Patents by Inventor Thomas N. H. Welter

Thomas N. H. Welter has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 5036896
    Abstract: A radial ply pneumatic tire (10) has carcass plies (13,14,15) reinforced by cables comprising only yarns of aramid filaments, and belt plies (31-35) reinforced by cables comprising at least one yarn of aramid filaments twisted together with at least one yarn of nylon or polyester filaments. In a preferred embodiment which is suitable for use on an aircraft, there are both turn-up (13,14) and turn-down (15) carcass plies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 1990
    Date of Patent: August 6, 1991
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventors: Thomas N. H. Welter, John J. Slivka
  • Patent number: 4962803
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire (10) comprising a pair of annular beads (12,12') spaced from one another with a liner (20) extending between the tire beads. A reinforcement ply (24) and a barrier ply (26) are provided extending between the beads and a circumferentially inextensible belt assembly (28) is positioned in the crown region (30) of the tire. The reinforcement ply has parallel cords (27) of aromatic polyamide material or cables of steel and the barrier ply is made from a material having a ply modulus of elasticity substantially less than that of the reinforcement ply. The parallel cords or cables of the barruier ply preferably are at an angle (.alpha.) different than the angle (.beta.) of the parallel cords or cables of the reinforcement ply.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 1985
    Date of Patent: October 16, 1990
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventor: Thomas N. H. Welter
  • Patent number: 4893665
    Abstract: A reinforcing cable (40) comprises at least two yarns (41,42,43) each of which consists only of aramid filaments, and a single core yarn (44) which consists only of filaments selected from the group consisting of polyamides having a structure which is at least partially oriented and polyesters having a structure which is at least partially oriented. The aramid yarns (41,42,43) are adjacent to one another and twisted about the core yarn (44) to manufacture a cable (40), but the aramid yarns are not twisted about one another. Articles of manufacture, such as tires, which contain the new cables are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 1988
    Date of Patent: January 16, 1990
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventors: Rene F. Reuter, Thomas N. H. Welter
  • Patent number: 4832103
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire (10) has adjacent carcass plies (13, 14, 15) which are reinforced by cables comprising aramid filaments. The amount of strength retained by the cables over a period of normal use of the tire is increased when for each pair of adjacent carcass plies: (a) the cables of the radially innermost of said carcass plies intersect the mid-circumferential plane (CP) of the tire at a first angle in the range of 75.degree. to 105.degree. and the cables of the radially outermost of said carcass plies intersect the mid-circumferential centerplane (CP) at a second angle in the range of 75.degree. to 105.degree.; (b) said second angle is nearer to 90.degree. than said first angle; and (c) the included angle between said first and second angles is not greater than 10.degree..
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 1988
    Date of Patent: May 23, 1989
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventors: John J. Slivka, Thomas N. H. Welter
  • Patent number: 4458475
    Abstract: A composite cord for reinforcing a tire or other elastomeric article having at least one high strength, substantially inextensible yarn spirally wrapped around a core. The core at room temperature has sufficient strength and elasticity to resist and recover from tension forces on the core required during the processing of the cord and building of the tire. The core is composed of material which loses its tensile strength when subjected to temperatures of vulcanization to permit stretching out of the yarn to allow for substantial elongation of a part or all of the tire and then provide reinforcement of the elongated tire by the stretched out, high strength yarn.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 1978
    Date of Patent: July 10, 1984
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventors: Georges J. E. Schmit, Thomas N. H. Welter
  • Patent number: 4405007
    Abstract: A pneumatic safety tire having a ground-engaging tread portion, a pair of sidewall portions, a pair of bead portions, a carcass structure which extends from bead portion to bead portion, a tread-reinforcing belt structure placed circumferentially about the carcass structure and beneath the tread portion. Each sidewall is provided with reinforcing means which extend circumferentially and uninterruptedly along the internal surface of the tire from a point radially below the maximum section width of the tire to a point beneath the tread portion before reaching the mid-circumferential plane of the tire. The surface of the reinforcing means facing the tire cavity have generally a corrugated cross-sectional configuration as viewed in a plane perpendicular to the tire surface and radial plane of the tire. The corrugations lie in a plane substantially perpendicular to the mid-circumferential plane of the tire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 1977
    Date of Patent: September 20, 1983
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventor: Thomas N. H. Welter
  • Patent number: 4341249
