Utilizing At Least One Ply The Cords Of Which Run Circumferentially (zero Degree Belt) Patents (Class 152/531)
  • Patent number: 6244315
    Abstract: A tire for two-wheeled vehicles is described, said tire having a transverse curvature coefficient with a value of not less than 0.15, comprising a torus-shaped carcass having structural means which allow improvements in the handling of the vehicle, while leaving unchanged the other performance characteristics, in particular the comfort. These structural means consist in at least one ply of a rubberized fabric provided with textile cords having a count of between 420/2 and 840/2 dtex and a modulus of elasticity of between 100,000 MPa/cm and 200,000 MPa/cm. Preferably the carcass comprises a pair of these rubberized fabric plies reinforced with PEN cords.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2001
    Assignee: Pirelli Pneumatici S.p.A.
    Inventor: Giancarlo Armellin
  • Patent number: 6237661
    Abstract: A run-flat tire comprises a carcass ply extending between the bead portions, and a sidewall reinforcing layer disposed axially inside said carcass ply in each sidewall portion, wherein in a normally inflated unloaded state, a profile line from a tire equator point (P) to a maximum tire section width point (D) is curved substantially along an involute curve so as to have a radius of curvature decreasing continuously from the tire equator point towards the sidewall portion, the basic circle of the involute curve is an ellipse whose major axis extends in the tire radial direction, the radial distance (h) between the tire equator point (P) and the maximum tire section width point (D) is more than 34% but less than 50% of the tire section height (H).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2001
    Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Kazuo Asano
  • Patent number: 6186205
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire for a passenger car having a pair of bead portions, a toroidal carcass portion extending over both bead portions, at least two belt layers provided in a crown portion of the carcass, a tread portion positioned at an outer peripheral side of the belt layer, and side wall portions provided at the right and left sides of the tread portion, and which further includes a steel cord as a reinforcing material for reinforcing at least one layer of the carcass portion and the belt layer. The steel cord is formed by plying a plurality of filaments each having a strand diameter of 0.125 to 0.275 mm, and has an inflection point on an S—S curve. A reduction rate of a diameter of the steel cord under a load stress which is one third of breaking strength in comparison with a no load condition is equal to or more than 20%.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2001
    Assignee: Bridgestone Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuo Oshima, Kozo Sasaki, Tomohisa Nishikawa, Kazuomi Kobayashi, Kenji Matsuo
  • Patent number: 6125900
    Abstract: A tire for an airplane has radial carcass reinforcement surmounted by a cn reinforcement composed of at least three plies of textile reinforcing elements, including at least one twin zig-zag ply of two zig-zag plies "guided" at an angle .alpha., abbreviated to NT.alpha..degree., and at least one other "guided" ply, wherein the crown reinforcement comprises, at least between one twin zig-zag ply and one of the other "guided" plies, a decoupling intermediate layer of thickness e forming a radial distance of at least 1.0 mm between the cords of the radially lower ply and the cords of the radially upper ply surrounding the intermediate layer, the intermediate layer being formed of textile reinforcing elements coated in a rubber compound whose secant modulus of elasticity, measured at a relative elongation of between 0.06 and 0.2, is between 5 and 9 MPa.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2000
    Assignee: Compagnie Generale des Establissements Michelin - Michelin & Cie
    Inventors: Pierre De Loze de Plaisance, deceased, by Marin De Loze de Plaisance, heir, by Yvan De Loze de Plaisance, heir, by Florent De Loze de Plaisance, heir, by Myriam De Loze de Plaisance, heiress
  • Patent number: 6116311
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire comprises a breaker disposed radially outside a carcass and having a cord angle of not less than 10 degrees, and a band disposed between the carcass and the breaker and having a cord angle of less than 10 degrees, the breaker having a double-layered cord structure comprising a radially outer layer and a radially inner layer between which the cord inclination is reversed, the band being made of spiral windings of at least one cord; and the breaker is preferably formed by continuously winding at least one cord zigzag around the radially outside of the band plural times, in each turn the tape being bent at the axial edges of the breaker.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2000
    Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Ueyoko, Kazuki Numata, Tsuneyuki Nakagawa
  • Patent number: 6098683
    Abstract: The belt of a pneumatic tire is a laminate of a circumferential belt layer and an inclined belt layer, the circumferential belt layer comprising a plurality of reinforcing elements arranged substantially in parallel with the equatorial plane of the tire and coated with rubber, and the inclined belt layer comprising a plurality of reinforcing elements inclined with respect to the equatorial plane of the tire and coated with rubber, wherein at least in the coating rubber of the circumferential belt layer and the coating rubber of the inclined belt layer adjoining each other, the modulus of elasticity of the coating rubber of the circumferential belt layer is lower than that of the coating rubber of the inclined belt layer. The pneumatic tire of the invention avoids the disadvantage generated by addition of a circumferential belt layer while strengthening the circumferential rigidity by the circumferential belt layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2000
    Assignee: Bridgestone Corporation
    Inventor: Tatsuo Nakano
  • Patent number: 6089293
    Abstract: A reinforcement ply for an elastomeric article comprises a plurality of parallel extensible reinforcing members laid at a substantially constant end count perpendicular to their longitudinal direction, the ply having different extensibilities in the longitudinal direction of the reinforcing members in different parts of the ply. The reinforcing members are preferably made such that they each have at least one filament which is displaced perpendicularly from the longitudinal centerline of the reinforcing member in one part of the reinforcing member compared to another part. A tire may include the reinforcement ply as a hoop or band in the ground contacting tread region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2000
    Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries Ltd.
