Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
Utility Patent Application: Title: Wheel Beadlock Design. Inventor: Ricehouse,
Daniel I.
TITLE OF INVENTION: Wheel Beadlock Design
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR
DEVELOPMENT: This invention was not federally sponsored.
APPLICANT: Wheel Pros LLC
INVENTOR: Daniel I. Ricehouse, resident of Phoenix, AZ, citizen of USA.
ATTORNEY DOCKET: Biggs_UP_Product
Page 1 of 25
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-05-05
Utility Patent Application: Title: Wheel Beadlock Design. Inventor: Ricehouse,
Daniel I.
Background of the Invention
[0001] Field of the invention: This invention relates to the general field of
securing tires
to wheels. More specifically, the invention relates to a bolt with a
revolutionary ball seat
that allows a bead ring with an elongated hole to pivot around the bolt while
the bolt
tightens a bead ring against a wheel to effectively secure a tire to the
wheel, and to a
method of preventing a tire from moving inward from an inner rim of the wheel
as well as
not slipping around the wheel as the vehicle accelerates or decelerates.
[0002] Brief Description of Invention: In one embodiment, the invention
comprises
improved bolts and bead rings, which in turn create an improved clamping
mechanism to
secure a tire between the bead ring and the wheel. The bead ring includes a
bead ring
ball seat manufactured into it with an elongated pilot hole. The bolt has a
head, a ball
seat, a thread and a bolt pilot. The threads engage with a threaded section on
the wheel.
The threads can be any diameter and density of threads per inch. The ball seat
bolt
nestles with the bead ring ball seat, allowing the bead ring to pivot as the
bolt threads
engage with the threaded section in the wheel, pulling the bead ring toward
the wheel to
secure the tire bead in between the wheel and the bead ring. As the bead ring
is forced
down upon the wheel through rotation of the bolt, eventually the bead ring
contacts a pivot
point on the wheel, at which point the outer edge of the bead ring is
leveraged against
the tire bead bundle, pressing down upon the tire bead to lock it in place
against the
wheel. Because the bead ring can pivot about the bolt within the ball seat and
elongated
pilot hole, the bolt is not stressed as in the prior art.
Page 2 of 25
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-05-05
Utility Patent Application: Title: Wheel Beadlock Design. Inventor: Ricehouse,
Daniel I.
[0003] In another embodiment, the barrel of the wheel also has an improved
safety bead
that prevents the tire from moving away from the bead seat of the wheel. The
area
between the safety bead and the outer lip of the wheel (tire bead seat area)
receives a
measured (RA) surface roughness finish process to achieve the maximum co-
efficient of
rubber to aluminum that prevents the wheel from slipping rotationally inside
the tire as the
tire revolutions are quickly increased or decreased as it often the case in
auto racing.
[0004] In a third embodiment, the invention provides a washer with a ball seat
to be
attached to the bead ring. The means of attachment obviously has to be very
secure, so
welding the washers around existing pilot holes in an existing wheel is a
preferred
embodiment of the invention. Because the washer has a ball seat, one of the
bolts
described more fully in this invention can be used to pivotally secure the
bead ring over
the tire bead bundle against the wheel.
[0005] Statement of the Problem: The open edge of a tire is called a tire bead
and in
the middle of the tire bead is called a tire bead bundle. The tire bead bundle
is usually
made of metal or some other non-compressible material. As tires wear, they
need to be
replaced. To effectively seal a new tire over a wheel, the tire bead bundle
has to be
clamped between the wheel and a bead ring, with several bolts extending
through pilot
holes in the bead ring and having threads that engage with threaded sections
in the wheel.
The bolt has to withstand considerable stress as it has to clamp the tire bead
bundle in
between the bead ring and the wheel with enough pressure such that air does
not escape
the tire.
Page 3 of 25
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-05-05
Utility Patent Application: Title: Wheel Beadlock Design. Inventor: Ricehouse,
Daniel I.
