BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates in general to means affixed to or integral with the rims of wheels of vehicles that travel across a surface on said wheels, said means being for support of the sidewalls of pneumatic tires on said wheels and in particular to those means which provide lateral support against sheer deformation of the tires.

It is well known that pneumatic tires mounted on the wheels of vehicles that travel across a surface are subject to lateral deformation, especially when the vehicle is turning. During a turn the inertia of the vehicle urges the vehicle to continue in a straight line, but the friction between the turned front wheels and the surface upon which the vehicle is travelling creates a path of least resistance in the direction of the turn. The friction acts as a sheering force on the tread of the tires in contact with the surface, especially the front tires, causing the tires to deform laterally (sheer deformation) toward the center of the turn. The magnitude of the sheering force or friction on any given tire is, at least in part, a function of the weight being carried by that tire. The tires on the outside of the turn are therefore subjected to greater sheer forces than the inside tires because the centrifugal force acting on the vehicle during the turn tends to shift the weight of the vehicle to the outside tires.

During low and moderate speed turns, such as turns made in the normal course of everyday driving, the deformation of the tires is not a problem because the sidewalls of typical tires are stiff enough to keep the degree of deformation within safe limits. However, during high speed turns, such as those made during a vehicle race, the deformation becomes a serious problem. If the degree of deformation becomes too large it can fold the tire toward the center of the turn and significantly reduce the tread area in contact with the surface. Such a reduction can

cause the tires to break into a slide and thereby reduce operator control of the vehicle. Furthermore, the deformation significantly reduces the useful life of the tires by causing increased wear and tear on them. U.S. Patent 412,699 shows the use of sidewall wheel flanges to laterally confine and crimp a solid rubber tire to a wheel. U.S. Patent 772,818 presents another tire with a high walled rim to confine and in one case to crimp the tire onto the wheel rim. U.S. Patent 1,113,356 presents side plates to provide support under vertical load. All of these patents are for wheels and rims which did not involve pneumatic tires and they are either for the purpose o.f confining the tires to the rims and/or for vertical support. They are also adapted to tires which are very different from the type of tires commonly in use today.

U.S. Patent 1,885,901 presents a tubed tire in a wheel which has annular wall plates or disk members bolted to the brake drums of the wheel by strengthening disks. These plates or disk members actually form the bead area. U.S. Patent 2,426,628 shows another wheel with relatively high rim walls which provide vertical support for a mechanism which comes into play when the tire becomes deflates as in a punctured tire. In this patent and the others described above the rim flanges are designed to accommodate the type of tires which were in use when those inventions were patented. They were apparently needed to provide vertical support for the sidewalls to offset the deforming of the side walls due to vertical loads. None of the patents disclose lateral support necessary to prevent sheer induced deformation of the tires under high speed turns.

U.S. Patent 4,427,046 presents a pneumatic tire with an integral stiffening member in the bead and lower sidewall area. U.S. Patent 4,253,511 presents a specialized rim which has horizontal bracing langes which are actually stop means

for vertical columns which are an integral part of the sidewalls of the tires. When the tires are deflated or underinflated, the load on the tire deforms it up to a point where the sidewall columns abut the rim flanges. This has the effect of minimizing the deformation.

U.S. Patent 4,287,924 presents a tire with self-supporting sidewalls for uninflated situations.

U.S. Patent 4,168,732 presents rims with bolted-on annular rings. The rings are to prevent excessive deformation of the tire by overload conditions. This patent and the last two require specialized, unconventional tires adapted to a specialized rim. Also, they are not intended to prevent sheer induced deformation of the tire under dynamic conditions. Other advantages and attributes of this invention will be discussed or will be readily apparent upon a reading of the text hereinafter.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention provides a device attachable to or integral with each wheel of vehicles that travel on a surface, which wheels are adapted to have pneumatic tires mounted thereon. The device comprises a relatively rigid ring plate or wall annular to such a wheel and generally extending radially outward from the rim of the wheel. The device substantially abuts an inboard sidewall (with respect to a vehicle on which the wheel is mounted) of a tire and provides lateral support to the sidewall to reduce distortion of the tire due to lateral sheering force encountered during relatively high speed vehicle turns. Reducing tire distortion in this way causes better traction and reduces wear on the tire. An integral ring plate is basically an extension of a rim bead flange of a wheel. Alternatively the ring plate can be retrofitted onto conventional wheels.

