A tire includes a belt layer in a tread portion. The belt layer includes at least one belt ply. The belt ply includes a plurality of belt cords including a steel single wire having a flat cross-sectional shape. In at least one of the belt cords, the steel single wire has a short diameter direction inclined at an angle θ of less than 90 degrees with respect to a thickness direction of the belt ply.

Provided are a rubber article reinforcing steel wire that is superior in bending fatigue properties to the related art and has a flat cross-sectional shape, and a rubber article using the wire. In a rubber article reinforcing steel wire 10, a major diameter and a minor diameter are substantially perpendicular to each other. Assuming that the major diameter is W, the minor diameter is T, a straight line that passes through a center of the major diameter in a width direction and is parallel to a minor diameter direction is L1, a straight line that passes through a center of the minor diameter in a width direction and is parallel to a major diameter direction is L2, an intersection point of the L1 and the L2 is a center point C, a region within a half of a distance from the center point C to a surface is a central region Rc, and a region outside the central region Rc is a surface layer region Rs, a Vickers hardness Hvc of the central region Rc is more than a Vickers hardness Hvs of the surface layer region Rs; and assuming that a Vickers hardness on the L1 in the surface layer region Rs is Hv1, and a Vickers hardness on the L2 in the surface layer region Rs is Hv2, relationships represented by Hvc−Hv1≦150, Hvc−Hv2≦150, Hv1/Hvc×100≧85.11, and Hv2/Hvc×100≧79.84 are satisfied.

A belt for use as for example an elevator belt, flat belt, synchronous belt or toothed belt comprises steel strands held in parallel by a polymer jacket. The steel strands have a diameter ‘D’ and are separated by a pitch ‘p’. The ratio of diameter ‘D’ over pitch ‘p’ is larger than 0.55. Such belt arrangement prevents the cutting of the polymer jacket between strand and pulley and abates the noise generation during use. The belts are best built with a type of parallel lay strands particularly designed for use in a belt. These strands do not show core migration during use of the belt.

A plurality of wire elements for use in an energy recovery device comprising Shape Memory Alloy or other Negative Thermal Expansion (NTE) material, wherein at least one wire element is fixed at one end and free to move at a second end, such that the wire elements are arranged adjacently and are in friction or interference contact with each other and are secured at the outer perimeter of wires utilising a securing means. In such arrangement, during the operation of the bundle arrangement in a heat engine system, the plate elements act to transmit the aggregated force generation of the wire grouping and thus usefully recover and transmit power.

A braided structure that includes a core and a sheath is provided. The core includes a yarn formed at least in part from an aromatic polymer (e.g., an aromatic polyester/liquid crystalline polymer or an aramid polymer), and the sheath, which includes a plurality of ultra high molecular weight polyolefin yarns, is braided around the core. The sheath has an overall diameter ranging from about 60 micrometers to about 650 micrometers. Despite its small diameter, the braided structure can be creep resistant and abrasion resistant while at the same time exhibiting low elongation, a high load at break, and high stiffness. The braided structure can be used in medical applications such as sutures, load bearing orthopedic applications, artificial tendons/ligaments, fixation devices, actuation cables, components for tissue repair, etc.

A high modulus textile cord (50) with at least triple twist (T1, T2, T3) comprises at least N strands (20a, 20b, 20c, 20d), N being greater than 1, twisted together with a final twist T3 and a final direction D2, each strand being made up of M pre-strands (10a, 10b, 10c), M being greater than 1, themselves twisted together with an intermediate twist T2 (T2a, T2b, T2c, T2d) and an intermediate direction D1 opposite to D2, each pre-strand itself consisting of a yarn (5) which has been twisted on itself beforehand with an initial twist T1 (T1a, T1b, T1c) and the direction D1, in which at least half of the N times M yarns have an initial elastic modulus denoted Mi which is greater than 2000 cN/tex. This textile cord can advantageously be used as a reinforcer in tires for vehicles, particularly in the belt or carcass reinforcement of these tires.

A wire rope having improved durability and that can be used in a medical device to be inserted into a patient's body. The wire rope includes a core wire and side wires. The core wire is a special metal element wire that has a hardness at an outer periphery in a cross-section thereof that is higher than that at a center in the cross-section thereof. The wire rope does not include grease.

A wire rope having improved durability and that can be used in a medical device to be inserted into a patient's body. The wire rope includes a core wire and side wires. The core wire is a special metal element wire that has a hardness at an outer periphery in a cross-section thereof that is higher than that at a center in the cross-section thereof. The wire rope does not include grease.

An aramid textile cord (50) with at least triple twist (T1, T2, T3) comprises at least N strands (20a, 20b, 20c, 20d), N being greater than 1, twisted together with a final twist T3 and a final direction D2, each strand being made up of M pre-strands (10a, 10b, 10c), M being greater than 1, themselves twisted together with an intermediate twist T2 (T2a, T2b, T2c, T2d) and an intermediate direction D1 opposite to D2, each pre-strand itself consisting of a yarn (5) which has been twisted on itself beforehand with an initial twist T1 (T1a, T1b, T1c) and the direction D1, in which at least half of the N times M yarns are aramid yarns. This textile cord can advantageously be used as a reinforcer in tires for vehicles, particularly in the belt or carcass reinforcement of these tires.

A braided structure that includes a core and a sheath is provided. The core includes a yarn formed at least in part from an aromatic polymer (e.g., an aromatic polyester/liquid crystalline polymer or an aramid polymer), and the sheath, which includes a plurality of ultra high molecular weight polyolefin yarns, is braided around the core. The sheath has an overall diameter ranging from about 60 micrometers to about 650 micrometers. Despite its small diameter, the braided structure can be creep resistant and abrasion resistant while at the same time exhibiting low elongation, a high load at break, and high stiffness. The braided structure can be used in medical applications such as sutures, load bearing orthopedic applications, artificial tendons/ligaments, fixation devices, actuation cables, components for tissue repair, etc.