Abstract: A system in accordance with the present invention cures and manufactures a partially-cured tire assembly. The system includes: a functional wheel member being slid into a corresponding annular, radially inner surface of the partially-cured tire assembly; a plurality of elongate spacer members; a first annular curing platen for axially securing the wheel member and spacer members relative to each other; a second annular curing platen for axially securing the wheel member and spacer members relative to each other; and a plurality of elongate inserts for creating a substantially smooth, uniform outer cylindrical surface formed by a radially outer surface of each insert and flap members of the tire assembly positioned by the radially outermost surfaces of the spacer members.

Abstract: In a first aspect, the present invention is directed to a rubber composition comprising, based on 100 parts by weight of elastomer (phr), 70 phr to 95 phr of diene based elastomer, wherein said diene based elastomer comprises 25 phr to 60 phr of a first diene based elastomer having a glass transition temperature within a range of ?49° C. to ?15° C., and 10 phr to 45 phr of a second diene based elastomer having a glass transition temperature within a range of ?50° C. to ?110° C., 5 phr to 30 phr of one or more of natural rubber and synthetic polyisoprene rubber, 40 phr to 70 phr of silica, and 10 phr to 40 phr of at least one terpene resin having a weight average molecular weight (Mw) of at least 900 g/mol. In another aspect, the present invention is directed to tire comprising a tire tread with aforementioned rubber composition.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a textile cord comprising at least two yarns, each yarn comprising multiple filaments, wherein each filament comprises polyethylene furanoate reinforced by carbon nano material and/or boron nitride nano material. These textile cords are particularly useful as tire reinforcements. Moreover, the present invention is directed to a polymeric composition comprising (1) polyethylene-2,5-furan dicarboxylate and (2) a carbon nano material or a boron nitride nano material. This polymeric composition can optionally be further comprised of one or more additional polyesters, such as polyethylene terephthalate or polyethylene naphthalate. This invention is further directed to a rubber component comprising said cords coated with rubber and to tires and other rubber products comprising such cords.

Abstract: A wheel assembly for a tire includes a circular hub member for securing to a rotatable axle of a vehicle, an annular first rim piece for engaging the tire, the first rim piece being secured to a first axial end of the circular hub member, an annular second rim piece for engaging the tire, the second rim piece being secured to an opposite second axial end of the circular hub member, a plurality of cylindrical bolts for engaging both the first rim piece and the second rim piece, the cylindrical bolts each engaging the first rim piece, the second rim piece, and a spoke structure of the tire; and a threaded tension bolt for varying a radial position of a first axial end of one of the cylindrical bolts relative to a first elongate opening of the first rim piece.

Abstract: A method for extracting changes in characteristics of a tire supporting a vehicle is provided. The method includes extracting selected tire characteristics from at least one sensor mounted on the tire. The selected tire characteristics are transmitted to a remote processor and are stored in a historical data log that is in communication with the remote processor. At least one tire characteristic of interest is selected, and a time series decomposition model is applied to data from the historical data log to delineate exogenous inputs from an underlying trend in the selected tire characteristic of interest. A learning model is applied to the underlying trend in the selected tire characteristic of interest to model a relationship between the selected tire characteristic of interest and a condition of the tire. A prediction value for a condition of the tire is output from the learning model.

Abstract: A method for determining a sidewall toughness index for a tire includes providing a first tire that includes a pair of sidewalls. A first physical test is conducted on a selected one of the sidewalls of the first tire, and a result of the first test is recorded. A second tire of the same type as the first tire is provided, and includes a pair of sidewalls. A second physical test is conducted on a selected one of the sidewalls of the second tire, and a result of the second test is recorded. The result of each of the first physical test and the second physical test is normalized. A sidewall toughness index is generated by combining the normalized result of the first physical test and the normalized result of the second physical test.

Abstract: An improved extruder apparatus is disclosed and which includes a cylindrical barrel having a feed end and a discharge end, the feed end having an inlet in fluid communication with a hopper. The extruder screw is mounted in the cylindrical barrel, and the screw has an outer surface having one or more helical flights mounted thereon, wherein the inlet end of the cylindrical barrel has a support frame mounted thereto, wherein an upper surface of the support frame is connected to a throat of a hopper, wherein an insert is mounted to the support frame and has a lower end which extends down into the cylindrical barrel, wherein the insert has an internal passageway having a first opening on the lower end and a second opening upstream of the screw for relieving the pressure.

Abstract: It has been discovered that certain monofunctional thiuram compounds can be synthesized at low cost and utilized as vulcanization accelerators which provide excellent cure rates without causing a high level of scorch. The use of these monofunctional thiuram compounds as vulcanization accelerators also result in cured rubber compositions that exhibit reduced compression set, improved age hardening characteristics, and degradation resistant crosslinks. These monofunctional thiuram compounds are of the structural formula: wherein R1 and R2 can be the same or different and represent organyl radicals, wherein R1 and R2 contain a total of at least 8 carbon atoms, and wherein R1 and R2 can join together to form a cyclic structure, and wherein R3 represents an organyl radical containing at least 6 carbon atoms.

Abstract: A system for detection of non-pneumatic tire loading includes a non-pneumatic tire. The non-pneumatic tire includes a ground-contacting annular tread, a central rim, and at least one spoke disk disposed between the rim and the tread. The spoke disk includes an inner ring mounted on the central rim, an outer ring, and spokes extending radially between the inner ring and the outer ring. A shear band is disposed between the outer ring of the spoke disk and the tread. A flange is disposed on an outboard surface of the spokes of the spoke disk. Indicating means are formed on the outboard surface of the plurality of spokes of the spoke disk radially outwardly of the flange. The flange interfaces with the indicating means when the tire is in an overloaded state or is in need of replacement.

Abstract: A method for estimating the load of a tire supporting a vehicle includes providing the tire, in which the tire includes a pair of sidewalls extending to a circumferential tread, and the tread includes a plurality of tread blocks. A length of the tire footprint is indicated with a first time interval, and a full rotation of the tire is indicated with a second time interval. The first time interval may be indicated by peaks of an amplitude of a tire-based magnetic sensor signal, and the second time interval may be indicated by peaks of the amplitude of the tire-based magnetic sensor signal or by a linear speed of the vehicle. The load on the tire is determined from a ratio of the first time interval to the second time interval at an inflation pressure of the tire. A tire load estimation system is also provided.

Abstract: The compatibility between silica fillers and synthetic rubbers which are synthesized utilizing lanthanide-based catalyst systems, such as neodymium catalyst systems can be improved by terminating the polymerization with a vinyl silane terminating agent. In doing so the vinyl silane is allowed to react with the polymer chain ends of the neodymium rubber to functionalize the chain ends of the polymer chains with silicon containing groups. This results in the rubber having better characteristics for utilization in tire rubber formulations, such a tire tread formulations, that exhibit improved wear characteristics and lower rolling resistance. The process for the synthesis of such functionalized polydiene rubber comprises (1) polymerizing a diene monomer in the presence of a lanthanide-based catalyst system, and (2) terminating the polymerization with a vinyl silane terminator.

Abstract: A guayule rubber processing system and method involves mixing a guayule rubber and at least one solvent blend in an extruder, in order to remove resin found in the guayule miscella and to precipitate the guayule miscella to form a precipitate. The at least one solvent blend has a first solvent configured to precipitate the guayule rubber, and a second solvent configured to swell the resulting precipitate. In particular, a series of the solvent blends may be used at different locations along a length of the extruder and may further include distinct blends of the first solvent and the second solvent, introduced at the different locations, and having different ratios of the first solvent and the second solvent.