Abstract: Apparatus for supporting a tire while being retreaded with a precured tread including sealing a tread and tire enclosing envelope adjacent the beads of the tire. The tire supporting rim is constituted by two coaxial tubular members with envelope sealing flanges, a first member of which is inserted axially in the second member, with the first and second members having around their circumference parts that can be connected to one another in a free and complementary fashion at the time said first member is inserted in said second member. Each of the tubular members have a plurality of grooves aligned in batches perpendicular to the axis of the tubular members with it being possible to lock the first member to the second member by partially rotating a disk housed in one of the aforementioned batches of grooves.

Abstract: An apparatus and a process for cold cure retreading of worn tires using a fully pre-cured tread band bonded in place on said tire by means of a layer of cushion gum. In order to cure the layer of cushion, gum, steam is supplied to a rubber tube disposed within the tire which itself is mounted on a suitable rim assembly, and steam at a lesser pressure is supplied to an annular steam chamber whose inner wall is constituted by a steam impervious flexible bladder that circumscribes the crown portion of the tire assembly. Cone elements are disposed on either side of the tire assembly to support the bladder and prevent excessive bulging thereof beyond the crown portion of the tire.

Abstract: The tire comprises a preformed carcass having a plurality of precured lugs secured to its circumferential surface by a thick layer-like mass of readily cured cushion gum material. The carcass may be of new construction but would usually be obtained by buffing the circumferential surface of a used and worn lugged tire to render the same substantially smooth and even. The lugs are separately formed by simultaneously molding and precuring retread rubber under high pressure and uniformly-applied heat, so as to possess high strength, density and cut and abrasion-resistance. The carcass, cushion gum and lugs are cemented and stitched together at ambient temperature and in a manner minimizing oxidation at their confronting surfaces. When the circumferential surface of the tire carcass to which the lugs are secured possesses a significant curvature in the width direction thereof, the exterior surfaces of the lugs may be and preferably are provided with stress-relieving grooves in their outer surfaces.

Abstract: A tread strip is positioned in proximity to the outer periphery of a tire carcass. A bonding substance is provided intermediate the carcass and the strip and has adhesive characteristics sufficient to temporarily bond the strip to the carcass when the strip and carcass are pressed together. The bonding substance is also sufficiently plastic to result in intimate contact by the substance of the facing surface of the strip and the carcass when the strip and carcass are pressed together. The bonding substance, for example unvulcanized rubber, is capable of permanently bonding the strip to the carcass when the bonding substance is sufficiently heated. Initially, the strip and carcass are pressed together in such a manner as to expel gases from between the strip and carcass and in such a manner as to cause the bonding substance to temporarily bond the strip to the carcass.

Abstract: A circular rotatably driven knife assembly for cutting strips including a carriage for supporting the cutting knife and drive means for the carriage and knife. The knife structure has particular utility for cutting strips of vulcanized rubber such as the tread material adapted to be bonded to the outside of a tire casing, the knife having abrasive grits bonded to its side walls adjacent its periphery to buff the ends of the strip simultaneously with the cutting operation to condition the ends cut off of the portion of the strip for splicing during the vulcanizing step after the severed end of the strip has been wrapped around the tire with the ends pressed into contact with each other.

Abstract: The disclosure is directed to a machine for applying an endless precured tire tread to a prepared tire casing. A tread assembly is mounted for movement along guide rods supported by a base. The tread assembly includes a rotatably mounted head assembly having finger assemblies which mount an endless precured tread. The finger assemblies are movable radially inwardly and outwardly. A tire mounting assembly is positioned on said base in opposed and aligned relationship to the head assembly and mounts a prepared tire casing. Rollers are provided for stitching the endless tread to the prepared casing.

Abstract: Replaceable tread or track belts on tube tire carcasses can be changed in the field and elsewhere by venting the pressure within the tube tire carcass, subsequently creating a partial vacuum within the tire carcass sufficient to cause it to commence collapsing, and then, while maintaining the vacuum constant in the carcass, physically depressing the periphery thereof at circumferentially spaced intervals to convert the outer circular surface of the carcass to a polygonal configuration that allows the circular belts to be conveniently changed.

Abstract: Curing apparatus is provided which may be used for vulcanizing a pre-cured tread onto a suitably prepared tire casing; the pre-cured tread being initially adhesively attached to the tire casing. The apparatus provides a mold defining a chamber in which the tire casing and adhesively attached pre-cured tread are placed; and it includes means for establishing pressurized fluid, such as steam or air, within the interior of the tire casing, and pressurized fluid, such as steam, in the annular space between the casing and the inside peripheral surface of the chamber, so that a required heat and pressure condition may be established within the chamber to cause the tread to be vulcanized and permanently bonded to the casing. The apparatus of the invention, in a second embodiment, is used for vulcanizing uncured rubber to a tire casing to form the tread.