[0006] As the bead ring is tightened on the wheel, the bolt has to undergo
significant
stress as the angle between the bead ring and the wheel is not consistently
parallel,
commonly referred to as joint face angularity, even the smallest angularity
errors can have
a catastrophic effect of the fatigue life of a bolt. This is particularly true
for the bolt head,
which is often, for at least part of the process, pressing against the bead
ring at an angle
such that only a portion of the bolt head is touching the bead ring. This
problem is
particularly acute in fields such as racing and off-road tire installation,
where time is
essential and workers do not take time to worry about the stress they may be
placing on
the bolt head. One problem faced is in tire installation during bolt snapping,
the bolt head
is no longer keeping the tire bead bundle compressed between the bead ring and
wheel;
therefore air may escape to flatten the tire, or an asymmetry of the wheel may
cause other
bolts to break, resulting the tire completely falling off from the wheel. When
this happens
in a racing car, it can be catastrophic for both the driver of that car and
any nearby drivers.
[0007] Another problem faced by automobile owners, particularly race car
drivers, as that
when a tire is raced with low psi, there are two tendencies that can lead to
catastrophic
tire failure. First, with very little psi to hold the tire bead of the tire
against the wheel, it is
easy for the tire to move inward from the inner rim of the wheel and de-bead.
This can
lead to rapid deflation of the tire or a severe tire imbalance, causing tire
failure. Second,
with low psi tires, as the driver rapidly accelerates or decelerates the
vehicle, the tire has
a tendency to "spin around" on the wheel so the tire and wheel no longer
rotate as one,
as there is nothing to lock it against the barrel and inner rim of the wheel.
This dual rotation
can put an unacceptable amount of stress on the sidewall of the tire,
resulting in
catastrophic failure of the tire sidewall construction.
Page 4 of 25
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-05-05
Utility Patent Application: Title: Wheel Beadlock Design. Inventor: Ricehouse,
Daniel I.
[0008] The prior art has several examples of attempts to resolve these
problems. For
example, the bead ring is bolted down upon the wheel by a non-pivoting bolt
where this
is no pivot point for additional leverage. Another example is found in US
Patent No.
9,481,205 to Rider, et. al., which illustrates a device with a threaded stud
rather than a
traditional bolt. However, the device neither addresses the problem of
stressors upon
non-pivoting bolts nor provides the additional benefits of leveraging the bead
ring upon
the wheel that is taught by the current invention.
[0009] Thus, there has existed a need for a better means by which a tire bead
can be
secured between a bead ring and a wheel and prevented from moving inward from
the
bead seat of a wheel or rotationally spinning around on the wheel.
[0010] Statement of the Invention: In order to solve the above problems, the
present
invention provides a solution by utilizing a bolt about which a bead ring can
pivot and a
fulcrum on a wheel that can be leveraged upon to achieve a superior seal
between a bead
ring and a wheel over a tire bead. The bead ring is manufactured with a number
of bead
ring holes, each of which has a bead ring seat and an elongated pilot hole,
which allows
the bead ring to pivot around the bolt which being tightened. The bolt has a
head, a ball
seat, a threaded section, or thread, and a bolt pilot. The ball seat mates
with the bead
ring seat and the pilot hole in the bead ring is elongated greater than the
diameter of the
thread section of the bolt allowing the bead ring to pivot several degrees on
either side of
the bolt as the bolt threads engage threads in the wheel to prevent threading
of the bead
ring, pulling the bead ring toward the wheel. As the bead ring is tightened on
the wheel,
eventually the bead ring contacts a fulcrum on the wheel, at which point the
outer edge
of the bead ring is leveraged against the tire bead bundle and pressed down
upon the tire
Page 5 of 25
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-05-05
Utility Patent Application: Title: Wheel Beadlock Design. Inventor: Ricehouse,
Daniel I.
bead to lock it in place against the wheel. Because the bead ring can pivot
about the bolt
within the elongated pilot hole, the bolt is not stressed in joint face
angularity or threading
as in the prior art and provides a more secure attachment of the tire to the
wheel.