    Inventor: Kevin John Niderost
  • Patent number: 6082426
    Abstract: A tire with radial carcass reinforcement 1, having a crown reinforcement 3 aving at least two working crown plies 32, 34 made of inextensible cables, crossed from one ply to the other and forming angles of between 10.degree. and 45.degree. with the circumferential direction, characterized in that in the absence of any ply formed of inextensible cables forming an angle greater than 45.degree. with the circumferential direction, an additional, axially continuous, ply 33 formed of metallic elements oriented substantially parallel to the circumferential direction, is placed radially between the working plies 32, 34, having an axial width L.sub.33 at least equal to 1.05 times the axial width of the widest working crown ply L.sub.32, L.sub.34.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2000
    Assignee: Compagnie Generale des Etablissements Michelin - Michelin & Cie
    Inventor: Andre Colom
  • Patent number: 6082425
    Abstract: A tire having an Heterologous/S form ratio of at least 0.50, having a rad carcass reinforcement (1) and crown reinforcement (3) composed of at least two working crown plies (31,33) made of inextensible metal cables, crossed from one ply to the next, forming angles of between 10.degree. and 45.degree. with the circumferentail direction, and of an additional ply (32) which is axially continuous and formed of metallic elements oriented substantially parallel circumferential direction. Said ply (32) over the working ply (31) radially closest carcass reinforcement (1,) and the ratio of its rigidity of extension per unit of width to the total of the rigidities of extension of the other plies of the crown reinforcement being between 0.35 and 0.70.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2000
    Assignee: Compagnie Generale des Etalissements Michelin - Michelin & Cie
    Inventor: Andre Colom
  • Patent number: 6082423
    Abstract: A very light weight tire 10 has at least one radial ply 38 and a rayon belt structure 36, having two single cut belt layers 50, 51 covered by an overlay 59 having cords 80 selected from the group of aramid, rayon, PEN, PET and PVA. The tire 10 has a very thin or reduced gauge (t) undertead 13. The tire 10 can be made having very low rolling resistance due to the combination of casing structure and the reduced rubber mass.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2000
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventors: Alain Emile Francois Roesgen, Atte Smits, Marie-Rita Catherine Amelie Thise-Fourgon, Eric Gerard Marie Packbier, David Paterson Craig
  • Patent number: 6079463
    Abstract: A pneumatic radial tire comprises a breaker-belt disposed radially outside a carcass, and a band-belt disposed radially outside the breaker-belt and having organic fiber cords laid in substantially parallel with the tire equator. In the meridian section of the tire which is mounted on a standard rim and inflated to 0.5% of a standard inner pressure, the tread has a triple radius profile and the band-belt having a variable ply number accommodated to the triple radii of the tread such that the number of plies throughout more than sixty percent (60%) of the axial width of the parts of the tread having the first, second and third radii of curvature, respectively, are different from each other. The tread profile is composed of a central part of a radius R1, a pair of middle parts of a radius R2, and a pair of shoulder parts of a radius R3. For example, the ply number N1 in the central part is 0, the ply number N2 in the middle parts is 1, and the ply number N3 in the shoulder parts is 2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2000
    Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobuaki Minami, Toshihiro Okada
  • Patent number: 6070631
    Abstract: A high-transverse-curvature tire (1), in particular to be mounted on the front wheel of a motor-vehicle, comprises 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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2000
    Assignee: Pirelli Coordinamento Pneumatici SPA
    Inventors: Giancarlo Armellin, Peter Kronthaler
  • Patent number: 6065518
    Abstract: A heavy duty pneumatic tire comprises a belt disposed radially outside a carcass and radially inside a tread portion, the belt comprising at least one ply of at least one high-elongation steel cord, the high-elongation steel cord being formed by twisting at least three waving steel filaments together to form a core and a sheath surrounding the core. The waving filaments change place repeatedly along the longitudinal direction of the cord such that one of the filaments forms the core in a portion, but in a different portion of the cord, the same filament forms part of the sheath, thereby defining a plurality of first parts with the core and a plurality of second parts without the core which are disposed alternately in the longitudinal direction of the cord. The elongation at break of the high-elongation steel cord is in the range of from 4 to 10%.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 1996
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2000
    Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Rie Miyawaki, Masatsugu Kohno
  • Patent number: 6058996
