The present invention provides an annular beam of monolithic construction of one homogeneous material and a related efficient, low-cost non-pneumatic tire. Specific geometric design, combined with nonlinear elastomer physical properties, enable the suppression of all reinforcing belts, continuous fibers, or other strengthening layers in the annular beam. The annular beam consists of at least two bands that are continuous in the circumferential direction and connected by a web geometry. The non-pneumatic tire consists of the annular beam, a ground contacting portion, a central wheel, and a plurality of web spokes that connect the wheel and beam. When the tire is loaded to a design load against a flat surface over a design contact length, a contact area of essentially uniform pressure is produced, while the load is transmitted from the beam to the hub via tension in the web spokes. The tire can be economically manufactured.

The present invention provides an annular beam of monolithic construction of one homogeneous material and a related efficient, low-cost non-pneumatic tire. Specific geometric design, combined with nonlinear elastomer physical properties, enable the suppression of all reinforcing belts, continuous fibers, or other strengthening layers in the annular beam. The annular beam consists of at least two bands that are continuous in the circumferential direction and connected by a web geometry. The non-pneumatic tire consists of the annular beam, a ground contacting portion, a central wheel, and a plurality of web spokes that connect the wheel and beam. When the tire is loaded to a design load against a flat surface over a design contact length, a contact area of essentially uniform pressure is produced, while the load is transmitted from the beam to the hub via tension in the web spokes. The tire can be economically manufactured.

A transport tire is provided for supporting a rim of a machine during transport or storage of the machine. In one form, the transport tire includes a plurality of blocks having a non-annular, handling configuration and an annular, installed configuration. The transport tire includes end portions configured to be releasably connected to secure the blocks in the annular, installed configuration. A method of assembling a transport tire on a rim of a machine is also provided.

A non-pneumatic wheel with reinforcement bands that provide structural support for the wheel and a method of manufacture of such a wheel are described. The reinforcement band forms part of an annular reinforcement structure that includes a core that is cast in place between annular reinforcement bands. The core can be impregnated with a matrix material. The matrix material can also be used to form one or more elements of the non-pneumatic wheel.

A tire for planting equipment is disclosed, the tire composed of a tire material and comprising: a rim-mounting surface, a first side wall having a thickness, a second side wall having a thickness, and a contact wall having a thickness and defining a contact area; the first, second, and contact walls defining a hollow channel, and the second side wall having a tapered portion and disc contact portion. A method for manufacturing a seeder tire of variable hardness is also disclosed, the method comprising the steps of: introducing a first polyurethane compound having a first hardness value into a first portion of a tire mold; allowing an amount of time to elapse wherein the first polyurethane compound will gel; and introducing a second polyurethane compound having a second hardness value into a second portion of the mold.

A non-pneumatic tire includes: a ring member (14) including an inner cylinder (12) externally covering an attachment body (11) to be attached to an axle and an outer cylinder (13) surrounding the inner cylinder (12) from a tire radial outer side; a plurality of connecting members (15) arranged along a tire circumferential direction between the inner cylinder (12) and the outer cylinder (13) and connecting the two cylinders to each other; and a tread member (16) made of vulcanized rubber and located on a tire radial outer side of the outer cylinder (13), wherein at least one part of the outer cylinder (13) and the plurality of connecting members (15) are integrally formed of a synthetic resin material, and an adhesion layer (25) containing a cyanoacrylate-based adhesive agent is located between the tread member (16) and the outer cylinder (13) having an amino group in a surface thereof.

An airless tire includes a tread ring, a hub positioned on radial direction inner side of the tread ring, and a spoke structure connecting the tread ring and hub. The tread ring includes a reinforcing body including a first reinforcing cord layer, a second reinforcing cord layer and a shear layer such that the first layer is extending in tire circumferential direction, the second layer is positioned on tire radial direction inner side of the first layer and extending in the tire circumferential direction, and the shear layer including elastomer is positioned between the first and second layers, and the shear layer includes first and second portions such that the first portion has loss tangent tan and shear modulus Ee in MPa at temperature of 30 C. satisfying tan 0.06 and Ee/tan 1500 and the second portion is formed of material different from material of the first portion.

An airless tire includes a tread ring having a cylindrical form and a ground contact surface. The tread ring has multiple through holes and a reinforcing body such that the through holes are penetrating through the tread ring in a thickness direction of the tread ring and formed at intervals along a tire circumferential direction and that the reinforcing body includes a first reinforcing body extending in the tire circumferential direction in regions between adjacent through holes, and the first reinforcing body is formed such that the first reinforcing body has end portions in the tire circumferential direction and that the end portions terminate without being exposed from inner peripheral surfaces of the through holes.

A load wheel for a vehicle is provided having a cylindrical hub with an axis, a first sidewall, a second sidewall, an outer surface, a central core extending coaxially within the hub, and a plurality of passageways extending in an axial direction between the first and second sidewall. A solid, non-pneumatic tire is bonded to the outer surface of the hub, and a set of bearing is mounted in the central core of the hub. The hub is characterized by a heat factor equal to the (hub masshub specific heat)/surface area exposed. The heat factor for a hub comprising passageways is compared to the heat factor for a solid hub to derive a heat factor ratio, which is used to select the exposed surface area of the hub and maintain the operating temperature of the wheel below the failure temperature.

A disclosed example embodiment of a gauge wheel tire includes a first polyurethane sidewall portion, a second polyurethane sidewall portion, a polyurethane ground-engaging portion, and a polyurethane axial support portion. The first polyurethane sidewall portion is spaced apart from the second polyurethane sidewall portion, and the polyurethane ground-engaging portion extends from the first polyurethane sidewall portion to the second polyurethane sidewall portion and is adapted to contact a ground surface as the gauge wheel tire rotates about an axis of rotation. The polyurethane axial support portion extends from the first polyurethane sidewall portion to the second polyurethane sidewall portion, and is spaced apart from the polyurethane ground-engaging portion to form a gap that allows radial movement of the polyurethane ground-engaging portion relative to the polyurethane axial support portion.