Abstract: An all terrain vehicle tire has an improved tread including primary lugs arranged in sets equally spaced around the periphery of the tire on each side of the tire centerline with each set including a long lug, at least one intermediate lug and a short lug, with the sets on opposite sides of the centerline being offset substantially one half the pitch of the lug sets, with at least the long and intermediate length lugs each including an elongated central body portion extending at a first acute angle with respect to the centerplane and each of the primary lugs including an inner end directed at a second smaller acute angle relative to the centerplane and an outer end extending over and onto the shoulder of the tire at an obtuse angle with respect to the centerplane.

Abstract: A quick disconnect pressure relief valve for a tire mounted on a rim includes a manually operated on/off valve mountable on the rim to provide a discrete pneumatic path between the tire interior and the outer atmosphere. The on/off valve is normally closed. A normally closed pressure operated valve insertable into the on/off valve opens the on/off valve to the passage of air through the inserted pressure operated valve to the exterior atmosphere. A plurality of such pressure operated valves calibrated to release air at different preselected tire pressure levels may be interchanged in the on/off valve. A latch is provided for securing the selected pressure operated valve in the manually operated on/off valve. Thus, to rapidly change the tire pressure level, the user need only insert a pressure operated valve calibrated to the desired tire pressure into the manually operated on/off valve.

Abstract: A pneumatic vehicle tire of a radial belt construction has a tire tread comprising first trapezoidal tread elements that are arranged in circumferential rows and slanted transverse rows whereby the circumferential rows and the slanted transverse rows are separated from one another by circumferential grooves and slanted transverse grooves. The first trapezoidal tread elements form pairs that are enclosed by adjacent ones of the circumferential grooves and adjacent ones of the slanted transverse grooves. The first trapezoidal tread elements of such a pair are arranged adjacent to one another within one of the slanted transverse rows in a mirror-symmetrical manner relative to one another and are staggered relative to one another in a circumferential direction of the tire. The tread elements of such a pair are separated by a short circumferential groove at a bottom of which a circumferential cross-piece is provided that connects the tread elements of the pair.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a tire for mounting on the wheel rim of a vehicle. The tire comprises a pair of bead portions each reinforced by a bead hoop, at least one bead portion of the tire having an additional retention zone positioned axially inwards of and integral with the main bead portion, the retention zone having an axially inner tip or toe substantially inwards of the main bead portion and the construction of the bead portion and the additional retention zone between the bead hoop and tip providing substantial resistance to compressive forces therebetween. The portion between the bead hoop and the tip can include reinforcement and can comprise an elastomeric material having a hardness of 80 to 95 degrees I. R. H. The tip is formed from an elastomeric material having a set property at 70.degree. C. of greater than 40% so that when the tip is fitted to a wheel rim having sharp teeth in the region contacted by the tip, the material of the tip engages the teeth.

Abstract: A pneumatic vehicle tire which is especially suitable for non-driven axles of commercial vehicles is provided with wave-shaped circumferential grooves. The wave amplitude at the bottom of the groove is greater than at the tread periphery. This is achieved by periodically twisting the circumferential groove in the circumferential direction. The wave amplitude at the tread periphery may equal zero. In order to reduce the tendency to retain stones, it is suggested that the circumferential grooves in their center sections are provided with a transverse portion relative to the circumferential direction while in the extreme section further portions extend at a small acute angle relative to the circumferential direction.

Abstract: A tread for tires with radial carcass reinforcement and crown reinforcement ormed of at least two plies of cables or cords arranged at angles with the circumferential direction and intended for travel on sand or sandy soil, the tread being provided with closed cells to entrap the sandy soil, the area occupied by the cells being at least 20% of the actual area of contact of the tread with hard flat ground.