    Abstract: A pneumatic radial tire comprises a breaker belt disposed radially outside the carcass having at least two cross plies of high elastic modulus cords laid at an inclination angle of from 15 to 30 degrees with respect to the tire equator, and a band belt disposed radially outside the breaker belt and comprising a full-width band and a pair of axially spaced edge bands, wherein the full-width band is made of low elastic modulus organic fiber cords arranged substantially parallel to the tire equator. The edge bands are made of high modulus organic fiber cords arranged substantially parallel to the tire equator, whereby the high speed durability and cornering performance are improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2000
    Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Toshiaki Suzuki
  • Patent number: 6016858
    Abstract: A very light weight tire 10 has at least one radial ply 38 and a fiberglass belt structure 36 covered by an overlay 59 having cords 80 selected from the group of aramid, rayon, PEN, PET and PVA. The tire 10 has a very thin or reduced gauge (t) undertead 13. The tire 10 can be made having very low rolling resistance due to the combination of casing structure and the reduced rubber mass.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 1997
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2000
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventors: Alain Emile Francois Roesgen, Atte Smits, Marie-Rita Catherine Amelie Thise-Fourgon, Eric Gerard Marie Packbier, David Paterson Craig
  • Patent number: 6016857
    Abstract: A very light weight tire 10 has at least one radial ply 38 and a aramid belt structure 36, having two single cut belt layers 50,51 covered by an overlay 59 having cords 80 selected from the group of aramid, rayon, PEN, PET and PVA. The tire 10 has a very thin or reduced gauge (t) undertead 13. The tire 10 can be made having very low rolling resistance due to the combination of casing structure and the reduced rubber mass.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 1997
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2000
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventors: Alain Emile Francois Roesgen, Atte Smits, Marie-Rita Catherine Amelie Thise-Fourgon, Eric Gerard Marie Packbier, David Paterson Craig
  • Patent number: 6012498
    Abstract: Composites of high melting point thermoplastics such as polyphenylene sulfide or polyimide and high modulus fibers such as carbon, graphite, or boron can be bonded to rubber using a primer such as a metal primer. The composite desirably has a modulus of elasticity of at least 750,000 psi and can be used as a belt in a no-flat tire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2000
    Assignee: Bridgestone Corporation
    Inventor: Russell W. Koch
  • Patent number: 5996662
    Abstract: A radial "heavy vehicle" tire, of H/S form ratio of at most 0.60, with a wn reinforcement (2) composed of at least two crossed working plies (21, 22), and at least one ply (20) of circumferential cables arranged above the carcass ply (1) and a tread (10) of width L, characterized in that there is arranged, between the ply of circumferential cables (20) and the first, radially innermost, working ply (21), a layer of rubber mix (4) of low modulus of extension, of constant thickness of between 2 and 3 mm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 7, 1999
    Assignee: Compagnie Generale des Etablissements Michelin--Michelin & Cie
    Inventor: Guy Cluzel
  • Patent number: 5988246
    Abstract: In a tire for motor-vehicles, an auxiliary support element (9) is interposed between a carcass ply (3) and a belt structure (6). The support element is employed during the manufacturing step of the belt structure (6) in order to stably retain, on the sectors of a comb drum (10), coils (7a) consecutively formed by winding of an inextensible cord (7) therearound. The auxiliary support element (9) is made in the form of an elastomeric sheet containing short aramid fibers in an amount included between 1 and 10 parts by weight per 100 parts of elastomeric material, to increase the stretchability of said element without impairing its adhesiveness. The introduction of the short aramid fibers in the blend enables the thickness of the auxiliary support element (9) to be reduced to about 0.075 mm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 1995
    Date of Patent: November 23, 1999
    Assignee: Pirelli Coordinamento Pneumatici S.p.A.
    Inventors: Claudio Villani, Alessandro Volpi
  • Patent number: 5975175
    Abstract: A pair of high-transverse-curvature tires for two-wheeled vehicles is provided, in which the belt structure of the rear tire comprises a layer of inextensible cords disposed at a substantially zero angle with respect to the equatorial plane of the tire, preferably wound on a sheet of elastomeric material reinforced with aramid pulp, whereas the belt structure of the front tire comprises at least one radially outer layer of inextensible cords disposed at a substantially zero angle with respect to the equatorial plane of the tire and distributed with an axially variable density, and preferably another reinforcing layer at a radially underlying position. The zero-degree cords preferably are metallic cords of the high-elongation type, made of high-carbon steel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 2, 1999
    Assignee: Pirelli Coordinamento Pneumatici S.P.A.
