Abstract: An in-line skate wheel and a applying indicia to a part thereof so that the indicia does not wear off before the wheel needs to be replaced. The skate wheel includes a hub having an internal bearing surface and an outer surface, a see-through tire formed about a portion of the hub and an element, such as a bladder, including indicia on an outer side thereof being positioned within the see-through tire. The method according to the present invention includes applying indicia to an element adapted to be located within a see-through material. The method comprises the steps of providing a bladder for locating within the see-through material and applying a first set of indicia on a first side surface of the bladder such that the indicia is visible when the bladder is viewed from a first side. The method also includes applying a second set of indicia on a second side surface of the bladder such that the second indicia set is visible when the bladder is viewed from the first side.

Abstract: A method for making a non-metallic, fiber reinforced wheel for an in-line skate and similar rolling articles. Resin impregnated carbon fibers are compression molded to form a high strength and very stiff (i.e. rigid) annular hub having a central channel extending longitudinally therethrough to accommodate an axle. Bearing cavities are formed at opposite ends of the central channel in which to receive and retain respective axle bearings. A hollow air pocket is established so as to extend around and through the interior of the hub in order to occupy a majority of the volume of the hut) and thereby reduce the overall weight of the wheel. A scalloped wheel retaining rim is formed around the circumference of the hub to which an outer urethane tire is bonded to enable the wheel to roll along a flat surface.

Abstract: An in-line skate wheel having a shaped foam core which cooperates with load bearing side walls to dictate degrees of flexure of such walls in response to loading thereof from different directions. The wheel structure includes a polyurethane tire body which encapsulates a foam mandrel and a hub.

Abstract: A skate wheel including a hard urethane hub formed with a drop center between radially projecting guide flanges, and including stand-off ribs disposed in equidistant spaced relation thereabout. Pairs of centering fins are spaced axially along a number of stand-off ribs thereby forming a central groove along the drop center. An annular bladder with an interior annular stand-off skirt is nested within the centering fins and concentric with the drop center. The wheel body is formed of a soft polyurethane and surrounds the drop center and encapsulates the annular tube, thereby forming a contoured surface. A method of manufacturing the wheel that includes selecting a welded seam annular tube, pre-pressurize it and then further pressurize it through the exothermic reaction by pouring liquid urethane in a mold to form the tire.

Abstract: A wheel assembly for small powered equipment including a wheel and a tire mounted on the wheel. The wheel has an outer circumferential surface and inclined cleats projecting from the outer circumferential surface. The cleats are arranged in sets of 6-7 cleats. Each set of cleats is inclined in a direction that alternates with the direction of the cleats in adjacent sets. The tire is provided with ribs along the inner circumferential surface that engage the edge of the cleats. Accordingly, regardless of which direction the tire is driven, slippage of the tire will occur only to a limited extent until the ribs of the tire engage with the edges of the cleats facing in the appropriate direction. Thereafter, rotation of the wheel in the same direction will not result in slippage between the tire and the wheel, and rotation in the opposite direction will result in only that degree of slip necessary to bring the ribs into engagement with the cleats of an adjacent set.

Abstract: A pre-pressurized in-line skate wheel including a hard polyurethane hub having a drop center formed between radially projecting guide flanges formed with axially projecting windows as spaced equidistant thereabout in an annular array. A bladder device includes a plurality of pressurized hollow cross rods nested at their opposite ends in such windows and surmounting on their radially outward sides a pressurized annular tube arranged concentric with the drop center. A soft polyurethane wheel body is formed in such drop center and projects radially outwardly to encapsulate the annular tube and form an elliptical annular tread surface. The method of manufacturing the tire includes blow molding the cross rods and the annular tube and pressurizing them to the desired individual pressures so that the resultant tire will exhibit the combined benefits of polyurethane cushioning and shock absorption associated with compressible gases.

Abstract: A pneumatic in-line skating wheel having a tire body and central hub chemically bonded during a polyurethane casting process and further including an annularly encapsulated air bladder centrally spaced within the tire body to provide shock absorption. The bladder in one embodiment is in communication with a valve for inflation and deflation thereof such that the overall tire resiliency may be adjusted, enabling adjustable performance characteristics of the wheel. One embodiment of the valve incorporates a resilient core within a rigid barrel and stretchable to allow an inflation needle to stretch the core and drive a poppet off a seat at the interior end of the barrel.

Abstract: A pneumatic in-line skating wheel having a tire body and central hub chemically bonded during a polyurethane casting process and further including an annularly encapsulated air bladder centrally spaced within the tire body to provide shock absorption and inflation/deflation means such that the overall tire resiliency may be adjusted, enabling adjustable performance characteristics of the wheel.

Abstract: A method of producing injection molded in-line skate wheels is disclosed. The method includes heating an injection molding unit suitable for injecting molten polyurethane, placing a thermoplastic polyether type polyurethane into the unit and heating the polyurethane until it is molten or at about 380.degree. to about 460.degree. F. A polyurethane hub is placed in a mold whereby the mold and hub are of shapes and sizes suitable for producing in-line skate wheels. The hub-containing mold is heated to about 50.degree. to about 100.degree. F. in order to prevent the molten polyurethane from prematurely hardening. Once the mold is heated, about 46 to about 50 g of polyurethane is injected into the mold at about 75 to about 100 psi. The polyurethane is cooled to about 120.degree. to about 130.degree. F. to allow the polyurethane to harden and the resulting wheel is removed from the mold.

Abstract: A linear tire and wheel assembly comprising a hub having spaced flanges on which are mounted an inner tube surrounded by a jacket over which a tire casing is mounted so that inflation of the inner tube results in the formation of a tire mounted on said hub. The jacket is made of flexible material which takes a predetermined shape when enlarged by the inflation of the inner tube. Air under pressure is supplied through one of the flanges.

Abstract: An off road vehicle of the kind having fluid-distensible bag rollers for supporting the vehicle load uses bag rollers which are constructed to afford maximum flexibility in both the walls and tread and which are also constructed to be dynamically balanced.The vehicle also incorporates suspensions which effectively dampen oscillation of the bag rollers to facilitate and to permit high speed operations of the vehicle across rough terrain.A top drive roller is associated with a bag roller in certain embodiments of the off road vehicle in ways which minimize bag wear.Specific bag constructions are provided for improved operation of the off road vehicle for on-highway use.The vehicle includes two frame sections which are connected to permit frame (yaw) steering and swiveling (roll) between the two sections while preventing a bending between the frame sections (pitch) to thereby provide a strong back mode of operation. When equipped with 4 bags on each frame, the vehicle permits increased speed over rough terrain.