Abstract: A method of manufacturing a pneumatic tire comprises assembling unvulcanized rubber components to make a green tire, vulcanizing the green tire, and winding an unvulcanized rubber tape so that the windings collectively have a predetermined cross sectional shape for at least one of the unvulcanized rubber components to thereby make said at least one of the unvulcanized rubber components.

Abstract: The present invention provides a run-flat tire that can improve both of ride quality and run-flat performance. The run-flat tire of the present invention comprises a sidewall-reinforcing layer prepared by using a rubber composition comprising non-metallic short fibers having an average fiber diameter of 1 to 100 ?m and an average fiber length of 0.1 to 20 mm in an amount of 5 to 120 parts by weight on the basis of 100 parts by weight of a diene rubber, the non-metallic short fibers being oriented in the circumferential direction of the tire.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a pneumatic tire having a component including at least one diene based rubber and discontinuous textile cord having at least two textile yarns, wherein the cord is partially untwisted.

Abstract: A pneumatic tire using an inner liner layer comprising a film of a thermoplastic resin, or a blend of a thermoplastic resin and an elastomer, having an air permeation coefficient of not more than 25×10?12 cc·cm/cm2·sec·cmHg and a Young's modulus of 1 to 1000 MPa, wherein a buffer rubber layer containing short fibers is arranged between the inner liner layer and a carcass layer in bead directions from two ends of a widest width belt layer in ranges of at least 20 mm, whereby a problem of trouble during production is solved and the durability of the inner liner layer is improved, without causing a problem of an increase in tire weight.

Abstract: A sheathed thread comprises a bare thread coated in a rubber sheath. The sheath comprises a plurality of segments spaced apart from one another along the bare thread in such a manner that bare portions of thread alternate with sheathed portions of thread. The device for fabricating the sheathed thread comprises a sheathing chamber through which the thread passes. An isolator member is movable between a position in which it isolates the portion of the thread passing through the sheathing chamber from the rubber, and a position in which it puts the portion of the thread passing through the sheathing thread into contact with the rubber.

Abstract: A radial pneumatic vehicle tire, in particular a truck tire, includes a carcass insert having at least one ply and reinforcing elements of steel cord or a material of similar strength. The carcass insert is turned back in a bead region about a bead core to form a turn-up. At least one fabric reinforcing ply with tension-resistant, textile reinforcing elements, reinforces the bead region, runs around the bead core, has one side directly contacting the bead core and another side directly contacting the carcass insert and reaches on an inner tire side between a bead filler and the carcass insert, up to a height measured radially relative to a rim transition point of between 0.1 and 0.47 of a cross-sectional height of the tire and ending on an outer tire side, between the bead filler and the turn-up of the carcass insert, at a distance radially inside the turn-up.

Abstract: This invention relates to a pneumatic radial tire being excellent in steering stabilities during low-speed running and high-speed running, and more particularly to a pneumatic radial tire comprising at least one belt reinforcing layer 6A, 6B disposed on a belt 5 outward in a radial direction of the tire, characterized in that a reinforcing element constituting the belt reinforcing layer 6A, 6B is a polyketone fiber cord satisfying conditions of the following equations (I) and (II): ???0.01×E+1.2 ??(I) ???0.02 ??(II) [wherein ? is a thermal shrinkage stress (cN/dtex) at 177° C.; and E is an elastic modulus (cN/dtex) at 25° C. under a load of 49 N].

