Apparatus for and method of applying a strip of elastic material to a tire bead

• US 3,895,986 A
• Filed: 09/20/1974
• Issued: 07/22/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/1973
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Shinichi Arai, Tasaaki Komatsu
• Original Assignee: Shinichi Arai, Tasaaki Komatsu
• Inventors: Arai, Shinichi, Komatsu, Tasaaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Cosby, Clifton B.
• Application Number:
  US05/507,983
• Time in Patent Office: 305 Days
• Field of Search: 156/136,422,293,403,398,423,492,494,229,126,131,132
• US Class Current: 156/136
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 2030/0044 Handling tyre beads, e.g., storing, transporting, transferring and supplying to the toroidal support or to the drum
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 2030/482 Applying fillers or apexes to bead cores
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 30/48 Bead-rings or bead-cores from wire B21F37/00; Treatment thereof prior to building the tyre

Abstract

To apply an annular strip of elastic material to a tire bead in the process of production of an automobile tire, the strip is initially prepared in a generally cylindrical form having an axis aligned with an axis of the bead in a generally circular form and is thereafter deformed into a generally annular form having an inner peripheral edge in close contact with the outer peripheral edge of the bead so that the annular strip is securely joined to the tire bead by reason of an internal stress produced in the deformed strip.

Claims

1. AN APPARATUS FOR APPLYING AN ANNULAR STRIP OF ELASTIC MATERIAL TO AN OUTER PERIPHERAL EDGE OF A CONTINUOUS LOOP OF BEAD TO BE INCORPORATED INTO AN AUTOMOBILE TIRE, COMPRISING BEAD HOLDING MEANS HAVING A GENERALLY CIRCULAR OUTER PERIMETER WHICH HAS A VARIABLE DIAMETER AND AROUND WHICH SAID BEAD IS TO BE LAPPED IN A GENERALLY CIRCULAR FORM, STRIP TRANSFER MEANS INCLUDING A NUMBER OF SUPPORT MEMBERS WHICH ARE POSITIONED IN A SUBSTANTIALLY COAXIAL RELATIONSHIP TO SAID BEAD HOLDING MEANS AND WHICH ARE MOVABLE BETWEEN FIRST ANGULAR POSITIONS OPERABLE TO CARRY THE STRIP OF ELASTIC MATERIAL IN A GENERALLY CYLINDRICAL FORM AND SECOND ANGULAR POSITIONS OPERABLE TO CARRY THE STRIP IN A GENERALLY ANNULAR FORM IN THE VICINITY OF THE OUTER PERIMETER OF THE BEAD HOLDING MEANS CONDITIONED TO A PREDETERMINED DIAMETER, SAID CYLINDRICAL FORM AND SAID ANNULAR FORM HAVING A COMMON AXIS WHICH IS SUBSTANTIALLY IN LINE WITH AN AXIS OF THE OUTER PERIMETER OF THE BEAD HOLDING MEANS, AND STRIP RECEIVING MEANS HAVING AN ANNULAR WALL PORTION WHICH HAS AN INNER PERIPHERAL EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY COAXIALLY WITH AND RADIALLY AT A CLOSE SPACING FROM SAID OUTER PERIMETER OF THE BEAD HOLDING MEANS AND ANGLED TO BE IN PROXIMITY TO AND IN A FACE-TO-FACE RELATION TO SAID SUPPORT MEMBERS IN SAID SECOND ANGULAR POSITIONS THEREOF FOR RELEEASABLY RECEIVING THEREON THE STRIP OF THE GENERALLY ANNULAR FORM FROM SAID SUPPORT MEMBERS WITH AN INNER PERIPHERAL EDGE OF THE STRIP IN CLOSE CONTACT WITH THE OUTER PERIPHERAL EDGE OF THE BEAD ON SAID BEAD HOLDING MEANS.

2. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1, in which said bead holding means comprises a shaft coaxial with said outer perimeter of the bead holding means and axially movable in both directions, a collapsible cage supported on said shaft and having an outer peripheral end constituting said outer perimeter of said bead holding means, said collapsible cage being radially extendible or contractable about said shaft as the shaft is axially moved in either direction, and drive means for driving said shaft to axially move in either direction over a desired distance for providing a desired diameter of said outer perimeter of said bead holding means.

3. An apparatus as set forth in claim 2, in which said collapsible cage comprises a first disc member substantially cOaxial with said shaft and formed with a number of radial grooves, bead retaining members respectively radially movably received in said radial grooves and having respective outer peripheral edges to receive thereon the bead in said generally circular form, the outer peripheral edges of the bead retaining members constituting as a whole said outer perimeter of said bead holding means, a second disc member fixed to said shaft, and link arms each of which is pivotally connected at one radial end to each of said bead retaining members and at the other radial end to said second disc member and which is radially rotatable about said other radial end toward and away from said shaft whereby said bead retaining members are radially outwardly or inwardly moved on said first disc member so that the collapsible cage is, in its entirety, radially extended or contracted about said shaft when said shaft is driven by said drive means.

