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
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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.
Claims20
A machine for retreading tires, comprising:
- a hub being rotatable with respect to the machine, the hub including a plurality of ribs;
- an expandable rim disposed around the hub, the expandable rim including a plurality of shoes arranged around the hub, each of the plurality of shoes including a base portion and a rim portion, the base portion forming a channel that includes a ramp, the ramp slidably engaging a respective rib of the hub such that axial displacement of the hub causes the plurality of shoes to move in a radial direction with respect to the hub;
- and
- a belt disposed along the rim portion of the plurality of shoes,
- wherein the base portion of the plurality of shoes is formed by connecting a first segment and a second segment, the first segment of the base portion being connected to the rim portion, and the second segment being connectable to the first segment so as to form the channel and the ramp.
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, the first segment being a rim component having a rim portion defining an outer drum surface, the second segment being an interface component having a channel configured to engage a portion of the hub, wherein the portion of the hub is a rib extending radially away from the hub and the channel is configured to slidably engage the rib;
- connecting a replacement second segment to the first segment;
- reassembling the cylindrical rim structure using the shoe having the replacement second segment;
- and
- reconnecting the cylindrical rim structure to the hub of the machine.
A method for servicing a machine having an expandable rim, comprising:
- removing a rim structure from the machine;
- disassembling the rim structure to separate a plurality of shoes;
- disassembling at least one shoe so as to separate a shoe interface component from a shoe rim component;
- aligning a replacement shoe interface component to the previously separated shoe rim component and connecting the replacement shoe interface component to the shoe rim component to form a replacement shoe;
- reassembling the rim structure by rejoining the plurality of shoes using the replacement shoe interface component;
- and
- reconnecting the rim structure to the machine.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.