprises a carcass composed of at least one ply containing polyester fiber cords embedded in rubber. This polyester fiber cord has particular fiber properties and cord properties. Among the cord properties, the elongation under a tension of 2 g/D of the cord after the specific post-cure inflation treatment is not more than 4.5% and the sum of the elongation and heat shrinkage is not more than 8.0%.

Abstract: A method of applying a looped rubber member on a tire building drum having grooves formed in the periphery thereof, comprising the steps of inserting at least two pairs of retaining members into the looped rubber member in a first direction; retaining the looped rubber member on the retaining members; rotating the retaining members with the looped rubber member retained thereon toward the tire building drum to a second direction which is opposite to the first direction; forming the looped rubber member on the retaining members into a substantially circular configuration; transferring the substantially circular looped rubber member toward the tire building drum into a first position in which the center of the looped rubber member is in axial alignment with the longitudinal center axis of the tire building drum; further transferring the substantially circular looped rubber member from the first position into a second position in which the looped rubber member surrounds the periphery of the tire building drum ra

Abstract: A reinforcement ply intended for use in a tire is characterized by the fact that the reinforcement ply is formed, at least in part, of a fabric having the following properties:(a) the fabric comprises a three-dimensional body and reinforcement threads arranged in the body and held by the body;(b) practically all the voids in the fabric are capable of being impregnated with at least one material which forms part of the structure of the tire.The invention also relates to these plies which are impregnated with at least one material which forms part of the structure of the tires. The invention further relates to tires having at least one reinforcement ply, as well as to the methods for obtaining such tires.

Abstract: A tire carcass (55) is built on a generally cylindrical drum (10) rotatable about an axis (12) by applying green tire components (50) to the cylindrical surface (14) and curved shoulder surfaces (32,34) of the drum (10). The radially inner surfaces (58) of the lower sidewalls (56) of the tire carcass (55) are formed on the surfaces (32,34) of the curved shoulders (28,30) which have a curvature which can be generated as a segment of a conic section which is at an angle other than a right angle to the axis of a cone. The curvature for each of the lower sidewall inner surfaces (58) as measured along a line of intersection (36) of a shoulder surface (32,34) of the drum (10) and a radial plane (A--A) containing the drum axis (12) is decreased from positions (38) adjacent the axially outer edges (40) of the drum (10) to positions (42) on the cylindrical surface (14 ) of the drum.

Abstract: A device for use in vulcanizing a premolded, precured tire tread to a tire casing in a tire retreading operation, for sealing a retreading envelope against the tire carcass in the bead area of the tire. The device comprises a pair of rigid circular ring members each sized to fit against the exterior bead portion of the tire casing, with the envelope interposed between the ring and the tire casing. A series of interconnecting springs are attached to the rings at circumferentially spaced apart locations to hold them against the tire in the bead area, and spacers attached to at least some of said springs maintain a uniform distance between the bead portions of the tire casing. A compression member on an edge of each ring member provides increased sealing pressure against the envelope on the tire.

Abstract: A tire-reinforcing dip cord composed of nylon 6 and/or nylon 66 fiber is described. The dip cord has (1) a strength at break of at least 8.2 g/d, (2) an elongation of at least 18% under a load of 8 g/d, (3) a gradient not larger than 0.75 in the load-elongation curve immediately before break, and (4) a cord diameter variation ratio (D/D.sub.o) (D=cord diameter under a load of 450 g and D.sub.o =cord diameter under no load) not larger than 0.65. The dip cord is prepared by treating a nylon 6 and/or nylon 66 cord yarn with an adhesive wherein at least one of the following processes (i) and (ii) is employed: (i) the adhesive treatment is carried out under elongation of at least 3%, and (ii) as the adhesive, a liquid mixture of a resorcinol/formaldehyde (R/F) condensate and a rubber latex is used, in which at least 20 wt. % of the condensate has a R/F molar ratio of 1/1.9-1/1.

Abstract: An apparatus and method wherein strip material is clamped to a shuttle finger slidably mounted in a shuttle casing which in turn is slidably mounted on a strip applier frame. The shuttle casing and shuttle finger are movable simultaneously from a retracted first position to a second position with the end of the shuttle casing adjacent an applicator roll. The shuttle finger is then movable by itself from the second position to a third position for transferring a tongue portion of the strip onto the applicator roll. The tongue portion may then be elevated into clamping engagement with the drum and the strip released from the shuttle finger. The shuttle casing and shuttle finger may then be returned to the first position, the drum rotated a predetermined amount to partially wrap the strip around the drum and the strip cut at a predetermined location whereupon the drum is rotated to fully wrap the strip of flexible material around the drum.

Abstract: A pneumatic tire for high-speed running type motorcycles is disclosed, which comprises a carcass of a bias structure composed of at least two plies each containing organic fiber cords, a tread portion of rubber, a breaker disposed between the carcass and tread and composed of at least one ply containing organic fiber cords, and a side portion of rubber. In the pneumatic tire, the carcass and breaker are arranged in substantially parallel with each other, and the carcass has a cord angle of 26.degree.-36.degree. with respect to the equatorial plane of the tire, and the breaker has a cord angle of 0.degree.-25.degree. with respect to the equatorial plane and extends at a width corresponding to 30-200% of the tread width.

Abstract: A pneumatic radial passenger tire having a ground-engaging tread portion and a pair of axially opposed tread edges. The tread portion comprising at least two circumferentially continuous grooves formed by alternately disposed axially and circumferentially extending segments. Each of the segments have a particular angle orientation. There is also provided additional grooves connecting the circumferentially extending grooves and which extend from the axially outer circumferential grooves to the tread edge.

Abstract: The disclosure describes a valve cap which indicates the pressure within a pneumatic tire.

Abstract: An annular outboard bead core holder (38) and an annular inboard bead core holder (32) are slidably mounted on a beam member (26) which in turn is slidably mounted for movement between a bead core positioning location under an expandable tire buliding drum (12) to a storage position inboard of the drum. The bead core holders (32,38) are positioned at an outboard end of the beam member (26) in the storage position permitting movement of the inboard end to a position under a tire drum drive housing (16).

Abstract: A tire breaker comprising at least two breaker plies is assembled on a carrier ring which is movable between ply fitting stations.The ring is mounted on an arm which swings the ring through 90.degree. to each fitting station where the ply is supported on a table. Each end of the ply is then moved from the table on to the ring by means of grippers, and rollers then traverse the ring to ensure that the ply is positioned accurately. The joints formed in successive plies are diametrically opposed to one another.