Abstract: An elastic tire according to the invention comprises a tread (1) which comprises at least one unit (3) for measuring the grip of the tire on the ground, the measuring unit (3) being intended to come into contact with the ground on each revolution of the tire, and comprising, viewed at a radially outer face (5) of the tread (1), a central zone (10) and an encircling zone (20) surrounding the central zone (10), a sensor (40) sensitive to at least a tangential force exerted on the radially outer top (11) of the central zone (10) being provided opposite the top (11), the central zone (10) and the encircling zone (20) satisfying the two conditions: a) Rzzc<Rzze, and b) (i) Rxzc/Rzzc>Rxze/Rzze or (ii) Ryzc/Rzzc>Ryze/Rzze, where: x, y and z represent the circumferential, axial and radial directions for the tire, Rzzc and Rzze represent the rigidities of the central zone (10) and of the encircling zone (20) under a force oriented perpendicularly to the radially outer face (5), Rxzc and Rxze represent the

Abstract: A tire having a sidewall component containing a dispersion of adhesive coated short carbon fiber reinforcement. Such sidewall component is comprised of at least one of an annular outer rubber layer and an annular sidewall internal rubber insert.

Abstract: This invention relates to a rubber composition and tire having at least one component of a rubber composition comprised of at least one diene-based elastomer, to the exclusion of butyl type elastomers, which contains an internal dispersion of corncob granules. Such tire component may be, for example, a tire tread and/or cord reinforced rubber ply and/or belt. A tire tread intended for winter driving, although not necessarily limited to winter driving, is provided of a rubber composition containing at least one diene-based sulfur vulcanizable elastomer having a Tg below ?30° C. and an internal dispersion therein of corncob granules. The running surface of the tire tread is configured with a combination of micro-protrusions of corncob granules from said corncob granule internal dispersion and micro-cavities therein created by a release of a portion of the protruded corncob granules during the abrading, or wearing, of the tire tread running surface as the tire is being run.

Abstract: A rubber composition which can improve performance on icy and snowy road sufficiently and a tire using the same. The rubber composition comprises 2 to 30 parts by weight of staple fibers having an average fiber diameter of 10 to 100 ?m and an average fiber length of 0.01 to 4 mm, and 1 to 10 parts by weight of particles having a Moh's hardness of at least 5 and an average particle size of at most 500 ?m based on 100 parts by weight of a diene rubber. The tire of the present invention is prepared by using the rubber composition for tread. Examples of the particle are pumice, quarts, emery and the like.

Abstract: A tread portion has blocks that are provided with a plurality of sipes having a zigzag part. A tread rubber is formed of short fiber mixed rubber comprising 1.5 to 25 parts by weight of short fibers in 100 parts by weight of rubber component. The sipes comprise a three dimensional sipe in which each wall surface forms bumps and dips whereby the short fibers are three dimensionally arranged. The three dimensional sipe comprises the zigzag part extending from the tread face to a certain depth, while (1) gradually moving towards a direction and then the opposite direction thereto or (2) changing the length of the segments of the zigzag.

Abstract: The invention proposes a technique of preventing a propagation of a damage in a reinforcing layer to a toric air bag even if the reinforcing layer arranged on an outer peripheral side of the toric air bag in a safety tire to suppress an unnecessary size growth of the toric air bag and allowed to a proper expansion deformation of the toric air bag in the puncture of the tire or the like is damaged by foreign matters entered through a puncture hole into the tire, in which the reinforcing layer separately arranged from the toric air bag is fitted on the outer peripheral side of the toric air bag having a hollow torus shape over its full periphery to suppress the propagation of the damage in the reinforcing layer to the toric air bag through an interface layer therebetween.

Abstract: A tread rubber G has a short-fiber-mixed rubber portion 10 forming a grounding surface. In a region Y1 between an outer grounding end Eo and a tire equator C located outside of a vehicle when a tire is mounted to the vehicle, the short fibers f are inclined and oriented at an angle ? outward of the vehicle radially outward of the tire, and an angle ?1 of the short fibers f in the outer grounding end Eo is greater than an angle ?2 of the short fibers f in the tire equator C.