Abstract: This invention relates to a combination of multiple tires disposed adjacently parallel to each other on a single wheel, respective inner spaces of the multiple tires being communicated with each other by way of an airflow piping. The airflow piping comprises a pneumatic pressure control valve which can be opened or closed due to an air-leaking condition of the multiple tires. When one of the multiple tires leaks air rapidly, the pneumatic pressure of the other normal tire is also decreased, thereby allowing the driver to notice the puncture. If the former leaks air slowly, its air is supplied by the latter, respective pneumatic pressures are going to become equal, thereby the driver can drive for a certain time and be free from any serious accident that may occur when he is unaware of the puncture.

Abstract: A vehicle tire of a radial carcass construction with a low cross-sectional profile having a tread portion that is reinforced by a belt layer is provided. The tread portion comprises a plurality of circumferential tread element bands in a center portion of the tread portion and one shoulder tread element row on either side of the center portion. The tread element bands are separated from one another and from the tread element rows in an axial direction of the vehicle tire by respective circumferential grooves that have straight edges. The tread element bands have notches that are distributed in a circumferential direction of the vehicle tire and are oriented at a slant relative to a center plane of the vehicle tire. The notches start at the circumferential grooves and end within the tread element bands. The shoulder tread element rows comprise tread elements that are separated from one another by transverse grooves and are arranged transverse relative to the center plane of the tire.

Abstract: A pneumatic tire (10) has a tread portion (17) with a series of curved grooves (29,30) extending from each lateral edge (TE.sub.1, TE.sub.2) of the tread, and a number of circumferentially extending grooves (18, 19, 20, 21). The tread portion (17) has a specific lateral cross-sectional profile with multiple radii (R.sub.1, R.sub.2, R.sub.

Abstract: A pneumatic tire having a carcass 1 and at each sidewall 5 thereof are a first and a second elastomeric reinforcement inserts 13, 15 interposed between a first and a second carcass plies 10, 11. Each insert is thinner towards the respective opposite radial ends of its section. The reinforcement inserts 13, 15 are adjacent and in alignment with the maximum width of the tire 2 at a point 14. A third elastomeric insert 16 of lenticular section, internally covers the first carcass ply 10 and has an area of maximum thickness 16a in substantial alignment with the point of adjacency 14 between the reinforcement inserts 13, 15. The first and second reinforcement inserts 13, 15 behave like stiff arms, mutually hinged at their point 14 of adjacency. The movement of the arms toward each other is counteracted by a third elastomeric insert 16 acting as a spring therebetween.

Abstract: A device is disclosed herein for releasably retaining a length of chain on a vehicle tire which includes at least one substantially U-shaped strap in end view having an inwardly projecting adjustable extension terminating in an open socket adapted to insertably receive a lug nut carried on the wheel stud of the vehicle. The strap has holes for detachably receiving the opposite ends of the chain so that the length of chain is extended about the periphery of the vehicle tire. Multiple straps may be employed with a flexible retaining band to bias the straps together to hold the chain taut.

Abstract: A pneumatic radial tire for construction vehicle comprises a carcass of a radial structure comprised of at least one rubberized steel cord carcass ply body and its turnup portion, and a stiffener rubber arranged above a bead core between the carcass ply body and its turnup portion. In order to improve the bead portion durability of this tire, a cord distance between the carcass ply body and its turnup portion passes through greatest value, minimum value, maximum value and smallest value from the vicinity of the bead core outward in the radial direction of the tire and heights of the carcass ply body corresponding to the above minimum and maximum values as well as height of the turnup end measured from the base line satisfy particular relations to a flange height FH of the standard rim.

Abstract: A tire chain comprises an elongated inner side member adapted to form a circle of predetermined circumference about a rim of a vehicle wheel at the inner side thereof, the inner side member having co-operable fastener elements at opposite ends thereof which are joined to complete the circle. Cross members form a zig-zag pattern with opposite ends of the pattern adjacent to the fastener elements, respectively. The pattern includes a plurality of spaced inner vertices adjacent to the inner side member and a plurality of spaced outer vertices remote from the inner side member and adapted to be positioned adjacent to the rim at the outer side thereof, with the cross members extending back and forth across the tread of a tire mounted on the rim. The inner vertices are attached to the inner side member at predetermined positions by connectors intermediate the vertices and the inner side member.

