Patents Examined by Lois E. Boland
  • Patent number: 4518024
    Abstract: A pneumatic radial tire having an improved durability in the running on bad road is disclosed, which comprises a carcass composed of at least one rubberized cord ply containing cords arranged substantially perpendicular to the equatorial plane of the tire and a belt superimposed around the crown portion of the carcass and composed of at least two rubberized cord layers each containing cords inclined at a relatively small angle with respect to the equatorial plane of the tire, the cords of which being crossed with each other. In this tire, the outermost layer of the belt contains cords having a flexural rigidity lower than that of the remaining layer and arranged at an end count higher than that thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 1984
    Date of Patent: May 21, 1985
    Assignee: Bridgestone Tire Company Limited
    Inventor: Tamotsu Matsunuma
  • Patent number: 4515197
    Abstract: A novel tread pattern is disclosed, which can give high performances on wet road at both the straight running and the cornering under a low load, particularly no load, to a heavy duty pneumatic radial tire without sacrificing the performances on wet road under normal load. The tread pattern comprises at least 4 lands defined by at least 3 main grooves, wherein a pair of first group lands arranged on the outermost side regions of the tread have substantially continuous along the the circumferential direction of the tread and the remaining lands located between the first group lands have notches arranged thereon in their lateral direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 1983
    Date of Patent: May 7, 1985
    Assignee: Bridgestone Tire Company Limited
    Inventors: Kenichi Motomura, Hiroshi Ogawa, Akira Yamamoto, Noriyuki Hagita
  • Patent number: 4514243
    Abstract: A tire for a wheelchair wheel or the like in the form of a composite extrusion comprising a relatively soft, elastomeric casing extruded over a semirigid core. End faces of a length of extruded stock are joined by thermal fusion developed by a ferromagnetic element inserted in the tire and exposed to high frequency electromagnetic radiation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 1982
    Date of Patent: April 30, 1985
    Assignee: Dan T. Moore Co.
    Inventors: Dan T. Moore, III, Michael F. Fischer
  • Patent number: 4513802
    Abstract: A pneumatic radial tire is adapted to improve or reduce the rolling resistance and simultaneously to improve the steering stability and riding comfortability against vibration during running without adversely affecting the wet performance and durability by making higher the carcass maximum width position and the carcass curvature reverse position, or enlarging the curvature of the carcass in the radially outer zone of the carcass maximum width position and simultaneously the carcass curvature reverse extent in the radially inner zone of the sidewalls so as to intentionally deviate from the naturally equilibrated configuration.A method of manufacturing a reduced rolling resistance pneumatic radial tire uses a mold for vulcanizing and forming the tire therein, which mold has a particular shape of cavity having a foot width 20-50% wider than a rim width and diverging progressively from shoulder corresponding portions to the wider foot portion of the cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 1982
    Date of Patent: April 30, 1985
    Assignee: Bridgestone Tire Company Limited
    Inventors: Minoru Togashi, Kenshiro Kato, Shin-ichi Furuya
  • Patent number: 4510983
    Abstract: A pair of pneumatic belted tires for use in motorcycle are disclosed, each of which comprises a tread extending over a width corresponding to the maximum width of the tire, a pair of sidewalls, a pair of bead portions each containing a bead core therein, a carcass composed of at least one rubberized ply containing organic fiber cords inclined at an angle of 50.degree.-90.degree. with respect to the equatorial plane of the tire, and a belt composed of at least two rubberized plies each containing cords arranged at a certain inclination angle with respect to the equatorial plane. In such a tire pair, an inclination angle .alpha. of cord in the belt for rear wheel tire and an inclination angle .beta. of cord in the belt for front wheel tire satisfy the following relationship:(.alpha.-.beta.).gtoreq.4.degree.when15.degree..ltoreq..alpha..ltoreq.26.degree.,or(.alpha.-.beta.).gtoreq.-0.3.alpha.+11.8.degree.when26.degree..ltoreq..alpha..ltoreq.36.degree..