Abstract: The present invention provides a studless tire excellent in performance on ice and snow in which digging friction is improved without losing adhesion friction. The studless tire has a tread comprising specific short fiber or plate-like material dispersed in diene rubber so as to be oriented in the tread thickness direction, wherein when measured at 25° C. the tread has a complex elastic modulus E1 in the tread thickness direction, and the sheet has a complex elastic modulus E? in the extrusion direction and a complex elastic modulus E? in a 90° direction from the extrusion direction, when the rubber composition is made into 2 mm sheets with a roller and these moduli fulfill the following equation, 60?(E1?E?)/(E??E?)×100?100 and the tread has a specific tread rubber hardness.

Abstract: The present invention, in one embodiment, is a method of making a tire with a skin covering at least a portion of the outer peripheral surface of the tire. In practicing the method, a partially cured tire and a partially cured skin are provided. The partially cured tire and the partially cured skin are installed in a tire mold with the skin engaging and covering at least a part of the outer surface of the tire and with the skin facing an inner surface of the mold. Heat and pressure are applied to the tire to press the skin and the tire against the inner surface of the mold. The heat and pressure are maintained for a predetermined time period to vulcanize and bond together the tire and the skin.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a pneumatic tire comprises assembling unvulcanized rubber components to make a green tire, vulcanizing the green tire, and winding an unvulcanized rubber tape so that the windings collectively have a predetermined cross sectional shape for at least one of the unvulcanized rubber components to thereby make said at least one of the unvulcanized rubber components.

Abstract: A cord-embedded rubber tape, a tire component made by winding such a tape, and a pneumatic tire comprising such a tire component are disclosed, wherein the tape is made of unvulcanized rubber and at least one cord is embedded therein along the length of the tape. The unvulcanized rubber may include short fibers oriented in the longitudinal direction of the tape.

Abstract: There is provided a studless tire that is excellent especially in performance on a snow or ice road. A studless tire, wherein non-metal staple fibers having an average fiber diameter of 1 to 100 ?m and an average length of 0.1 to 5 mm are dispersed in a diene rubber in such a way that the non-metal staple fibers are oriented in a thickness direction of a tread, a complex elastic modulus E1 in the thickness direction of the tread and an elastic module E2 in a circumferential direction of the tire measured at 25° C. satisfy the equation 1.1?E1/E2?4, and hardness of the tread rubber measured at ?10° C. is 45 to 75 degrees.

Abstract: There is proposed a toric air bag for a safety tire capable of sufficiently and equally contacting with a full inner face of a tire in the expansion-deformation of the toric air bag by a drop of an internal pressure in the tire, wherein at least an expansion-deforming portion of the toric air bag having a hollow torus shape as a whole is constructed with a tension support member, and to the expansion-deforming portion is given a property indicating a characteristic of extension ratio-tensile force that tensile force per unit width is substantially and gradually increased with the increase of elongation through the expansion-deformation.

Abstract: The rubber composition of the present invention is used for producing an inner liner of a pneumatic tire, and is obtained by compounding a rubber component and a layered or plate-like mineral. The layered or plate-like mineral has an aspect ratio of 3 or more and less than 30. The present invention further provides a production method of the rubber composition and a pneumatic tire which is produced by using the rubber composition. The present invention is applicable to a tire of passenger vehicles, bus or truck, and a tire of airplane. According to the present invention, the air permeation resistance is remarkably improved and the workability is also improved. Therefore, the rapture and hole defect of a non-vulcanized sheet during the tire construction can be avoided. By using the rubber composition, the gauge of the inner liner of pneumatic tire can be reduced while maintaining the inner pressure of tire, thereby reducing the weight of tire.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for continuously processing fiber into an elastomeric component uses an expanding die (11, 11a) for orienting fibers in other than the processing direction of the extrusion. In one embodiment, an injection mold (50) is used with the expanding die (11), and in another embodiment, an extruder (30) is used with expanding die (11a). Processing parameters may be alteredto control the direction of orientation of fibers (20) in the elastomer component. Orientation of fibers (20) in an extrudate (17) is dependent on the processing speed viscosity of the elastomer, pressure of extrusion, the length l1 and l2 and height h1 and h2 of gate (12) and expansion cavity (14), respectively, of the expansion die (11, 11a).