[0011] The invention additionally comprises a safety bead on the barrel of the
wheel close
to the inner rim. This prevents the tire from moving toward the center of the
wheel, a
problem particularly acute with low psi tires such as those found on sprint
cars and
dragsters. In between the safety bead and the inner rim, a measurable surface
(RA) finish
is created to the maximum coefficient of friction of rubber to aluminum, to
prevent the tire
from rotationally slipping around the wheel as the car accelerates and
decelerates.
[0012] It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a
superior mechanism
by what a tire can be attached to a wheel.
[0013] An additional object of the invention is to provide a bead ring with a
bead ring seat
and an elongated pilot hole that will allow the bead ring to pivot around a
bolt as it is
screwed into a wheel.
[0014] A further object of the invention is to provide a wheel with a fulcrum,
against which
a bead ring can be leveraged.
[0015] Another object of the invention is to provide a superior method of
securing a tire in
a wheel, including tires used in race cars, off-road vehicles, airplane
wheels.
[0016] Another object of the invention is to provide a "safety bead" on the
barrel of the
wheel close to the inner rim to prevent the tire from moving toward the center
of the wheel,
a problem particularly acute with low psi tires.
Page 6 of 25
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-05-05
Utility Patent Application: Title: Wheel Beadlock Design. Inventor: Ricehouse,
Daniel I.
[0017] A further object of the invention is to provide the maximum coefficient
of friction
surface (Measured RA) finish between the safety bead and the wheel bead seat
to
prevent rotational tire-slip around the wheel as the car accelerates and
decelerates.
[0018] A final object of the invention is to provide a bolt with a ball seat
where the ball seat
can mate with a bead ring seat and allow the bead ring to pivot about the bolt
through an
elongated-pilot hole as it is being screwed into a threaded bolt hole in a
wheel to prevent
joint face angularity and threading.
[0019] There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important
features of the
invention in order that the detailed description thereof may be better
understood, and in
order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated.
There are
additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and
which will form
the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. The features listed herein
and other
features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better
understood
with reference to the following description and appended claims. The
accompanying
drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute part of this specification,
illustrate
embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to
explain the
principles of the invention.
[0020] It should be understood that while the preferred embodiments of the
invention are
described in some detail herein, the present disclosure is made by way of
example only
and that variations and changes thereto are possible without departing from
the subject
matter coming within the scope of the following claims, and a reasonable
equivalency
thereof, which claims I regard as my invention.
Page 7 of 25
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-05-05
Utility Patent Application: Title: Wheel Beadlock Design. Inventor: Ricehouse,
Daniel I.
[0021] Brief Description of the Figures
[0022] One preferred form of the invention will now be described with
reference to the
accompanying drawings.
[0023] Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a bolt according to a preferred
embodiment of the
invention.
[0024] Fig. 2 is a side view of a bolt according to a preferred embodiment of
the invention.
[0025] Fig. 3 is top view of a bolt according to a preferred embodiment of the
invention.
[0026] Fig. 4 is a bottom view of a bolt according to a preferred embodiment
of the
invention.
[0027] Fig. 5a and Fig.5b show a side view of a 1/4" bolt according to one
embodiment of
the invention.
[0028] Fig. 6a and Fig. 6b show a side view of a 3/8" bolt according to one
embodiment
of the invention.
[0029] Fig. 7a and Fig.7b show a side view of a 5/16" bolt according to one
embodiment
of the invention.
[0030] Fig. 8 is a side view of the invention at the beginning of the beadlock
tightening
process.
[0031] Fig. 9 is a side view of the invention in the middle of the beadlock
tightening
process.
