Modular tire turn-up apparatus
AssigneeBridgestone Americas Tire Operations, LLC
InventorsNikolas R. Tomassoni, Phillip T. Brasher, Jr.
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A tire turn-up apparatus for selectively engaging a cylindrical tire building drum may include a base and a first plurality of finger assemblies. The tire building drum may be a selected drum from a group of drums of different drum diameters. Each finger assembly may have a backstop connected to the base and a finger pivotally connected to the backstop. Each finger may be moveable between a radially retracted and extended position to turn-up the tire carcass. Each finger may be radially adjustable on its respective backstop to align with different drum diameters.
Claims2
A method of turning up an end of a tire carcass, the method comprising the steps of:
- (a) engaging a first drum of a first diameter with a separable turn-up device, the first drum having a first tire carcass disposed thereon;
- (b) turning up an end of the first tire carcass with the turn-up device;
- (c) disengaging the turn-up device from the first drum;
- (d) adjusting a diameter of the turn-up device by radially adjusting a plurality of pivotal connections of a plurality of turn-up fingers on a plurality of backstops;
- (e) engaging a second drum of a second diameter with the adjusted turn-up device, the second drum having a second tire carcass disposed thereon;
- and
- (f) turning up an end of the second tire carcass with the adjusted turn-up device;
- wherein in step (a) the plurality of turn-up fingers of the turn-up device includes a first plurality of fingers, the first plurality of fingers equally circumferentially spaced in a first finger pattern;
- and
- wherein step (d) includes repositioning the first plurality of fingers and adding a second plurality of fingers, with the second plurality of fingers including a separate plurality of radially adjustable pivotal connections on a separate plurality of backstops, the combined first and second pluralities of fingers equally circumferentially spaced in a second finger pattern.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.