Abstract: To provide a tire tube having excellent sealing performance and durability. An inside of a tire includes a peripheral wall having an approximately circular cross-section which is partitioned by a partition wall into an outer peripheral side sealant chamber and an inner peripheral side air chamber. The sealant chamber is filled with a sealant having a thickness in the diameter direction in a range of 0.5 to 1.5 mm.

Abstract: A low-section tire includes an air tube including an internal wall and two air tube sidewalls. The internal wall comprises a greater rigidity than the tube sidewalls so that, when a carcass and the tube are mounted on a rim, and during inflation, the tube sidewalls contact the carcass sidewalls no later than the internal wall contacts a crown portion of the carcass. A process for manufacturing the air tube includes moulding two tube sidewalls separated from each other, moulding a central core, arranging the tube sidewalls and central core in a single vulcanization mould, closing the vulcanization mould to form the tube, feeding pressurized fluid into at least two distinct circumferential portions of the tube, and vulcanizing the tube to join the central core and tube sidewalls. A mould for manufacturing the an air tube includes two axially-external cheeks, two axially-intermediate male dies, and two axially-inner spacers.

Abstract: To provide a tire tube having excellent sealing performance and durability. An inside of a tire includes a peripheral wall having an approximately circular cross-section which is partitioned by a partition wall into an outer peripheral side sealant chamber and an inner peripheral side air chamber. The sealant chamber is filled with a sealant having a thickness in the diameter direction in a range of 0.5 to 1.5 mm.

Abstract: To provide a method of manufacturing a sealant containing tire tube, which is capable of simply opening a sealant filling hole without use of any specialized jig, and a vulcanizing die therefor. A vulcanizing die includes an upper die, a lower die, and a filling hole opening device. The filling hole opening device includes a linear actuator, a drive shaft, and a cutter. The lower die has a cutter passage which passes through the vulcanizing die from outside to inside, and a cut piece recovery passage which extends from the outside of the vulcanizing die to a portion, near the inner opening end, of the cutter passage. The drive shaft of the linear actuator is inserted in the cutter passage, and the cutter is fixed to one end of the drive shaft.

Abstract: A tube blank 2' whose inside is divided into an air chamber 3 and a sealant chamber 7 by a partition wall 5 has an air relief port 4.sub.1 provided in a sealant chamber peripheral wall 4o and communicating a sealant chamber 7. At a vulcanizing step, the tube blank 2' is placed into a heating die 18, and a gas of a high temperature and a high pressure is supplied into an air chamber 3. This causes air remaining in the sealant chamber 7 to be discharged through the air relief port 4.sub.1, while bringing the partition wall 5 into close contact with the sealant chamber peripheral wall 4o, thereby performing a reliable vulcanization. When the tube blank 2' is removed from the heating die 18, the sealant chamber 7 is not expanded because of the existing of the air relief port 4.sub.1 and therefore, the partition wall 5 cannot be provided with an expanding tendency that forces the wall 5 to be stretched toward the air chamber peripheral wall 4i.

Abstract: A tube blank 2' whose inside is divided into an air chamber 3 and a sealant chamber 7 by a partition wall 5, is formed by extrusion and cut into a predetermined length. An air valve 6 is mounted to the tube blank 2' to communicate with the air chamber 3 and then, opposite ends of the tube blank is bonded by pressure bonding and vulcanized. A sealant charging bore 4.sub.1 is formed in the tube blank 2' to communicate with the sealant chamber 7. Thereafter, air is supplied to the air chamber 3 through the air valve 6 to urge the partition wall 5, thereby expelling the air from the sealant chamber 7. In this state, a sealant is supplied into the sealant chamber 7 through the sealant charging bore 4.sub.1. The sealant charging bore 4.sub.1 is closed by affixing a raw rubber sheet 19 and vulcanizing it.

Abstract: A mold member for use in manufacturing a closed-torus tire comprises an annular inflatable resilient member having a substantially cylindrical inner wall and a corrugated outer wall opposed thereto. At the beginning of a tire manufacturing process, the mold member is expanded from its corrugated shape into a perfect toroid. A layer of rubber is first wrapped around the toroid and then a filament or cord is wound about the rubber. Upon the completion of the winding operation, additional rubber material is molded in a toroidal shape about the filament or cord so that the cord is fully embedded in rubber. Simultaneously with the molding operation, the additional rubber material is cast to a central wheel member. After vulcanization, the mold member is deflated from the expanded toroidal shape to the original corrugated form and the mold member is retained in the tire as a run-flat component, the corrugations forming a bumpy riding surface to inform a driver that a flat has occurred.

Abstract: Inner tubes for pneumatic tires including a toric cushion made from an elastomer material having cells independent of each other.A process for manufacturing such inner tubes with a mold for preforming and vulcanizing semi-toric elements, the mold includes fingers for molding recessed cavities and an incorporated heating network, the preformed semi-toric elements having undergone a first vulcanization are then joined together and subjected to a second vulcanization in an appropriate apparatus.

Abstract: This annular inflatable element comprises two ring-shaped elements interconnected by an inner closed belt and an outer closed belt. All these elements are welded together, and all the welds are of the sleeve coupling type without requiring any complementary or additional welding operation. The last sleeve-coupling weld is formed by placing the outer belt against the inner surface of the annular electrode, and the belt lips are folded firstly outwardly and then inwardly between the electrode and registering contra-electrodes. Paper welding barrier are interposed between the first and second folded portions of the belt lips, and the lips of the ring-shaped elements are placed against the contra-electrodes, respectively, so that the last two sleeve-coupling welds can be accomplished simultaneously. This invention is applicable notably to the manufacture of rubber dinghies.