Abstract: A plug and tool are provided for repairing and sealing a puncture of a tire. The plug is generally cylindrical in shape and is made from a rubber-like material which is stiffer and more durable than prior repair plugs. The plug has a cylindrical shank portion and adjoining circular head portion. Extending around the outer edge of the head portion is a thin auxiliary sealing ring. On the periphery of the shank portion is a plurality of closely spaced sealing rings with grooves therebetween. When the shank portion is forcibly inserted into a puncture, the sealing rings provide multiple sealing members by individually radially compressing and locally conforming to the size and shape of the puncture. Additional sealing is provided by bonding the head portion to the inner surface of the tire. At the end portion of the plug opposite to the head portion is a metal loop. There is provided a tool having a handle portion and adjoining slender shank portion for forcibly inserting the plug into a puncture.

Abstract: A chain-carrying pulley (1) is journalled on a shaft (3) fastened to an arm (4) pivotally connected to another arm (5) which in turn is rigidly fastened to the rear axle casing (6) of a vehicle. An inflatable bellows (7) extends between the arms. When inflated, for instance by pressurized air, the bellows displaces the movable arm (4) from a folded position relative to arm (5) bringing the pulley (1) into contact with the wheel. The pulley is returned to a storage position by springs (10) joined to the arms when the bellows is deflated.

Abstract: Anti-skid device of a kind that includes a chain-provided pulley that on use if brought to contact with the side of the vehicle wheel so that when the vehicle wheel is rotated the chain pieces (2) are successively thrown in between wheel and ground in order to improve the traction. The anti-skid device is rotatably journaled in an arm (7) that in turn is fastened to a housing (8) that is turnably journaled on a stub axle (9). The turning movement of the arm and the housing is achieved in one direction by a bowden wire (20) and in the other dirction by a return spring (23). The stub axle (9) of the housing (8) is fastened to a plate (10) that in turn is fastened to a tube (11) by means of welding. The tube (11) is in turn arranged in clamps (12 and 13), that in turn are fastened to the bolts holding together the vehicle axle and its spring.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a snow chain for vehicle wheels, whereby the snow chain comprises two chain members adapted to extend along the peripheral tread surface of the vehicle wheel when the snow chain is mounted on said wheel. The snow chain comprises tie bars connecting the chain members to each other and adapted to extend transversely to the tread surface when the snow chain is mounted on the vehicle wheel. The snow chain preferably is mounted on arms which are foldable relative to each other and retractable to a position adjacent an end side of the vehicle wheel by means of a retraction device.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for applying a bead filler material to a bead wherein the bead filler material may be applied to the bead at an offset position to compensate for the stretching of the filler material as it is applied to the bead to afford a proper splice of the leading and trailing ends of the bead filler material.

Abstract: An automatic joining apparatus for automatically joining an attachment start edge and an attachment finish edge of a carcass play cut into a length somewhat shorter than a circumferential length of a former drum and wound around the former drum, is disclosed. The apparatus comprises a pair of magnet-containing drive rollers movable in the axial direction of the former drum while being held in contact with the proximity of the attachment start edge of the carcass ply and the proximity of the attachment finish edge thereof to join the attachment start edge and the attachment finish edge together, and a pair of gathering rollers movable in the axial direction of the former drum behind the magnet-containing drive rollers while being held in contact with the proximity of the attachment start edge and the proximity of the attachment finish edge to join the attachment start edge and the attachment finish edge together.

Abstract: A tire shock absorber for attachment to a pneumatic tube tire or pneumatic tubeless tire for improving the smoothness of ride and decreasing road vibrations, the tire shock absorber comprising a chamber having at least one valve means which permits the unrestricted flow of air from the tubeless tire or tube tire into the chamber when the tire is subjected to intermittent road pressure, the valve means permitting the return of the displaced air to the tubeless tire or tube tire subsequent to the tire being subjected to the intermittent pressure. The tire shock absorber is designed for positioning either exterior to the tire or interior to the tire depending upon whether or not it is a tube tire or a tubeless tire.