    Inventor: Giancarlo Armellin
  • Patent number: 5971048
    Abstract: A pneumatic radial tire has a carcass extending around the tire from bead-to-bead, sidewalls and a rubber tread region which has a profile, when considered in transverse cross section, of a new tire terminating at the sides of the tread in inner and outer shoulder regions, respectively, each shoulder region having a shoulder drop, which is the distance, in the radially inward direction, from the point of maximum tire diameter to a point of the shoulder at the edge of the shoulder region, such that when the tire is mounted on a scheduled wheel rim and inflated to a scheduled pressure, the tread region is asymmetric, having its point of maximum tire diameter offset in the axial direction of the tire from the center line of the tire section in the direction of the inner shoulder, and the shoulder drop of the outer shoulder is greater than the shoulder drop of the inner shoulder such that the tread region has an asymmetric profile, wherein the tread region has a substantially constant tread gauge or thickness exc
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 26, 1999
    Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries Limited
    Inventors: Stephen Michael Ashmore, Firdos Phiroz Avari
  • Patent number: 5972142
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a radial tire is disclosed, wherein a tread ring is formed separately from a tire main body by the use of a tread ring forming apparatus. The radial tire comprises a belt having a camber and a band wound thereon. The tread ring is an annular assembly of a raw belt, a raw band wound thereon and a raw tread rubber. The tread ring forming apparatus comprising a belt drum made up of segments defining the drum circumference. In a cross section including the belt drum axis, the radially outer surface of each segment is a straight line parallel to the axis. In a cross section normal to the belt drum axis, the radially outer surface is an arc having one radius substantially equal to one half of the drum diameter, but the drum circumference is decreased in the belt edge portion than the central portion by increasing gaps between the segments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 26, 1999
    Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yutaka Kuroda, Masayuki Sakamoto, Toshihiko Omokawa, Kazuya Suzuki
  • Patent number: 5968295
    Abstract: A pneumatic radial tire for passenger car comprises a circumferential belt layer in addition to a slant belt layer, in which specified PET, nylon, PEN or vinylon fiber cords or steel cords are used in the circumferential belt layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 1995
    Date of Patent: October 19, 1999
    Assignee: Bridgestone Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshihide Kohno, Eiji Yamanaka, Toshinobu Kobayashi, Takayuki Sato
  • Patent number: 5935354
    Abstract: A tire, having at least one carcass reinforcement, furthermore comprises itional reinforcement ply (1) of maximum circumferential length L, composed at least of lengths (20) of metal wires or cables, of lengths of between 0.1 L and 0.5 L, arranged substantially circumferentially, parallel to each other and forming rows separated from each other, in the direction perpendicular to their orientation, by gaps (p, P), characterized in that a textile cord or cable (3) of synthetic material is present in at least one gap out of two, and continuous over the entire length of the rows.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 10, 1999
    Assignee: Compagnie Generale des Etablissements Michelin - Michelin & Cie
    Inventor: Jean Billieres
  • Patent number: 5931211
    Abstract: A radial tire has a pair of bead portions; a carcass which is toroidal and extends across the bead portions; a tread portion positioned at a crown portion of the carcass; and sidewall portions of the carcass, and at least one belt reinforcing layer is disposed at the entire tread portion and/or at both end portions of the tread portion at an outer peripheral side of at least two belt layers which are disposed at an inner side of the tread portion, the belt reinforcing layers being formed by narrow, rubber-coated strips, which include a plurality of fiber cords, being wound endlessly in spirals so that the fiber cords are substantially parallel in a circumferential direction of the tire, wherein the belt reinforcing layer cords comprise organic fiber cords, the elongation of the organic fiber cords under 1.4 g/d load at 50.+-.5.degree. C. is less than or equal to 2.7%, and the elongation under 0.7 g/d load at 170.+-.5.degree. C. is 1.5 to 6.0%.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 1996
    Date of Patent: August 3, 1999
    Assignee: Bridgestone Corporation
    Inventor: Yasuyuki Tamura
  • Patent number: 5928445
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire having an aspect ratio of not more than 55% comprises a carcass composed of a single carcass ply, in which a turnup end portion of the carcass ply is disposed between an end portion of a belt and a crown portion of the carcass ply, and distances L.sub.1 and L.sub.2 from a central position of a bead core to an outer end of a bead filler and to a maximum width of the carcass in the radial direction of the tire satisfy a relationship of L.sub.1 .gtoreq.L.sub.2 and within given ranges with respect to a section height (H) of the tire, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 27, 1999
