Heavy duty pneumatic tire

Claim 1

A pneumatic tire including: (a) a carcass having a crown region; (b) a tread portion surrounding said crown region; and (c) a reinforcement belt disposed circumferentially about said crown region, between said carcass and said tread, said reinforcement belt comprising: (i) a first ply of tire cord fabric having its lateral edge portions folded over to form skirts with the balance of said first ply forming a main portion having an axial width of said reinforcement belt, and (ii) a second ply of tire cord fabric positioned with respect to said main portion to clamp said main portion onto said carcass and impart to said carcass in said crown region a substantially flat-cross sectional configuration, said cords forming an angle of substantially 0° with respect to the equatorial plane of said pneumatic tire, said tire further including a first intermediate ply of tire cord fabric wherein said cords are oriented at an angle of from about 16° to about 32° with respect to the equatorial plane of said pneumatic tire superimposed upon said main portion and a second intermediate ply of tire cord fabric wherein said cords are oriented at an angle of from about at least 32° to about 70° with respect to the equatorial plane of said pneumatic tire, said skirts folded onto said first and second intermediate plies, said second ply having an axial width less than the axial distance between said free edges on said intermediate plies.