Apparatus for manufacturing a tire by the laying of rubber products onto a rotating core

• US 5,221,406 A
• Filed: 08/07/1992
• Issued: 06/22/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/1986
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sederpro
• Original Assignee: Compagnie générale des établissements Michelin
• Inventors: Laurent, Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Knable, Geoffrey L.
• Application Number:
  US07/931,571
• Time in Patent Office: 319 Days
• Field of Search: 156/397, 156/405.1, 156/406.4, 156/425, 156/430-432, 156/500, 156/501, 156/244.11, 156/188, 156/190, 425/131.1, 425/382 R, 425/463, 425/190, 264/177.1
• US Class Current: 156/397
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/00 Extrusion moulding, i.e. expressing the moulding material through a die or nozzle which imparts the desired form; Apparatus therefor extrusion blow-moulding B29C49/04
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/07 Flat, e.g. panels
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/08 flexible, e.g. films
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/266 Means for allowing relative movements between the apparatus parts, e.g. for twisting the extruded article or for moving the die along a surface to be coated
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 2030/1678 the layers being applied being substantially continuous, i.e. not being cut before the application step
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 30/60 by winding narrow strips

Abstract

The rubber products forming a part of the structure of a tire are laid onto a rigid core by means of a volumetric extruder having an outlet orifice of small size positioned close to the surface on which the rubber is to be applied. The rubber products are built up by a meridian displacement of the orifice relative to the receiving surface with the extrusion of a controlled volume of rubber.

Claims

1. An apparatus for manufacturing a tire comprising a rigid core rotatable about an axis and having an outer surface defining the interior shape of a tier to be manufactured, a gantry surrounding the rigid core, a plurality of volumetric extruders supported on the gantry, each having a discharge adjacent the outer surface of the rotatable core for extruding strips of rubber to build up a tire blank on the core in a plurality of revolutions of the core and means for imparting meridian relative movements to the extruders relative to the surface on which rubber is to be applied during the rotation of the surface.

2. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 in which some of the extrudes extrude different types of rubber and there is at least one extruder for each type of rubber to be laid on the core.

3. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 including means for moving the core into and out of operative position relative to the gantry and the extruders and drive means for imparting rotation to the core.

4. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1, in which the extruders are oriented in different positions to operate simultaneously to extrude rubber on different regions of the core.