Tire component member conveying apparatus

• US 5,234,097 A
• Filed: 02/14/1992
• Issued: 08/10/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bridgestone Corporation
• Original Assignee: Bridgestone Corporation
• Inventors: Okuyama, Koji
• Primary Examiner(s): Valenza, Joseph E.
• Application Number:
  US07/835,301
• Time in Patent Office: 543 Days
• Field of Search: 198/689.1, 198/811, 198/834, 198/836.3, 198/840, 198/456, 198/434, 271/240
• US Class Current: 198/434
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 2030/4406 Adjusting the positions of the layers
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 2030/4431 by using gas flows, e.g. air jets blowing onto or underneath or sideways the layers
• 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: B65G 21/2036 for retaining the load on the load-carrying surface individual suction grippers B65G17/323

Abstract

A belt-like tire component member 8 is conveyed to a shaping drum 2 by a belt conveyor 1. There is provided a conveyor belt 6 having a reverse surface with at least one toothed portion 12 which protrudes from the reverse surface at a predetermined position in width thereof and endlessly extends along a longitudinal direction of the belt, a driving drum 4 which drives the conveyor belt 6 and has teeth 14 formed on the outer peripheral portion corresponding to the toothed portion 12 so as to mesh with the toothed portion, and a driving motor 7 which drives the driving drum 4 and controls its rotational speed. There is provided a plurality of air holes 11 on the conveyor belt 6, and an air chamber 9b which is disposed under the conveyor belt 6 so as to contact therewith and to communicate with the air holes 11. Air is supplied to and discharged from the air chamber 9b by a blower 24.

Claims

1. A tire component conveying apparatus which conveys a belt-like tire component member to a shaping drum by a belt conveyor, said tire component conveying apparatus comprising;

a conveyor belt having a reverse surface with at least one toothed portion which protrudes from the reverse surface at a predetermined position in width thereof and endlessly extends along a longitudinal direction of the belt, a driving drum which drives said conveyor belt and has teeth formed on the outer peripheral portion corresponding to the toothed portion so as to mesh with said toothed portion, a driving control means which drives the driving drum and controls its rotational speed, locating means for locating said tire component member on said conveyor belt in the widthwise direction, and means for preventing said tire component member from adhering to said conveyor belt when said tire component member is located by said locating means and adhering said tire component member onto said conveyor belt during said tire component member located is conveyed toward said shaping drum.

2. A tire component conveying apparatus in accordance with claim 1 which further comprises a guide member which is disposed to slidably contact with the side surface of the toothed portion of the conveyor belt and to guide a running direction of the conveyor belt.

3. A tire component conveying apparatus in accordance with claim 1 in which the conveyor belt is provided with a plurality of air holes, an air chamber is provided under and contacted with the conveyor belt so as to communicate with the air holes, and air charging and discharging means for charging air to and discharging it from the air chamber is provided.

4. A tire component conveying apparatus in accordance with claim 3 in which side surface of an air box which constitutes the air chamber is disposed to be slidably contacted with side surface of the toothed portion of the conveyor belt.

5. A tire component conveying apparatus in accordance with claim 4 in which there are provided a pair of toothed portions on both sides of the conveyor belt, and the air box is disposed between these toothed portions.

6. A tire component conveying apparatus in accordance with claim 4 in which there is provided the toothed portion at a widthwise center of the conveyor belt, and there are provided a pair of air boxes at opposite sides of the toothed portion.

7. A tire component conveying apparatus in accordance with claim 1 in which the teeth of the driving drum does not protrude from an outer peripheral surface of the driving drum.