Page 8 of 25
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-05-05
Utility Patent Application: Title: Wheel Beadlock Design. Inventor: Ricehouse,
Daniel I.
[0032] Fig. 10 is a side view of the invention at the end of the beadlock
tightening process.
[0033] Fig.11a, Fig.11b and Fig.11c show side view of another embodiment of
the
invention with enlarged holes in the bead ring.
[0034] Fig. 12 is a side view of a wheel showing the location of the fulcrum.
[0035] Fig. 13 is a perspective view of a bead ring with a bead ring seat.
[0036] Fig. 14a, Fig. 14b and Fig. 14c show beadlock designs of a prior arts
and beadlock
design of the current invention comparing their effectiveness.
[0037] Fig. 15 is a chart illustrating the extra torque put on bolt heads
according to the
designs of the prior art.
[0038] Fig. 16a, Fig.16b, Fig.16c, Fig.16d and Fig.16e are an illustration of
the Pressure
Film Test Results.
[0039] Fig. 17 shows the results of a Pressure Film Tests on various prior
arts and the
current invention.
[0040] Fig. 18a, Fig. 18b, Fig. 18c and Fig. 18d are several alternative
designs of one
embodiment of the invention.
[0041] Fig. 19a and Fig.19b are perspective views of a second embodiment of
the
invention, where a washer with a washer seat has been attached to a bead ring.
[0042] Fig. 20 is a side view of the safety bead and non-skid application.
[0043] Fig. 21 is a side view of a preferred embodiment of the Fig.20.
Page 9 of 25
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-05-05
Utility Patent Application: Title: Wheel Beadlock Design. Inventor: Ricehouse,
Daniel I.
[0044] Detailed Description of the Figures
[0045] Many aspects of the invention can be better understood with references
made to
the drawings below. The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn
to scale.
Instead, emphasis is placed upon clearly illustrating the components of the
present
invention. Moreover, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts
through the
several views in the drawings. Before explaining at least one embodiment of
the
invention, it is to be understood that the embodiments of the invention are
not limited in
their application to the details of construction and to the arrangement of the
components
set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The
embodiments of
the invention are capable of being practiced and carried out in various ways.
In addition,
the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of
description and
should not be regarded as limiting.
[0046] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention provides improved
bolts and
bead rings for creating an improved clamping mechanism to secure a tire
between the
bead ring and the wheel.
[0047] In more details, referring now to the invention in Fig.1, Fig.2, Fig.3
and Fig.4
illustrate perspective, side, top and bottom view respectively of a bolt
according to a
preferred embodiment of the invention. The bolt has a head 1 (which has at
least three
sides, preferably twelve points), a ball seat 2 (which is the portion of the
bolt that nestles
in a bead ring seat), a thread 3 (which can be any diameter and with any
number of
threads per inch), and a bolt pilot 4. The head 1 is a hexagonal in shape. The
head 1 can
Page 10 of 25
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-05-05
Utility Patent Application: Title: Wheel Beadlock Design. Inventor: Ricehouse,
Daniel I.
be made with any configuration of sides, ranging from a three-sided triangle
to the 12-
sided version as shown here.
[0048] The thread 3 has a diameter. The threads can be any diameter and
density of
threads per inch. Some examples of bolt with varying threads diameter
according to
embodiments of the invention are shown in Fig.5a, Fig.5b, Fig.6a, Fig.6b,
Fig.7a and
Fig.7b.
[0049] Referring now to the invention in Fig.5a and Fig.5b is a 1/4" bolt
according to one
embodiment of the invention, showing two types of heads 1 the ball seat 2, the
thread 3,
and the bolt pilot 4. The head 1 in Fig.5a is different from the head 1 of
Fig.5b. As shown
in the Fig.5a and Fig.5b, the 1/4" bolt is 1.492" and 1.5" long respectively,
the head 1 is
0.180 in length and 0.375" in diameter, the diameter of the thread 3 is 0.250"
and the bolt
pilot 4 is 0.125" in length.