Abstract: Apparatus is provided for sealing an envelope around a tire casing during a cold process retreading operation, and which comprises a pair of annular pressure members which are mounted on the casing support rim, and which serve to hold and seal the envelope against the flanges of the rim thereby assuring a perfect seal throughout the envelope area. The apparatus also comprises means for readily mounting the annular members on the rim, and for holding the pressure members in their sealing positions. The latter means also permits the pressure members readily to be demounted from the rim.

Abstract: A method of treading or re-treading tires involves compression of the wearing surface of the tread. A tread strip, which may be an annular band, is compressed in a direction parallel to its longitudinal axis and is bonded to a tire carcass, while being maintained under compression. This may be done by compressing a tread band into an undersized mould; apparatus for assisting this is also described. Alternatively, the tread strip may be of finite length, for example to form a lug, in which case the strip is formed with a radius of curvature less that of the surface to which it is to be applied, so that the convex (wearing) surface of the strip is compressed upon application to the carcass.

Abstract: A strip of rubber base bonding material for use in cold bonding a prevulcanized tread strip to a tire contains both a low-temperature vulcanizing agent and accelerators. The bonding material is compounded by a special technique which stabilizes the vulcanizing agent and the accelerator thereby avoiding prevulcanization during storage. In use the bonding material is interposed between the tread strip and the tire, and the assembly is heated to less than about 300.degree.F under pressure to effect vulcanizing of the bonding material.

Abstract: A vehicle tire construction and method for retreaded (or new) tires involving the use of a single patch or more patches of cord of large mesh extending laterally of the tire casing between the buffed surface and tread rubber. The patch has stretchable or elastic cords, an intermediate portion thereof being connected to the cord ply layer of the casing and the ends projecting about half way or more of the sidewalls, and possibly as far as the beads, to vent air pockets which tend to accumulate. The patch makes use of the venting capabilities of the ply layers and, to some extent, the porous nature of the buffed surface.The patch may also be interposed between the outer surface of a pre-cured retread and the surrounding plastic envelope which protects the tread from steam pressure during the curing period of the cushion gum rubber interposed between the pre-cured tread rubber and the buffed surface of the tire to be retreaded.

Abstract: The tire comprises a preformed carcass having a plurality of precured lugs secured to its circumferential surface by a thick layer-like mass of readily cured cushion gum material. The carcass may be of new construction but would usually be obtained by buffing the circumferential surface of a used and worn lugged tire to render the same substantially smooth and even. The lugs are separately formed by simultaneously molding and precuring retread rubber under high pressure and uniformly-applied heat, so as to possess high strength, density and cut and abrasion-resistance. The carcass, cushion gum and lugs are cemented and stitched together at ambient temperature and in a manner minimizing oxidation at their confronting surfaces. When the circumferential surface of the tire carcass to which the lugs are secured possesses a significant curvature in the width direction thereof, the exterior surfaces of the lugs may be and preferably are provided with stress-relieving grooves in their outer surfaces.

Abstract: A tread for the recapping of tires is provided with a roughened internal surface simultaneously with the shaping of profile on its external surface in a vulcanizing form. The internal surface can be roughened by placing against the body of raw rubber in the form of a latticework, a plate with regularly or irregularly distributed projections or a composite deforming structure. The internal surface of the prefabricated tread can be sealed from the atmosphere by a foil which is applied to the internal surface directly in the form or subsequent to removal of tread from the form.

Abstract: The device is for attachment to a vehicle tire to improve traction on ice or snow. The device is constructed from a circumferential segment of preferably a used tire and includes a plurality of studs extending through the tread area of the tire, one end of each stud for interlocking with the tread of the vehicle tire and the other end of the stud for gripping.

Abstract: A "full cap" method of retreading a tire with a previously molded and vulcanized tread in combination with unvulcanized rubber material which is placed adjacent the precured tread in the shoulder regions, or upper sidewall areas of the tire. Metal rings are placed over the unvulcanized rubber material and heated to mold in the unvulcanized material a pattern of grooves and recesses which esthetically blends with the design of the precured tread. Conventional techniques for heating and cementing the precured tread to the tire casing are used in recapping the tire.

Abstract: In bonding a prevulcanized tread strip to a tire casing with a low-temperature-vulcanizable bonding medium temporary support elements in the form of elastic rings are inserted in the circumferential tread grooves during pressing of the tread strip against the tire casing for the purposes of achieving uniform pressure over the whole tread strip and preventing distortion or movement of portions of the tread strip and/or bonding medium during the bonding operation.