Abstract: A pneumatic tire having a rubber component comprised of (A) 100 parts by weight (phr) of a rubber containing olefinic unsaturation; (B) from 0 to 100 phr of a filler selected from carbon black and silica; and (C) from 5 to 50 phr of a starch/plasticizer composite and a rubber gel selected from the group consisting of polybutadiene gel, styrene butadiene gel, acrylonitrile-butadiene gel, chloroprene gel, natural rubber gel, and mixtures thereof, wherein the weight ratio of starch/composite to rubber gel is from about 10:1 to about 1:10.

Abstract: A pneumatic tire for vehicle wheels includes a radial carcass, a tread band, sidewalls and beads, and a belt structure. The tread band is provided with grooves on its surface for coming into contact with the ground and situated on a radial outer surface of the carcass. The sidewalls and beads anchor the tire on a wheel rim. The belt structure is disposed between the tread band and the carcass. Additionally, a fiber-reinforced elastomeric intermediate layer is placed between the belt structure and the tread band. Methods for manufacturing the pneumatic tire are also disclosed.

Abstract: A high performance tire includes a carcass provided with at least one carcass ply, a belt including two or more layers of reinforcing cords parallel to each other in a layer and crossed with respect to those of an adjacent layer, applied circumferentially on the carcass, a radially-external layer of circumferentially-oriented reinforcing cords applied on the belt, and a tread band comprising an underlayer and an external layer. The underlayer may have a hardness which is substantially constant over a temperature range between 23° C. and 100° C. The underlayer may also have an elastic modulus which is substantially constant over a temperature range between 70° C. and 100° C. Additionally, the underlayer may be made from an elastomer compound comprising reinforcing fibers and hardening resins. Further, the underlayer may have a hardness and an elastic modulus which remain substantially constant between 70° C. and 100° C. A method for making the tire is also disclosed.

Abstract: In a pneumatic tire of the present invention, a tread reinforcing rubber layer composed of a rubber having larger tensile modulus of elasticity than that of a rubber composing the tread rubber layer and is less stretchable is provided in a thickness direction central area of a tread rubber layer. Because the tread reinforcing rubber layer diminishes the amount of lateral expansion and the amount of vertical compressive deformation when the tread rubber layer contacts the ground, generation of heat in the tread rubber layer can be suppressed. Therefore, in the present invention, the unique tread structure reliably suppresses heat-generation and the rubber of the tread rubber layer exhibits excellent tire wear resistance. As a result, suppression of heat-generation and high tire resistance can readily be achieved simultaneously.

Abstract: The present invention provides a studless tire which has superior performance on ice and snow in which adhesion friction, digging friction and scratching friction of the tire to the road and abrasion resistance are improved and can maintain this performance. The studless tire has a tread comprising diene rubber and non-metal short fiber which is surface-treated in advance and dispersed in said diene rubber so as to be oriented in the tread thickness direction, wherein when measured at 25° C.

Abstract: A high transverse-curvature tire for two-wheeled vehicles includes a carcass structure, a belt structure, and tread. The carcass structure includes at least two superimposed plies provided with reinforcing cords. The belt structure includes radially-outer and radially-inner layers. Each ply's reinforcing cords are essentially parallel to other reinforcing cords of that ply and are oriented along directions inclined with respect to an equatorial plane of the tire. The reinforcing cords of at least two adjacent plies are oriented in opposite directions with respect to the equatorial plane. The carcass structure includes at least one first sheet, located between the at least two plies, made of an elastomeric material incorporating fibrous reinforcing fillers. The plurality of circumferential coils are distributed with a constant density throughout an axial development of the belt structure.