An object of this invention is to provide an integral or alternatively a retrofittable device which adds lateral support to such tires, especially to the inboard sides of the tires, in order to make them effectively laterally stiffer and more resistant to the above-described sheer deformation.

An object of this invention is to provide a means whereby the inboard sidewalls of pneumatic tires mounted on wheels of vehicles that travel on a surface are provided with lateral support against sheer deformation.

Another object of this invention is to provide a means for retrofitting a device which laterally supports the inboard sidewalls of pneumatic tires mounted on the wheels. of vehicles that travel on a surface against sheer deformation.

Further objects of this invention will be readily discernible by the reading of the text hereinafter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a first embodiment of this invention;

Figure 2 is a partial sectional view of the embodiment of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a side elevational view of a second embodiment of this invention; Figure 4 is a partial sectional view of the embodiment of Figure 3;-

Figure 5 is a side elevational view of a third embodiment of this invention;

Figure 6 is a partial sectional view of the embodiment of Figure 5;

Figure 7 is a pictorial representation of the lateral deformation of a conventional pneumatic tire mounted on a wheel adapted according to this invention during a high speed turn; and

Figure 8 is a pictorial representation of the lateral deformation of a conventional pneumatic tire mounted on a conventional wheel during a high speed turn.

Figure 9 is a side elevational view of a fourth embodiment of this invention.

Figure 10 is a partial sectional view of the embodiment of Figure 9.

Figure 11 is a side elevational view of a fifth embodiment of this invention. Figure 12 is a partial sectional view of the embodiment of Figure 11.

Figure 13 is a pictorial view of the fifth embodiment of this invention being mounted on a wheel with a deflated tire.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, a first embodiment of this invention is shown to have a ring plate 2A affixed to a side of a wheel 4 and annular to a rim 6 of the wheel by means of a plurality of bolts 8 engaged with a plurality of mounting brackets 10 which are affixed to the wheel. The mounting brackets 10 of this embodiment are illustrated to be in the form of blocks uniformly spaced circumferentially on the underside of the rim 6 proximate a rim bead flange 12 and affixed thereto preferably by welding, each block defining a pair of threaded bolt holes 14 which are adapted to engage bolts 8 which extend through corresponding holes defined by the ring plate 2A along its inner margin. The blocks 10 are affixed or can be integral to the wheel. The ring plate 2A is illustrated to have an outer diameter sufficient for it to cover 1/8 or more of the area of a sidewall 16 of a tire 18, the area covered being from the tire bead 20 and radially outward therefrom. The ring plate substantially abuts the rim bead flange 12 and the sidewall of the tire when the tire is inflated to normal pressure and under normal load conditions. The outer margins of the ring

plate are rounded and may have a relatively small radius 5 to avoid wear and tear to the sidewall. Preferably the radius is one-half inches.

Re erring to Figures 3 and 4, a second embodiment is illustrated to have a ring plate 2B with an inner margin 22 which is adapted to be interposed between the rim bead flange 12 and the bead portion 20 of a tire 18. When the tire is inflated, the ring plate inner margin 22 is clamped between the rim bead flange and the bead area of the tire, and thereby held in place. The ring plate 2B is illustrated to have an annular width sufficient for it to cover 1/8 or more of the area of a sidewall 16 of a tire 18, the area covered being from the tire bead 20 and radially outward therefrom. Preferably the ring plate is made from material that is generally spring-like, i.e. rigid but also flexible enough to generally conform to an abutting tire sidewall when the tire is inflated to normal pressure and under normal load conditions. Basically the ring plate is forced into a truncated cone shape by the pressure of the tire sidewall. It has been found that ring plates made from 6061- T6 aluminum possess such properties. At least one pair of inward opening notches 24A and 24B defined by the inner margin 22 of the plate 2B are oppositely disposed in order for the plate to be mounted on and dismounted from the wheel rim, the notches being adapted to slip the plate over the flange for installation and removal. It should be noted that in order to avoid unbalancing a wheel, there must at least four such notches equidistant angularly from each other, and therefore spaced apart 180 degrees apart. The outer margins of the ring plate are rounded and may have a relatively small radius 5 to avoid wear and tear to the sidewall. Preferably the radius is one-half inches.