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 1983
    Date of Patent: April 16, 1985
    Assignee: Bridgestone Tire Company Limited
    Inventors: Shinichiro Ohkuni, Yoichi Kitazawa
  • Patent number: 4510984
    Abstract: A pneumatic radial tire having highly durable bead structure is disclosed. One or more carcass ply layers of steel cords are turned up around a bead core from the inside to the outside. A reinforcing strip of steel cords is positioned outwardly adjacent to the turn-ups of carcass plies. A bead filler of approximately triangular sectional shape is disposed at the region enclosed by the carcass plies, the turn-ups of the carcass plies and the reinforcing strip of steel cords. The bead filler comprises high hardness rubber stock and medium hardness rubber stock. A cap of organic textile cord fabric covers an upper end of the reinforcing strip of steel cords. A fin-shaped rubber buffer having a hardness lower than that of the medium hardness rubber stock by 3.degree. to 20.degree. is disposed radially outwardly of the capped end and axially outwardly adjacent to the medium hardness rubber stock.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 1982
    Date of Patent: April 16, 1985
    Assignee: The Toyo Rubber Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Katsuji Kishida, Tetsuto Ueno, Masakazu Onishi, Keijiro Oda
  • Patent number: 4508586
    Abstract: A tire building drum is described as having, a plurality of radially movable bead lock segments at each end of the drum for holding the tire bead rings during the turn-up operation, a pair of turn-up bladders, and a pair of carriers which work in conjunction with the bead lock segments and turn-up bladders to tension the ply endings of the unvulcanized carcass ply or plies as the ply endings are turned up and reversely wrapped around the tire bead rings to anchor the rings to the unvulcanized tire carcass for further processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 1983
    Date of Patent: April 2, 1985
    Assignee: GenCorp Inc.
    Inventors: Robert L. Brown, William A. Jones, Daryl E. Anderson
  • Patent number: 4506717
    Abstract: A woven fabric is generally comprised of metallic warp cords and non-metallic weft cords. The weft cords are comprised of a plurality of glass filaments encapsulated in a resorcinol-formaldehyde-latex adhesive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 1983
    Date of Patent: March 26, 1985
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventor: Marie-Rita Thise-Fourgon
  • Patent number: 4506718
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire for off-road vehicles, comprising a carcass body containing organic fiber cords and a breaker composed of at least one rubberized layer each containing reinforcing elements embedded therein and having an overall cut resistant property for all types of cuts together with an excellent separation resistant property and high abrasion resistant property is disclosed. The reinforcing element is composed of a bundle formed by merely assembling helically formed filaments together without twisting. The reinforcing element is formed of a material having a tensile strength of at least 140 Kg/mm.sup.2 and an elongation at breaking strength which is 0.15 to 1.7 times that of the organic fiber cord of the carcass body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 1980
    Date of Patent: March 26, 1985
    Assignee: Bridgestone Tire Company Limited
    Inventors: Masaru Abe, Isao Miyoshi, Toshiro Tezuka, Toshio Yoshimoto
  • Patent number: 4500375
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for cold retreading of the running surface of a vehicle tire. A rubber and cloth mold is produced utilizing a new tire male mold covered with perforated polyethylene film, uncured rubber and highly stretchable cloth enclosed in an envelope and cured by application of pressure and heat. The somewhat flexible female mold thus produced is then utilized in recapping tires by positioning it around a prepared tire carcass coated with cement, a layer of uncured rubber, and a sheet of perforated polyethylene film. The mold and tire assembly is then enclosed in an envelope, and like assemblies are placed in a chamber where curing of the rubber layer is accomplished by inflation of the tire carcass, evacuation of the envelope, pressurization of the chamber and application of heat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 1982
    Date of Patent: February 19, 1985
    Assignee: An-Rix, Inc.
    Inventor: Leon C. Goldstein
  • Patent number: 4495976
    Abstract: A combination radial tire for heavy load vehicles comprising a thread portion consisting of a combination of a belt composed of at least two metal cord layers and a carcass composed of at least two organic textile cord plies. In the lower half region of the carcass located at a bead portion, at least one additional reinforcing layer is interposed between the carcass plies and/or another additional reinforcing layer is interposed between the carcass ply and rubber stocks sandwiched between the carcass ply and its turn-up portion, these additional reinforcing layers being extended in parallel with the carcass ply cords and including organic textile cords.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 1983
    Date of Patent: January 29, 1985
    Assignee: Bridgestone Tire Company Limited
    Inventors: Shigeo Makino, Noboru Sugimura
  • Patent number: 4490205
    Abstract: Apparatus is provided for preforming automobile rooftop coverings made of flexible sheets of vinyl and the like. The flexible material is treated with a thermosetting composition and then applied to an automobile rooftop form. Pneumatic tensioning means are attached to the edges of the material at a plurality of spaced-apart points to tension it over the form to a predetermined orientation and shape while maintaining the forces on the material substantially in equilibrium. The material is heated to set the thermosetting composition. Clamping means lightly engage the material to hold it in the predetermined shape until the setting temperature is reached and then firmly engage it to form maginal flanges thereon. The shaped material is then removed from the form by a vacuum carrier and then cooled and trimmed in the carrier.A pressure-sensitive adhesive and release liner may also be applied to the material so that after it is shaped it can be directly adhesively secured to an automobile rooftop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 1980
    Date of Patent: December 25, 1984
    Inventor: John G. Warhol
  • Patent number: 4488587
    Abstract: A pneumatic radial tire having an improved durable life is disclosed. In the pneumatic radial tire, a metal cord used in the carcass ply is characterized by having a layer construction of 3+9+1 wherein three filaments are twisted together to form a core, nine filaments each having the same diameter as in the filament for the core are twisted around the core to form a second layer and a single filament is wrapped around the second layer, and limiting a twisting angle .alpha. of the second layer to a range of 72.0.degree..ltoreq..alpha..ltoreq.78.0.degree..