Abstract: A pneumatic tire comprises: a tread rubber having a blended rubber portion constituted by a short fiber blended rubber obtained by adding a nonmetal short fiber to a rubber base material forming a tread surface and having a rubber hardness Hs1 (a durometer A hardness) at 25 deg. C. of 58 to 72 degrees; the short fiber being harder than an ice and having an average fiber diameter of 5 to 50 micrometers, an average length of 0.05 to 5.0 mm and a blended amount with respect to a rubber base material 100 weight portion of 2 to 20 weight portion; and the blended rubber portion being provided with a base portion obtained by directing said short fiber in a tread thickness direction, and a surface portion arranged in a radially outer side of the base portion so as to form the tread surface and obtained by directing said short fiber in a direction parallel to said tread surface.

Abstract: A rubber tire component (10, 20, 30, 40) is laden with a mixture of fibers (12). The fibers (12) being sensitive to induction heating can be rapidly cured using a variety of methods. The preferred method permits a selective induction curing of the fiber laden component (10, 20, 30, 40) in combination with conventional curing presses.

Abstract: A radial ply tire (10) has a floating reinforcement ply on the inside shoulder/sidewall region of the tire. The reinforcement ply comprises ply rubber having a gauge sufficient to delocalize flexing in the tire shoulder/sidewall region, and in one embodiment may be reinforced with 0.50 to 6.0 phr fibers. Depending on the type of tire in which the reinforcement ply is used, the reinforcement has a total gauge of 0.005 inch to 0.175 inch (0.127 to 4.445 mm). When fiber is used in the illustrated embodiment, the fiber is oriented circumferentially in the tire.

Abstract: A pneumatic tire comprising a rubber member containing a short fiber (A′) formed by the fibrillation of a short fiber (A) whose cross section takes a sea-island structure essentially composed of at least two polymers.

Abstract: A pneumatic tire comprising a rubber member containing a short fiber (A′) formed by the fibrillation of a short fiber (A) whose cross section takes a sea-island structure essentially composed of at least two polymers.

Abstract: A pneumatic tire comprising a rubber member containing a short fiber (A′) formed by the fibrillation of a short fiber (A) whose cross section takes a sea-island structure essentially composed of at least two polymers.

Abstract: A pneumatic tire comprising a rubber member containing a short fiber (A′) formed by the fibrillation of a short fiber (A) whose cross section takes a sea-island structure essentially composed of at least two polymers.

Abstract: A bead portion of a tire has a short fiber reinforcing rubber layer extending along a side surface of a bead apex rubber from a bead core to a height position which is lower than an radially outer end of the bead apex rubber. The short fiber reinforcing rubber layer has short fibers compounded at an amount of 10 to 30 parts by weight with respect to 100 parts by weight of the rubber, and the short fibers are oriented in the tire circumferential direction.

Abstract: In a high-transverse-curvature tire (1), in particular to be mounted on the front wheel of a motor-vehicle, comprising a belt structure (6) including, in a radially external layer (9a), a plurality of circumferential coils (7a), axially arranged side by side, of a cord (7) wound at a substantially zero angle with respect to the equatorial plane (X-X) of the tire, the area occupied by rubber blocks (10) formed in a portion of the tread band (8) having a length equal to the pitch (p) of the tread pattern and a width equal to the axial development of the tread band (8), is between 70% and 90% of the total area of said portion. Such a tire (1) advantageously couples a substantial reduction in the shimmy effect with a good wet grip and a reduction in both the braking distance and aquaplaning phenomena on wet road.

Abstract: A studless tire comprises a tread defining a ground-contacting region, the tread comprising at least a diene rubber and non-metallic short fibers oriented in the tire radial direction. The tire profile satisfies the following equation 1>TW/S>0.92−0.17×A wherein TW is the ground-contacting width of the tire; S is the section width of the tire; and A is the tire aspect ratio. In the ground-contacting region, at least one circumferential rib of which total axial width is 15 to 30% of the ground-contacting width TW may be disposed. The ground-contacting face of the tread may be provided on at least 80% of its area with unevenness molded by a tire vulcanizing mold so as to have a ten-point mean roughness of from 30 to 500 micrometers.

