Pneumatic beadlock devices have been in widespread use for several years. The devices are configured to secure the beads of a tire to a rim in situations where the pressure within the tire is insufficient, or additional securing force is needed to secure the tire beads behind the rim bead bumps. Pneumatic beadlock devices are often used to optimize driving performance and traction on nonconventional terrains and during driving off road or off road drag, oval, rally, outback challenge and all other racing disciplines where lower than normal tire inflation pressure is advantageous. Beadlock devices have been known to hold tire beads in place even for tire pressures as low as zero pounds per square inch (“psi”).
There are five distinct categories of methods/devices, besides the pneumatic beadlock device, used to lock tire beads to a rim each described as follows:                (1) The conventional mechanical, beadlock rim. This device is the most common throughout all applications. A bolt circle lock ring mechanically clamps the outside tire bead to an inner portion of a specialized rim. Existing rims may also be converted to perform the function of a mechanical beadlock rim.        2) An alternate version of the conventional mechanical, beadlock rim configured to lock both the inside and outside of a tire's beads. This configuration requires increased inside lock ring space and specialized “inboard” brakes are required.        3) A plastic insert of a given diameter and width having a split rim (two piece rim), locking the inside of each tire bead to the inner tire bead seat surfaces of the rim. The plastic insert must be custom-fit to the thickness of the tire beads and each of the two rim pieces must be sealed with an O-ring.        4) Filling the air chamber of the tire with a solid-fill material that in essence, locks both tire beads to the rim. This method is most commonly used on earth moving equipment and in military applications.        5) A combination of a solid-fill, dual, internal bead lock with an inner/close to the rim solid chamber securing the tire beads to the rim and a main air chamber able to provide a “bullet proof” wheel that will accommodate tire pressure changes for the advantages of operating the wheel in a low-pressure regime.        
One of the unique and inventive technical features of the present invention is an overlapping double-W stitching method joining the flat webbing overlap to form a cylindrical tread. A tremendous force is exerted on the ends of the tread at this webbing interface joint as a result of the relatively high inner tube pressure. Presently known prior references use multiple normal-to-the-tread webbing edge parallel stitches, which leads to eventual failure of the beadlock case and ultimately to a failure of the entire beadlock assembly. The double-W stitching, as used for sewing seatbelts and other strength-critical applications, provides a stronger interface joint, while also providing an increased bobbin tension that serves to bury the stitching. This burying of the stitching makes it less vulnerable to scuffing and wear that occurs when the tire goes flat and the vehicle weight crushes the inside of the tire tread into contact with the circumferential outside of the bead lock case tread.
Any feature or combination of features described herein are included within the scope of the present invention provided that the features included in any such combination are not mutually inconsistent as will be apparent from the context, this specification, and the knowledge of one of ordinary skill in the art. Additional advantages and aspects of the present invention are apparent in the following detailed description and claims.