Formation of tyre beads or the like
First Claim
1. A former (1) on which elongate material, such as tyre bead wire, can be wound into a plurality of convolutions, the former comprising a plurality of grooved segments (20-23), each movable radially between inner and outer positions and which, when in their outer positions, together define the entire periphery of the former and provide at least one groove (30,31) in which the elongate material can be wound in a plurality of convolutions, the segments being movable into their inner positions to facilitate removal of the wound elongate material from the former, and moving means (5-13) for moving the movable segments (20-23) between their inner and outer positions, characterised in that the moving means includes control means (5) for controlling the radial movement of each of said segments (20-23) so that the segments, when in their inner positions, partly overlap one another, and, when in their outer positions, are arranged so that the at least one groove (30,31) in which the elongate material is wound in a plurality of convolutions is at least substantially continuous.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A former (1) on which elongate material, such as tyre bead wire, can be wound, comprising a plurality of grooved segments (20-23), each movable radially between inner and outer positions and which, when in their outer positions, together define the entire periphery of the former and provide at least one groove (30,31) in which the elongate material can be wound in a plurality of convolutions, the segments (20-23) being movable into their inner positions to facilitate the removal of the wound elongate material from the former, and moving means (5-13) for moving the movable segments between their inner and outer positions. The segments (20-23), when in their inner positions, overlap one another and, when in their outer positions, have little or no gaps therebetween so that the or each circumferential groove is continuous. The invention also relates to a former (1) having a gripping device and to a guide assembly (80) for guiding elongate material.
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Citations
25 Claims
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1. A former (1) on which elongate material, such as tyre bead wire, can be wound into a plurality of convolutions, the former comprising a plurality of grooved segments (20-23), each movable radially between inner and outer positions and which, when in their outer positions, together define the entire periphery of the former and provide at least one groove (30,31) in which the elongate material can be wound in a plurality of convolutions, the segments being movable into their inner positions to facilitate removal of the wound elongate material from the former, and moving means (5-13) for moving the movable segments (20-23) between their inner and outer positions, characterised in that
the moving means includes control means (5) for controlling the radial movement of each of said segments (20-23) so that the segments, when in their inner positions, partly overlap one another, and, when in their outer positions, are arranged so that the at least one groove (30,31) in which the elongate material is wound in a plurality of convolutions is at least substantially continuous.
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2. A former (1) on which elongate material, such as tyre bead wire, can be wound into a plurality of convolutions, the former comprising a plurality of grooved segments (20-23), each movable radially between inner and outer positions and which, when in their outer positions, together define the entire periphery of the former and provide at least one groove (30,31) in which the elongate material can be wound in a plurality of convolutions, the segments (20-23) being movable into their inner positions to facilitate removal of the wound elongate material from the former, and moving means (5-13) for moving the movable segments between their inner and outer positions, characterised in that
the moving means includes control means (5) for controlling the radial movement of each of said segments (20-23) so that the segments, when in their inner positions, are arranged with each circumferentially adjacent pair of segments partly overlapping one another, and, when in their outer positions, are arranged so that the at least one groove (30,31) in which the elongate material is wound in a plurality of convolutions is at least substantially continuous.
- 14. A former (1) on which elongate material, e.g. tyre bead wire, can be wound including gripping means comprising a first member (20) and a second member (23) movable inwardly and outwardly relative to the first member (20) and with respect to a winding axis of the former, the first member having cavity means (50,51) for receiving a free end portion of elongate material to be gripped and the second member (23) having resilient pressing means (54,55) for resiliently contacting and pressing against wall means of said cavity means a free end portion of the elongate material received in said cavity means (50,51) when the second member (23) is in its outer position.
- 20. A guide assembly (80) for guiding springy elongate material, such as tyre bead wire, onto a rotatable former, comprising at least one channel-shaped guide (81,82) with spaced apart side walls (81a-b,82a-b) and a bottom wall (81c,82c) and having an outlet end portion (81e,82e) in which the side walls are relatively closely spaced apart from each other and an inlet end portion (81d,82d), feed means (90-91,92-93) for feeding the elongate material into the inlet of the or each channel-shaped guide, and a rotatable wheel (85,86) associated with the or each guide (81,82) at the outlet end portion of the guide, wherein the inlet end portion (81d,82d) of the or each guide is constructed and arranged to have greater rigidity than said outlet end portion (81e,82e) perpendicular to an axial plane of the guide which is arranged between the side walls of the guide and which passes through the bottom wall (81c,82c) of the guide.
Specification