IL29348A - Wheels and pneumatic tires primarily for off-highway use - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to wheels and pneumatic tires for vehicles of the type adapted primarily for of -highway use, specially for soft and difficult terrain, such as deep snow or dust, loose sand, swampy ground, and the like.

Various constructions of wheels and pneumatic tires of this type have been proposed in the past. Some have been successful for one condition or another and have been built and used in considerable number but none has been completely satisfactory.

One object of the invention was tdt fill this need and to provide a construction having greater applicability to various difficult ground conditions and terrain, as well as to roads and highways, than had been true in the past.

A further object is to provide a wheel and tire arrangement having means for the retention of air internally thereof in conjunction with appropriate inflating means.

Additional objects were to provide for maximum propulsive contact with, and for maximum propulsive thrust against, soft and other difficult ground materials while also providing for considerably less yet adequate contact with hard and unyielding road surfaces, so positive travel at practical speeds can be had over such dicEficult ground materials and so reasonably high speeds can be attained when travelling over surfaced rgads and highways; to provide for propulsive thrust in soft materials without in any way relying on traction; to provide a lifting action along with the propulsive thrust action, so the running gear will not dig downwardly in soft materials and become mired; and to provide running components that can be of rubber, pneumatically inflated, for comfortable and reasonably smooth running on roads and other hard surfaced areas.

According to the invention there is provided an eccentrically circular wheel and tire arrangement for vehicles adapted primarily for off-highway use, characterised in that said wheel comprises a hub, two parallel rims drop centered with respect to said hub and a correspondingly eccentrically circular pneumatic tire mounted on said wheel substantially 4n air tight sealing engagement therewith.

The vehicle may, for example, be of the kind described and illustrated in co-pending Patent Specification No. 28,395» o which this is a divisional application.

The wheel and/or pneumatic tire of the present invention is usually, for example, in place of a series of eccentrically mounted, regularly contoured but diversely oriented rollers appropriately disposed, one behind another or one beside another as cams, as is known in the art. This known kind of drive uses one or more rollers, each of which ca be made up of a side-by-side series of diversely oriented, eccentric, cam configurations. In other words, the eccentric, cam- like running members, can be arranged in series extending longitudinally of the path of travel of the vehicle or in series extending transversely of the path of travel. IN some instances, it The running .gear of such a vehicle can be made up of a series of rotary cam members eccentrically mounted on a respective axes. If the axes are in longitudinal alignment, with the cam members disposed side-by-side on what is then a. common axis, the series will extend transversely of the path of travel. If the axes are arranged one behind another in mutually spaced succession, the series will extend longitudinally of the path of travel on individual axes.

In each instance, each eccentric-sally mounted cam member has a protrusive portion at one side of the axis merging into a recessive portion at the opposite side of the axis.

The outermost part of the protrusive portion is arcuate on a radius from the cam axis as a centre, the length of the arc being dependent upon the number of cam members in the series, and the several cam members are so arranged relative to one another that these orcuate, outermost parts of the protrusive portions are disposed progressively about the respective axes, from one end of the series to the other and at substantially equal radial distances from such axes, to provide successive, tractive running surfaces at the same level. The arrangement is such that a plurality of these tractive running surfaces are in supporting and running position at all times. This makes for rapid and smooth travel over-hard-surfaced roads and highways. In accordance with this invention the running elements are of pneumatic tire constructions, and tread surfaces are advantageously provided on the aforesaid arcuate, outermost parts of the protrusive portions.

The recessive portion and the remainder of the protrusive portion of each cam member are ordinarily also arcuate, and the wheels and tires may teven be of circular formation with the axis offset from the centre of the circle to an extent dependent upon the desired degree of eccentricity; nevertheless, they may be contoured, configurated, or otherwise formed as desired so long as the eccentric formation is maintained. With the arra giementi' of the several wheels and tires as indicated, the recessive parts of their peripheries are also disposed progressively about the respective axes, from one end of the series to the other, to provide continuously active, propulsion surfaces between the mutually opposite protrusive and recessive parts for exerting thrust in soft materials.

