Abstract: Lubricant compositions as well as methods and articles utilizing the lubricant compositions that comprise a polyoxyalkene as a lubricating agent, between 4 wt. % and 7.5 wt. % of silica as a thickening agent and an inorganic thixotropic-enhancing metal compound added in an amount of, for example, at least 20 ppm, by weight or alternatively, between 1 ppm and 2 wt. %. The silica may be fumed silica. Examples of the metal compound include KOH, NaOH, KCl, CaCl2, MgCl2, CaO, MgO, Mg(OH)2 or combinations thereof. A tire is also included, comprising a radially inner face designed to be opposite a wheel rim on which it is designed to be mounted, wherein the radially inner face is provided with the lubricant composition described above.

Abstract: A method is provided for protecting an electronics device, attached to a tire, during tire inspection, comprising placing a barrier in proximity to the electronics device wherein the barrier surrounds the electronics device, and removedly affixing the barrier to the tire with magnets.

Abstract: A polyurea adhesive composition that is obtainable by reaction of reaction components that include a polyisocyanate comprising isocyanurate rings, the polyisocyanate having a functionality equal to or greater than 3, a polyamine having an average molecular weight greater than about 500 dalton and a carboxylic acid. Additionally, the reaction components may comprise an aromatic diamine chain extender. The molar ratio of the isocyanate groups to whole amine and carboxylic acid functions of the reaction components is between 1.5 and 3.5. Further provided is an article comprising a component bonded to the article with the polyurea adhesive described above. The bonded faces between the component and the article may be of cross-linked rubber composition. The article may be, for example, a tire, a tread band and/or a patch applied to the tire.

Abstract: Systems, methods and computer program products are provided for managing a plurality of tires from their procurement through their disposal. An embodiment may include a method for determining all the costs of a tire over its total service life including procurement costs, repair costs, retread costs and disposal costs. An embodiment may include managing an inventory by automatically replenishing the inventory by following a set of stored inventory management rules. An embodiment may include helping to ensure that an impermissible tire is not mounted on a vehicle. A stored set of tire mounting rules automatically check the tire being mounted against requirements for the tire set by the rules, the requirements set as to by vehicle type and wheel position.

Abstract: Curable elastomer compositions and cured and/or curable articles made therefrom, the curable elastomer composition comprising an essentially unsaturated rubber elastomer, between 0.5 and 25 phr of a metal salt of a carboxylic acid, an effective amount of a peroxide curing agent for curing the elastomer composition and between 0.1 and 10. phr of a hysteresis-decreasing multifunctional curing coagent that decreases the hysteresis of the cured elastomer composition, wherein the hysteresis is measured using a rotorless shear rheometer as a loss tangent at 150° C., 41.85% strain and 10 Hz. The hysteresis of such a cured composition may decrease by at least 15% or alternatively, by at least 25%. The elastomer is useful in tires including, for example, the sidewall supports, the carcass reinforcement and the tread.

Abstract: A tire tread and a tire comprising a tire tread, the tire tread having a rubber composition based on a diene elastomer; more than 50 phr of an inorganic filler as reinforcing filler; between 2 and 15 phr of an inorganic filler/diene elastomer coupling agent; between 1 and 10 phr of a methylene acceptor, and between 0.5 and 5 phr of a methylene donor. The tread may be characterized as having a radially increasing rigidity gradient from the surface towards the inside of the tread after mechanical run-in of the tread. In particular embodiments, the tread may be characterized as having a nominal secant modulus at 10% elongation is between 3 and 7 MPa at a radially outer surface of the tread and between 9 and 13 MPa at the most radially inside of the tread.

Abstract: An elastomer composition includes an elastomer and a carbon black, wherein the carbon black is characterized as having a COAN of between about 90 and 150 ml/100 g, a BET of between 50 and 69 m2/g and a distribution index DI that is greater than 1.15, wherein the DI is a ratio of dw to dmode. In particular embodiments, the elastomer may be selected from one or more natural rubbers, one or more synthetic rubbers or combinations thereof. For example, the one or more synthetic rubbers may be selected from styrene butadiene rubber, butadiene rubber, polyisoprene rubber, butyl rubber or combinations thereof. Products made from the elastomer composition include tires and other products, particularly tires that include a sidewall, a carcass, a carcass reinforcement, tread and/or an undertread comprising the elastomeric composition.

Abstract: An improved autoclave for curing retread tires includes a chamber with circulating air flow having turbulence generating devices located in a middle length-wise portion of the chamber. The turbulence generating devices include apertures to guide air from a supply duct into the chamber, and/or wedge-shaped elements or fins mounted on the interior wall of the chamber to disrupt the air flow and cause turbulence.

Abstract: A lubricant composition for lubricating an interface between an inner surface of a tire and a safety support ring in a run-flat tire system that includes a lubricating agent selected from glycerol, polyalkylene glycol or combinations thereof and a thixotropic agent. The thixotropic agent is an organoclay comprising a mineral clay mixture treated with an alkyl quaternary ammonium salt, wherein the mineral clay mixture comprises at least one of sepiolite, palygorskite and a smectite and wherein a combined amount of palygorskite and sepiolite in the mineral clay mixture is between about 50 wt. % and about 100 wt. % with a balance of the mineral clay mixture being essentially the smectite. The lubricating agent may also be selected from a copolymer that is a mixture of alkylene oxides, preferably a mixture of ethylene oxide and propylene oxide.

