Abstract: A safety wheel designed so that when air sealed within a tire is lost, the vehicle may be supported by a flat protector device in place of air pressure within the tire. The safety wheel comprises a split rim, a tubeless tire and a flat protector device which comprises a flat protector seat portion annularly fixed along the outer peripheral surface of the split rim, and a flat protector body formed of at least one pipe annularly fixed along the outer peripheral surface of the flat protector seat portion.

Abstract: A run-flat support and tire assembly designed so that when air sealed within a tire is lost, the vehicle may be supported by support members in place of air pressure within the tire. The run-flat tire has a split rim, a tubeless tire mounted on the rim, and a plurality of annularly disposed circular support members. The support members each comprises a thin-wall casing body having lattice-like reinforcing ribs for partitioning the interior of the casing body into a plurality of chambers. Connecting protrusions project from the casing body. The connecting protrusions are detachably connected to one another for each incorporation of the support members into the tire.

Abstract: A tubeless pneumatic tire comprising a body made entirely of an elastic material and cords embedded in the body and having a length not extending from bead to bead. The opposite ends of the cords are disposed in a pair of annular projections formed on the inner surface of the tire and centered about the axis of rotation of the tire. An elastic deformable portion is provided between each of the beads and the corresponding ends of the cords.

Abstract: A pneumatic tire including bead members each comprising a slender bead element made of an organic or inorganic fiber other than metallic material and having a high modulus of at least 10.sup.5 kg/cm.sup.2, and a matrix phase made from a liquid thermosetting resin or liquid rubber cured before the bead member is incorporated into the tire to form a composite body together with the fiber. The matrix phase has a modulus of 50 to 10.sup.6 kg/cm.sup.2 after curing. The cured composite body of the bead element and the matrix phase has a stress of at least 200 kg when stretched 1%. The volume fraction of the bead element relative to the bead member is 0.2 to 0.8.

Abstract: A cavity having the shape of the tire to be produced is defined by a mold comprising an upper element, a lower element and a core element which are fittable to and releasable from one another. The core mold element comprises three divided segments, i.e., a segment for forming the inner surface of the tire tread, and a pair of segments for forming the inner surfaces of the tire sidewalls including tire beads. The core mold element has two pairs of nipping portions for holding the opposite ends of tire cords placed on the tread inner surface forming segment. The nipping portions in each pair are movable toward or away from each other. The tire cords nipped at their opposite ends by the core mold element are held in place within the cavity by the cooperation of the upper and lower mold elements, and a molding material composed of rubber or an equivalently elastic material is filled into the cavity and cured.

Abstract: A safety wheel designed so that when air sealed within a tire is lost, the vehicle may be supported by a flat protector and bead stopper members in place of air pressure within the tire. The safety wheel comprises a split rim, a tubeless tire mounted on the split rim, and a flat protector of an annular configuration. The flat protector is divided into a plurality of circular protector elements whose opposed opposite ends are connected with each other through the bead stopper members adapted to restrain relative movement between the bead portions of the tire and the split rim.

Abstract: A safety wheel including a combined flat protector and bead stopper structure radially fitted in the tire around the inner periphery thereof and having a closed frame-like cross-sectional configuration of a substantial modulus of section. The flat protector, being made itself of an elastic material in a substantially H-shaped cross section, is easily deformable and can be readily inserted in the tire and, once combined with the bead stopper, which clamps the opposite side wall portions of the flat protector and the respective bead portions of the tire against the rim flanges, exhibits a substantial rigidity enough to support the vehicle weight, as when the tire is punctured. The rigidity of the flat protector per se is also increased by means of reinforcing cords of unstretchable material embedded therein.

Abstract: A tubeless tire and rim assembly including an annular bead lock in the form of an endless train of lock elements interconnected by flexible joints. The bead lock can have not only a fully expanded circular configuration to fit over the rim base but also a partly folded configuration to lie within the inner peripheral circle of the tire. This particularly facilitates the mounting of such bead lock while effectively preventing any improper positioning thereof. An embodiment incorporating a flat-protector together with the bead lock is also contemplated to further improve the driving safety.