A method of making a tire tread includes providing a sheet of material and forming the sheet of material into a cylinder, such that a first edge of the sheet of material contacts a second edge of the sheet of material. The method also includes welding the first edge to the second edge to form a welded joint of a seamed cylinder, and providing tread rubber about the seamed cylinder.

A non-pneumatic tire includes an inner ring having an axis of rotation and an outer ring having a plurality of circumferential reinforcements. The non-pneumatic tire further includes support structure extending from the inner ring to the outer ring. The non-pneumatic tire also includes a circumferential tread extending about the outer ring. The circumferential tread includes a tread reinforcement layer spaced from a bottom of the circumferential tread.

A non-pneumatic tire includes an inner ring having an axis of rotation and an outer ring having a plurality of circumferential reinforcements. The non-pneumatic tire further includes support structure extending from the inner ring to the outer ring. The non-pneumatic tire also includes a circumferential tread extending about the outer ring. The circumferential tread includes a tread reinforcement layer spaced from a bottom of the circumferential tread.

A tire includes at least one body defining a plurality of body ply layers, and a toroidal element located between the body ply layers. The toroidal element includes inner and outer regions formed by the body ply layers, and a central region formed by an inner rubber component located between the body ply layers. At least a portion of the central region is more elastic than the inner and outer regions. The toroidal element includes a first sidewall portion extending along at least a portion of the first sidewall region of the tire, and a second sidewall portion extending along at least a portion of the second sidewall region of the tire. The toroidal element is pre-stressed such that the first sidewall portion of the toroidal element exerts a first axially outward force, and such that the second sidewall portion of the toroidal element exerts a second axially outward force.

A non-pneumatic tire includes a ring, a circumferential tread disposed about the ring, and a plurality of support structures extending downwards from the ring. An end of each support structure includes an axially extending member, and each support structure includes a reinforcement layer extending along a length of the support structure and wrapping around the axially extending member.

A tire has an axis of rotation. The tire includes a circular tread band, a circular hub for attachment to an axle, and a structure including a plurality of annular rings interconnecting the tread band and the hub and transferring a load from the tread band to the hub. A first group of rings are disposed axially adjacent each other and a second group of rings are concentric and disposed radially adjacent each other.

A structurally supported tire includes a ground contacting annular tread portion, an annular hoop structure for supporting a load on the tire, and a ply structure secured to a vehicle rim and the tread portion. The hoop structure is secured to a radially inner surface of the ply structure. The hoop structure includes a first double layer of steel cords and a second double layer of steels cords sandwiching a first layer of non-woven reinforcement, a second layer of non-woven reinforcement, and a single layer of steel cords.

An airless tire includes a cylindrical tread ring, a hub and a spoke structure connecting the tread ring and hub. The spoke structure has a tread-side annular component, a hub-side annular component, and spoke plates radially extending from the hub-side to tread-side components, each spoke plate has thickness having first tapered-thickness region, second tapered-thickness region and minimum-thickness region such that the first region radially extending outward has the thickness gradually reducing from first position at which the hub-side component is bonded, the second region radially extending inward has the thickness gradually reducing from second position at which the tread-side component is bonded, and the minimum-thickness region has the minimum thickness between the first and second regions, and the first and second regions are formed such that each of tire radial lengths of the first and second regions is at least 0.05 times a tire radial length of a spoke plate.

A wheel assembly includes a collapsible wheel and an airless flexible tire mounted on the wheel. The wheel includes a central portion and a plurality of circumferentially spaced mounting elements attached to the central portion. Each of the mounting elements is movable between a retracted position and an extended position, and may be pivotally attached to the central portion of the wheel and configured to pivot between the retracted position and the extended position. The tire may be positioned on the wheel when one or more of the mounting elements is in the retracted position, and the one or more mounting elements are moved to the extended position wherein the mounting elements engage and support the tire.

A wheel assembly includes a collapsible wheel and an airless flexible tire mounted on the wheel. The wheel includes a central portion and a plurality of circumferentially spaced mounting elements attached to the central portion. Each of the mounting elements is movable between a retracted position and an extended position, and may be pivotally attached to the central portion of the wheel and configured to pivot between the retracted position and the extended position. The tire may be positioned on the wheel when one or more of the mounting elements is in the retracted position, and the one or more mounting elements are moved to the extended position wherein the mounting elements engage and support the tire.