Abstract: A rubber composition for a tire tread, or a pneumatic tire using the same in a tire tread portion, wherein the tread portion contains a diene rubber; and carbon black and/or silica; and a gas-encapsulated thermoplastic resin and, further, a short fiber, a hard particle and/or a liquid polymer, and wherein the gas-encapsulated thermoplastic resin particle is obtained by expanding, upon heating. at a temperature of an expansion starting temperature thereof or more, prior to vulcanization of a rubber, a thermally expansible thermoplastic resin particle, which comprises a thermoplastic resin having an expansion starting temperature of from 70° C. to less than 120° C. and having a heat resistance to withstand vulcanization of rubber, followed by vulcanization to uniformly disperse the gas-encapsulated thermoplastic resin in the rubber, or a short fiber, a hard particle and/or a liquid polymer is further compounded to give a high frictional force on ice.

Abstract: A front tire for two-wheeled vehicles comprising a carcass of toric form having a high transverse curvature and provided with a central crown and two sidewalls terminating in a pair of beads for anchoring to a corresponding mounting rim, a tread band located on the crown and a circumferentially-inextensible belt structure disposed between the carcass and tread band. The belt structure at a radially external position is comprised of a layer of cord coils substantially disposed at a zero angle to the equatorial plane of the tire in axial side-by-side relationship and extended from one axial extremity of the belt to the other axial extremity of the belt. The winding thickness of the cord coils increasingly grows from the equatorial plane to the belt axial extremities.

Abstract: A pneumatic tire is disclosed, which comprises: (1) a reinforcing rubber layer made of short fiber reinforced rubber, alternatively (2) a reinforcing rubber layer having hardness set in a range of 90° to 99° of JIS-A hardness, which is arranged in an area of a bead section from a bead toe section along a tire inner wall surface, and wherein a chafer composed a non-metallic fiber cord having a high strength and a high elastic modulus is provided to cover an outer side of the reinforcing rubber layer from the tire inner wall surface to the bead toe area.

Abstract: A high transverse-curvature tire for two-wheeled vehicles comprises a carcass structure (2) including at least one ply (3, 4) provided with reinforcing cords (8, 9) substantially parallel to one another and oriented along directions inclined with respect to the equatorial plane (x-x) of the tire, a belt structure (10) formed by a radially inner layer provided with a sheet (11) made of an elastomeric material, and a radially outer layer provided with a plurality of circumferential coils (14a) axially arranged side by side of a cord (14) wound at a substantially null angle with respect to the equatorial plane (x-x) of the tire. Said tire (1) advantageously associates optimum performances of road behavior both in straight stretches and in curve, wear regularity, good kilometric yield and low weight.

Abstract: A high transverse-curvature tire for two-wheeled vehicles comprises a belt structure (10) provided in a radially inner layer (10a) with a strip (11) made of an elastomeric material incorporating a plurality of reinforcing cords inclined with respect to the equatorial plane of tire (1) and provided in a radially outer layer (10b) with a plurality of circumferential coils (14a), axially arranged side by side, of a cord (14) wound at a substantially null angle with respect to the equatorial plane (x-x) of the tire along a winding direction adapted to compression-stress portions made of an elastomeric material interposed between consecutive reinforcing cords (12) incorporated in the strip (11) of the radially inner layer (10a). Such tire (1) advantageously associates optimum performances of wear regularity, road behavior both in straight stretches and in curve, good kilometric yield and low weight.

Abstract: The present invention provides a pneumatic safety tire comprising a pair of left and right bead cores, a carcass layer, a multi-layer belt portion, a tread portion, and a pair of side wall portions disposed at the left and right of said tread portion, wherein at least one sheet of a rubber-filament fiber composite formed from filament fibers and a rubber component is disposed at said side wall portions in a vicinity of said carcass layer. The safety tire of the present invention maintains the properties during ordinary use under the inflated condition at high levels, has a light weight, and shows remarkably improved properties during use under the run-flat condition.