Referring to Figures 5 and 6, a third embodiment is illustrated to have an annular wall 2C which is an integral part of a wheel 26. The annular wall 2C has an annular width sufficient for it to cover 1/8 or more of the area of

a sidewall 16 of a tire 18, the area covered being from the tire bead 20 and radially outward therefrom, and it is adapted to generally conform to the tire when the tire is inflated to normal pressure and under normal load conditions. The wall 2C defines a plurality of outward opening notches 28, i.e. open to the outer margin of the wall. The notches are deep enough to allow a tire removal tool, such as a pry bar, to break an adhesive seal at the bead area of a tire (to maintain tire pressure) in order for the tire to be removed. The outer margins of the annular wall are rounded and may have a relatively small radius 34 to avoid wear and tear to the sidewall. Preferably the radius is one-half inches.

Referring to Figures 9 and 10, a fourth embodiment is illustrated as having an annular wall 2D which is an integral part of a wheel 30. Preferably, the wall 2D has an annular width sufficient for it to extend one to one and a half inches from the tire bead and radially outward therefrom, and the wall has a curvature outwardly convex which generally conforms to and substantially abuts the tire when the tire is inflated to normal pressure and under normal load conditions, e.g., not being subjected to lateral sheer forces such as illustrated in Figure 8. The wall 2D defines a plurality of slots 32 in the wall. The slots serve the same purpose as the notches of Fig. 5, i.e., they are large enough and are disposed to enable a tire removal tool, such as a pry bar, to break an adhesive seal at the bead area of a tire (to maintain tire pressure) in order for the tire to be removed. Although the illustration shows only three such slots, it should be understood that the number can vary depending on, among other things, the characteristics of the bead. It has been found that three such slots are the workable minimum. The slots have an advantage over the notches of Fig. 5 in that the outer margin of the wall is continuous and easier on a tire when it is heeling over in a turn. The outer wall margin also

-8- for s an outward radius 33 for the same purpose. Preferably the radius is one-half inches.

It should also be noted that for wheels which can be split, i.e. two piece wheels, the embodiments illustrated in Figs. 5 and 9 need not have notches or slots, respectively. There is no need to break a tire bead when the tire is designed to split for tire installation and removal.

Referring to Figures 7 and 8, the effects of lateral sheer on a tire can be seen. The wheel without the adaptations of this invention (Figure 8) on a vehicle undergoing a high speed turn is significantly deformed inwardly toward the center of the turn, thereby causing a reduction in traction and increased wear on the tire. The tire mounted on a wheel adapted according to this invention does not so deform and better traction is maintained. Also wear on the tire is reduced.

Referring to Figures 11 and 12, a fifth embodiment is illustrated to have a ring plate 2E with an inner margin 36 which is adapted to be interposed between the rim bead flange 12 and the bead portion 20 of a tire 18. When the tire is inflated, the ring plate inner margin 36 is clamped between the rim bead flange and the bead area of the tire, and thereby held in place. The ring plate 2E is illustrated to have an annular width sufficient for it to cover 1/8 or more of the area of a sidewall 16 of a tire 18, the area covered being from the tire bead 20 and radially outward therefrom. Preferably the ring plate is made from material that is generally spring-like, i.e. rigid but also flexible enough to generally conform to an abutting tire sidewall when the tire is inflated to normal pressure and under normal load conditions. Basically the ring plate is forced into generally a truncated cone shape by the force of the pressure on it by the tire sidewall. It has been found that ring plates made from 6061-T6 aluminum possess such properties. At least one pair of inward opening notches 34A