4. An apparatus as set forth in claim 3, in which each of said bead retaining members has formed in its outer peripheral edge a circumferential groove for receiving therein said bead in said generally circular form.

5. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1, in which said strip transfer means further include a shaft having an axis substantially in line with the axis of the outer perimeter of said bead holding means, a non-collapsible cage fixedly supported on said shaft and having an outer perimeter which is to be located in close proximity to and radially outwardly spaced apart from the outer perimeter of said bead holding means when said support members are in said second angular positions thereof, a collapsible cage axially movable on said shaft and radially extendible or contractable about the shaft as the collapsible cage is axially moved in either direction on the shaft, said collapsible cage having an outer perimeter which has a variable diameter which is substantially equal to the diameter of said outer perimeter of the non-collapsible cage when the collapsible cage is in a contracted condition and which is larger than the diameter of the outer perimeter of the non-collapsible cage when the collapsible cage is in an extended condition, each of said support members being pivotally connected at one end to the outer perimeter of said non-collapsible cage and at the other end to the outer perimeter of said collapsible cage so that the support members are in said first angular positions when said collapsible cage is in said contracted condition and in said second angular positions when the collapsible cage is in said extended condition, each of the support members in the second angular positions having a radially inner peripheral end located in close proximity to and radially outwardly spaced apart from said outer perimeter of said beading holding means and a radially outer peripheral end located in proximity to the outer perimeter of said annular wall portion of said strip receiving means, and drive means for driving said collapsible cage to axially move on said shaft in either direction for causing the collapsible cage to radially extend or contract about the shaft.

6. An apparatus as set forth in claim 5, in which said non-collapsible cage comprises a disc member fixed on said shaft and formed with a number of radial projections terminating at said outer perimeter of the non-collapsible cage and said collapsible cage comprises a disc member axially slidable on said shaft and link arms having respective radially outer ends constituting as a whole said outer perimeter of the collapsible cage and respective radially inner ends pivotally connected to the disc member of the collapsible cage, each of said support members being pivotally connected at one peripheral end to each of said projections of the non-collapsible cage and at the other to each of said link arms of the collapsible cage.

7. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1, in which each of said support members is formed with a frictionable portion to be in contact with an inner peripheral facE of said strip of elastic material.

8. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1, in which said bead holding means comprise a shaft coaxial with said outer perimeter of the bead holding means and axially movable in both directions, a collapsible cage supported on said shaft and having an outer peripheral end to constitute said outer of said bead holding means, said collapsible cage being radially extendible or contractable about said shaft as the shaft is axially moved in either direction over a desired distance for providing a desired diameter of said outer perimeter of the bead holding means and in which said strip transfer means further include a shaft having an axis substantially in line with an axis of said shaft of the bead holding means, a non-collapsible cage fixedly mounted on said shaft of the strip transfer means and having an outer perimeter which is to be located in close proximity to and radially outwardly spaced apart from the outer peripheral end of said collapsible cage of said bead holding means when said support members are in said second angular positions thereof, a collapsible cage axially movable on said shaft of the strip transfer means and axially extendible or contractable about the shaft of the strip transfer means as the collapsible cage of the transfer means is axially moved in either direction on the shaft of the transfer means, said collapsible cage of the strip transfer means having an outer perimeter which has a variable diameter which is substantially equal to the diameter of the outer perimeter of said non-collapsible cage when the collapsible cage of the strip transfer means is in a contracted condition and which is larger than the diameter of the outer perimeter of the non-collapsible cage when the collapsible cage of the strip transfer means is in an extended condition, each of said support members being pivotally connected at one peripheral end to the outer perimeter of said non-collapsible cage and at the other peripheral end to the outer perimeter of said collapsible cage of the strip transfer means so that the support members are in said first angular positions when said collapsible cage the strip transfer means is in said contracted condition and in said second angular positions when the collapsible cage of the transfer means is in said extended condition, each of the support members in the second angular positions having a radially inner peripheral end located in close proximity to and radially outwardly spaced apart from said outer peripheral end of said collapsible cage of said bead holding means and a radially outer peripheral end located in proximity to the outer perimeter of said annular wall portion of said strip receiving means.

9. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1, further comprising pressing means including a pressing roller which has an inoperative condition disengaged from said strip receiving means and an operative condition which is in pressing and rolling contact with an inner peripheral portion of said strip of elastic material in said generally annular form whereby the strip of the annular form is pressed at its inner peripheral edge to the outer peripheral edge of said bead.