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 1983
    Date of Patent: December 18, 1984
    Assignee: Bridgestone Tire Company Limited
    Inventors: Yujiro Umezawa, Yoshio Suzuki, Teruo Miura, Kiyohito Kawasaki
  • Patent number: 4486259
    Abstract: A bead lock device comprises mutually separable and engageable shafts, and a pair of left and right bead lock members consisting of a plurality of segments, each segment having one end pivoted to the shafts and the other end adapted to expand in diameter in the radial direction and to hold the bead portion of a green tire case in substantially circular form. A slide member capable of moving in the radial direction of the shafts is provided and is connected to the segments through a link member for expanding and contracting the diameter of the segments in the radial direction through a link mechanism. A mechanism for moving the slide member in the direction of an expansion in diameter is provided for the segments and also provided is a mechanism for moving the segments in the direction of contraction in diameter of said segments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 1982
    Date of Patent: December 4, 1984
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Nobuhiko Irie
  • Patent number: 4486255
    Abstract: This invention relates to a method and machine for removing at least one layer of reinforcing elements from a breaker or belt of a rubber tire.According to the method of the invention for removing at least one layer of reinforcing elements, such as steel cords, etc. from a breaker or belt located between the tread area and the carcass of a rubber tire; the tread area of the tire is first removed down to the layer of reinforcing elements by rasping off this tread area, and afterwards each reinforcing element, for example each steel cord, of the layer to be removed is cut through in at least one place and the so cut reinforcing elements are removed by further rasping.This invention further relates to a machine for carrying out this method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 1983
    Date of Patent: December 4, 1984
    Assignee: N. V. Bekaert S. A.
    Inventors: Roger Crommelynck, Eddy Quartier
  • Patent number: 4484610
    Abstract: A heavy duty pneumatic tire tread includes a tread portion formed of five ribs separated by four circumferential zig-zag grooves, wherein each groove is made up of successive circumferentially and obliquely alternating one-half pitches having two different lateral widths, each of which remains substantially constant throughout its circumferential extent and wherein, within each one-half groove pitch, when viewed in the lateral direction, the lateral widths of the center grooves are of a first width whereas the lateral widths of the shoulder grooves are in the second width. The oblique angulation of the zig-zag grooves, relative to the circumferential direction of the tire changes every one-half pitch, with the degree of angulation, when viewed in a lateral direction, differing from the center grooves to the shoulder grooves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 1982
    Date of Patent: November 27, 1984
    Assignee: The Firestone Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventors: Bill J. Wallet, A. Robert Casimiro
  • Patent number: 4484965
    Abstract: A radial pneumatic tire and a method of making same. The tire has a discontinuous cord belt reinforcement comprising narrow strips of fabric wound around the tire in a plurality of circumferential overlapping turns. The tire is capable of being built in one stage and shaped into toroidal shape after the circumferential belt is applied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 1983
    Date of Patent: November 27, 1984
    Assignee: The B. F. Goodrich Company
    Inventors: William D. Wagner, Stephen C. Sabo
  • Patent number: 4483382
    Abstract: A tubeless pneumatic tire having a pair of beads characterized in that the area of the bead beneath the bead core comprises a layer of cellular elastomeric material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 1983
    Date of Patent: November 20, 1984
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventors: Wolfgang Koch, Thomas Welter
  • Patent number: 4481994
    Abstract: In a tire with a prestressed radial carcass reinforcement, the mean meridian fibers (7', 7") of the carcass reinforcement (7) of the tire, uninflated (1') and inflated (1") to its service pressure, respectively, have a point of intersection (E.sub.i) located between the points (E', E") of these fibers (7' and 7", respectively) at which they have a common tangent (t.sub.E) perpendicular to the axis of rotation (XX') of the tire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 1983
    Date of Patent: November 13, 1984
    Assignee: Compagnie Generale des Etablissements Michelin
    Inventor: Jean Pommier
  • Patent number: 4481996
    Abstract: In order to improve the fatigue resistance of a cable, particularly a rubber adherable cable for reinforcing rubber articles such as vehicle tires, substantially uniformly distributed residual compressive stress is induced in substantially the complete peripheric zone of the wires making up the cable. The stress may be induced by submitting lengths of the cable to a number of elementary bending--unbending operations in considerably different planes and simultaneously tensioning the cable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 1982
    Date of Patent: November 13, 1984
    Assignee: N. V. Bekaert S.A.
    Inventors: Marc De Bondt, Urbain D'Haene, Paul Dambre