Abstract: A new pneumatic radial ply truck tire 10 for use on steering axles has a tread 12 with a pair of centerline grooves 14 and a pair of shoulder grooves 16 that divide the tread 12 into a pair of shoulder rows 24, a pair of riding rows 26 and a center row 28. Lateral grooves 20 divide the rows into block elements 22. The centerline grooves 14 and shoulder grooves 16 have top, middle and bottom potions 30, 32, 34 and 36, 38, 40. The top portions 30, 36 have straight sides 42, 48 that are angled at top angles A1, A2 respectively. The middle portions 32, 38 also have straight sides 44, 50 that are angled at middle angles A3, A4 respectively. To provide the grooves 14, 16 with a general V-shape, it is preferred that the middle angles A3, A4 be greater than their respective top angles A1, A2 respectively. The bottom portions 34, 40 are U-shaped and have bottom widths X1 and bottom depths D1, D2 respectively.

Abstract: A new pneumatic radial ply truck tire 10 for use on steering axles has a tread 12 with four circumferential grooves 14 that divide the tread 12 into a pair of shoulder rows 24, a pair of riding rows 26 and a center row 28. Lateral grooves 20 divide the rows into block elements 22. The centerline grooves 14 and shoulder grooves 16 have top and bottom potions 30, 32. The top portions 30 have straight sides 42 that are angled at top angles A1. The middle portions 32 also have straight sides 44 that are angled at bottom angles A2. To provide the grooves 14 with a general V-shape, it is preferred that the bottom angles A2 be greater than their respective top angles A1. Stone penetration protectors 34 are positioned within the circumferential grooves 34 to protect the tread 12 and the belt-package 13 from stone damage. The lateral grooves 20 that extend across the two riding rows 26 and the center row 28 have top portions 50 and bottom portions 52.

Abstract: A pneumatic tire having a block type tread pattern improved in stone trapping, which comprises the tread portion provided with a mesh of grooves to define blocks, each block surrounded by at least one projection standing out from the groove bottom leaving spaces from the groove walls, the projection comprising alternate wide main portions and narrow coupler portions, the height of the wide main portions being in the range of from 10 to 25% of the groove depth, the height of the narrow coupler portions being not less than 5% but less than 10% of the groove depth, the length of each of the wide main portions being in the range of from 3 mm to 10 mm, the length of each of the narrow coupler portions being in the range of from 2 mm to 5 mm, and the width of the narrow coupler portions being in the range of from 1 mm to 2 mm.

Abstract: A pneumatic tire comprises a tread portion provided with tread grooves each having a bottom and sidewalls, the tread grooves provided with ejectors for preventing stone trapping. The ejectors protrude from the groove bottom independently of the sidewalls, the ejectors having a substantially triangular shape. The tread grooves comprise a main groove extending continuously in the tire circumferential direction, and the triangular ejectors are disposed in wide portions of the main groove. The wide portion has sidewalls flaring toward the center line of the main groove, and the triangular ejector disposed therein has two sides substantially parallel to the flaring sidewalls, respectively. The main groove is further provided with a continuous ejector extending along the length of the main groove, or a series of independent rectangular ejectors arranged along the length of the main groove at intervals.

Abstract: A pneumatic vehicle tire has a tire tread with circumferential grooves. Each one of the circumferential grooves has a groove base and groove flanks. At least one of the circumferential grooves has a wiper rib member connected integrally to the groove base and extending over the entire circumferential length of the circumferential groove such that the wiper rib member is connected to the groove base but is separate from the groove flanks. The wiper member has, when viewed radially outwardly, a lower portion and an upper portion, wherein the upper portion is divided by transverse grooves into member sections and the lower portion is continuous in the circumferential direction. The transverse grooves are slanted at an angle of 10.degree. to 40.degree. relative to the axial direction. The transverse grooves comprise a first set and a second set, with the transverse grooves of the first set oriented opposite to the transverse grooves of the second set.

Abstract: A tire for use on a vehicle capable of spinning the tire relative to the ground surface that the vehicle is operable upon. The tire includes a plurality of ground engagable tread elements. Each of said tread elements at least partially defines a transversely extending groove. The improvement comprises a relief located at the intersection of the groove and the ground engaging portion of the tread element. The relief reduces the propensity of chunking of a leading edge of the tread element during operation of the tire.

Abstract: A pneumatic tire for heavy vehicle comprises first platforms bent at bent sections of a main groove extending zigzag in a circumferential direction of the tire, a second platform linearly extending between one of the first platforms and another of the first platforms, and a third platform extending between the one of the first platforms and the second platform, wherein the first, second, and third platforms are arranged at a bottom of the main groove within half a pitch of the main groove, a length of the first platform in the circumferential direction of the tire, a length of the second platform in the circumferential direction of the tire, and a length from one end of the one of the first platforms to one end of the another of the first platforms are different from each other; a length of the one of the first platforms is larger than the length of the second platform, and a width of each of the first and second platforms in an axial direction orthogonal to the circumferential direction of the tire and a hei

Abstract: A pneumatic radial tire comprises a tread provided with a plurality of circumferential grooves extending in a circumferential direction of the tire, and plural rows of land portions defined between axially adjacent circumferential grooves and between each of edges of the tread and the adjacent main circumferential groove. That groove wall of at least the circumferential groove located nearest to at least one of the tread edges on a treading surface of the tread which is positioned on a side of the one of the tread edges is inclined to gradually increase a width of the groove toward the surface of the tread from a location spaced by 10-70% of a depth of the circumferential groove radially outwardly from a bottom thereof. The width of an opening of the circumferential groove to the surface of the tread is in a range of 3-18 mm.