[0050] According to one embodiment of the invention, the density of threads
per inch of
1/4" bolt is 20. In some embodiment of the invention, the density of threads
per inch of 1/4"
bolt is 28, but other thread densities are contemplated as part of this
invention, in
particular 5/16-18, 5/16-24, 3/8-16, and 3/8-24.
[0051] Similarly, referring now to the invention in Fig.6a and Fig.6b is a
3/8" bolt according
to one embodiment of the invention, showing two types of heads 1, the ball
seat 2, the
thread 3, and the bolt pilot 4. As shown in the Fig.6a and Fig.6b, the 3/8"
bolt is 2.0" long,
the head 1 is 0.250 in length and 0.563" in diameter, the diameter of the
thread 3 is 0.375"
and the bolt pilot 4 is 0.251" in length.
Page 11 of 25
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-05-05
Utility Patent Application: Title: Wheel Beadlock Design. Inventor: Ricehouse,
Daniel I.
[0052] According to one embodiment of the invention, the density of threads
per inch of
3/8" bolt is 16. In some embodiment of the invention, the density of threads
per inch of
3/8" bolt is 24.
[0053] Similarly, referring now to the invention in Fig.7a and Fig.7b is a
5/16" bolt
according to one embodiment of the invention, showing two types of heads 1,
the ball
seat 2, the thread 3, and the bolt pilot 4. As shown in the Fig.7a and Fig.7b,
the 5/16" bolt
is 1.750" and 1.650" long respectively, the head 1 is 0.225 in length and
0.469" in
diameter, the diameter of the thread 3 is 0.313" and the bolt pilot 4 is
0.188" in length.
[0054] According to one embodiment of the invention, the density of threads
per inch of
5/16" bolt is 18. In some embodiment of the invention, the density of threads
per inch of
5/16" bolt is 24.
[0055] Further provides a 7/16" bolt (Not shown in figure) according to an
alternative
embodiment of the invention. The density of threads per inch of 7/16" bolt is
14.
[0056] Further provides a 1/2" bolt (Not shown in figure) according to an
alternative
embodiment of the invention. The density of threads per inch of 1/2" bolt is
13. In some
embodiment of the invention, the density of threads per inch of 1/2" bolt is
20.
[0057] Referring now to the invention in Fig.8, Fig.9 and Fig.10 this sequence
of figures
illustrates the beadlock tightening process.
[0058] Fig.8 is a side view of the invention at the beginning of the
tightening process. It
can be seen that in the initial engagement, the threads 3 of the bolt is
engaged with
threads section in the wheel 8. The ball seat 2 of the bolt is nestled in the
bead ring seat
Page 12 of 25
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-05-05
Utility Patent Application: Title: Wheel Beadlock Design. Inventor: Ricehouse,
Daniel I.
(better shown in 12 of Figure 13) of the bead ring 5. The bolt is in a 90
degree vertical
configuration, so that a bit of space in the enlarged pilot hole 9, which will
allow the bead
ring 5 to pivot slightly around the bolt as the bead ring 5 is tightened
against the wheel 8.
As the tire have a tire bead 6 and a tire bead bundle 7. The tire bead 7 is
made of metal
or some other non-compressible material. Tire bead compressors 11 are on above
and
below the tire bead bundle 7, which will eventually be compressed between the
wheel 8
and the bead ring 5 for sealing the tire bead bundle 7. It the goal of a bead
lock to put
enough pressure on the tire bead compressors 11, such that no air can escape
from the
inside of the tire, and that the tire is secured to the wheel.
