Abstract: A tire carcass is disclosed herein which includes a first radial ply with shoulder portions and lateral edge portions, each of the lateral edge portions being wrapped around a bead core, a center line perpendicular to the bead core, a carcass crown portion, the carcass crown portion having a first edge and a second edge, and a non-continuous second radial ply, the second radial ply having a right side extending from approximately the first edge of the carcass crown portion, and extending approximately around the first bead core and a left side extending from approximately the second edge of the carcass crown portion, and extending approximately around the second bead core, wherein at least one side of the second radial ply is at an angle of less than approximately 75° with respect to the center line.

Abstract: A tire carcass is disclosed herein which includes a first radial ply, first and second sidewalls, a carcass crown portion, the carcass crown portion having a first edge and a second edge, and a non-continuous second radial ply, the second radial ply having a right side extending from approximately the first edge of the carcass crown portion, and extending approximately to at least the first bead core and a left side extending from approximately the second edge of the carcass crown portion, and extending approximately to at least the second bead core, wherein at least one of the sidewalls and the carcass crown portion are made of dissimilar material.

Abstract: A tire carcass is disclosed herein which includes a first radial ply with a shoulder portion and a lateral edge portion, the lateral edge portion being wrapped around a bead core, a carcass crown portion, the carcass crown portion having a first edge and a second edge, and a second radial ply with a second shoulder portion and a second lateral edge, the second lateral edge portion being wrapped around a second bead core, the first radial ply extending beyond the first edge of the carcass crown portion and the second radial ply extending beyond the second edge of the carcass crown portion.

Abstract: A vehicle wheel having a tire mounted on a wheel rim with a precured and foamed elastomeric material in a closed cavity in the tire and a polyurethane formed in the closed cavity around the precured and foamed elastomeric material.

Abstract: A carcass for a pneumatic tire includes a first annular bead, a second annular bead, a first continuous radial ply, a second continuous radial ply, and a third non-continuous radial ply. The first radial ply has two shoulder portions and two lateral edge portions. One lateral edge portion of the first ply extends from one shoulder portion of the first ply radially inward to a location proximal to the first annular bead. The other lateral edge portion of the first ply extends from the other shoulder portion of the first ply radially inward to a location proximal to the second annular bead. The second continuous radial ply has two shoulder portions and two lateral edge portions. One lateral edge portion of the second ply extends from one shoulder portion of the second ply radially inward to a location proximal to the first annular bead. The other lateral edge portion of the second ply extends from the other shoulder portion of the second ply radially inward to a location proximal to the second annular bead.

Abstract: An off the road tire comprising a carcass, a tread located radially outward of the carcass, the tread having a plurality of lugs, the lugs extending radially outward from an inner tread and being located between first and second lateral tread edges, a first row of lugs extending from the tread lateral edge axially inwards toward the centerplane, a second row of lugs extending from the opposite tread lateral edge and axially inwards toward the centerplane and wherein the lugs of the first and second rows are separated by a plurality of shoulder grooves, a third row of lugs located between the first and second row of lugs, wherein all of the lugs in each row are aligned circumferentially, wherein the lugs in the third row have two or more ends formed by grooves.

Abstract: A two-piece tire assembly 10 with a removable tread belt 12 for installing about the circumference of a tire carcass 14 is provided. The two-piece tire assembly 10 includes a tread belt 12 has a belt structure 90 having two or more belt layers 100, 110, 120, 130 each layer having one or more belts, wherein the belts in each layer 100, 110, 120 and 130 when viewed in a cross section have a. The tread belt 12 includes one belt layer 110 having 0 degree cord angles relative to an equatorial plane (EP) of the tread belt 12 and two belt layers 100, 120 having cords or opposite cord angles greater than 20 degrees, preferably in the range of 20 to 45 degrees. An optional fourth top belt layer 130 has cords oriented transverse or 90 degrees to the equatorial plane EP. The tread belt 12 has a radially inner surface 70 having one or more protruding circumferential ribs 72 or grooves 74 that fit into complementary grooves 18 or ribs 19 on an outer crown surface of the tire carcass 14.

Abstract: A two-piece tire assembly 10 with a removable tread belt 12 for installing about the circumference of a tire carcass 14 is provided. The two-piece tire assembly 10 includes a tread belt 12 has a belt structure 90 having two or more belt layers 100, 110, 120, 130 each layer having one or more belts, wherein the belts in each layer 100, 110, 120 and 130 when viewed in a cross section have a non-linear, preferably curved profile with a radius of curvature R. The tread belt 12 includes one belt layer 110 having 0 degree cord angles relative to an equatorial plane (EP) of the tread belt 12 and two belt layers 100, 120 having cords of opposite cord angles greater than 20 degrees, preferably in the range of 20 to 45 degrees. An optional fourth top belt layer 130 has cords oriented transverse or 90 degrees to the equatorial plane EP.

