Wheel for land vehicles and method for moving such vehicles over soft or irregular surfaces

• US 4,538,657 A
• Filed: 02/16/1983
• Issued: 09/03/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/1983
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Wetsco, Inc.
• Original Assignee: William E. Tuggle
• Inventors: Tuggle, William E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Scherbel, David A.
• Application Number:
  US06/467,051
• Time in Patent Office: 930 Days
• Field of Search: 301/63 DS, 152/330 RF, 152/352 R, 152/385, 152/388, 152/330 R, 152/349, 152/350, 152/375
• US Class Current: 152/375
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 15/02 Seating or securing beads on rims sealing means between beads and rims of tubeless tyres B60C5/16; means for securing solid tyres on rims B60C7/24
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 15/0203 using axially extending bead seating, i.e. the bead and the lower sidewall portion extend in the axial direction B60C15/0206 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 3/02 Closed, e.g. toroidal, tyres

Abstract

A wheel is disclosed for use on land vehicles such as small manually drawn trailers and similar carriers, the wheel having a tire supporting rim (12) and a low pressure tire (48) engaging the rim, the tire comprising a thin walled torus (50) of elastomeric material, the torus having an inner diameter surface (52) engaging the rim, an inflation valve (54) and an outer diameter surface (56) for contacting a soft or irregular support surface; so that, the tire deforms or flattens substantially when it contacts such surfaces with an axle load applied to the wheel, thereby facilitating movement of a vehicle over such surfaces. A method of moving such vehicles is also disclosed.

Claims

1. An improved tire-rim combination for land vehicles intended to be operated on soft support surfaces such as beach sand or irregular support surfaces such as rocky terrain, said combination comprising:

a low pressure tire comprising a thin-walled torus of elastomeric material, said torus having an inner diameter surface for engaging a tire supporting rim, means for inflating said torus to a low pressure configuration and an outer diameter surface for contacting said soft or irregular support surfaces;

a tire supporting rim having a central portion with a substantially cylindrical outer surface for engaging said inner diameter surface of said tire, a central opening for engaging an axle, a pair of oppositely, axially extending support flange means for engaging said tire on either side as said tire deforms or flattens, each support flange means having a radially, outwardly flaring conical portion extending from said central portion and an axially extending cylindrical flange extending from said conical portion, the axial length of said rim being greater than or equal to twice the undeformed radius of the circle of revolution of said torus but no greater than π

times said radius,

whereby said torus deforms or flattens substantially when said tire contacts said surfaces with an axle load applied to said wheel, thereby facilitating movement of an associated vehicle over such surfaces.

2. An improved tire-rim combination according to claim 1, wherein the diameter of said cylindrical flange portion is greater than the diameter of said inner diameter surface but less than or equal to three times said diameter of said inner diameter surface.

3. An improved tire-rim combination for land vehicles intended to be operated on soft support surfaces such as beach sand or irregular support surfaces such as rocky terrain, said combination comprising:

a low pressure tire comprising a thin-walled torus-like body of elastomeric material, said body having an inner diameter surface for engaging a tire supporting rim, means for inflating said body to a low pressure configuration and an outer diameter surface for contacting said soft or irregular support surfaces, said tire further comprising a radially inwardly extending flange;

a tire supporting rim having a substantially cylindrical outer surface for engaging said inner diameter of said tire, a central opening for engaging an axle, a pair of oppositely, axially extending support flange means for engaging said tire on either side as said tire deforms or flattens, said rim being separable into axially extending halves between which said radially inwardly extending flange is captured in the assembled wheel, and means for securing said halves to each other.

4. An improved tire-rim combination for land vehicles intended to be operated on soft support surfaces such as beach sand or on irregular support surfaces such as rocky terrain, said combination comprising:

a low pressure tire for engaging a tire supporting rim, said tire comprising a thin-walled torus-like body of elastomeric material wherein the wall of said tire located adjacent to the said soft support surfaces or said irregular support surfaces is at least substantially free from reinforcing fabrics or cords, said body having an inner diameter surface for engaging such a rim, said tire further comprising means for inflating said body to a low pressure configuration and an outer diameter surface for contacting said soft or irregular support surfaces;

said elastomeric material of said thin-walled body having such elasticity and flexibility and said low pressure being up to 10 psi and being such that when said body is mounted on such a rim, is inflated to said low pressure and is subjected to an axle load, said tire flexes to flatten substantially from its unloaded configuration and continues to flatten as said load is increased, so that said tire provides an enlarging contact area between said outer diameter surface and said soft surfaces as said load is increased whereby rolling friction is reduced between said tire and said soft surface, and said tire also stretches to deform substantially when said tire encounters an obstacle when said load is applied, whereby bouncing of said tire is reduced; and

a tire supporting rim having a substantially cylindrical outer surface engaging said inner diameter surface of said tire and a central opening for engaging an axle; and

wherein said rim comprises a pair of oppositely, axially extending support flange means for engaging said tire on either side as said tire deforms or flattens.

5. An improved tire-rim combination according to claim 4, wherein said rim is separable into axially extending halves, further comprising means for securing said halves to each other.

6. An improved tire-rim combination according to claim 4, wherein said torus-like body has a circular area of revolution and the axial length of said rim is greater than or equal to twice the undeformed radius of said circular area of revolution of said body but no greater than π

times said radius.

