Abstract: A comprehensive system, process and article of manufacture to facilitate comprehensive institutional, regulatory and individual continuing education (a.k.a. “CE”) requirements via a communications network comprising interactive processing components to facilitate web-based CE tracking and reporting for employers, group member registration, small business member registration, CE content providers & CE accrediting agencies, CE content editor functionality, site-to-site data transfer, provider reporting to accrediting entities, relationships with professional associations, remote CE training, tracking and distribution, CE applications service provider services, individual professional CE services, CE guidance and portfolio management, CE portfolio setup and customization, CE reporting for license reinstatement, an industry portal for licensed professionals, individual member registration, state regulation services and automated e-licensure/e-certification renewal.

Abstract: A pneumatic tire having two different bead diameters has handling, ride and treadwear advantages. The tire is made so that the rho.sub.m of the longer sidewall and the rho.sub.m of the shorter sidewall are equal. The rho.sub.m of the longer sidewall is made equal to the rho.sub.m of the shorter sidewall by establishing a belt profile wherein the amount of drop at a belt edge is specified to give a mold drop of 0.30 to 0.33 of estimated tire deflection, applying an inflated shape prediction formula to calculate the inflated belt profile and varying the value of rho.sub.m until the drop at the end of the belt closely matches a specified value, using the cosine law to specify the change in belt angle with radius, choosing a shoulder point under the belt edge that allows a 0.050 inch wedge between the bottom of the belt and the top of the carcass ply and varying the slope of the ply at the shoulder point until the inflated ply line passes through the Y-max location at rho.sub.m.

Abstract: System for testing pneumatic tires. A tire that revolves under a load is deformed at the area in which it meets the roadway. Such a deformation results in the tire having an effective rolling radius that is shorter than the radius it has while static and/or unloaded. According to the invention, tires are tested by determining their effective rolling radii. When tires having similar effective rolling radii are used on an automotive vehicle, the undesirable torque steer effect is thereby reduced.

Abstract: Apparatus for obtaining tire dynamic characteristics in which a wheel and tire assembly is mounted on a shaft assembly of low mass. The tire tread is engageable with either a rotating or stationary supporting surface. Flexible connecting members having load-applying capabilities for urging the tire tread into loaded engagement with the tire supporting surface are located at each side of the tire and connected to the shaft assembly. The desired loading is measured by load cells on the connecting members. The tire may be vibrated at predetermined frequencies and amplitudes in predetermined directions by exciters and the resulting tire dynamic data selectively measured by one or more accelerometers.

Abstract: An annular hollow tire with an inner surface having a generally positive radius of curvature and at least one circumferentially extending rib portion on the inner surface with a negative radius of curvature located at an area of the tire subject to high stresses to mitigate the stress concentrations in that area of the tire. The method of making the tire includes the steps of providing a tire mold with a core having a selected circumferentially extending portion on the outer surface with a negative radius of curvature for forming the rib portion, filling the space between the core and mold surface with an elastomeric precursor, heating to set the precursor and form the tire and removing the tire from the mold and the core from the tire.

Abstract: A pneumatic tire with an annular reinforcement in the area of the tread. The annular reinforcement is formed of a single, wide, cord-reinforced ply which is folded so as to have three folded edges and four superimposed, narrower, interconnected layers or plies of rubberized reinforcement cords.

Abstract: Lateral force variations of a tire are reduced by detecting the variations in the conicity component of the lateral force with respect to the rotation angle in both forward and rearward rotational senses. The algebraic sum of the lateral force exerted by the tire parallel its own axis on a load wheel or road surface at successive angular increments of rotation in both rotational senses provide a variant signal which can be used to control grinding means to remove material from the respective tire shoulder regions in amounts and angular locations to reduce the variation of the conicity component and thus the total lateral force variation exerted by the tire in either rotational sense. The foregoing abstract is not to be taken as limiting the invention of this application, and in order to understand the full nature and extent of the technical disclosure of this application, reference must be made to the accompanying drawing and the following detailed description.