    Abstract: A compression sidewall tire reinforced for operation while deflated. A pair of junction portions connect the sidewalls and shoulders. Each of the shoulders extends axially outward and radially inward from the tread, and each of the sidewalls extends axially outward and radially outward from the mounting portions. The sidewalls are constrained against outward expansion by the rim and junction portions. The shoulders are reinforced with a plurality of circumferentially spaced ribs to resist movement toward the ground when the tire is deflated and under normal load. A circumferentially continuous rib may also be positioned on the exterior surface of each junction portion to further reinforce the tire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 1981
    Date of Patent: July 27, 1982
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventor: Thomas N. H. Welter
  • Patent number: 4341250
    Abstract: A belted tire of split carcass construction. A first reinforcing ply extends from a first bead through a first sidewall and into the crown portion past the mid-circumferential plane of the tire. A second reinforcing ply extends from a second bead through a second sidewall and into the crown portion past the mid-circumferential plane of the tire between the first ply and the belt structure and beyond the belt structure to a location radially outwardly of the mid-section height of the tire where it is redirected 180 degrees. The redirected portion of the second ply, in accordance with an aspect of the invention, is disposed in at least partially overlapping relation with the belt structure and is disposed radially outwardly of the belt structure to at least partially encapsulate the belt structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 1981
    Date of Patent: July 27, 1982
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventor: Thomas N. H. Welter
  • Patent number: 4333507
    Abstract: A composite cord for reinforcing a tire or other elastomeric article having at least one high strength, substantially inextensible yarn spirally wrapped around a core. The core at room temperature has sufficient strength and elasticity to resist and recover from tension forces on the core required during the processing of the cord and building of the tire. The core is composed of material which loses its tensile strength when subjected to temperatures of vulcanization to permit stretching out of the yarn to allow for substantial elongation of a part or all of the tire and then provide reinforcement of the elongated tire by the stretched out, high strength yarn.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 1980
    Date of Patent: June 8, 1982
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventors: Georges J. E. Schmit, Thomas N. H. Welter
  • Patent number: 4262726
    Abstract: A radial tire having a belt structure consisting of a pair of belt plies reinforced with parallel cords. A single ply is disposed between the carcass plies of the tire and the belt structure. This single ply or carcass overlay is reinforced with parallel cords which extend circumferentially of the tire. Further, the reinforcement cords of the carcass overlay are inextensible when the tire is molded and vulcanized, but elongatable in correlated relation to the blow-up ratio of the tire from a cylindrical to a toroidal shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 1980
    Date of Patent: April 21, 1981
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventor: Thomas N. H. Welter
  • Patent number: 4246950
    Abstract: A wheel for a pneumatic tire designed to minimize bead unseating as described. The wheel has a radially extended portion on the rim thereof which provides a safety hump function and which gradually increases from a zero radial height at one end to a maximum predetermined radial height and then gradually decreases to a zero radial height at its other end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 1979
    Date of Patent: January 27, 1981
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventor: Thomas N. H. Welter
  • Patent number: 4240486
    Abstract: A radial spare tire which, upon inflation, stretches from a shape having a reduced diameter adjacent the wheel rim on which the tire is mounted, to a regularly sized radial tire which the spare tire is designed to replace. The tire is molded and vulcanized in an unstretched configuration of reduced size. The stretching of the tire is made possible by the utilization in the carcass and belt plies of reinforcement cords which, during the processing of the cord and building of the tire, have a relatively high modulus of elasticity. When the cords are subjected to vulcanization temperatures, they lose their strength and have a low modulus of elasticity to permit the stretching of the tire to a regular size. The cords then develop a high modulus of elasticity in the stretched condition to provide the required reinforcement of the tire in the inflated regular size condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 1978
    Date of Patent: December 23, 1980
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventors: Georges J. E. Schmit, Thomas N. H. Welter
  • Patent number: 4198806
    Abstract: A traveller useful for either Z- or S-twisting in an otherwise conventional twisting or spinning frame. The traveller is provided with a roller which has a cylindrical surface mounted for rotation about an axis which, when in operation, lies in a plane normal to the path of the traveller and which plane contains the axis of the associated spool. The axis of the roller cylindrical surface intersects the rotation axis of the spool at an angle of from 30 to 60 degrees and preferably between 45 and 60 degrees. The traveller, therefore, is independent of rotation direction. Specific length to diameter ratios are disclosed as are relations of roller diameter to thickness of threads and the like engaging the roller during operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 1978
    Date of Patent: April 22, 1980
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventors: Rene F. Reuter, Thomas N. H. Welter