Abstract: A pneumatic tire bead area construction for improved chafer cracking resistance during run-flat (uninflated) tire operation comprises a chafer reinforcement fabric component that is positioned at the surface of the chafer wherever it may contact the wheel rim flange during normal tire operation, and especially during uninflated tire operation. The fabric component may be anchored by extending it around the bead. The fabric component may replace the toeguard, thereby further reinforcing and protecting the bead area by extending the chafer reinforcement fabric component along the surfaces of the bead area wherever surfaces of the tire can contact the wheel rim and rim flange during mounting of the tire and during operation of the tire.

Abstract: The invention relates to a pneumatic tire with a toroidal shaped tire carcass having sidewalls and a tread. The tire carcass terminates at opposite bead regions for mounting on a tire rim. The tire has at least one of the sidewalls having a circumferentially extending continuous groove, and a non-rubber inlay ring secured within the continuous groove of the sidewall(s) to form a rim flange protector.

Abstract: A pneumatic tire with an increased load carrying capacity (extended load index) but compatible with conventional, commercially available wheel rims, has a modified carcass ply line. The pneumatic tire (746) has a tread area (712) and a carcass structure (728) including two bead areas (750a,750b), at least one cord-reinforced elastomeric ply (730) extending through sidewalls (726a,726) between the bead areas (750a,750b) and the tread area (712), and a belt structure (718) between the tread area (712) and the carcass structure (728). The tire (746) has bead areas (750a,750b) containing a triangular shaped beads so that the ply line (PL′″) that causes the bead areas to better secure the tire to the rim during high stress conditions.

Abstract: A pneumatic radial ply runflat tire 1000 for a vehicle has a tread 1012, a carcass 1022 comprising at least one radial ply 1030 and two sidewalls 1016 each reinforced by a circumferentially disposed crescent-shaped wedge insert. Each insert has an elastomeric porous section 1042 embedded in an elastomeric stiffer layer 1044 of the insert 1040. When the tire is normally inflated, the porous section 1042, and hence the insert as a whole, is flexible, thereby providing comfortable driving characteristics. Under runflat (deflated tire) conditions, the pores in the porous section 1042 collapse, and the porous section 1042 stiffens, and hence the insert as a whole becomes stiff enough to support the load of the vehicle.

Abstract: A pneumatic tire with an increased load carrying capacity (extended load index) but compatible with conventional, commercially available wheel rims, has a modified carcass plyline. The tire has a tread area, a carcass structure including two bead areas each comprising a bead, at least one cord-reinforced elastomeric ply extending between the two bead areas, and two sidewalls, one sidewall extending between the tread area and each bead area.

Abstract: The invention relates to a pneumatic tire with a toroidal shaped tire carcass having sidewalls and a tread. The tire carcass terminates at opposite bead regions for mounting on a tire rim. The tire has at least one of the sidewalls having a circumferentially extending continuous groove, and a non-rubber inlay ring secured within the continuous groove of the sidewall(s) to form a rim flange protector.

Abstract: A pneumatic radial ply runflat tire (200) has a tread (210), belt structure (212), a carcass (216), and an underlay (234) disposed between the belt structure and the carcass. The carcass (216) comprises two sidewalls (226), two beads (220), and one or more radial plies (222,224). The tire (200) is characterized by the underlay (234) having reinforcement cords (236) with turns aligned parallel to the tire's equatorial plane, the cords (236) exhibiting negligible modulus of elasticity (“modulus”) below a threshold elongation and high modulus above the threshold elongation. The underlay (234) stiffens the tire during runflat operation but not during normal inflated operation.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a pneumatic tire having a layer comprised of a starch/plasticizer composite for prevention, or retardation, of air permeation from its inner chamber into the remainder of the tire.

Abstract: The present invention relates to new and novel tire construction and method of making same wherein the uncured elastomeric material that is laid upon the tire building drum during building of the tire preform will not experience substantially meridional stretch which would otherwise cause a decrease in the uniformity of ply thickness during expansion of the preform in the vulcanizing mold.

Abstract: The present invention relates to new and novel tire construction and method of making same wherein the uncured elastomeric material that is laid upon the tire building drum (22) during building of the tire preform (10) will not experience subtantially meridional stretch which would otherwise cause a decrease in the uniformity of ply thickness during expansion of the preform in the vulcaninzing mold.

Abstract: A very light weight tire 10 has at least one radial ply 38 and a rayon belt structure 36, having two single cut belt layers 50, 51 covered by an overlay 59 having cords 80 selected from the group of aramid, rayon, PEN, PET and PVA. The tire 10 has a very thin or reduced gauge (t) undertead 13. The tire 10 can be made having very low rolling resistance due to the combination of casing structure and the reduced rubber mass.

Abstract: A very light weight tire 10 has at least one radial ply 38 and a aramid belt structure 36, having two single cut belt layers 50,51 covered by an overlay 59 having cords 80 selected from the group of aramid, rayon, PEN, PET and PVA. The tire 10 has a very thin or reduced gauge (t) undertead 13. The tire 10 can be made having very low rolling resistance due to the combination of casing structure and the reduced rubber mass.

Abstract: A very light weight tire 10 has at least one radial ply 38 and a fiberglass belt structure 36 covered by an overlay 59 having cords 80 selected from the group of aramid, rayon, PEN, PET and PVA. The tire 10 has a very thin or reduced gauge (t) undertead 13. The tire 10 can be made having very low rolling resistance due to the combination of casing structure and the reduced rubber mass.