Abstract: A tire 10, having a rim flange support 18, is provided with void areas 24 in the rim flange support 18, to make possible firm attachment of weights 26 to a rim flange 22 when tire 10 is mounted on a rim 20. The wheel (tire/rim) construction makes balancing of the wheel easier and reduces the possibility that a weight 26 will be lost while the tire is being used.

Abstract: A high performance, radial tire having a tread, the tread has an intermediate groove between first and second lateral edges, circumferential grooves between the first lateral edge and the intermediate groove, and a circumferential groove or grooves between the second lateral edge and the intermediate groove. Each groove has a first and second wall wherein the first wall of each groove is on the side of the groove nearest to the first lateral edge and the second wall being on the opposite side of the groove, the respective first and second groove walls having an angular orientation .theta..sub.1, .theta..sub.2 relative to a line perpendicular to a tangent to the tread surface curvature as approximately defined at the center of the groove wherein .theta..sub.1, is the angular orientation of the first wall and .theta..sub.2 is the angular orientation of the second wall, the angular orientation .theta..sub.1 is greater than the angular orientation .theta..sub.

Abstract: An asymmetric non-directional tread 12 for a tire 10 is disclosed. The tread 12 has a plurality of ground engaging tread elements 22 separated by circumferential and lateral grooves 24,28. The net contact area in a first tread half 30 is approximately equivalent to a net contact area in a second tread half 32 although the tread stiffness in the first tread half 30 preferably is higher than in the second tread half 32. The outboard side of some circumferential grooves 24 may be tapered to buttress tread elements 22 against cornering forces.

Abstract: A radial ply pneumatic tire is described. The tire has a carcass with a bead portion, a carcass reinforcing structure, and a bead filler. The carcass reinforcing structure has two plies with turnup ends wrapped about each bead. The turnup end of the first ply terminates in radial proximity of the maximum section width of the tire. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the tire carcass includes elastomeric first and second fillers the first filler being located between the first ply and the innerliner of the tire, and the second filler being located between the first and second ply. The fillers stiffen the sidewalls to permit the tire to be driven while uninflated. The bead core of the preferred embodiment has a flat base and a first and second surface extending from the base and inclined relative to the base thereby forming acute included angles of .alpha. and .beta. whereby .alpha. is greater than or equal to .beta..

Abstract: An asymmetric directional tread for a tire is disclosed. The tread has a plurality of ground engaging tread elements separated by grooves. The grooves include one wide circumferentially continuous groove having a width W, a plurality of circumferentially continuous grooves of an intermediate width between greater than 1/3 and 3/4W, at least one narrow circumferentially continuous groove having a width 1/10 to less than 1/3W located between a lateral edge and a circumferentially continuous groove of a greater width, and first and second sets of laterally extending grooves. The first set extends from the outboard lateral edges to an end location within 5% of the tread width from the equatorial plane. The second set extends from the inboard lateral edge to an end location within 5% of the tread width from the equatorial plane.

Abstract: A radial ply pneumatic tire features a bead core which comprises an arrangement of filaments positioned relative to one another. The bead core has a cross-section and a radially inward base side, a radially outermost point or side or sides, an axially inward first side, and an axially outward second side. The first side intersects the base side at a first edge and forms thereby an included angle .alpha.. The second side intersects the base side at a second edge and forms thereby an included angle .beta.. Angle .alpha. is greater than or equal to .beta.. The bead core has a perimeter comprising the lengths of the base, radially outermost, first, and second sides. The perimeter define a bead core area which is less than the area of an isosceles triangle having acute angles equal to .alpha.. The width of the bead heel surface is approximately equal to the distance between a hump and an axially inward surface of the wheel flange.

Abstract: A passenger car tire that combines a number of design features or parameters which yeild a tire which has road noise, tread wear and handling performance characteristics which are equal to or better than those exhibited by comparable prior art tires, which possesses improvements in mud and snow performance not heretofore approached in prior art high performance tires, and in which heat dissipation characteristics are such that ornamental white sidewall lettering may be applied without in any way detracting from performance and durability characteristics. Moreover, and most surprisingly, the tire of the present invention is actually lighter in weight than is the most comparable prior art high performance tire, which does not possess the improved mud and snow characteristics of the invention.