Patents by Inventor George T. Watts

George T. Watts has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 4676777
    Abstract: An implement providing an irrigator/evacuator primarily intended for use in connection with urological surgery, includes a reservoir connected to one side of the barrel of a pump having an outlet opening at one end. A compressible bulb attached to the end of the barrel opposite the outlet opening can be utilized to displace fluid within the implement outwardly through the outlet opening for irrigation purposes, and subsequently to draw fluid into the implement for evacuation purposes. A free piston is housed within the pump so as to freely movable along the length of the barrel. Fluid drawn into the implement causes movement of the piston to a retracted position, allowing substantially unrestricted passage of pieces of tissue or other material into the reservoir.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 1984
    Date of Patent: June 30, 1987
    Inventor: George T. Watts
  • Patent number: 4573509
    Abstract: An annular ring-shaped run flat device is used in tires to permit continued use of the tire even when the tire is operating at low pressure or is completely deflated. This device is comprised of a rigid section and a non-rigid section. The tire, when it collapses, due to a reduction in pressure, comes to rest on the surface of the non-rigid, resilient, impact resistant section. This device is easy to assemble, can be used with conventional multi-piece rims, is light weight, durable and capable of absorbing impact under both inflated and deflated conditions. The device can also be used as a positive and non-positive bead spacer to prevent dismounting of the tire beads when tire pressure drops.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 1984
    Date of Patent: March 4, 1986
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventors: William T. Smith, Timothy M. Rooney, George T. Watts
  • Patent number: 4550827
    Abstract: There is disclosed a plastic bead protector and a method of packaging large tires having bead portions that are susceptible to damage by lifting hooks or fork trucks during shipment. The bead protectors are slideably inserted inside of the bead portions of a tire and are retained in position by a plurality of elastic tension members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 1984
    Date of Patent: November 5, 1985
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventors: George T. Watts, Theron J. Thaden
  • Patent number: 4474633
    Abstract: There is disclosed herein a method of manufacturing low aspect radial tires. The radial tires are mounted upon a bladder assembly during the time from the assembly of the tread reinforcing structure with the carcass until the vulcanization of the tire in a mold. Restrictor band material is wrapped around the tire to prevent circumferential growth of the tire beyond a predetermined diameter, so that the tire will not become too large to fit into the mold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 1982
    Date of Patent: October 2, 1984
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventor: George T. Watts
  • Patent number: 4374535
    Abstract: An elongated filler of flexible resilient material for an annular well of a rim on which a pneumatic tire having bead portions may be mounted. A reinforcing member of inextensible material is attached to the filler so that the filler may be installed as a unitary member. The filler has a length less than the circumferential distance around the rim at the well providing a space in the well for the tire valve and for a latch fastened to the ends of the reinforcing member. The latch applies tension to the reinforcing member which presses the filler against the rim preventing relative rotation and radial movement out of the well during operation at high speeds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 1978
    Date of Patent: February 22, 1983
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventor: George T. Watts
  • Patent number: 4351865
    Abstract: A detachable, resilient shield is maintained in contact with the sidewalls of a tire for off-the-road vehicles to protect this critical area of the tire from damage due to contact with external objects such as rocks. The tire includes a removable tread or a lug traction band. The shield is manufactured separately from the tire. The shield includes criss-crossed reinforcements which extend at oppositely directed angles greater than zero but less than ninety degrees relative to the circumferential direction of the tire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 1981
    Date of Patent: September 28, 1982
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventor: George T. Watts
  • Patent number: 4310041
    Abstract: A detachable, resilient shield is maintained in contact with the sidewalls of a tire for off-the-road vehicles to protect this critical area of the tire from damage due to contact with external objects such as rocks. The tire includes a removable tread or a lug traction band. The shield is manufactured separately from the tire. The shield includes criss-crossed reinforcements which extend at oppositely directed angles greater than zero but less than ninety degrees relative to the circumferential direction of the tire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 1979
    Date of Patent: January 12, 1982
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventor: George T. Watts
  • Patent number: 4252169
    Abstract: A removable resilient shield is maintained proximate the sidewalls of a tire for off-the-road vehicles to protect this critical area of the tire from damage due to contact with external objects such as rocks. The shield is attached to the rim flange. The radially inner portion of the shield is discontinuous to prevent accumulation of debris between the shield and the sidewall of a tire mounted on the rim.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 1979
    Date of Patent: February 24, 1981
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventor: George T. Watts
  • Patent number: 4252170