In order to facilitate the comprehension of t¾e present invention, reference will now be made to one specific embodiment, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 is a fragmentary view in side elevation of cam like pneumatic tires mounted on cam like wheels ; Figure 2 is a view of the same structure shown in Figure 1, but as seen from above; Figure 3 Is a longitudinal section taken one line 3-3 of Figure 2; Figure is a transverse section taken on line k-k of Figure 2; and Figure 5; is a perspective view of a pneumatic tire according to the present invention.

As illustrated in Figures 1 to kt the tire and wheel arrangement of the present invention can be arranged in multiple series at each side of the longitudinal centre line of the vehicle, each series extending transversely of the path of travel of the vehicle at one side of the centre line thereof, see figure 2, with each individual wheel and tire arrangement being eccentrically disposed and in side-by-side relation, on a common axle 75 · As shown in Figures 1-5 eccentric wheels 70 , having eccentrically circular, drop centre rims 7 configurated in conventional formation for receiving the eccentrically circular beads 72 (Figure ) of an eccentrically circular, tubeless tire 73 » and having axle-receiving hubs k of polygonal con iguration (or provided with spline-receiving channels) for receipting an axle of mated polygonal (or splined) configuration, are mounted in sets on axles 75 » see particularly Figures 3 and k. In this illustrated instance, each set is secured in position on its axle 75 by means of a nut 76 and washer 77 (Figure l) The hub 7^ ®f the first wheel of the set is next to a shouldered portion 75a (Figure 3) of the axle 75 » the hub of the next wheel is next to the hub of the first, and so on through the series of wheels of the set. Spacer washers 78 are interposed between adjoining wheel hubs to provide lateral flexing space for the tires 73· With this arrangement, the set of wheels isi-.held firmly in place on its axle for rotation therewith under drive impetus or idling, as the case may be, during travel 'of the vehicle. For a purpose to be explained, air sealing gaskets 79 are interposed between axle shoulder and wheel hub and between spacears and wheel hubs.

Each wheel 70 and tire 73 is >of the eccentrically circular formation, so as to provide a protrusive wheel portion 70a and a corresponding protrusive tire portion 73a , as well as a recessive wheel portion 70b and a corresponding reeesssive tire portion 73b as is required by the vehicles of the type aforementioned. The arcuate outer or tractive running surface of the protrusive portion of each tire 73 is provided with a suitable, indented anti-skid tread design 80, but the remainder of the arcuate outer periphery of the tire, for example, the recessive portion is preferably left smooth, as at 8.1 without tread design of any kind and preferably surfaced with a smooth and slippery elastomer, as contrasted with a relatively frictional elastomer for the traction surface of the protrusive portions of the tire.

Each tire is fabricated according to known techniques, except for the shape of the mould and the use of radial reinforcing ply rather than the conventional cross-ply in most instances. Likewise each tire is mounted on the rim of its wheel and normally inflated in known maaner for a tubeless tire by means of a conventional air valve 82. Although the present wheel construction provides for retention of air internally thereof in - ■-■ conjuc tion with a tubeless type of tire, a tube tire can be utilized if appropriate changes are made in the wheel construction.

A feature of the invention that may or may not be used in any given instance is to make the wheel itself capable of receiving and retaining air, so as to contribute considerable mere buoyancy to the running gear of the vehicle than would otherwise be the case. Thus, as illustrated, each wheel 70 is constructed to provide an extension of the hollow interior of the tubeless tire 73 within the wheel itself. The rims 71 drop to the hub 7^ as mutually spaced, imperforate walls 83 which are advantageously reinforced internally by transverse walls 84 and externally by ribs 85 . The internal walls 8k terminate short of rim level to. provide the drop rim construction required. In this way, the interior of the wheel is closed by the hub 7^ and by the lateral walls 83 , but otherwise communicates with the interior of the tire. The air Μ£ &φ£&ί& valve 8§ of conventional construe tion , conveniently extends through a wall 83 and is normally used to supply air under pressure to both the wheel and the tire. in order to reinflate one or more of the tires 73 without dissassembling the complete set on an axle 75 » inflation valve 82 (Figure 3 ) is provided in the free end of axle 75 in association with inflation passages 86 leading to the periphery of the axle.