Abstract: The invention relates to a tire having a split ply carcass member with the ends of the split carcass ply spaced apart in the central crown portion of the tire and a central rubber layer spanning the gap between the split carcass ply ends, wherein said central rubber layer is reinforced with at least one of micro and macro reinforcing fillers. Said central rubber layer may additionally contain continuous cord reinforcement.

Abstract: The invention relates to a tire with a tread having an intermediate rubber layer which contains a dispersion of high strength hollow glass and/or ceramic microspheres. In particular, such tire tread is comprised of at least three radially disposed zones of rubber layers composed of a radially outer tread rubber cap layer, a radially inner tread base rubber layer and an intermediate, transition rubber layer positioned between said outer rubber cap layer and said inner rubber base layer. The intermediate tread rubber contains a dispersion of glass and/or ceramic microspheres together with a coupling agent.

Abstract: A tire carcass to be used with any type of tire is shown herein. A tire carcass includes a first ply portion, a second ply portion, each ply portion having an inner sidewall ply, an outer sidewall ply, a first end, a second end, and a bead core, a bridge portion, wherein the first ends of the ply portions are separated by the bridge portion, and at least two bridge plies, wherein the bridge plies span the bridge portion, wherein each of the bridge plies have a first end and a second end.

Abstract: A tire carcass is disclosed herein which includes a first radial ply with shoulder portions and lateral edge portions, each of the lateral edge portions being wrapped around a bead core, a carcass crown portion, the carcass crown portion having a first edge and a second edge, a non-continuous second radial ply, the second radial ply having a right side extending from approximately the first edge of the carcass crown portion, and extending approximately around the first bead core and a left side extending from approximately the second edge of the carcass crown portion, and extending approximately around the second bead core.

Abstract: The invention relates to a tire having a rubber tread configuration comprised of a circumferential non-cellular outer rubber cap rubber layer which contains a tread running surface, a circumferential internal, intermediate closed cellular rubber transition rubber layer positioned between said outer tread cap non-cellular rubber layer and a circumferential tread base non-cellular rubber layer. Said internal cellular rubber layer is thereby exclusive of said tread running surface and thereby abridges and joins said outer non-cellular rubber cap layer and said non-cellular base rubber layer of said tread configuration.

Abstract: A pneumatic tire has a pair of shoulder portions extending between a tread portion and opposed sidewall portions. The tire has at least one ply of a composite fabric. The composite fabric has three layers with the middle layer comprising a plurality of straight warp yarns wherein the three layers are bound together with binder yarns. At a minimum, the composite fabric ply is located in the tire shoulders.

Abstract: A tire and method of building a tire is described wherein the tire has a carcass having a pair of sidewall plies and a bridge ply, each ply being reinforced with cords, the sidewall plies each having a first end which is received between the bridge ply and a belt reinforcing structure; wherein each sidewall ply extends axially outward along the sidewall and extending radially inwardly to the bead core and folded from a position axially outside the bead core to a position axially inside and around the bead core to an axially inner turnup end; said bridge ply having ends which overlap with a respective inner turnup end of said sidewall ply.

Abstract: The invention relates to a tire having a split ply carcass member with the ends of the split carcass ply spaced apart in the central crown portion of the tire and a central rubber layer spanning the gap between the split carcass ply ends, wherein said central rubber layer is reinforced with at least one of micro and macro reinforcing fillers. Said central rubber layer may additionally contain continuous cord reinforcement.

Abstract: A two-piece tire assembly with a removable tread belt for installing about the circumference of a tire carcass is provided. The two-piece tire assembly includes a tread belt comprised of two or more belt layers, each layer having one or more belts, wherein at least one of the belts in each layer has a chord length less than about 25% of the circumferential length of the belt.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a pneumatic tire having a pair of spaced apart bead components, a connecting carcass between said bead components, and a rubber chafer positioned around at least a portion of each of said bead components and intended for contacting a rigid rim of a wheel, wherein said chafer comprises a self lubricating rubber composition, the self lubricating rubber composition comprising at least one rubber and from 1 to 50 phr of at least one additive selected from alcohols of formula I, esters of formula II, or amides of formula III wherein R1 and R2 are independently selected from C12-C36 alkyl, C12-C36 alkenyl, or C12-C36 alkadienyl.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for melting polymer is provided. In at least one embodiment, the apparatus includes a housing, two or more rotatable members at least partially contained within the housing, where each rotatable member having a shaft coupled thereto. The apparatus also includes a motor having a drive shaft directly coupled to the shaft of the rotatable members such that the rotatable members rotate at a speed of the motor drive shaft. The rotatable members are preferably non-intermeshing and counter-rotating.