7. An improved tire-rim combination according to claim 6, wherein said rim comprises a central, cylindrical portion and each of said support flange means comprises a radially, outwardly flaring conical portion extending from said cylindrical portion and an axially extending cylindrical flange extending from said conical portion.

8. An improved tire-rim combination according to claim 7, wherein said rim is separable into axially extending halves, further comprising means for securing said halves to each other.

9. An improved tire-rim combination according to claim 7, wherein the diameter of said cylindrical flange portion is greater than the diameter of said inner diameter surface but less than or equal to three times said diameter of said inner diameter surface.

10. A method for moving a land vehicle over soft support surfaces such as beach sand or over irregular support surfaces such as rocky terrain, said method comprising the steps of:

providing said vehicle with at least one low pressure tire for engaging a tire supporting rim, said tire comprising a thin-walled torus-like body of elastomeric material, wherein the wall of said tire located adjacent to the said soft support surfaces or said irregular support surfaces is at least substantially free from reinforcing fabrics or cords;

said body having an inner diameter surface for engaging such a said rim, said tire further comprising means for inflating said body to a low pressure configuration and an outer diameter surface for contacting said soft or irregular support surfaces;

said elastomeric material of said thin-walled body having such elasticity and flexibility and said low pressure being such that when said body is mounted on such a rim, is inflated to said low pressure and is subjected to an axle load, said tire flexes to flatten substantially from its unloaded configuration and continues to flatten as said load is increased, so that said tire provides an enlarging contact area between said outer diameter surface and said soft surfaces as said load is increased whereby rolling friction is reduced between said tire and said soft surface, and said tire also stretches to deform substantially when said tire encounters an obstacle when said load is applied, whereby bouncing of said tire is reduced;

providing a tire supporting rim having a substantially cylindrical outer surface engaging said inner diameter surface of said tire and a central opening for engaging an axle of said vehicle; and

wherein said rim comprises a pair of oppositely, axially extending support flange means for engaging said tire on either side as said tire deforms or flattens;

inflating said tire on said rim wheel to low pressure of up to 10 psi to permit said tire to flatten and deform substantially when said tire contacts such support surfaces with an axle load applied to said vehicle; and

moving said vehicle across such support surfaces while said vehicle is supported on said tire.

11. An improved tire-rim combination for land vehicles intended to be operated on soft support surfaces such as beach sand or on irregular support surfaces such as rocky terrain, said combination comprising:

a low pressure tire for engaging a tire supporting rim, said tire comprising a thin-walled torus-like body of elastomeric material, said body having an inner diameter surface for engaging such a rim, said tire further comprising means for inflating said body to a low pressure configuration and an outer diameter surface for contacting said soft or irregular support surfaces;

said elastomeric material of said thin-walled body having such elasticity and flexibility and said low pressure being such that when said body is mounted on such a rim, is inflated to said low pressure and is subjected to an axle load, said tire flexes to flatten substantially from its unloaded configuration and continues to flatten as said load is increased, so that said tire provides an enlarging contact area between said outer diameter surface and said soft surfaces as said load is increased whereby rolling friction is reduced between said tire and said soft surface,

and said tire also stretches to deform substantially when said tire encounters an obstacle when said load is applied, whereby bouncing of said tire is reduced;

a tire supporting rim having a substantially cylindrical outer surface engaging said inner diameter surface of said tire and a central opening for engaging an axle;

wherein said rim comprises a pair of oppositely, axially extending support flange means for engaging said tire on either side as said tire deforms or flattens; and

comprises a central, cylindrical portion and each of said support flange means comprises a radially, outwardly flaring conical portion extending from said cylindrical portion and an axially extending cylindrical flange extending from said conical portion.

12. An improved tire-rim combination according to claim 11, wherein said rim is separable into axially extending halves, further comprising means for securing said halves to each other.

13. An improved tire-rim combination according to claim 11, wherein the diameter of said cylindrical flange portion is greater than the diameter of said inner diameter surface but less than or equal to three times said diameter of said inner diameter surface.

14. An improved tire-rim combination for land vehicles intended to be operated on soft support surfaces such as beach sand or on irregular support surfaces such as rocky terrain, said combination comprising:

a low pressure tire for engaging a tire supporting rim, said tire comprising a thin-walled torus-like body of elastomeric material, said body having an inner diameter surface for engaging such a rim, said tire further comprising means for inflating said body to a low pressure configuration and an outer diameter surface for contacting said soft or irregular support surfaces;

said elastomeric material of said thin-walled body having such elasticity and flexibility and said low pressure being such that when said body is mounted on such a rim, is inflated to said low pressure and is subjected to an axle load, said tire flexes to flatten substantially from its unloaded configuration and continues to flatten as said load is increased, so that said tire provides an enlarging contact area between said outer diameter surface and said soft surfaces as said load is increased whereby rolling friction is reduced between said tire and said soft surface, and said tire also stretches to deform substantially when said tire encounters an obstacle when said load is applied, whereby bouncing of said tire is reduced;

a tire supporting rim having a substantially cylindrical outer surface engaging said inner diameter surface of said tire and a central opening for engaging an axle;

wherein said rim comprises a pair of oppositely, axially extending support flange means for engaging said tire on either side as said tire deforms or flattens;

wherein said rim is separable into axially extending halves, further comprising means for securing said halves to each other; and

wherein said tire comprises a radially inwardly extending flange which is captured between said halves in the assembled tire-rim combination.