Abstract: The invention relates to a tire having a rubber tread of a circumferentially zoned tread including stratified lateral tread zones. The tread zones are comprised of three circumferential load bearing zones, with each zone containing a portion of the running surface of the tread, comprised of an intermedial zone positioned between and two stratified lateral tread zones. The intermedial and stratified lateral zones are comprised of rubber compositions having differentiated rebound physical properties. The intermedial rubber zone, or layer, overlays a tread base rubber layer and underlies the lateral tread layer zones. The lateral tread zones are stratified in a sense of being separated from each other and also separated from the from the tread base rubber layer by the intermedial rubber layer. The stratified lateral tread zones are peripheral tread zones, or layers.

Abstract: The invention relates to a tire with circumferentially zoned tread including peripheral sidewall extensions. The tread zones are comprised of three circumferential load bearing zones, with each zone containing a portion of the running surface of the tread, comprised of an intermedial rubber zone positioned between and extending beneath two stratified lateral tread rubber zones and, in addition, peripheral sidewall extensions. The tread configuration contains a carbon black reinforced tread base rubber layer underlying the intermedial tread rubber zone. The lateral tread rubber zones are therefore spaced apart from each other with the intermedial tread zone therebetween and also at least partially spaced apart from the tread base rubber layer with the intermedial tread zone therebetween.

Abstract: The invention relates to a tire having a rubber tread of a circumferentially zoned tread. The tread zones are comprised of three circumferential load bearing zones, with each zone containing a portion of the running surface of the tread, comprised of a silica-rich intermedial rubber zone positioned between and extending beneath two carbon black-rich lateral tread zones. The tread configuration contains an underlying carbon black-rich base rubber layer. The intermedial and stratified lateral zones are comprised of rubber compositions having differentiated rebound physical properties. A path of least electrical resistance extends from a lateral carbon black-rich rubber tread zone to the carbon black-rich tread base layer by an extension of a lateral tread zone or by an intermediate carbon black-rich rubber bridge.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a tire having a rubber tread of a lug and groove configuration wherein at least a portion of surface of the grooves is comprised of an elastomeric layer having a repellent property.

Abstract: This invention relates to pneumatic rubber tires for high severity service, particularly a truck tire, having a circumferential tread of a cap/base configuration comprised of an outer tread cap rubber layer and an underlying tread base rubber layer wherein said tread cap rubber layer is comprised of a precipitated silica reinforced rubber comprised primarily of cis 1,4-polybutadiene rubber.

Abstract: The invention relates to a pneumatic truck tire, particularly a bus tire, with a tread of a cap/base configuration comprised of a circumferential outer tread cap rubber layer and an underlying tread base rubber layer. The outer tread cap rubber layer is configured with lugs, particularly circumferential ribs with circumferential grooves between the ribs. A tread groove-containing rubber block tire component which joins the tread base rubber layer and extends radially outward into the outer tread cap rubber layer.

Abstract: The invention relates to pneumatic tires having treads of a cap/base configuration where the outer tread cap rubber layer contains lugs with intervening grooves which extend to the running surface of the tread cap and wherein at least one of said grooves is contained in a rubber block within the tread. For this invention, the tread groove-containing rubber block is an extension of the tread base rubber layer which extends radially outward into the outer tread cap rubber layer.

Abstract: The invention relates to pneumatic tires having treads of a cap/base configuration where the outer tread cap rubber layer contains lugs with intervening grooves which extend to the running surface of the tread cap and wherein at least one of said grooves is contained in a rubber block within the tread. For this invention, the tread groove-containing rubber block joins the tire carcass and extends radially outward through the tread base rubber layer and into the outer tread cap rubber layer.