Abstract: A tread band having a primary groove opening onto a front face of the tread band, a secondary feature molded into the tread band, and a wear indicator molded into a section of an undertread portion of the tread band. The wear indicator is useful for providing an end-of-useable tread indication when the front face of the tread band wears even with a top portion of the wear indicator. Furthermore, the secondary feature may be characterized as opening onto a back face of the tread band, a side face of the tread band or combinations thereof. The section of the undertread portion may extend less than about 4 mm or less than about 3 mm from the back face of the tread band. In other embodiments, the section of the undertread portion may extend less than about 1.5 mm from the back face of the tread band.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for assessing the condition of a wheel particularly, but not exclusively, to a method and apparatus for assessing the condition of a tire rotating on a vehicle wheel. Apparatus is provided comprising a plurality of antennas (101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108) for transmitting an interrogation signal to a sensor (110, 112), the sensor being mounted to a wheel to be assessed and being adapted to detect the condition of the wheel; wherein the antennas are arranged in a line along a path to be followed by a wheel to be assessed.

Abstract: A composition well suited to forming gas barrier layers in elastomeric articles is described. The barrier layer may be incorporated into, for instance, inflatable articles that are intended to contain a gas, such as air, under pressure. For example, in one embodiment, the barrier layer may be incorporated into a tire for preventing oxygen or other gaseous components from migrating through the tire. In general, the barrier layer is made from an elastomer that is combined with permeability reducing particles, such as a silicate, and a terpene hydrocarbon resin having a relatively high glass transition temperature. The terpene hydrocarbon resin can improve the processability of the composition and, in one embodiment, can even serve to improve the permeability characteristics of the barrier layer.

Abstract: A rubber composition comprising the following compound: R1—NH-phenyl-NH—R2 where the amino moieties occupy the 1 and 4 positions of the phenyl ring, and R1 and R2 are selected from the group consisting of H, C1 to C3 straight chain or branched alkyl groups, and wherein R1 and R2 may be the same or different; and where the t90, isothermal at 125° C. is within thirty percent of the t90, after 28 days aging at forty degrees Celsius (40° C.), as the unaged green rubber composition. In another embodiment, R1 and R2 are selected from C4 to C5 straight chain or branched alkyl groups. In another embodiment of the invention, R1 and R2 are selected from C6 to C15 straight chain or branched alkyl groups. In another embodiment of the invention, the rubber compound is greater than 5 parts by weight per hundred parts of the rubber composition.

Abstract: A tire comprising at least one reinforcement structure of carcass type anchored on either side of the tire in a bead, the base of which is intended to be mounted on a rim seat, each bead being extended radially outward by a sidewall, the sidewalls extending radially towards outward to join a tread, the reinforcement structure extending circumferentially from the bead towards said sidewall, an anchoring zone for the reinforcement structure, said tire furthermore comprising an anti-vibration means arranged circumferentially in the junction zone of the shoulder and the sidewall.

Abstract: The present invention is a rubber composition comprising microencapsulated sulfur and free sulfur. The composition is particularly useful as a cushion gum in retreading procedures. In one embodiment of the invention, the composition further comprises one or more ultra-accelerator curing agents for rubber. In another embodiment of the invention, the rubber composition has a t90 within twenty percent, more preferably within ten percent, and more preferably within five percent of the unaged green rubber composition, after 28 days aging at forty degrees Celsius. In another embodiment of the invention, the rubber composition has a t0 within twenty percent, more preferably within ten percent, and more preferably within five percent of the unaged green rubber composition, after 28 days aging at forty degrees Celsius.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for balancing a tire during a retreading operation includes measuring the radial runout the buffed tire casing and applying the gum layer and tread strip to compensate for variances in runout. The gum layer is applied so that an overlap or smear is formed at the relative low portion of the casing. The tread strip is applied with the joint at the same low portion in cases where the low portion has a relatively large variance, or at another location if the variance is small or other low portions exist. In addition, the thickness of the gum layer and tread strip may be controlled for further compensation of the runout variance.

Abstract: The invention is a method for retreading a tire comprising the step of using a supercritical fluid as a carrier to spray a gum cushion layer on the outer surface (radially outermost) of the carcass of a tire. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the supercritical fluid is carbon dioxide. In one embodiment of the invention, the supercritical fluid is a mixture of a rubber product, a solvent, and a supercritical fluid carrier. In another embodiment of the invention, the gum cushion rubber delivered by the supercritical fluid forms a layer less than 300 microns thick between the new tread and the upper surface of the carcass of the tire after curing. In another embodiment of the invention, the gum cushion layer is delivered to the carcass by means of a supercritical fluid as a dual solution system, composed of one solution without sulfur, and one solution without accelerator.

Abstract: A method of lubricating the interior of a tire comprising the steps of: inserting an applicator tube including apertures and a protector sleeve between the rim and tire bead, and thereby into the interior of the tire; applying lubricant to the interior of the tire; covering the apertures with the protector sleeve; and withdrawing the applicator from the interior of the tire.