    Assignee: Bridgestone Corporation
    Inventor: Kazuo Hayashi
  • Patent number: 5922154
    Abstract: A pneumatic vehicle tire includes a carcass, a tread strip, a breaker arrangement provided between the carcass and the tread strip and includes at least two breaker plies having threads or cords of non-metallic material which extend at a predetermined angle to the mid-circumferential plane of the tire and serve as reinforcing elements. A breaker cover surrounds the breaker arrangement, or at least in, regions of its width. The breaker cover includes at least one cover ply having threads or cords which extend at least substantially in the circumferential direction of the tire. The breaker cover has threads or cords of a heat-shrinking material substantially in the shoulder region of the tire. In the middle tire region lying between the threads or cords either no breaker cover is provided or a breaker cover is provided with threads or cords of a material with low thermal shrinkage or no thermal shrinkage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 1996
    Date of Patent: July 13, 1999
    Assignee: SP Reifenwerke GMBH
    Inventors: Bernd Lowenhaupt, Hans-Joachim Winter
  • Patent number: 5908520
    Abstract: The pneumatic radial tire comprises a carcass made of a ply of radially arranged cords toroidally extending between a pair of bead portions, a belt arranged outside the carcass in a radial direction of the tire, and a belt reinforcing layer of organic fiber cords arranged outside the belt in the radial direction of the tire, in which the organic fiber cord constituting the belt reinforcing layer has a strand construction and a twisting coefficient N.sub.t of 0.06-0.30 defined according to the equation.N.sub.t =T.times.(0.139.times.D/2.rho.).sup.1/2 .times.10.sup.-3 (1)whereinT: twisting number (turns/10 cm),D: total denier,.rho.: specific gravity (g/cm.sup.3).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 1994
    Date of Patent: June 1, 1999
    Assignee: Bridgestone Corporation
    Inventor: Tadashi Kodama
  • Patent number: 5904197
    Abstract: A tire for motor vehicles includes a belt structure (3) which has consecutively overlapped first and second belt strips (5, 6) and a pair of side straps (7) overlying the second belt strip (6) adjacent to the side edges (6a) of the second belt strip. Each side strip (7) is made up of at least one cord circumferentially wound in a plurality of coils to form two radially superposed layers of coils disposed in axial side by side relation. The first belt strip (5), located adjacent to the carcass structure (2), substantially has the same width as the tread band (4), and laterally projects from the second belt strip (6) radially overlapped therewith. The second belt strip (6) has side flaps (6b) projecting from the side straps (7) and spaced apart from the first belt strip (5) by a spacing which progressively grows with distance away from the outer edges (7a) of the side straps themselves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 18, 1999
    Assignee: Pirelli Coordinamento Pneumatici S.P.A.
    Inventors: Carlo Garlaschelli, Gaetano Lo Presti
  • Patent number: 5902425
    Abstract: A front tire for-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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 1996
    Date of Patent: May 11, 1999
    Assignee: Pirelli Coordinamento Pneumatici SPA
    Inventor: Giancarlo Armellin
  • Patent number: 5894875
    Abstract: A pneumatic radial tire includes a belt layer, comprised of steel cords having a lateral flat cross-section, arranged around an outer periphery of a tread portion of a carcass layer so that the diameter direction of the steel cords is made to follow the planar direction of the belt layer, the steel cord is made a flat 1.times.6 twist structure comprised of filaments of a filament diameter d of 0.20 to 0.40 mm, the long diameter D.sub.L and twist pitch P of the steel cord taken out from the tire are made with respect to the filament diameter d as follows:3.67 d-0.04.ltoreq.D.sub.L .ltoreq.3.67 d+0.1630d.ltoreq.P.ltoreq.45dand the elongation of the steel cord caused when increasing a load from 0.25 kg to 5.0 kg is made 0.25% or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 1997
    Date of Patent: April 20, 1999
    Assignee: The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takeo Masaki, Eiji Igarashi, Yoshiki Kanehira, Tosio Kawai, Ryuzou Komatsu
  • Patent number: 5879483
    Abstract: A pneumatic vehicle tire comprises a carcass, a tread strip, and a breaker arrangement arranged between the carcass and the tread strip. The breaker arrangment includes at least two breaker plies which have threads or cords which serve as load-carrying members and extend at an angle to the mid-circumferential plane of the tire. A breaker cover surrounds the breaker arrangement at least in the region of the breaker arrangement's axial side edges. The breaker cover has at least one cover ply consisting of threads or cords which extend at least substantially in the circumferential direction of the tire. The breaker cover is formed of a helically wound strip bandage. At least one respective ply separating cushion layer is present in each of the two axial side regions of the breaker arrangement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 9, 1999
    Assignee: SP Reifenwerke GmbH