Abstract: A tread design for a pneumatic tire of radial construction for high-speed vehicles is provided. The tire has a height-to-width ratio of .ltoreq.0.6 with a tread design that is tied to the direction of rotation. The tread design comprises profiled elements that are steeply oriented in the circumferential direction at an angle to the equatorial plane of the tire and are arranged in the shape of V's. The profiled elements extend from a central portion of the tread into shoulder regions of the tire, with the profiled elements being angled-off at a bend region in the shoulder regions in the direction of an axis of the tire. Respective continuous inclined grooves that proceed from the central portion to the shoulder regions are formed between the profiled elements. A circumferentially extending rib is disposed in the equatorial plane and forms two central, circumferentially extending grooves, one on each side of the rib, between this rib and starting portions of the profiled elements.

Abstract: A band winding apparatus for forming a bead core comprises a winding device which is composed of a drum and holding means. The drum is rotatably supported by a support shaft and has a peripheral surface on which a band for forming a bead core is wound. The holding means are installed in the drum and has a holding surface capable of detachably adsorbing a start end of the band outside in the drum's radial direction. The holding surface is arranged approximately flush with the peripheral surface of the drum.

Abstract: A high performance pneumatic radial tire comprises a toroidal carcass, a tread radially outside a crown portion of the carcass, a belt layer interposed between the carcass and the tread and having a same width of the tread, and an auxiliary layer arranged between the belt layer and the tread and covering the entire belt layer. organic cords are buried substantially parallel to an equatorial plane of the tire in the auxiliary layer, and land portions are defined between at least two circumferential main grooves formed in an outer surface portion of the tread and between the circumferential main grooves and axially opposite edges of the tread.

Abstract: The present invention provides a tire with inclined elastic support blocks on its outer surface, wherein, a number of elastic convex blocks are uniformly arranged on and integrated with the outer circumference surface of the tire, which direct against the rotation direction of the tire, and in each convex block there is a branch of a ring arbor which inclination direction is in accordance with said convex block. By using this kind of tire, The braking distance of the vehicle equipped with said tire is shorter, the starting moment is less and the vehicle has a good comfortability.

Abstract: A radial ply tire with a steel belt, which comprises a carcass ply turned up around bead cores from the axially inside to the outside thereof and a belt comprising two plies of parallel steel cords disposed radially outside the carcass ply in a tread portion of the tire, wherein the amount of steel included in the radially innermost belt ply per an axial unit width and a circumferential unit length there is less than that in the radially outer belt ply disposed on the radially outside of the innermost belt ply.

Abstract: A pneumatic tire comprises a tread having at least one circumferential groove formed in a central zone of a treading surface thereof, and a plurality of inclined grooves formed in at least one of side zones which are axially adjacent to axially opposite sides of said central zone and each have a width equal to substantially 1/4 of that of said treading surface of the tread. A plurality of the inclined grooves extend obliquely upwardly from a side of the central zone toward an end of the tread as viewed from a front face of the tire in the state that the tire is fitted to a vehicle, and each of a plurality of the inclined grooves are opened to the end of the tread. An angle of each of a plurality of the inclined grooves is gradually decreased as the groove goes away from the central zone, this angle being an acute angle defined by the inclined groove and a circumferential straight line on an axially outer side of the tire.

Abstract: A pneumatic radial tire having a rubber sheet incorporated in a region lying between a bead core and at least an outer surface portion of the bead portion which is in contact with a rim on which the tire is mounted, to suppress the noise generation. The rubber sheet has a dynamic modulus of elasticity at 20.degree. C., E'(20.degree. C.), of 6.0 MPa to 14.0 MPa and a ration of the dynamic modulus E'(20.degree. C.) to a dynamic modulus of elasticity at 60.degree. C., E'(60.degree. C.), namely E'(20.degree. C.)/E'(60.degree. C.), of at least 1.2 but less than 1.4.