There is sufficient tolerance between the axle and the wheel hubs, spacers 78 and gaskets 79 (for example, 0 . 005 " ) to accept air from inflation passages 86 and conduct it to inflation check valves 87 in the respective wheel hubs. A pressure regulated air hose should be used in the inflation of a lo tire of the series so as to not overinflate those tires that are already inflated to the correct pressure.

With this system, it is also possible to provide for inflating and deflating all tires in common from the inflation valve 82 in the end of axle 75 by removing the inflation check valves 87 from their respective hubs, leaving the receiving openings therefore open.

In order to insure proper balance and alignment of the eccentrically curcular tires 73 on their respective, eccentrically circular wheels 70 » an. index mark 88 is provided on the external surface of a side wall of each tpre for registry with a corresponding index mark 89 that is provided on the external surface of the rim 71 of each wheel.

Claims (11)

HAVING NOW particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is!-

1. An eccentrically circular wheel and tire arrangement for vehicles adapted for off-highway use, characterised in that said wheel comprises a hub, two parallel rims drop centered with respect to said hub and a correspondingly eccentrically circular pneumatic tire mounted on said wheel substantially in air tight sealing engagement therewith.

2. An eccentrically circular wheel and tire arrangement as claimed in Claim 1, characterised in that aaid tires are tubeless and have their interiors open to the interiors of said wheels.

3. An eccentrically circular wheel and tire arrangement as claimed in Claim 2, characterised in that said hub is hollow. k .

An eccentrically circular wheel and tire arrangement as claimed in Claim 3i characterised in that said hub is provided with an air passage extending from the interior of said hub to the interior of said wheels.

5. An ¾«e*¾h¾S¾¾¾3.¾ circular wheel and tire arrangement as claimed in Claim 4, characterised in that said air passage comprises an air check valve.

6. An eccentrically circular wheel and tire arrangement as claimed in any of the preceeding claims, characterised in that at least two wheel and tire arrangements are mounted on a common axle.

7. An eccentrically circular wheel and tire arrangement as eiaimed in Claim 6, characterised in that s¾aid common ** axle has a further air passage extending therethrough and in communication with the first mentioned air passage.

8. An eccentrically circular wheel and tire arrangement as claimed in Claim 7» characterised in that the second mentioned air passage has an accessible inflation valve.

9. An eccentrically circular wheel and tire arrangement as claimed in Claim 1, characterised in that said tire has a protrusive portion and a recessive portion with respect to the mounting axis of the tire and has side walls and mounting beads of off-circular formation substantially corresponding to the off-circular formation of the tire and defining a wheel-rim-receiving opening of corresponding off-circular formation, the said protrusive portion of the tire body having a running surface extending along the outer periphery of the tire that is formed as an arc of a circle.

10. A vehicle tire comprising an eccentric pneumatic tire body of off-circular annular formation adapted for mounting on the eccentric rim of a substantially correspondingly off-circular cam wheel of a tractive vehicle, said tire body having a protrusive portion and a recessive portion with respect to the mounting axis of the tire and having side walls and mounting beads of off-circular formation substantially corresponding to the off-cirmilar formation of the tire and defining a wheel-rim receiving ¾ ¾:n ¾g of corresponding off-circular formation, the said protrusive portion of the tire body having a running surface extending along the outer periphery of the tire that is formed as an .

11. An eccentrically circular wheel and tire arrangement, constructed, arranged and which operates substantially as described in the specification and -with reference to the accompanying drawings. DATED THIS l8th day of January, 1 8. COHEN P.O.Box II69, Tel-Aviv, Attorneys for Applicant.