Tire building machine

• US 3,867,230 A
• Filed: 04/30/1974
• Issued: 02/18/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/1973
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Uniroyal Goodrich Licensing Services Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Albert C. King Jr, Arthur J. Thrower, Lowell D. Bok, Ronald R. Suerdieck, Russell F Van Horn
• Inventors: Bok, Lowell D., Thrower, Arthur J., King, Albert C. Jr., Suerdieck, Ronald R., Van Horn, Russell F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cosby, Clifton B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kittle, John E.
• Application Number:
  US05/465,696
• Time in Patent Office: 294 Days
• Field of Search: 156/110,123-133,128I,394,398,403,414-420 242/72 279/2
• US Class Current: 156/417
• 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 30/36 Expansion of tyres in a flat form , i.e. expansion to a toroidal shape independently of their building-up process, e.g. of tyres built by the flat-tyres method or by jointly covering two bead-rings
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 279/1071 Lever

Abstract

A tire shaping apparatus for shaping into a toroidal form a green tire carcass built in the form of a flat band which utilizes a plurality of radially moveable supports having accordian-type pleated plates interconnected between the moveable supports which expands a bladder supported thereon circumferentially uniformly to shape a tire carcass radially while moving the respective bead portions axially inwardly toward each other.

Claims

1. A tire shaping and building drum comprising:

a base;

a shaft supported on said base for rotation about a center line;

a sleeve journaled on said shaft for rotation therewith, drive means opeRatively connected to said shaft and said sleeve for selectively moving one end of said shaft and one end of said sleeve axially toward or away from each other;

a first set of circumferentially spaced lever members having one end pivotally mounted on said one end of said shaft;

a second set of circumferentially spaced lever members having one end pivotally mounted on said one end of said sleeve;

means operatively connected to said shaft and said sleeve for rotating said shaft and said sleeve about a common axis;

the other ends of all of said levers having gear sectors, said second set of lever members being in paired axial alignment with said first set of lever members;

said gear sectors of said first set of lever members being in meshing engagement with said gear sectors of said second set of lever members;

said drive means operatively upon actuation to meshingly engage and rotate said gear sector to raise and lower said other ends of said levers respectively through selective movement of said shaft and said sleeve;

each pair of said intermeshing gear sectors having a support member pivotally supported thereby;

each pair of circumferentially spaced adjacent support members having a plurality of plate members positioned therebetween, defining a group of plate members;

the respective end plate member of each of said group of plate members is secured to the closest adjacent support member;

adjacent ones of said plate members of each of said group of plate members being interconnected to adjacent plate members to form an accordian pleated support means which expands radially upon movement of said lever members upwardly and outwardly away from said center line.

2. A tire shaping and building drum as set forth in claim 1 wherein an elastomeric bladder covers said support members and plate members for movement therewith.

3. A tire shaping and building drum as set forth in claim 1 wherein each of said support members has at least a horizontally extending slot and a pair of spaced vertically extending slots, each lever member in each pair of intermeshing sectors having a pair of projections for riding in said horizontal and vertical slots, respectively, whereby said projections raise or lower said support members as said shaft and sleeve are moved axially toward or away from each other.

4. A tire shaping and building drum as set forth in claim 1 wherein said plate members are flexible and attached to adjacent plate members at spaced locations to provide a circumferential resiliency that permits radial expansion and contraction of said plate members as said lever members are moved toward or away from each other.

5. A tire shaping and building drum as set forth in claim 4 wherein an elastomeric bladder covers said support members and plate members that expands and contracts therewith.

6. A tire shaping and building drum as set forth in claim 5 wherein each of said plate members has a lower edge and upper peripheral edge;

and each of said support members having a bracket extending outwardly therefrom to support said flexible plate member along said lower edge.

7. A tire shaping and building drum as set forth in claim 6 wherein a cylindrical carrier member is mounted on said shaft and said sleeve respectively, and radially expandable locator means are mounted on each of said carrier members for locating and centering a tire carcass on said drum.

