Adjustable tire mold
AssigneeBridgestone Americas Tire Operations, LLC
InventorEdward L. Smeltzer
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An adjustable tire mold for use with molds of various diameters and widths is provided. In one embodiment, an adjustable tire molding system is provided, the adjustable tire molding system, comprising: an annular mold assembly including at least one mold segment; an adjuster ring assembly including at least one adjuster engaged with the at least one mold segment, wherein the adjuster ring assembly is oriented radially outwardly of the annular mold assembly; and an outer side plate, wherein the at least one mold segment and the adjuster ring assembly are operatively connected to the outer side plate.
Claims17
An adjustable tire molding system, comprising:
- an annular mold assembly including at least one mold segment;
- an adjuster ring assembly including at least one adjuster engaged with the at least one mold segment, wherein the adjuster ring assembly is oriented radially outwardly of the annular mold assembly;
- an outer side plate, wherein the at least one mold segment and the adjuster ring assembly are operatively connected to the outer side plate;
- and
- an outer ring assembly including a tubular outer ring connected to a container side plate, wherein the outer ring assembly has an inner diameter that is greater than an outer diameter of the adjuster ring assembly and an outer diameter of the outer side plate, wherein the annular mold assembly, the adjuster ring assembly, and the outer side plate are configured to be placed in the outer ring assembly.
An adjustable tire molding system, comprising:
- an annular mold assembly including at least one mold segment;
- an adjuster ring assembly including an adjuster ring having a circumference connected to the at least one mold segment, a plurality of support elements connected to the adjuster ring and evenly spaced about the circumference of the adjuster ring, and an adjuster oriented within an adjuster aperture of each of the plurality of support elements and engaged with the at least one mold segment, wherein the adjuster ring assembly is oriented radially outwardly of the annular mold assembly;
- and
- an outer side plate, wherein the at least one mold segment and the adjuster ring assembly are operatively connected to the outer side plate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.