Abstract: A high transverse-curvature tire for two-wheeled vehicles includes a carcass structure, a belt structure, and a tread. The carcass structure includes at least two superimposed plies provided with reinforcing cords. The belt structure includes radially-outer and radially-inner layers. The reinforcing cords of each ply are essentially parallel to other reinforcing cords of that ply and are oriented along directions inclined with respect to an equatorial plane of the tire. The reinforcing cords of at least two adjacent superimposed plies are oriented in opposite directions with respect to the equatorial plane of the tire. The carcass structure includes at least one first sheet, located between the at least two superimposed plies, made of an elastomeric material incorporating fibrous reinforcing fillers. The radially-inner layer includes at least one second sheet made of an elastomeric material incorporating fibrous reinforcing fillers.

Abstract: A high transverse-curvature tire for two wheeled-vehicles comprises a carcass structure, a belt structure including radially-inner and radially-outer layers, and a tread. The radially-inner layer comprises at least one strip made of an elastomeric material incorporating a plurality of reinforcing cords essentially parallel to one another and oriented along directions inclined with respect to the equatorial plane of the tire. The radially-outer layer includes a plurality of circumferential coils, axially arranged side-by-side, of at least one circumferentially-inextensible cord wound at a substantially null angle with respect to the equatorial plane of the tire according to a winding direction adapted to compression-stress elastomeric material portions interposed between consecutive reinforcing cords incorporated in the at least one strip of the radially-inner layer.

Abstract: A pneumatic tire having at least two or more pieces of carcasses, wherein a high hardness rubber component sheet, which has tensile stress of 2.0 MPa or more when extended by 20% to a tire circumferential direction and JIS-A hardness of 65 or more, is arranged at least between carcass plies at a tread portion.

Abstract: A studless tire contains tread portion made of vulcanized rubber, compounded from 100 parts by weight of rubber and 2 to 30 parts by weight of short fibers, and the tread portion has a ground connecting region with sipes, formed by pressing thin plates onto the tread rubber during vulcanizing, whereby the thin plates orient the short fibers in a radial direction. Preferably, the short fibers have a diameter of not more than 30 &mgr;m and a length of from 0.3 to 20 nm, and the thickness of the thin plates or the width of the sipes ranges from 0.2 to 0.5 mm with spacings being sipes less than 10 mm. The short fibers are circumferentially oriented before pressing the thin plates, and the total length in mm of axial component of all sipes ranges from 0.05 to 0.15 times the area in mm2 of ground contacting region.

Abstract: The invention herein relates to an improved tire structure comprised of a plurality of thin steel plates crisscrossingly arranged in the thick portion of a tire surface and an assembly of cover tire installed around the surface of said tire; the plurality of up and down crisscrossingly arranged thin steel plates form a shield along the circumference of tire that removes the worry of the tire being punctured by sharp objects on the roads when the vehicle travels, thus enhancing driving safety; the cover tire can be replaced after it is worn out without the need to change the whole tire, thus effectively reducing the consumption of rubber for tire production that makes the invention herein both economical and environmentally friendly.

Abstract: A pneumatic tire comprises a bead apex disposed in each bead portion, and a carcass ply extending between the bead portions and turned up in each bead portion so as to wrap the bead apex therein, the bead apex made of a hybrid material which is compounded from rubber, synthetic resin and short fiber at least. Preferably, the short fiber has an average diameter of 0.01 to 0.20 mm and an average length of 1.0 to 10.0 mm, and the proportion of the short fiber is 3 to 15 parts by weight with respect to 100 parts by weight of the rubber. The hybrid material has a 100% modulus of at least 10.0 MPa, a tensile strength of at least 10.0 MPa, a breaking elongation EB of at least 200%, a Mooney viscosity of from 30 to 50 ML1+4, and a scorch time (t10) of at least 20 minutes.