[0059] Fig. 9 is a side view of the invention in the middle of the tightening
process. It can
be seen that the bolt head 1 has been rotated, cause the bolt thread 3 to
further engage
the mating thread holes of threaded section in the wheel. This has pulled the
bead ring
down toward the wheel 8. There is not yet enough force to compress the tire
bead
compressors 11, so the bead ring 5 rotates slightly in the bead ring seat
(better shown in
12 of Figure 13) until a pivot point or fulcrum 10 is contacted, which creates
a fulcrum with
the bead ring 5 contacting the wheel 8. The bolt in this figure has been
further screwed
into the wheel 8, and the bead ring 5 has pivoted slightly, in a preferred
embodiment
approximately 4 degrees, around the bolt, as the bolt maintains a direct, 90-
degree angle
with the threads in the wheel 8. This prevents part of the bolt head 1 from
undergoing
undesirable stress as the entire head 1 is not uniformly pressing down on the
bead ring
5. The enlarged pilot hole 9 now shows no gap, as that gap has been filled by
the thread
3 as the bolt pivots, but rather, a gap appears on the opposite side of the
bead ring.
Page 13 of 25
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-05-05
Utility Patent Application: Title: Wheel Beadlock Design. Inventor: Ricehouse,
Daniel I.
[0060] Fig.10 is a side view of the invention at the end of the tightening
process. The tire
is squeezed and approximately 0.0125" rubber remains on each side of tire bead
6. Upon
hitting the fulcrum 10, the bead ring 5 leverages the pressure from the bolt
as the bolt is
further tightened, and begins to put pressure on the tire bead compressors 11
against the
tire bead bundle 7. Since the tire bead bundle 7 is not compressible, the tire
beach
compressors 11 get flattened to effectively both seal air inside in the tire
and to prevent
the tired bead core 7 from escaping its confinement between the bead ring 5
and the
wheel 8. Because of the use of the fulcrum 10, tires of various thicknesses
can be used
on the same wheel without a decrease in the security of the lock between the
wheel 8
and the bead ring 5.
[0061] Fig.11a, Fig.11b and Fig.11c show side view of the invention in steps
of securing
tire bead 7 through the enlarged pilot whole 9 and allowing the bead ring 5 to
pivot slightly
around the bolt as the bead ring 5 is tightened against the wheel 8. Because
of the
enlarged pilot hole 9 in the bead ring 5, the bolt is not unduly stressed
because the bead
ring 5 can pivot about the bolt, although it would cause less stress had the
bolt had a ball
seat, as is illustrated in figures 8, 9 and 10.
[0062] Fig.12 is a side view of a wheel 8 showing the location of the fulcrum
10 and the
safety bead 13. The barrel of the wheel 8 has a safety bead 13 that prevents
the inner
side of the tire from moving away from the inner rim of the wheel 8. The gap
between the
safety bead 13 and the inner wall has an RA coating on it that prevents the
tire from
slipping along the wheel 8 as the tire revolutions are quickly increased or
decreased as it
often the case in auto racing.
Page 14 of 25
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-05-05
Utility Patent Application: Title: Wheel Beadlock Design. Inventor: Ricehouse,
Daniel I.
[0063] Fig.13 is a perspective view of a bead ring 5 with a bead ring seat 12
and an
enlarged pilot hole 9. It can be seen that the enlarged pilot hole 9 is not
circular, but
rather elongated, or "racetrack" shaped such that the bead ring 5 can pivot
around the
bolt, but only along a single axis. This design is very useful in minimizing
stress on the
bolt as it pulls the bead lock against the wheel.
[0064] Fig. 14a and Fig.14b are beadlock designs of two prior arts and Fig.14c
is beadlock
design of the current invention comparing their effectiveness. Fig.14a is a
prior art
beadlock design and it can be seen that the bead ring 5 is pulled down at an
angle against
the tire bead 6 and the wheel 8. This result in the bottom of the bolt head 1
digging into
the top of the bead ring 5, causing binding up to 20 foot pounds and
substantial stress
upon the bolt head. Indeed, the asymmetrical pressure on the bead ring 5
quickly leads
to deformation of the bead ring 5, such that when tires are replaced in the
future, it is even
more difficult to achieve a strong seal. This commonly leads to bolts snapping
or the bolt
heads shearing off, either of which can result in catastrophic failure.
