APPARATUS FOR ENCASING BEADS INTO A TIRE

• US 3,616,059 A
• Filed: 06/12/1968
• Issued: 10/26/1971
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/1968
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Larry C. Frazier
• Original Assignee: Larry C. Frazier
• Inventors: Frazier, Larry C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Borchelt, Benjamin A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bentley, Stephen C.
• Application Number:
  US04/736,363
• Time in Patent Office: 1,231 Days
• Field of Search: 156/131,132,135,136,398-401,403,460,415,417
• US Class Current: 156/400
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 2030/2635 Central bladder, e.g. elastic membrane, sleeve, envelope, diaphragm, which covers the central portion of the drum, e.g. covering the toroidally expandable rigid segments
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 2030/3207 Positioning the beads
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 2030/3214 Locking the beads on the drum; details of the drum in the bead locking areas, e.g. drum shoulders
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 2030/3242 and with means for pressing the bladder against the ply material, e.g. bladder guide shoes, cages, arms
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 2030/325 the means being radially expandable and contractible
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 30/245 Drums for the single stage building process, i.e. the building-up of the cylindrical carcass and the toroidal expansion of it are realised on the same drum expansion to a toroidal shape B29D30/36

Abstract

Apparatus for building pneumatic tires embodying an intermediate assembly and an end assembly at each end of the intermediate assembly for supporting tire carcass material initially in the form of a tubular cylinder, each of the end assemblies embodying bead shoulder forming means for displacing the tire carcass material radially outwardly to form bead shoulders against bead setter means position and hold tire beads against axial movement toward each other and in concentric outwardly spaced relation with respect to the carcass material, ply turnup means for encasing the tire beads at the bead shoulders, and in which the intermediate supporting members movable radially and circumferentially relative to each other to form the tire carcass material into substantially torus configuration upon releasing of the tire beads by the bead shoulder-forming means for axial movement of the tire beads axially toward each other. Method of building pneumatic tires in which tire carcass material is initially formed into a tubular cylinder after which radially outwardly extending tire bead shoulders are then formed inwardly of the ends of the tubular cylinder, and against which tire beads are held against axial movement toward each other arm in fixed concentric outwardly spaced relation, followed by encasing major portions of the tire beads by displacing end portions of the tire carcass material while the tire beads are held concentrically against the bead shoulders, concentrically freeing the tire beads and fully encasing the same by turning up the remaining end portions of the tire carcass material while the tire beads are engaged with the tire bead shoulders, and then predeterminately releasing the encased tire beads for axial movement toward each other in forming the tire carcass material into substantially torus configuration.

Claims

2. The apparatus of claim 1 in which said tire bead setting means comprises a plurality of bead segment members disposed circumferentially outwardly of said end assemblies having inner ends for holding tire beads in concentric spaced relation with and against said tire bead shoulders.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 in which said end assemblies include inflatable bag means supporting opposite end portions of said tire carcass material, and in which said inflatable bag turnup means upon initial admission of fluid under pressure therein radially displace the carcass material thereon around a major portion of said tire beads.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 in which said bead segment members are pivotally mounted at their outer ends, and characterized by said inflatable bag turnup means upon further admission of fluid under pressure therein effecting pivoting of said bead segment members about their pivot axes to move the inner ends thereof outwardly away from said tire beads, and means for moving said bead segment members axially toward each other to bias said inflatable bag turnup means to turn up the ends of said carcass material thereon to encase said tire beads.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 in which said tire bead shoulder forming means comprise a plurality of shoulder members supported circumferentially upon said end frames, and bead shoulder inflatable bag means adapted upon admission of fluid under pressure therein to outwardly displace said shoulder members to form the tire bead shoulders in the carcass material.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 comprising means for axially adjusting the positions of said end frames with respect to each other for positioning said tire bead shoulder forming means in predetermined axially spaced-apart relation.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 in which said end frames comprise annular supporting portions extending axially inwardly away from said tire bead shoulder forming means.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 comprising gap shield frame means disposed between said end frames and said intermediate assembly, and gap shield means carried by said gap shield frame means together with said annular supporting portions of said end frames defining, in part, said cylindrical supporting surface.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 comprising means for effecting axial movement of said gap shield frame means between said intermediate assembly and said end frames.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 in which said intermediate assembly comprises a plurality of circumferentially arranged intermediate sections each of which comprise a plurality of said intermediate supporting members disposed in spaced-apart side-by-side relation with the intermediate supporting members of said intermediate sections being disposed in the spaces between the intermediate supporting members of adjacent intermediate sections.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 comprising rotatable drive shaft means, screw means connected to each of said intermediate sections, and gear means between said drive shaft means and said screw means for effecting radial inward and outward movement of said intermediate sections, respectively, by rotation of said drive shaft means in opposite directions.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 comprising means for detachably associating at least one of said intermediate supporting members for each of said intermediate sections to adjust the width of said intermediate assembly.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 comprising gap shield frame means mounted for movement between said end frames and said intermediate assembly, gap shield means carried by said gap shield frame means having the outer periphery thereof lying substantially in said cylindrical supporting surface, and gap shield moVing means between said intermediate assembly and said gap shield frame means for moving the latter axially away from said intermediate assembly upon movement of said intermediate supporting members from their inner end position to their outer end positions.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 comprising spring means for biasing said gap shield frame means towards said intermediate assembly.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 in which said gap shield moving means includes means for permitting movement of said gap shield frame toward said intermediate assembly by said spring means at a predetermined position of said intermediate supporting members outwardly of the inner end positions of the latter.