Abstract: A rack (28) which supports the beads (12) in a separated condition is transported to the storing and feeding apparatus (10) where the rack (28) is used to place the beads (12) around a plurality of continuous conveyors (20) which are expanded to grip the beads (12). After the rack (28) is removed from the feeding and storing apparatus (10), the conveyors (20) are actuated to simultaneously and intermittently feed the beads (12) to a bead transfer member. The apparatus (10) includes means (64,66,89) to adjust and level the conveyors (20) to accommodate a range of bead sizes and means (118) to insure feeding of one bead (12) at a time.

Abstract: A method of producing a pneumatic vehicle tire, the beads of which can be mounted on the radially inner periphery of a rim, and are pivotably relative to the bead cores. A carcass along with the adjacent rubber layers, and the tire beads, with their pull and compression resistant cores, are combined on a drum to form an essentially cylindrical blank. What will later be the insides of the tire initially face radially outwardly, and the interfaces of the initially radially outwardly extending beads form an essentially right angle with the cylindrical surface of the blank. At least the bead regions of the tire blank are preliminarily vulcanized, whereupon the blank is turned in and has imparted thereto a toroidal shape. The blank is then provided with a tread strip, and is final-vulcanized.

Abstract: A tire shield (10, 15) which mounts between the rim (100) and tire (101) and which covers the sidewall of the tire is described. The device has opposed convex and concave sides which have a radius of curvature smaller than that of the sidewall thus providing a space (27) between the shield and tire sidewall. The shield has a core of relatively penetration resistant rubber core (11, 16) which is preferably covered with a penetration resistant fabric (17).

Abstract: A pneumatic tire and wheelrim assembly for a motorcycle wherein the tire comprises a pair of axially spaced wheelrim engaging bead regions, a torroidal air pressure retaining carcass reinforced by a reinforced ply extending from one bead region to the other bead region, a round contacting tread which is curved in radial cross-section of the tire and which terminates adjacent to each bead region as a shoulder of the tread characterized by said shoulder having a radially inwardly facing shoulder formation and wherein the wheelrim comprises a pair of axially spaced bead seats, one for each bead region of the tire said bead seat extending axially outwardly as radially engagement positions which are complementary to the shoulder formation so that in the assembled tire and wheelrim the tread is easily located directly by the intergagement of the shoulder formations and the engagement portion.

Abstract: A traction enhancing device for use with a tire on a vehicle to increase traction of the tire during inclement weather is provided. A first traction enhancing member has a predetermined length for mounting around a tire of a vehicle in a position offset from a central axis of the tire. A second traction enhancing member has a predetermined length for mounting around a tire of a vehicle in a position offset from a central axis of the tire and being spaced apart and substantially parallel to the first traction enhancing member. A first connecting member has a first end affixed to said first traction enhancing member and a second end affixed to said second traction enhancing member for securing said first and second traction enhancing members together. The first connecting member is substantially orthogonally positioned relative to the first and second traction enhancing members and is disposed on a first side of the tire.

Abstract: A valve for vehicle tires, in particular a snap-in valve, having a shell-like plastic material of a hardness in the condition as supplied of about 65 to 75 Shore A, which has a base portion for connection to a rim or the like and a valve cylinder having an external screwthread for a valve cap, wherein an axial opening in the valve cylinder, in the axial direction, is of different diameters and accommodates a valve insert which is mounted axially displaceably against a force storage means, is to be such that manufacture and also operational reliability are improved.That is achieved in that the shell-like body is combined with the valve cylinder to provide a valve body (11) and same is produced in one piece from the plastic material in such a way that the hardness at the inside surfaces (26, 27) of the axial opening of the valve cylinder is higher, at least in the region adjoining the valve insert (12), than at the base portion (14).

Abstract: A pneumatic tubeless tire is produced in such a way that the tire cord fabric (also known as the tire carcass fabric or ply fabric) has the ends thereof secured during tire building so that separation of the cord fabric ends, and a resulting blemish, does not occur. The carcass fabric is wrapped around a rubber inner lining body with turned up portions of the carcass fabric at a pair of beads on opposite sides of the body, during tire construction. The free ends of the carcass fabric are butted together around the body, to provide a butt seam. The free ends are held together in substantial butting position by placing an open mesh warp knit splicer fabric highly extensible in both the machine and cross-machine directions over the butt seam and affixing the splicer fabric in place using adhesive or the like. Rubber tack may be applied over the splicer fabric. The open mesh fabric appears to have no machine direction or cross-machine direction yarns, but only bias yarns.

