Tire operating surface for tire testing road wheel

1. A method of forming a tire operating surface for a road wheel, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a longitudinally convex bonding surface for receiving a textured tire operating surface, the bonding surface being associated with a radially outer side of a rotatable road wheel and having a width and a convex length extending along an arcuate path;

applying adhesive material of a pre-determined thickness along the longitudinally convex bonding surface to form a coated bonding surface comprising a longitudinally convex layer of adhesive material arranged along the bonding surface;

arranging a single layer of aggregate material along a retention surface;

placing a width of the longitudinally convex layer of adhesive material of the coated bonding surface into engagement with the single layer of aggregate; and,

rotating the coated bonding surface in a lengthwise direction relative the retention surface until a length of the convex layer of adhesive material has engaged the single layer of aggregate, whereby the engaged aggregate remains affixed to the layer of adhesive material subsequent rotation to effectively transfer the engaged aggregate from the retention surface to the coated bonding surface to coat the layer of adhesive material with aggregate and thereby affixing the single layer of aggregate along the bonding surface to form a tire operating surface along the bonding surface.

2. The method of claim 1 , where the step of applying adhesive material of a pre-determined thickness along the longitudinally convex bonding surface comprises:

arranging a pair of adhesive guide members along a length of the bonding surface, the pair of adhesive guide members each having an arcuate length and being spaced apart laterally across a width of the bonding surface to provide an area for receiving the adhesive material; and,

applying adhesive material between the pair of adhesive guide members to achieve a thickness at least equal to the pre-determined thickness.

3. The method of claim 2 , where the step of applying adhesive material of a pre-determined thickness along the longitudinally convex bonding surface further comprises:

arranging a leveling member laterally across the bonding surface and atop the pair of adhesive guide members; and,

translating the leveling member in a lengthwise direction of the bonding surface atop the pair of adhesive guide members.

4. The method of claim 2 , where the pre-determined thickness is equal to a height by which the pair of adhesive guide members extend from a base member upon which the pair of adhesive guide members are arranged.

5. The method of claim 1 , where the step of applying adhesive material of a pre-determined thickness along the longitudinally convex bonding surface comprises extruding adhesive material along a length of the bonding surface.

6. The method of claim 1 , where the longitudinally convex bonding surface comprises a radially outer surface of a base member, the base member having a thickness extending radially between a concave inner side and a longitudinally convex outer side such that the base member forms a tire operating surface segment when the layer of adhesive material is coated with aggregate.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising the steps of:

repeating the prior steps at least once to form a plurality of tire operating surface segments; and,

installing the plurality of tire operating surface segments along an exterior radially outer side of the rotatable road wheel to form an annular tire operating surface along the radially outer side of the road wheel.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of arranging a single layer of aggregate material is performed manually by selecting sufficiently sized aggregates and selectively arranging the aggregates to form a tire operating surface having a desired texture.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of arranging a single layer of aggregate comprises arranging aggregate along a retention surface and within an area along a retention surface having a length and width at least approximately equal to a length and a width of the layer of adhesive material.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

spacing apart laterally a pair of aggregate guide members across a width of the retention surface, whereby the step of arranging a single layer of aggregate material along a retention surface includes arranging the aggregate between the pair of aggregate guide members.

11. The method of claim 10 , where during the step of placing a width of the longitudinally convex layer of adhesive material of the coated bonding surface into engagement with the single layer of aggregate and during the step rotating the coated bonding surface in a lengthwise direction relative to the retention surface, the pair of aggregate guide members extend between the retention surface and the bonding surface.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the pair of aggregate guide members extend a height between a base member and the retention surface a distance greater than a height of the aggregate arranged along the retention surface.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the pair of aggregate guide members are fixed relative the retention surface.

14. The method of claim 2 , wherein the pair of adhesive guide members are removed from the bonding surface after applying the adhesive material and prior to arranging aggregate along the adhesive material.

15. The method of claim 14 , where the step of arranging a single layer of aggregate material along a retention surface includes rearranging or replacing any aggregate that contacts the aggregate leveling member such that any rearranged or replaced aggregate is spaced from the aggregate leveling member.

16. The method of claim 10 , where the step of arranging a single layer of aggregate material along a retention surface further comprises:

arranging an aggregate leveling member laterally across the retention surface and atop the pair of aggregate guide members; and,

translating the aggregate leveling member in a lengthwise direction of the retention surface above the aggregate material.

17. The method of claim 1 , where the tire operating surface extending laterally along the width of the bonding surface is laterally convex.

18. The method of claim 1 , where the step of applying adhesive material includes forming recesses along a top, exposed surface of the layer of adhesive material.

19. The method of claim 1 , where a pair of spacers are arranged between the bonding surface and the retention surface during the steps of placing a width of the longitudinally convex layer of adhesive material of the coated bonding surface into engagement with the single layer of aggregate and rotating the coated bonding surface.

20. The method of claim 1 , where a radius of curvature of the concave inner side of the base member is equal to a radius of curvature of the outer side of the road wheel or within 7% the radius of curvature of the outer side of the road wheel.