Abstract: A pneumatic vehicle tire which is especially suitable for non-driven axles of commercial vehicles is provided with wave-shaped circumferential grooves. The wave amplitude at the bottom of the groove is greater than at the tread periphery. This is achieved by periodically twisting the circumferential groove in the circumferential direction. The wave amplitude at the tread periphery may equal zero. In order to reduce the tendency to retain stones, it is suggested that the circumferential grooves in their center sections are provided with a transverse portion relative to the circumferential direction while in the extreme section further portions extend at a small acute angle relative to the circumferential direction.

Abstract: In a heavy duty pneumatic tire, a protrusion is disposed in an intersect portion between circumferential groove and transverse groove in a tread of block pattern, whereby stone capturing is prevented. Furthermore, blind sipe is formed in each block of at least center and second block rows, whereby heel and toe wear as well as shoulder wear are prevented.

Abstract: A radial tire for heavy duty vehicles has a tread surface provided with at least a main groove (4) extending in the tire circumferential direction, a slot (9) with a slot width (HS) of 3 to 6 mm, and siping (11). A groove bottom (3) of the main groove (4) is in a zigzag form, and a groove upper edge line (8) of the main groove (4) on the tread surface has outer and inner groove upper edge line (M1, V1) repeated alternately and each extending in the tire circumferential direction. The distance (hu) in the tire axial direction between the outer and inner groove upper edge lines (M1, V1) is smaller than the deflection width (hl) of the zigzag groove bottom. The groove wall of the main groove (4) has hill protrusions (6) each having an inclined groove wall part (5) extending from the external angle portion (M) of the zigzag groove bottom to the outer groove upper edge line (M1).

Abstract: An improved tire tread having a net-to-gross ratio greater than 50% and a plurality of grooves defined by a base spaced between road contacting ribs is described herein. The improved tread is characterized by at least one circumferentially extending radially deep groove having a circumferentially continuous projection in the base of the groove.The projection has height measured from the base of the groove radially outward of less than one-sixth of the depth of the groove. The projection has a thickness of greater than one-half the height of the projection. The projection is axially spaced from the adjacent road contacting ribs. The projection is connected to the adjacent ribs by a plurality of braces. The braces are of substantially the same height as the projection. Each brace is spaced circumferentially from adjacent braces and connected to both sidewalls of the circumferentially extending adjacent ribs.

Abstract: A pneumatic tire having a tread pattern in which one or more approximately straight longitudinal grooves extending to the circumferential direction of the tire are provided in the tread at a distance (h) from the tire equator to the center of said groove within the range of not more than 2/3 time the distance (H) between the tire equator and the tread edge, said longitudinal groove being composed of repeatedly formed portions each of which has a shape such that the groove width in the tire axial direction between the opposed groove walls varies along the circumferential direction of the tire, whereby the longitudinal grooves, especially those positioned at the center portion of the tread, are prevented from biting small stones without decreasing the wet grip performance of the tire.

Abstract: A tire tread comprises elements in relief which are provided with undulated or broken line incisions. These incisions, which are of a width of less than 1 mm, have smaller amplitudes at the bottom of the incisions than at the surface of the tread.

Abstract: A bicycle tire which has a raised, circumferential center rib and laterally opening grooves of scalene trapezoidal shape alternatively in the right and left sides of the center rib whereby the center rib defines a zigzag shape. Groups of polygonal, raised blocks are spaced from both sides of said center rib along the entire periphery of the tire. The bicycle tire provides an improved ride on level and uneven ground or roadways. The tire provides the advantages of both line and block pattern tread types in a single overall tread design.

Abstract: A removable resilient shield is maintained proximate the sidewalls of a tire for off-the-road vehicles to protect this critical area of the tire from damage due to contact with external objects such as rocks. The shield is attached to the rim flange. The radially inner portion of the shield is discontinuous to prevent accumulation of debris between the shield and the sidewall of a tire mounted on the rim.

Abstract: A pneumatic tire for vehicles has a tread band provided with grooves which extend circumferentially about the tire. The grooves are formed by a series of substantially rectilinear sections which are disposed at a predetermined angle with the equatorial plane of the tire and intersect to impart a zig-zag arrangement to the grooves about the tire. The intersections between said groove sections are situated in planes parallel to the equatorial plane of the tire, and each tread surface portion between one of the parallel planes and a pair of adjacent sections of a groove is shaped so the distance at its points from the tire axis gradually decreases from the parallel plane toward the region in which the sections of the pair of adjacent sections intersect.