Abstract: Tire has a casing defining a hollow interior, a fill disposed in the interior of the casing, and the fill including at least one layer having an initial diameter substantially the same as the initial diameter of the casing. The fill layer includes an expansion joint. When the casing expands the expansion joint expands and causes the first layer to substantially continuously contact the casing. The expansion joint may be configured so that the layer(s) of the fill substantially continuously contact each other and the casing, respectively, as the casing expands. The expansion joint may be engineered to produce a gap extending between first and second free ends of the layer(s). Or the gaps may be selected so that the first and second ends of the respective layers continuously remain at least partially in contact with each other before, during, and after expansion is completed; i.e., when the casing is at maximum expansion.

Abstract: A tire includes a tread region, a rim region, and a further region between the tread region and the rim region. The further region may include a foamed rubber. The foamed rubber may be one of cellular rubber or closed cell cellular rubber. The tire having further regions made of closed cell cellular rubber may be made as an integral solid rubber tire in a mold, such as a split mold in a one-step process. The tire may likewise be made in a multi-step process by molding each of the tread, rim, and further regions as distinct radial layers in separate molds and bonding the three separate radial layers together to form a tire having the desired characteristics.

Abstract: The preferred embodiment is directed to a pneumatic tire having a plurality of layers of high density foam rubber formed therein and methods of manufacturing and installing the layers therein. The preferred method of forming the layers of fill to be inserted in the pneumatic tire casing includes the following steps. Forming an elongated strip of elastomeric material of a size sufficient to form at least two concentric layers in a predetermined size casing of a pneumatic tire at a manufacturing site. At least one dimension of the elongated strip is the same as at least one dimension of the two concentric layers when inserted in the casing. Formulating data sheet having information from which the elongated strips can be cut to form the at least two layers for at least one predetermined condition. Transporting the elongated strip of the elastomeric material and the data sheet to an installation site remote from the manufacturing site.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to an apparatus which is inserted between the inner walls of pneumatic tire casings mounted on a dual wheel assembly. The apparatus is formed of one or more annular elements having an outer circumferential face, an inner circumferential face and left and right sidewalls. The major portion of each of the left and right sidewalls is substantially planar. At least one of the left and right sidewalls has a plurality of cooling grooves. The cooling grooves extend from the outer circumferential face to the inner circumferential face. The cooling grooves are substantially U-shaped and have a uniform depth throughout their entire length. The cooling grooves are uniformly spaced about the circumference of the annular member. The cooling grooves readily dissipate the heat which is generated by the brakes and the flexing of the tire casings when placed under a load.

Abstract: A puncture resistant pneumatic tire including a casing and an inner tube where the side walls of the casing flex under load a known amount, the method of designing a puncture shield which does not fail from reversion when driven at high speeds. The shield is made in a mould from liquid natural rubber a foaming agent and other compounds. The outer surface of the ring is contoured to mate with the lower inside of the tire casing and the upper or inner surface of the ring is designed to protect the tube from bulging in use and to be able itself to withstand flexing at the flex zone of the casing, by forming the inner surface with a convex shape at its outer sides and by flattening and upwardly bulging the inner surface of the shield where it overlies the tread portion of the tire to create tapered wings at its sides as seen in cross section and a massive puncture resistant portion over the tire treads.