Resilient tires and wheels – Tires – resilient – Anti-skid devices
Patent
1996-09-24
1998-07-28
Lorin, Francis J.
Resilient tires and wheels
Tires, resilient
Anti-skid devices
152218, 152223, 152241, B60C 2712
Patent
active
057857830
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an improved device for installing snow chains on road vehicle tires.
2. Description of Background and Relevant Information
When the road is covered with snow, vehicle tires run the risk of skidding, which causes the driver to lose control of the vehicle. To prevent or limit the risks of skidding, tires have been provided with studs or tire treads comprising a very particular size and/or a tread rubber of very particular design; this technique is very efficient but requires a set of special tires for winter, because these tires cannot be used in summer and, in addition, they are inefficient on deep fresh snow.
For occasional users, and those who may find themselves in heavy snow, commercially available devices include chains or notched bars for insertion between the tire and the snow. These devices include protuberances that become anchored in the snow, on the one hand, and the tire becomes attached to such protuberances, on the other hand.
When the chains, which will be referred to hereinafter as "crosspieces" 1, as seen in FIG. 1, are used, they are substantially perpendicular to the tread 26 of the tire 18 such that they are each located in a plane passing through the axis of rotation of the wheel 27, and are position at regular intervals, if possible. The length of each crosspiece 1 is generally greater than the width 28 of the tire tread 26, and each of its ends 29 is connected on both sides of the tire 18, at the end 29 of the other crosspieces 1, by a connecting chain 8 referred to hereinafter as a "wall chain"; there is an outer wall chain 31 and an inner wall chain positioned on the other side 30 of the wheel 27 (seen in FIG. 2), i.e., on the side where the hub of the wheel 27 is attached.
When the assembly is placed on the ground such that the crosspieces 1 (FIG. 1) and the wall chains 8 are straight, one obtains a kind of ladder whose wall chains 8 form the side pieces, and the crosspieces 1, which generally have the same length, form the rungs. The assembly is wound around the tire 18 of the wheel 27 such that the crosspieces 1 are positioned on the tire tread 26, the middle of the crosspiece 1 coinciding substantially with the median of the tire tread 26. With the assembly placed on the tire in this manner, the wall chains 8, whose maximum length is about 15-20% less than the outer perimeter of the tire 18, are stretched. The crosspieces 1 are positioned by degrees such that they are located substantially in planes passing through the axis of the wheel 27, and the two ends 4 and 5 of each wall chain 8 are fastened by an appropriate device by adjusting the chain to a suitable length so that it is stretched. French Patent Publication No. 2 630 972 discloses a snow chain of this type.
In practice, it is difficult to have access to the rear portion 30 (FIG. 2) of the wheel 27, located on the side of the hub attachment point, to fasten the wall chain. If the assembly is positioned so as to first cover the upper portion of the wheel, the attachment zone of the ends 4 and 5 of the wall chains 8 is located next to the ground. The length for contact of the tire tread 26 with the ground, in this area, by construction being greater than the distance between two crosspieces 1 in succession, it is impossible to correctly fasten the ends 4 and 5 of the wall chain 8, it is accordingly recommended, at that time, to position the snow chain flat as previously described to allow the car to ride thereon, and to then proceed with the closure of the wall chains 8. Placing the assembly on the tire by this procedure requires that numerous operations be carried out in a predetermined order. Moreover, preliminary training is necessary to perform this operation correctly.
To simplify the positioning of the anti-skid device on the tires, the crosspieces have been replaced in other applications by notched rungs placed perpendicularly to the tire tread and connected to rods that are substantially perpendicular to the bars and oriented su
REFERENCES:
patent: 2655972 (1953-10-01), Doney
patent: 2806503 (1957-09-01), Hamerski
patent: 3242963 (1966-03-01), Rietveld
patent: 3896687 (1975-07-01), Cloud
patent: 3965956 (1976-06-01), Whatley, Jr.
patent: 4321956 (1982-03-01), Martinelli
patent: 4334569 (1982-06-01), Jacob et al.
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