[0065] As shown in Fig.14a, where a significant amount of force on the bolt
head is
applied, the bolt can be broken or bent at installation. As it is shown in
formula, when
Fbead= Fbolt then torque on the bolt becomes Mbolt= Fbead x d and Mbolt=
Fboltx d (where
Fbead= Force on bead, Fbat=Force on bolt, Mbolt= Moment (or torque) on the
bolt and d=
perpendicular distance). Further it is apparent that the erratic bead force is
applied on the
bolt due to which bead ring galling is occurred and incorrect torque reading
may be
obtained. Further, the force applied on the bead ring 5 is at incorrect angle,
therefore
significant deformation on the bead ring 5 is seen after some uses.
Page 15 of 25
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-05-05
Utility Patent Application: Title: Wheel Beadlock Design. Inventor: Ricehouse,
Daniel I.
[0066] Fig.14b is another prior art bead lock design which shows how the bead
ring 5
has an elevated section which creates a cavity into which the tire bead 6
nestles, that
once the bolt has been tightened into the threaded hole in the wheel 8, the
pressure of
the tire bead 6 is at its maximum. Further it shows that the erratic bead
force is applied
on the bolt due to which bead ring galling is occurred and incorrect torque
reading may
be obtained. Further, the force applied on the bead ring 5 is at incorrect
angle, therefore
significant deformation on the bead ring 5 is seen after some uses. As it is
shown in
formula, when Fbead= hx Kbead which is also Fbead= Fbolt- Fabutment) then
torque on the bolt
becomes Mbolt= Fbead x d (where Fbead= Force on bead, Fbeit=force on bolt,
Mbolt= Moment
(or torque) on the bolt, d= perpendicular distance, h is height of the tire
bead and Kbead is
compression).
[0067] Fig.14c is bead lock design of the current invention shows how the
pivoting bead
ring 5 combined with the fulcrum 10 on the wheel 8 allows for tighter seal on
the tire bead
6 by the wheel 8 and bead ring 5. As shown in Fig.14c, it shows increasing
rate of bead
force. Further, the bolt force splits between bead ring and fulcrum. It
maximizes load
transfer. Ball seat 2 and bead ring 5 design compensates for angular errors,
no galling,
proper bolt torque is provided. Which is further explained in formula, where
Fbead= Fbolt-
Ffulcrum and then torque on the bolt is Mbolt= Fbead x d-Ffulcrumx c (where
Fbead= Force on
bead, Fbeit=force on bolt, Ffulbrum=force on fulcrum Mbolt= Moment (or torque)
on the bolt,
d= perpendicular distance, c= perpendicular distance and f= fulcrum
displacement).
[0068] Fig. 15 is a chart illustrating the extra torque put on bolt heads
according to the
designs of the prior art. At varying amounts of bead compression (X axis) the
darker
circles represent bolt failure at increasing amounts of force for the prior
art, with the lighter
Page 16 of 25
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-05-05
Utility Patent Application: Title: Wheel Beadlock Design. Inventor: Ricehouse,
Daniel I.
circles representing the failure points for this invention. As can be seen,
for the most
common amounts of bead compression, the current invention allows the bolt to
take 1,000
pounds or more extra pressure above what a bolt in a prior art wheel/bead ring
could take
before failing.
[0069] Fig. 16a, Fig.16b, Fig.16c, Fig.16d and Fig.16e show the Pressure Film
Test
Results.
Fig. 16a and Fig.16b show how a traditional new bead ring/wheel/bolt
combination, Fig.16c and Fig.16d show how it loses clamping force over time
with more
uses, because of ring deformation, while in Fig.16e is the current invention
shows no loss
of force over more uses.