    Inventors: Manfred Gerresheim, Werner Lang, Bernd Lowenhaupt, Hans-Joachim Winter
  • Patent number: 5871601
    Abstract: A radial pneumatic tire having excellent run-flat durability. The tire is equipped with a belt (4), which includes a plurality of metal cord layers, and a tread (5) successively placed at a periphery of a crown portion (3) of a toroidal radial carcass (2), and is equipped with, at an inner peripheral surface of the side portion (6) of the carcass, a rubber reinforcing layer (7) having a crescent moon shaped cross-section and bearing and supporting load. The tire has an auxiliary belt (8) disposed between the carcass and the belt and including organic fiber cords which are oriented substantially cross to the cords of the carcass and the cords of the belt with respect to a central equatorial plane, the cords of the auxiliary belt substantially crossing the central equatorial plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 1997
    Date of Patent: February 16, 1999
    Assignee: Bridgestone Corporation
    Inventor: Toru Tsuda
  • Patent number: 5871597
    Abstract: A radial carcass tire comprising a tread, two non-stretchable beads, two sidewalls connecting the beads to the tread, and a crown reinforcement located between the carcass and the tread, the crown reinforcement including a diene elastomeric rubber having, as reinforcing filler, a highly dispersible precipitated silica having a CTAB specific area less than or equal to 125 m.sup.2 /g and a BET specific surface area less than or equal to 125 m.sup.2 /g.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 1996
    Date of Patent: February 16, 1999
    Assignee: Compagnie Generale des Establissements Michelin--Michelin & Cie
    Inventor: Didier Vasseur
  • Patent number: 5851324
    Abstract: A radial ply pneumatic tire has a carcass with a bead portion, a carcass reinforcing structure, and a bead filler. The carcass reinforcing structure has at least two plies. The turnup ends of a first or a second ply are wrapped about each bead and terminates in radial proximity of the maximum section width of the tire. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the tire carcass includes elastomeric first and second filers the first filler being located between the first ply and the innerliner of the tire, and the second filer being located between the first and second ply. The fillers stiffen the sidewalls to permit the tire to be driven while uninflated. The tire may further include an aramid overlay radially outwardly of the reinforcing belt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 1994
    Date of Patent: December 22, 1998
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventors: Thomas Reed Oare, Randall Raymond Brayer, Jeffrey Wayne Kahrs, Beale Anthony Robinson, Keith Carl Trares, Raymond Dean Mc Quate
  • Patent number: 5849121
    Abstract: A method of preparing a ply of composite material by applying an adhesive to a textile material comprising greige cords, so as to achieve an acceptable bond between the cords an elastomeric matrix, while not significantly altering the properties of the cords, is provided. The textile material comprises warp cords and weft cords; the weft cords are used to convey the warp cords through a heat setting oven without applying substantial tension to the warp cords, so as to not change their stress-strain properties. In the illustrated embodiment, the warp cords are aramid cords having a linear density of 500 to 3600 Denier and a twist multiplier of 5 to 8. The cords can be used in a crown reinforcing spirally wound overlay structure of a tire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 1996
    Date of Patent: December 15, 1998
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventor: Rene Fran.cedilla.ois Reuter
  • Patent number: 5837077
    Abstract: A pneumatic vehicle tire having a belt layer at the outside of a carcass layer of the tread, wherein a plurality of mutually parallel reinforcement cords are wound back and forth in a spiral at a predetermined angle to the longitudinal direction and embedded in a matrix of a lateral flattened tubular cross-section to form a continuous tape and the continuous tape is continuously wound around the outer circumference of the carcass layer a plurality of times in a spiral to form the belt layer or a pneumatic vehicle tire having a continuous tape, composed of a two-layer construction consisting of a plurality of aligned rubberized reinforcement cords wound in a spiral to form a lateral flattened tubular cross-section and an elastic cord inserted inside the flattened tube along its longitudinal direction as a core member, continuously wound over an outer circumference of a carcass layer at a tread in a spiral with a slight angle with respect to the tire circumferential direction to form a belt layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 1996
    Date of Patent: November 17, 1998
    Assignee: The Yokohama Rubber, Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuyuki Kabe, Shuji Takahashi, Tomohiko Kogure
  • Patent number: 5803999
    Abstract: A pneumatic radial tire has a tread profile comprising a curved crown part having a radius of curvature R1, a pair of curbed middle parts having a radius of curvature R2 and a pair of curved shoulder parts having a radius of curvature R3 which extend continuously without forming any inflection point, wherein the radius R1 is in the range of from 2.0 to 3.5 times the tread width TW and is less than the radius R2 and more than the radius R3, and the camber quantity T1 which is the radial distance of the tread profile at the tread edges from the tread profile at the tire equator is 0.038 to 0.050 times the tread width TW.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 8, 1998
    Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Kouji Shibata
  • Patent number: 5804002
    Abstract: The belt of a pneumatic tire is a laminate of a circumferential belt layer and an inclined belt layer, the circumferential belt layer comprising a plurality of reinforcing elements arranged substantially in parallel with the equatorial plane of the tire and coated with rubber, and the inclined belt layer comprising a plurality of reinforcing elements inclined with respect to the equatorial plane of the tire and coated with rubber, wherein at least in the coating rubber of the circumferential belt layer and the coating rubber of the inclined belt layer adjoining each other, the modulus of elasticity of the coating rubber of the circumferential belt layer is lower than that of the coating rubber of the inclined belt layer. The pneumatic tire of the invention avoids the disadvantage generated by addition of a circumferential belt layer while strengthening the circumferential rigidity by the circumferential belt layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 1995
    Date of Patent: September 8, 1998
    Assignee: Bridgestone Corporation
    Inventor: Tatsuo Nakano
  • Patent number: 5795418
    Abstract: A pneumatic motorcycle tire provided with a spiral belt and a pair of axially spaced reinforcing layers radially inside of the belt to improve the cornering stability and straight running stability of a motorcycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 1995
    Date of Patent: August 18, 1998
    Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries Ltd.
    Inventor: Shigehiko Suzuki
  • Patent number: 5795417
    Abstract: A pneumatic vehicle tire comprises a single ply or multi-ply radial carcass anchored to beads, a tread, and a breaker arrangement provided between the carcass and the tread. The breaker arrangement is preferably built up of at least two cut breaker plies with the threads or cords of the cut breaker plies, which serve as strength carriers and extend parallel to one another in the respective ply, crossing at a predetermined angle to the central mid-circumferential plane. The tire also comprises at least one cover ply of cords or threads extending substantially in the circumferential direction of the tire, at least one cover ply surrounding the breaker arrangement at least in the breaker arrangement's edge regions. In the preferred embodiment the breaker arrangement (4) has threads or cords (9) of non-metallic material and a material with a low thermal shrinkage or no thermal shrinkage is used as the material for the treads or cords (8) of the at least one cover ply (5).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 1995
    Date of Patent: August 18, 1998
    Assignee: SP Reifenwerke GmbH
    Inventors: Roland Damke, Manfred Gerresheim, Robert Nau, Hans-Joachim Winter, Bernd Lowenhaupt
  • Patent number: 5783003
    Abstract: A tire includes incisions in a ply of parallel cords of the tire, made pr to the ply's utilization for making the tire. A cutting device for making the incisions is comprised of a reference holder to impose a known orientation to the parallel cords. It is comprised of a blade of a given width C, the blade being positioned transversely relative to the known orientation, the device including an assembly for causing the cutting of the cords by the blade, and including an assembly for moving the blade transversely relative to the holder, and an assembly for moving the ply longitudinally relative to the holder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 1996
    Date of Patent: July 21, 1998
    Assignee: Compagnie Generale des Etablissements Michelin-Michelin & Cie
    Inventor: Claude Lescoffit
  • Patent number: 5772810
    Abstract: In the crown reinforcement (2) of a "heavy vehicle" tire, known as a high tire, the wires or cables of the triangulation ply (20) and the second working ply (22) are the widest of the reinforcement (2) and the radial distances between the respective wires or cables of the two plies at the level of their edges are at most equal to 1.5 mm over an axial distance l at least equal to 2% of the axial width L.sub.0 of the triangulation ply.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 30, 1998
    Assignee: Compagnie Generale des Etablisse-Ments Michelin - Michelin & Cie
    Inventor: Guy Cluzel
  • Patent number: 5759314
    Abstract: A bias tire includes a reinforcement member disposed between a first carcass and an additional carcass in the crown region of the tire for restricting the circumferential growth of the tire. The reinforcement member includes a plurality of cords oriented at zero degrees. The total circumferential strength of the reinforcement member is about 20 to 250% of the circumferential strength of the carcass plies. The reinforcement member, first carcass, and additional carcass are formed on a tire building drum as a green tire component in a method of making the tire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 1995
    Date of Patent: June 2, 1998
    Assignee: Michelin Recherche et Technique S.A.