8. A tire shaping and building drum as set forth in claim 7 wherein centering means interconnects said carrier members to position said carrier members equidistant from said plate members.

9. A tire shaping and building drum as set forth in claim 8 wherein said centering means includes a plurality of circumferentially spaced rods extending in a direction parallel to the axis of rotation of said shaft, and spring means on said rods biasing said carrier members outwardly away from said plate members in equal tension.

10. A tire shaping and building drum as set forth in claim 9 wherein power operated means is operatively connectEd to said rods which is operative upon actuation to move said carrier members toward each other to overcome the biasing and centering action of said spring means;

and a bead locator means on one of said carrier members for locating a tire bead and carcass on said drum.

11. A tire shaping and building drum as set forth in claim 7 wherein said expandable locator means comprise a plurality of circumferentially spaced pistons with moveable rods that are operative upon actuation of said pistons to extend beyond the outer circumferential periphery of said carrier members.

12. An apparatus for shaping and building pneumatic tires comprising an expandable drum defined by a plurality of circumferentially spaced support members moveable radially inwardly and outwardly between inner and outer end positions, a plurality of flat flexible plate members located between adjacent support members forming a group of plates, the respective end plates of each group of plates is secured to the closest adjacent support member, said interconnected plates moveable radially outwardly and inwardly with said support members, said plates being interconnected in a circumferential pattern to form an accordian pleated arrangement which provides for movement of the respective plates radially inwardly or outwardly upon movement of said support members inwardly or outwardly respectively to define an arcuate surface in the outermost position of said plates, and actuating means connected to said support members for moving said support members between said inner and outer end positions.

13. An apparatus for shaping and building pneumatic tires as set forth in claim 12 wherein an elastomeric bladder covers said plates and support members for radial movement therewith.

14. An apparatus for shaping and building pneumatic tires as set forth in claim 13 wherein a pair of axially spaced carrier members are mounted on opposite sides of said expandable drum to locate a tire carcass in said drum, and each of said carrier members has a plurality of radially moveable pins for locating the respective side edges of a tire carcass.

15. An apparatus as set forth in claim 14 wherein each of said carrier members has an annular replaceable ring which provides a seat for the bead portions of a tire carcass, and one of said rings having an abutment for locating a tire carcass thereon.

16. An apparatus as set forth in claim 14 wherein said drum supports a pair of axially spaced annular members with circumferentially spaced rollers, said carrier members being in rolling engagement with said rollers, and biasing means interconnecting said carrier members for centering said carrier members relative to the center of said drum.

17. An apparatus as set forth in claim 13 wherein said accordian pleated arrangement is formed by said adjacent plates being interconnected by alternating the connection of adjacent plates to each other to permit circumferential movement relative to each other as said drum is expanded radially.

18. An apparatus as set forth in claim 17 wherein said actuating means includes a plurality of interconnected lever members that are moveable toward and away from each other in pairs, one end of each of said pair of interconnected lever members have intermeshing gear teeth to permit rotation therebetween, and each of said interconnected lever members having a pivoted sliding connection to said support members to facilitate radial movement of said plates.

19. An apparatus as set forth in claim 18 wherein pivotal sliding connection includes projections on each of said interconnected lever members, each of said support members being a thin flat member with an upper outer edge portion, side portions, and a bottom edge, a pair of horizontally extending slots adjacent to said upper outer edge portion, a pair of vertically extending slots in said side portion, and said projections of each lever member riding in one of said vertical slots and in one of said horizontal slots.

20. A machine for the manuFacture of pneumatic tires having substantially inextensible elements, comprising a drum having a shaft rotatable about a center line, a plurality of circumferentially spaced levers mounted on said shaft for axial movement thereon, support members connected to said levers for movement in a radial direction, accordian pleated support means mounted between said support members for radial movement therewith, a bladder mounted on said support members for covering said support members and said accordian pleated support means and for radial expansion and contraction therewith, and drive means connected to said levers to selectively move said levers to control the selective radial position of said bladder support members and pleated support means to shape a tire carcass to toroidal form.