Abstract: A radial tire for use in passenger cars is disclosed which is excellent in motion performance and durability. The tire has a carcass cord layer in which steel cords of a single strand construction represented by (1xn) in which n is a number of filament yarns and is an integer of from 1 to 5 are embedded in rubber. The thickness of the rubber between the adjacent steel cords is in a range between 0.80 and 2.00 mm when measured in a tire circumferential direction at a location having a tire maximum width in an arrangement of the steel cords in the carcass cord layer. A product (nxd.sup.4) between a number (m) of the filament yarns constituting the steel cord of the single strand construction and a diameter (d) of the filaments is in a range of 0.002 to 0.012. The diameter of the filaments is in a range between 0.15.ltoreq.d.ltoreq.0.25 mm.

Abstract: A motor vehicle with twin tires which includes one tire with a winter tread and a further tire with a summer tread arranged on a common rim. Each tire is provided with a device for the air pressure regulation for achieving a selective pressure decrease and increase. The device for the air pressure regulation is connected with a device for the air pressure control by way of a common control unit. Actuating switches influencing the control unit serve for the mutually matched pressure adjustment of the tires for the summer and winter operation.

Abstract: A steel cord comprising at least 10 metal filaments and having an elongation of 0.015-0.045% under a load of 0.5 kgf, an elongation of 0.025-0.060% under a load 1 kgf, and an elongation of 0.060-0.114% under a load of 4 kgf, assuming that the elongation under a load of 0.05 kgf is 0%, has a soft twist construction and is suitable to be used in the carcass of a radial tire for truck and bus.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a system for varying the inflation pressure in the tires of a vehicle in order to obtain an operator selected tire deflection. The system includes a source of pressure which is fluidly connected through an inflation valve to the tires which, upon actuation, increases the tire pressure. Conversely, a deflation valve is also connected to the tire and, upon actuation, exhausts fluid from the tires thus decreasing the tire pressure. A pressure sensor detects the pressure representative of the pressure within the tires and a further sensor detects the vehicle load while a switch arrangement allows the operator to select between at least two different tire deflection levels. An electronic control unit receives input signals from the pressure and further sensors as well as from the switch arrangement and selectively actuates the inflation or deflation valves until a tire pressure corresponding to the desired tire deflection is obtained.

Abstract: A pneumatic tire comprises an annular tread at a central portion, a pair of side wall portions, bead portions, a carcass extending between both bead wires, and a breaker composed of two or more cord layers with cords arranged at a cord angle of 5-60.degree. relative to the circumferential direction and between the tread and the carcass and intersecting in the adjacent plies. The cords constituting the carcass or the breaker are substantially made of polytetramethylene adipamide (4,6-nylon), and as buried in a rubber of the tire, have the following characteristics:5.0(%).ltoreq.E.sub.2 .ltoreq.9.0(%)E.sub.2 +.DELTA.S.ltoreq.13.0(%)where E.sub.2 is an elongation (%) at 2.0 g/d, and .DELTA.S is a heat shrinkability (%) when measured in the state that the cords are left at 177.degree. C. under application of load of 20 g/cord for 30 minutes and kept as it is. The burying rubber has the following characteristics:20 kg/cm.sup.2 .ltoreq.M.sub.100(%) .ltoreq.60 kg/cm.sup.2where M.sub.

Abstract: In a non-skid device for tire constituted by two parallel cable-like members, and a plurality of non-skid strips which are fabricated of a flexible resilient material and positioned in a ladder form between the two cable-like members, each of the non-skid strips is formed approximately in an L-shape as viewed from the side face thereof, and two ends of the non-skid strip are secured respectively to the cable-like members via mounting fixtures with a longer side section of the non-skid strip as a surface coming into contact with ground. The non-skid strip securely fits to the peripheral surface of the tire, and the non-skid device can be mounted on a tire easily regardless of changes in outer shape of the tire caused by tire inflation pressure and tire width.