Abstract: The present invention is directed towards speckled tire treads for tires. Specifically, the speckled tire tread includes a primary tread compound that serves as a matrix in which is distributed discrete particles of one or more secondary tread compounds, at least one of the compounds is a different color than the other tread compound(s) so as to be visually distinguishable. For example, the primary tread compound may include carbon black pigment and be black in color while the secondary tread compound can include one or more pigments to provide the particles with non-black color. Thus, the colored particles have a visually distinguishable color from that of the primary tread composition. Additionally, at least a portion of the particles may be situated for viewing on a running surface of the tire tread so that a subject can visually distinguish between the compounds, and such observed compounds may provide a different tire performance characteristic(s).

Abstract: The tire includes a first and second axially-spaced bead core, a carcass having at least one belt extending under a tread, and a first ply layer having first and second ends, a first end is located axially outside and adjacent a first bead core, and a second end that is located axially outside and adjacent a second bead core. The carcass further comprises first and second shoulder ply layers each shoulder ply layer having first and second ends, a first end is located under the tread belt, the shoulder ply extending down the side wall region with the second end folding from a position axially outside a respective bead core to a position axially inside and around the bead core. The carcass further comprises an additional reinforcement layer which wraps around the bead and is preferably positioned between the shoulder ply and the first ply layer, although not required.

Abstract: A tire having an outside-in ply construction is provided which torques the tire bead into the rim of the wheel to which it is mounted. The tire has first and second axially-spaced bead cores, a carcass having at least one belt extending under a tread, and a first ply layer having first and second ends. A first end is located axially outside and adjacent a first bead core, and a second end folds from a position axially outside a second bead core to a position axially inside and around the second bead core. The carcass further comprises a second ply layer having first and second ends, a first end is located axially outside and adjacent the second bead core, and a second end that folds from a position axially outside a first bead core to a position axially inside and around the first bead core.

Abstract: A method of producing a tire having an outside-in ply construction is provided.

Abstract: The invention relates to a tire having a rubber tread comprised of cap/base construction where the tread cap layer provides the running surface of the tread and the tread base layer underlies the tread cap layer and thereby provides a transition between the tread cap layer and the tire carcass. For this invention, the tread cap layer is comprised of a plurality of individual circumferential load-bearing zones of rubber compositions, which exhibit graduated physical properties, and which extend from the outer running surface of the tread cap layer radially inward to said tread base layer. In one aspect, the zoned rubber tread cap layer and rubber tread base layer are co-extruded together to form a unit as an integral tread rubber composite.

Abstract: A pneumatic tire has a carcass structure extending through a pair of opposing bead portions and an inner liner located inward of the carcass structure, each bead portion comprising a bead core about which is wrapped the carcass structure and a toeguard. Each bead portion has a bead toe, a bead base, and a bead heel, the bead base extending between the bead toe and the bead heel. The bead heel has a profile corresponding to a sector of an ellipse or approximates a sector of an ellipse by having a dual radius structure. The bead base may have a dual taper configuration. The bead core may be substantially centered in the bead portion, as determined by the material thickness at three locations about the bead core.