Abstract: A tire having a tread includes an outer tread layer and an inner tread layer. The inner tread layer includes one of a first elastomeric compound and a second elastomeric compound. The outer tread layer includes the other of the first and second elastomeric compounds. The second elastomeric compound has a lower rolling resistance and greater resistance to treadwear than the first elastomeric compound. The inner tread layer increases in thickness across at least a widthwise portion of the outer tread layer with a maximum thickness of one of the inner tread layer and the outer tread layer occurring near at least one of a first shoulder and a second shoulder of the tread. As the tread wears, the inner tread layer defines a greater proportion of a running surface of the tread.

Abstract: Preparation of a rubber composition containing a dispersion of aligned exfoliated graphite platelets. Such rubber composition is prepared by a method comprised of a sequential combination of concentrated solvent or dry masterbatching of elastomer and exfoliated graphite platelets, followed by blending the masterbatch (after removing the solvent from the solvent based masterbatch) with additional elastomer(s) and then followed by processing the resulting rubber composition to align the dispersed exfoliated graphite platelets in a substantially parallel relation to each other. Such processing may comprise as least one of extrusion and calendaring the rubber composition. The invention further relates to a tire containing a component comprised of such rubber composition containing a dispersion of aligned exfoliated graphite platelets prepared by the aforesaid method.

Abstract: A tire having a tread includes an outer tread layer and an inner tread layer. The inner tread layer includes one of a first elastomeric compound and a second elastomeric compound. The outer tread layer includes the other of the first and second elastomeric compounds. The second elastomeric compound has a lower rolling resistance and greater resistance to treadwear than the first elastomeric compound. The inner tread layer increases in thickness across at least a widthwise portion of the outer tread layer with a maximum thickness of one of the inner tread layer and the outer tread layer occurring near at least one of a first shoulder and a second shoulder of the tread. As the tread wears, the inner tread layer defines a greater proportion of a running surface of the tread.

Abstract: The invention relates to preparation and use of a silica reinforced rubber composition. Such rubber composition may be used, for example, for a truck tire tread expected to be exposed to heavy load duty.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a tire having a rubber tread or rubber layered rubber tread where the rubber tread or rubber tread layers contain a dispersion of polyester phthalate within and on the surface thereof to promote a hydrophilic property for the surface. In one embodiment such promoted hydrophilic property is to promote expelling of water borne mud or snow from within the tread grooves.

Abstract: According to the embodiments described herein, a series of biological materials for treatment/therapy of DMD and/or BMD through the recovery of sarcolemmal nNOS is provided. The biological material comprises the complete dystrophin repeats R16 and R17 or certain domains, sections, or fragments of the dystrophin repeats R16 and R17. In some aspects, such domains, sections, or fragments may be selected from sequence motifs including dystrophin R17 ?1 helix, ?2 and ?3 helices of both R16 and R17, or a combination thereof.

Abstract: The invention relates to functionalized polysulfide silica coupling agents and silica reinforced rubber compositions. Such rubber composition may be used, for example, for tire components such as, for example, tire treads.

Abstract: The invention relates to a tire having a component composed of a composite of rubber chafer and outer sidewall layer components comprised of rubber compositions containing the same or different specialized cis 1,4-polybutadiene elastomers.

Abstract: The invention relates to a pneumatic tire with a component containing syndiotactic polybutadiene. The invention particularly relates to a tire with a tread configured with an outer cap rubber layer and an internal underlying rubber layer where the underlying rubber layer is comprised of such syndiotactic polybutadiene-containing rubber composition or a tire with a sidewall apex of such syndiotactic polybutadiene-containing rubber composition.

Abstract: This invention relates to a tire having a chafer component, particularly tires expected to be used for heavy duty service in a sense of carrying heavy loads such as for example truck tires.

Abstract: The invention relates to a tire having a component composed of a composite of rubber chafer and outer sidewall layer components comprised of rubber compositions containing the same or different specialized cis 1,4-polybutadiene elastomers.

Abstract: Pneumatic rubber tire with a component comprised of a silica reinforced rubber composition comprised of specialized polybutadiene rubber, functionalized styrene/butadiene elastomer and cis 1,4-polyisoprene rubber.