    Abstract: A segmental annular safety support having swivel hinged segments for mounting on a rim inside a tire chamber with at least one of said segments having resilient means at the inner periphery for compression between the rim and segment when the segments are latched together to provide preloaded clamping of the support on the rim.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 1978
    Date of Patent: February 24, 1981
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventor: George T. Watts
  • Patent number: 4235271
    Abstract: A removable resilient shield is maintained proximate the sidewall of a tire for off-the-road vehicles to protect this critical area of the tire from damage due to contact with external objects such as rocks. The shield is secured to the terminal portion of the rim flange. The radially inner portion of the shield is spaced axially of the rim and at least one radially extending passage is provided for removal of debris from between the shield and the sidewall of a tire mounted on the rim.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 1979
    Date of Patent: November 25, 1980
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventors: Richard J. Olsen, George T. Watts, Robert I. Griffiths
  • Patent number: 4163466
    Abstract: A safety support for mounting on a split rim inside a tire chamber to resiliently support the tread portion of the tire in the deflated condition and maintain the bead portions of the tire in separated positions. The support is in the form of an annular ring of resilient material having a base with a relatively wide radially inner surface for seating on the rim and separating the bead portions. A flange extends radially inward from the radially inner surface of the base for gripping by the rim sections to seal the space within the tire and retain the ring on the rim. The radially outer portion of the support has a diameter less than the diameter of the tread portion of the tire in the deflated condition and greater than the diameter of the base portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 1977
    Date of Patent: August 7, 1979
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventor: George T. Watts
  • Patent number: 4151870
    Abstract: A wheel with a rim having a drop center well and a retainer member for a tubeless pneumatic tire. In use the bead of the inflated tire is prevented from moving inwardly off the bear seat and into the drop center well of the rim by the retainer member which is fixed to the rim axially inwardly of and adjacent a bead of the tire. If during mounting and inflation of the tire a bead thereof becomes caught on the retainer, a gas bleed passage through the retainer prevents the tire from being inflated while the bead is caught thereon, thereby preventing damage to the bead of the tire and minimizing the risk of personal injury.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 1977
    Date of Patent: May 1, 1979
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventor: George T. Watts
  • Patent number: 3996985
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire and wheel assembly of the drop center type is disclosed including an inflatable annular cord-reinforced tube for filling the well of the wheel. The uninflated diameter of the cord-reinforced annular tube is substantially equal to the diameter of the base of the wheel well but expands to a diameter greater than the diameter of the bead seats upon inflation.The foregoing abstract is not to be taken as limiting the invention of this application, and in order to understand the full nature and extent of the technical disclosure of this application, reference must be made to the accompanying drawings and the following detailed description.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 1975
    Date of Patent: December 14, 1976
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventors: John M. Cady, George T. Watts
  • Patent number: 3990491
    Abstract: A safety or emergency insert device positioned on a wheel rim inside a tire chamber to support the tire in a deflated condition. The device has an annular ring member of substantially C-shaped cross section which member has a rim-engaging portion, an axially extending tire tread support portion and a curved intermediate portion joining the rim-engaging portion with one lateral edge of the tire tread support portion. The tread support portion is radially deflectable when a radial load is applied thereto by the weight of a vehicle when the tire surrounding the device is deflated. The annular ring member is made preferably of resilient plastic, spring steel or other suitable resilient material which will provide deflection when the support device is supporting a vehicle running on a flat tire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 1974
    Date of Patent: November 9, 1976
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventors: William J. Hampshire, George T. Watts
  • Patent number: 3974870
    Abstract: A tire with conventional components having a pair of annular beads with different diameters, and contour lengths which are substantially equal. The contour lengths are referenced to the sidewalls of the tire and are measured along the neutral axis of the carcass plies between the beads and a plane containing the mid-circumferential centerline of the tread.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 1974
    Date of Patent: August 17, 1976
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventor: George T. Watts
  • Patent number: 3948305
    Abstract: A bead retention system for mounting and retaining tires on a rim in which a band of resilient flexible material has a series of transverse bead separators mounted along its length at spaced-apart positions. The band has a length and configuration in the unstressed condition for positioning in a tire cavity prior to mounting of the tire on the rim. A cable connecting the ends of the band extends through a ratchet locking member and may be inserted through the valve hole of the rim whereby the band can be pulled down and locked in position around the rim after mounting of the tire on the rim.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 1975
    Date of Patent: April 6, 1976
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventor: George T. Watts