10. An apparatus as set forth in claim 9, in which said pressing means comprise a hollow shaft which is rotatable about an axis substantially in line with an axis of the outer perimeter of said bead holding means and which carries thereon said bead holding means and said strip retaining means so that the bead holding means and the strip receiving means are rotatable with said hollow shaft, means for driving said hollow shaft to rotate about its axis, and means to move said roller between said inoperative condition and said operative condition.

11. An apparatus as set forth in claim 10, in which said bead holding means comprise a shaft coaxially extending throughout said hollow shaft and axially movable in both directions, a first disc member fixedly and coaxially mounted on said hollow shaft and formed with an number of radial grooves, bead retaining members respectively radially movable received in said radial grooves and having respective outer peripheral edges to receive thereon the bead in said generally circular form, the outer peripheral edges of the bead retaining members constituting as a whole said outer perimeter of the bead holding means, a second disc member fixed to said shaft extending through said hollow shaft, and link arms each of which is pivotally connected at one radial end to each of said bead retaining members and at the other radial end to said second disc member and which is radially rotatable about said other radial end toward and away from the axis of said hollow shaft whereby said bead retaining members are radially outwardly or inwardly moved on said first disc member so that the outer perimeter of the bead holding means is extended or contracted about the axis of the hollow shaft when the shaft extending through the hollow shaft is axially moved in either direction.

12. An apparatus as set forth in claim 10, in which said strip receiving means comprise a generally circular disc member fixedly mounted on said hollow shaft and having an outer peripheral portion constituting said annular wall portion.

13. An apparatus as set forth in claim 11, in which said strip receiving means comprise a generally circular disc member fixedly mounted on said hollow shaft and having an outer peripheal portion constituting said annular wall portion and in which said strip transfer means further include a shaft having an axis substantially in line with the axis of said hollow shaft, a non-collapsible cage fixedly supported on said shaft of the strip transfer means and having an outer perimeter which is to be located in close proximity to and radially outwardly spaced apart from the outer peripheral edges of said bead retaining members when said support members are in said second angular positions thereof, and a collapsible cage axially movable on said shaft of the strip transfer means and radially extendible or contractable about the shaft of the transfer means as the collapsible cage is axially moved in either direction on the shaft, said collapsible cage having an outer perimeter which has a variable diameter which is substantially equal to the diameter of said outer perimeter of said non-collapsible cage when the collapsible cage is in a contracted condition and which is larger than the outer perimter of the non-collapsible cage when the collapsible cage is in an extended condition, each of said support members being pivotally connected at one end to the outer perimeter of said non-collapsible cage and at the other to the outer perimeter of said collapsible cage so that the support members are in said first angular positions when said collapsible cage is in said contracted condition and in said second angular positions when the collapsible cage is in said extended condition, each of the support members in the second angular positions having a radially inner peripheral end located in close proximity to and radially outwardly spaced apart from the outer peripheral edges of said bead retaining members and a radially outer peripheral end located in proximity to the outer perimeter of said circular disc member constituting said strip receiving means.

14. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1, in which said bead holding means and said strip receiving means are supported on a first support structure and said strip transfer means are supported on a second support structure, wherein said first and second support structures are movable relative to each other in a predetermined path which is parallel to substantially aligned axis of the bead holding means, theh strip transfer means and the strip receiving means.

15. An apparatus as set forth in claim 14, in which said first support structure is held stationary and said second support structure is movable toward and away from said first support structure along said path.

16. An apparatus as set forth in claim 15, further comprise a roller roTatable on a stationary shaft extending substantially at right angles to said path and in rolling contact at its lower circumferential end with an upper face of a horizontal member forming part of said second support structure whereby the second support structure is prevented from being raised from an initially predetermined vertical position.

17. A method of applying an annular strip of elastic material to an outer peripheral edge of a continuous loop of bead to be incorporated into an automobile tire, comprising holding said bead in a generally circular form, preparing a strip of elastic material in a generally cylindrical form having an axis substantially in line with an axis of said bead of the generally circular form, positioning one peripheral edge of said strip of the generally cylindrical form in close proximity to and radially outwardly spaced apart from the outer peripheral edge of said bead and causing the strip to turn about said one periheral edge of the strip through an angle larger than 90 degrees for deforming the strip into a generally annular form while restraining the annular strip from being further turned about the radially inner peripheral edge thereof whereby the annular strip of elastic material is radially contracted and closely pressed at its inner peripheral edge to the outer peripheral edge of said bead.

18. A method as set forth in claim 17, further comprising positively pressing an inner peripheral portion of said strip of the generally annular form onto the outer peripheral edge of said bead.