and 34B defined by the inner margin 36 of the plate 2E are disposed less than 180 degrees apart in order for the plate to be mounted on and dismounted from the wheel rim, the notches being adapted to slip the plate over the rim bead flange for installation and removal. The notches preferably have scalloped corners 35 which allows the overall width of the notches to be narrower than would otherwise be necessary. It should be noted that in order to avoid unbalancing a wheel, there must be at least a third such notch 34C equidistant angularly from each of the other two, resulting in three such notches spaced apart 120 degrees apart. For convenience, there can be six such notches angularly spaced 60 degrees apart. In any case, the ring plate can be installed and removed using any two such notches 120 degrees apart, as illustrated in Fig. 13. The outer margins of the ring plate are rounded and may have a relatively small radius 38 to avoid wear and tear to the sidewall.

Referring to Figures 11-13, the advantages of the inwardly opening notches of Fig. 11 over those of Fig. 3 needs discussion. While the oppositely disposed, i.e. 180 degrees spaced, notches illustrated in Fig. 3 can be used to mount the ••slip-in" ring plates (the ring plates clamped between a rim bead flange and an inflated tire) , it has been found that notches spaced 120 degrees are substantially more effective. The embodiment of Fig. 3 requires notches that are substantially wider than those of Fig. 11 (approximately three times as wide) , and therefore the structure and stiffness of the ring plate of Fig. 3 is compromised and inferior to the structure and stiffness of the embodiment of Fig. 11. This is because the overall amount of the ring plate clamped between the rim bead flange and the tire of the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 3 is substantially less the amount clamped in the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 11. Fig. 13 illustrates the mounting procedure for a ring plate as illustrated in Fig. 11. The ring plate 2E can be

installed and removed without removing the tire 18; it need only be deflated. Once the tire is deflated, the ring plate can be mounted by slipping the rim flange of the wheel 4 through any two notches 120 degrees apart and continuing until the entire ring plate is past the rim flange, and then bringing the ring plate forward to bear against the rim flange while inflating the tire.

As previously mentioned, all the ring plates discussed above are preferably made from material that is generally spring-like, i.e. rigid but also flexible enough to generally conform to an abutting tire sidewall when the tire is inflated to normal pressure and under normal load conditions. Such conformance results in the ring plate or annular wall being forced into the general shape of a truncated cone. It has been found that ring plates made from 6061-T6 aluminum possess such properties.

As explained, it is preferable for the ring plates and annular wall of this invention to be mounted on the inboard sides of the wheels because that is where they are most effective.

Although the embodiments discussed above where characterized as having annular widths sufficient to cover a range of 1/8 or more of the area of the sidewall of a tire for which they were used, this range was given for illustrative purposes only and should not be used to limit the scope of the claims hereinafter because other annular widths can used without departing from the purpose and scope of this invention. The portion of the sidewall of a tire which is substantially abutted by a ring plate according to this invention is prevented from flexing outward and is therefore effectively stiffened to the extent that the ring plate covers the sidewall. Thus there is a tradeoff between the amount of lateral support that is desired and the amount of sidewall stiffness that can be tolerated. As a preferred tradeoff for automobiles, the outer diameter of the ring plate is roughly two to three inches greater than the rim

-11- outer diameter. For example, a tire mounted on a whsel having a rim of fifteen inches (outer diameter) should preferably have a lateral support (ring plate or integrated annular wall) having an outer diameter of seventeen to eighteen inches. For larger vehicles, such as trucks and airplanes, the optimal tradeoff may dictate a relatively larger or smaller difference between the outer diameters of the ring plate and the wheel rim. For smaller vehicles such as go-carts the same may be true. The foregoing description and drawings were given for illustrative purposes only, it being understood that the invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed, but is intended to embrace any and all alternatives, equivalents, modifications and rearrangements of elements falling within the scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.