Expandable rim for tire tread buffing apparatus and method
AssigneeBridgestone Bandag, LLC
InventorsEric M. Henriksen, Todd R. Frisbie, Christopher J. A. Ferrell
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A machine for retreading tires includes a rotatable hub that includes a moveable conical element, and an expandable rim disposed around the rotatable hub. The expandable rim includes a plurality of shoes. Each shoe of the plurality of shoes may have a base portion and a rim portion. The base portion may have a two-piece construction that allows for replacement of a worn interface that may include a channel and a ramp. A method for assembling an expandable rim for use in a tire retreading machine, and a method for servicing a machine having an expandable rim are also disclosed.
Claims14
A method for servicing a machine having an expandable rim, comprising:
- removing a cylindrical rim structure from the machine;
- disassembling the cylindrical rim structure to separate a plurality of shoes forming the cylindrical rim structure;
- disassembling at least one shoe so as to separate a shoe interface component from a shoe rim component, wherein the shoe interface component is positioned radially inward relative to the shoe rim component;
- providing a replacement shoe interface component;
- aligning the replacement shoe interface component to the previously removed shoe rim component with pins and connecting the replacement shoe interface component to the shoe rim component to form a replacement shoe;
- reassembling the cylindrical rim structure by rejoining the plurality of shoes using the replacement shoe interface component;
- and
- reconnecting the cylindrical rim structure to the machine.
A method for servicing a machine having an expandable rim, comprising:
- removing a cylindrical rim structure from a hub of the machine;
- disassembling the cylindrical rim structure to separate a plurality of shoes forming the cylindrical rim structure;
- disassembling at least one shoe so as to separate a shoe rim component from an original shoe interface component, wherein the original shoe interface component is positioned radially inward relative to the shoe rim component, and wherein the original shoe interface component has an original channel;
- providing a replacement shoe interface component having a replacement channel;
- aligning the replacement shoe interface component to the shoe rim component with pins and connecting the replacement shoe interface component to the shoe rim component to form a replacement shoe;
- reassembling the cylindrical rim structure by rejoining the plurality of shoes using the replacement shoe interface component;
- and
- reconnecting the cylindrical rim structure to the hub of the machine such that the replacement channel slidably engages a portion of the hub.
A method for servicing a machine having an expandable rim, comprising:
- disassembling a cylindrical rim structure by separating one of a plurality of shoes from a hub of the cylindrical rim structure;
- disassembling the shoe into a first segment and a second segment, wherein the second segment is positioned radially inward relative to the first segment;
- providing a replacement second segment;
- aligning the replacement second segment to the first segment with pins and connecting the replacement second segment to the first segment to form a replacement shoe;
- reassembling the cylindrical rim structure by joining the plurality of shoes using the replacement shoe having the replacement second segment;
- and
- reconnecting the cylindrical rim structure to the hub of the machine.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.