    Inventor: Alex Southarewsky
  • Patent number: 5746853
    Abstract: A radial tire has a crown reinforcement (3) having at least two work crown lies (31, 32) of crossed inextensible metal cords, making angles of between 10.degree. and 45.degree. with the circumferential direction XX', and two limiting blocks (40) each composed of at least one ply of metal cords oriented at an angle of between 0.degree. and 10.degree., the blocks (40) being arranged in two separate regions on either side of the equatorial plane XX' and radially between the carcass reinforcement (1) and the radially outermost work crown ply (32). The two limiting blocks (40) are axially joined together by an additional reinforcement (41) which is composed of at least one ply of circumferentially oriented textile or metal cords and is centered on the equatorial plane XX', its tensile rigidity being at most equal to 0.5 times the tensile rigidity of the most extensible ply of the limiting blocks (40).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 1996
    Date of Patent: May 5, 1998
    Assignee: Compagnie Generale des Etablissements Michelin - Michelin Cie
    Inventor: Laurence Burlacot
  • Patent number: 5743975
    Abstract: A radial medium truck (RMT) tire has belt or breaker plies which are reinforced by organic reinforcement cords or filaments. In one embodiment, organic monofilaments are used in the belt or breaker plies which have the following characteristics: at least 2,000 denier (2,200 dTex), a tenacity of at least 3.5 g/denier (31 cN/TeX), an initial modulus of at least 30 g/denier (265 cN/Tex) and a shrinkage of at most 6%.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 1995
    Date of Patent: April 28, 1998
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventors: Italo M. Sinopoli, John Gomer Morgan, Anthony Hardy, Murat Yasar Susutoglu
  • Patent number: 5738740
    Abstract: In order to improve the endurance of the crown reinforcement (3) of a tyre, he H/S form ratio of which is at most 0.6, the latter is formed radially from the inside to the outside by a triangulation ply (31) of metal cables oriented at at least 60.degree. and two working crown plies (32, 34) formed of inextensible metal cables oriented at angles of between 10.degree. and 45.degree., between which there is inserted an additional ply (33) of metallic elements oriented substantially parallel to the circumferential direction of the tire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 1997
    Date of Patent: April 14, 1998
    Assignee: Compagnie Generale des Etablissements Michelin - Michelin & Cie
    Inventor: Guy Cluzel
  • Patent number: 5698051
    Abstract: A pneumatic radial tire comprises a pair of bead cores, a carcass extending toroidally between the bead cores, a stiffener disposed one on each of bead cores and a belt comprising rubberized cord plies and disposed on a crown portion of the carcass, wherein the rubberized cord plies comprise a first rubberized ply having steel cords inclined with respect to the tire equatorial plane and at least one second rubberized ply having organic fiber cords extending substantially in parallel with the tire equatorial plane, the relation between the height H of the stiffener in the radial direction and the section height SH of the tire is given by 0.4 SH.ltoreq.H.ltoreq.0.6 SH, and the average thickness d of the upper portion of the stiffener defined between a height corresponding to 0.35 SH and the top of the stiffener is given by 0.5 mm.ltoreq.d.ltoreq.0.2 D where D is the thickness of the stiffener at the bottom portion adjacent to the bead core.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 1996
    Date of Patent: December 16, 1997
    Assignee: Bridgestone Corporation
    Inventor: Yoshinori Tanaka
  • Patent number: 5695578
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire particularly adapted for cars, is provided with belt strips (7, 8) each comprising a first and a second series of cords (7a, 7b, 8a, 8b) made of different materials, alternated with each other axially across the width of the tire according to a preestablished sequence. The cords (7b, 8b) of the second series, made of aramid or glass for example, cooperate with those of the first series (7a, 8a), made of steel, to withstand tensile stresses in the longitudinal direction. Conversely, the cords (7b, 8b) of aramid or glass have a greater compliance than the steel cords (7a, 8a) towards compressive stresses. The elastomer incorporating the cords (7a, 7b, 8a, 8b) is filled with reinforcing fibers, short aramid fibers or aramid pulp for example, and has a modulus of elasticity between 15 and 50 megapascals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 1996
    Date of Patent: December 9, 1997
    Assignee: Pirelli Coordinamento Pneumatici
    Inventors: Maurizio Boiocchi, Gurdev Orjela
  • Patent number: 5685927
    Abstract: A run-flat radial ply pneumatic tire 10 has a carcass structure reinforced with pairs of elastomeric sidewall fillers 42,46,48 and at least three bead cores 26,26' and 37. At least one bead core 37 lies axially between the lateral edges of the tread 12 and extends radially inwardly of the tread 12 and reinforcing belts 36 and radially outwardly of the first and second bead cores 26,26' and a carcass reinforcing structure 30. In several embodiments improved wet traction tread designs are employed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 1995
    Date of Patent: November 11, 1997
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventors: Philip Stuart Hammond, Thomas Reed Oare, Gary Edwin Tubb, William Marcellus Buckler, Jr., Robert Allen Losey