[0070] Fig. 17 shows the results of a Pressure Film Tests on various prior
arts and the
current invention, where the pressure film test shows the amount of clamp
force.
[0071] Fig. 18a, Fig. 18b, Fig. 18c and
Fig. 18d illustrate several alternative
embodiments of the invention. Fig.18a is side view of the 3/8" bolt, having 12
points on
the head 1, the ball seat 2, the thread 3 and the pilot hole 4. Fig.18b is
side view of the
3/8' bolt having a Dome Nut 14 on a stud 15. Fig.18c is side view of the 3/8'
bolt with a
Dome washer 16, a Nut 17 and a washer 18 on a stud 15. Fig.18d is side view of
the
3/8' bolt with a Dome washer 16.
[0072] Fig. 19a is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the invention
showing a
bolt with non-threaded section 19 for pivoting in a bead ring 5, where a
washer 18 with a
washer seat 20 has been attached to a bead ring 5.
Page 17 of 25
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-05-05
Utility Patent Application: Title: Wheel Beadlock Design. Inventor: Ricehouse,
Daniel I.
[0073] Fig.19b is a perspective view of another embodiment of the invention
showing a
bolt with non-threaded section 19 is pivoted with the bead ring 5, where a
washer 18 with
a washer seat 20 has been attached to a bead ring 5 creating a pivot room 21.
Because
the washer 18 has a ball seat 2 be used to pivotally secure the bead ring 5
over the tire
bead bundle 7 against the wheel 8.
[0074] Fig.20 is a side view of the safety bead 13 and non-skid application.
The invention
additionally comprises a safety bead 13 on the barrel of the wheel close to
the inner rim.
This prevents the tire from moving toward the center of the wheel, a problem
particularly
acute with low psi tires such as those found on sprint cars and dragsters. In
between the
safety bead and the inner rim, an RA finish 22 is created, to prevent the tire
from sliding
around the wheel as the car accelerates or decelerates. By preventing the tire
from sliding
around the wheel or moving away from the rim, the combination of the safety
bead and
the RA finish 22 avoids the potentially catastrophic failures caused by over-
stressing the
sides of the tire and/or a sudden imbalance of the tire on the wheel.
[0075] Fig. 21 shows side view of a preferred embodiment of Fig. 20 with the
safety bead
13 and the RA finish for non-skid application. For an exemplary embodiment,
the RA finish
22 is 0.866" provided for 14" rim width.
[0076] In particular, it is noted that the same function can be completed by
both the "bolt"
and "washer" version of the invention.
[0077] It should be understood that while the preferred embodiments of the
invention are
described in some detail herein, the present disclosure is made by way of
example only
and that variations and changes thereto are possible without departing from
the subject
Page 18 of 25
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-05-05
Utility Patent Application: Title: Wheel Beadlock Design. Inventor: Ricehouse,
Daniel I.
matter coming within the scope of the following claims, and a reasonable
equivalency
thereof, which claims I regard as my invention.
[0078] All of the material in this patent document is subject to copyright
protection under
the copyright laws of the United States and other countries. The copyright
owner has no
objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or
the patent
disclosure, as it appears in official governmental records but, otherwise, all
other
copyright rights whatsoever are reserved.
[0079] Reference Numbers used
1. Head, bolt head.
2. Ball seat
3. Thread
4. Bolt pilot
5. Bead ring
6. Tire bead
7. Tire bead bundle
8. Wheel
9. Enlarged pilot hole
10. Fulcrum
Page 19 of 25
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-05-05
Utility Patent Application: Title: Wheel Beadlock Design. Inventor: Ricehouse,
Daniel I.
11. Tire bead compressor
12. Bead ring seat
13. Safety Bead
14. Dome Nut
15. Stud
16. Dome washer
17. Nut
18. Washer
19. Non- threaded section
20. Washer seat
21. Pivot room
22. RA finish
Page 20 of 25
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-05-05
