Abstract:
A drum (1) for building tires (2), the drum (1) having two half-drums (12), each of which has an expandable bead clamping device (20), and at least one shaping bladder (27) and a turn-up bladder (33) fixed to an outer tubular body (16) of the half-drum (12) on opposite sides of the respective bead clamping device (20); each turn-up bladder (33) having an outer annular lip (34) extending, at rest, along the respective half-drum (12) and covering the respective bead clamping device (20) and substantially the whole respective shaping bladder (27).
Abstract:
A tire forming machine is provided which includes a forming drum having a central drum portion arranged at an axially central location of the forming drum, and right and left drum portions which are arranged on either of the right and left sides of the central drum portion and which are movable in an axial direction of the forming drum. At the time of winding tire-forming materials on the forming drum to assemble a carcass, the right and left drum portions are brought into contact with the central drum portion and stuck with the same to cooperatively form a continuous surface. After the assembly of the carcass, the right and left drum portions are moved to respective bead setting positions to open the forming drum. The thus-constructed tire forming machine is comprised of a plurality of gripping mechanisms arranged around the central drum portion of the forming drum for gripping an axially central portion of the carcass.
Abstract:
A first stage tire building drum for building a run flat tire has a cylindrical central portion for receiving the strip components thereon for fabricating a first stage body ply carcass and has a pair of bead receiving areas adjacent the central portion for receiving bead rings thereon. The central portion and bead areas preferably are formed by a plurality of moveable arcuate segments. A spacer or sleeve is formed by a plurality of arcuate segments and is mounted on the center of the cylindrical drum portion and forms a pair of adjacent recesses. The spacer has a smooth outer cylindrical surface. The spacer has a height equal to the thickness of run flat tire sidewall inserts and a width equal to the distance between the inside edges of the opposed sidewall inserts. The elastomeric inserts are placed in the recesses adjacent the central spacer, and in combination with smooth outer surface of the spacer, provide a substantially smooth continuous flat surface for receiving the various tire components thereon without interruption.
Abstract:
A method and system for building, in at least two stages, an unvulcanized tire carcass (30). The system (20) incorporates a first stage tire building drum (22) on which predetermined, unvulcanized tire building components are layered to form a cylindrically shaped, unvulcanized tire carcass (30), a second stage shaping drum (24) on which the carcass (30) is shaped into a shape suitable for subsequent molding and vulcanization, and a bead tube transfer device (28) that positions tire beads (32a, 32b) on the carcass (30) that is built up on the first stage drum (22) and then transfer the tire carcass (30) and its tire beads between the first and second stage drums while precisely maintaining the axial separation distance between the beads.
Abstract:
A cutting segment for a False Drum (100,200,300) having a cylindrical outer surface (202,306) comprises a slot (204,224,330) extending generally axially from end-to-end of the cylindrical surface, a door panel (322) having substantially the same size and shape as the slot; and a mechanism (320) for opening and closing the door panel. The mechanism for selectively opening and closing the door panel includes an elongate lever (324), one end of which supports the door panel, the other end of which is pivotally attached to a stationary portion (point) of the drum, a spring (326) extending between an inner surface of the door panel and another stationary portion of the drum; and an inflatable pneumatic tube (328) disposed between the lever and yet another stationary portion of the drum. There is thereby provided a method of supporting material overlying the cutting slot of the False Drum, by opening the slot when cutting the material, and closing the slot when not cutting the material. Importantly, after the material is cut, the door panel closes the slot so that the cut end of the material does not hang in the slot, but rather is supported, thereby ensuring reliable transfer of the material to a tire building drum.
Abstract:
A false drum servers used in the manufacture of tires having a hollow cylindrical drum with a perforated surface on the drum through which air is drawn. The drawn air creating a suction surface for holding flat or sheet materials that are to be cut before transferring onto a tire building drum. When smaller pieces of flat materials are being held on the drum, the perforations that are not covered allow air to flow freely into the drum, thereby reducing the suction adhering effect of the perforated surface. The present invention provides methods and apparatus for varying the amount of perforated area through which air can be drawn into the drum, thereby changing the amount of suction adhering surface area of the perforated drum.
Abstract:
A bladder with an anti-tack rubber having suitable curing properties to turn up plies in manufacturing pneumatic tires is provided. In a preferred embodiment, the anti-tack rubber comprises 50 to 45 parts natural rubber cured with 50 to 60 parts chlorosulfonated polyethylene, 0.9 to 1.1 benzothaizyl disulfide and 0.9 to 1.1 phenylenediamine. A method of making the anti-tack rubber comprises mixing a first rubber and an anti-tack composition and blending curing agents to form a workable anti-tack rubber with suitable curing properties. An improved and simplified method to form a bladder with suitable anti-tack and curing properties, and a method for using a bladder to turn plies in manufacturing pneumatic tires, wherein the bladder is made from an anti-tack rubber is also disclosed.
Abstract:
A shaping drum for a tire having two bead holding systems mounted facing one another on a central shaft. Each of the bead holding systems includes a support mounted to be movable axially relative to the shaft. On each support there is mounted an assembly which includes a plurality of rigid segments and an elastic membrane which surrounds them. The rigid segments are each mounted on the support and swing about an articulation, the axis of which is perpendicular to a radial plane. A seat is formed on each assembly, the seat being arranged axially on the inside of the articulations, the articulations forming a crown on the support. The elastic membrane is fixed to the support axially on the inside and on the outside of the crown of articulations.