METHOD FOR CENTERING A TIRE COMPONENT

• US 20160263847A1
• Filed: 10/31/2014
• Published: 09/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: VMI Holland B.V (TKH Group NV)
• Original Assignee: VMI Holland B.V (TKH Group NV)
• Inventors: JANSZEN, Cornelis W., MULDER, Gerrit
• Granted Patent: US 10,457,004 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 2030/0038 Handling tyre parts or semi-finished parts, excluding beads, e.g., storing, transporting, transferring B29D2030/0044 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 2030/204 the fixtures supporting the cylindrical drums, e.g. turrets, being displaceable, e.g. movable along a path, rail or the like
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 2030/3085 the layers being applied being already cut to the appropriate length, before the application step
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 2030/3092 Changing the orientation of the layers, e.g. plies, to be applied
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 2030/4406 Adjusting the positions of the layers
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 2030/4418 laterally, e.g. sideways
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 30/0016 Handling tyres or parts thereof, e.g. supplying, storing, conveying B29D30/2607 takes precedence; loading and unloading vulcanizing presses B29D30/0603
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 30/005 General arrangement or lay-out of plants for the processing of tyres or parts thereof round cores or cylindrical drums arranged for a single sequence of tire building operations B29D30/10, B29D30/20; vulcanization presses B29D30/0601
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 30/22 Breaker plies being applied in the unexpanded state
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 30/30 Applying the layers; Guiding or stretching the layers during application applying tread bands to carcasses B29D30/58; retreading B29D30/54
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 30/3007 by feeding a sheet perpendicular to the drum axis and joining the ends to form an annular element bending sheets and joining the edges B29C53/42
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 30/44 Stretching or treating the layers before application on the drum during application B29D30/30
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 23/0326 by moving the unwinding device
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2301/3611 centering, positioning material symmetrically relatively to a given axis of displacement
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2801/93 Tyres

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and centering assembly (1) for centering a tire component (9), wherein the method comprises the steps of placing the tire component on and conveying it from a first conveyor (2) towards a second conveyor (3), determining the position of a first longitudinal edge (91), transversely moving the first conveyor (2) and thereby aligning the first longitudinal edge (91) along a first reference on the second conveyor (3), conveying the tire component from the first conveyor (2) onto the second conveyor (3) while determining the position of a second longitudinal edge (92), wherein the tire component has a center between the first longitudinal edge (91) and the second longitudinal edge (92), conveying the tire component from the second conveyor (3) towards a drum (4), laterally moving the drum (4) to align the center of the tire component with a center of a desired application position of the tire component on the drum, and conveying the tire component from the second conveyor (3) onto the drum (4).

Claims

1-30. -30. (canceled)

31. Method for centering a tire component with the use of a centering assembly, wherein the tire component comprises a leading end, a trailing end and a main part between the leading end and the trailing end, wherein the tire component is provided with a first longitudinal edge and a second longitudinal edge extending at least along the main part, wherein the centering assembly comprises a first conveyor, a second conveyor and a drum, wherein the method comprises the steps of;

a) placing the tire component on the first conveyor with its leading end facing in a first direction of conveyance defined by the first conveyor;

b) conveying the tire component from the first conveyor towards the second conveyor in the first direction of conveyance;

c) determining, at or near the leading end of the tire component, the lateral position of the first longitudinal edge with respect to a second direction of conveyance defined by the second conveyor;

d) moving the first conveyor transverse to the second direction of conveyance and thereby aligning the first longitudinal edge laterally, at least at the leading end, with respect to the second direction of conveyance along a first edge reference for said first longitudinal edge on the second conveyor;

e) conveying the tire component from the first conveyor onto the second conveyor in the first direction of conveyance while determining the lateral position of the second longitudinal edge with respect to the second direction of conveyance, wherein the tire component has a lateral center between the determined lateral positions of the first longitudinal edge and the second longitudinal edge;

f) conveying the tire component from the second conveyor towards the drum in the second direction of conveyance;

g) moving the drum laterally with respect to the second direction of conveyance to align a lateral center of a desired application position of the tire component on the drum with the lateral center of the tire component; and

h) conveying the tire component from the second conveyor onto the drum for application of the tire component at the desired application position.

55. Centering assembly for centering a tire component, wherein the tire component comprises a leading end, a trailing end and a main part between the leading end and the trailing end, wherein the tire component is provided with a first longitudinal edge and a second longitudinal edge extending at least along the main part, wherein the centering assembly comprises a first conveyor defining a first direction of conveyance, a second conveyor defining a second direction of conveyance and a drum, wherein the centering assembly further comprises a first drive for moving the first conveyor in a direction transverse to the second direction of conveyance, a second drive for moving the drum laterally with respect to the second direction of conveyance, a control system for controlling said drives and one or more sensors arranged for detecting edges of the tire component and for sending detection signals indicative of the lateral positions of said edges to the control system, wherein the control system is arranged for determining the lateral positions of the first longitudinal edge and the second longitudinal edge based on the detection signals, wherein the tire component has a lateral center between the determined lateral positions of the longitudinal edges, wherein the control system is arranged for controlling the transverse movement of the first conveyor based on the detection signals indicative of the lateral position of the first longitudinal edge to align the first longitudinal edge laterally, at least at the leading end, with respect to the second direction of conveyance along a first edge reference for said first longitudinal edge on the second conveyor, wherein the control system is further arranged for controlling the lateral movement of the drum to align a lateral center of a desired application position of the tire component on the drum with the lateral center of the tire component.