US 2005/0000625 A1 · Apparatus for manufacturing a vehicle tire and a belt structure, [[a]] belt package and [[a]] crown structure of the tire

Abstract

A method and a plant for manufacturing a belt structure of a green tire are described, wherein the portions (49a, 49b) of the belt strips (19a, 19b) constituting the belt structure are produced in a substantially continuous manner immediately upstream of at least one assembly drum (50, 51). Such method and plant are integrated respectively in a method and in a plant for manufacturing, in a substantially continuous manner, a belt package and a crown structure incorporating the belt structure thus obtained. The method for manufacturing the belt package comprises the subsequent formation on the belt structure of a rubber mixture layer incorporating a plurality of reinforcing cords (5), whereas the method for manufacturing the crown structure comprises the subsequent assembly of a tread (7) on the belt package thus formed. The rubber mixture layer incorporating the reinforcing cords (5) and the tread (7) are both manufactured in a substantially continuous manner immediately upstream of at least one assembly drum (66). According to the invention, a high and constant quality level of the belt structure, of the belt package and of the crown structure are ensured, achieving at the same time a reduction in production costs and an increase in the production capacity of the plant.

Claims21

Dependent claims

1-22. (canceled)

An apparatus for manufacturing a belt structure of a vehicle tire, comprising:

an extrusion apparatus for forming, in a substantially continuous manner, a sheet of rubber-coated fabric comprising a plurality of reinforcing cords substantially parallel to one another;
means for conveying the sheet along a first conveying direction;
a first cutting device for cutting the sheet in a cutting position along a cutting direction forming a first predetermined angle with respect to the first conveying direction to obtain a plurality of strips of predetermined length;
a device for transferring the strips from the cutting position to a releasing position where the strips are arranged parallel to one another along edges of prevailing length of the strips;
a device for splicing the strips at the edges of prevailing length of the strips to form a substantially continuous belt assembly comprising reinforcing cords parallel to one another and inclined at a second predetermined angle with respect to a longitudinal axis of the belt assembly;
means for conveying the strips and the belt assembly along a second conveying direction;
a second cutting device for cutting the belt assembly along the longitudinal axis into two belt strips;
a third cutting device for cutting each of the belt strips into portions of predetermined length;
means for conveying the belt strips and the portions of the belt strips along respective conveying directions;
and
at least one assembly drum adapted to support the portions of the belt strips.

8 more elements

An apparatus for manufacturing a belt package of a vehicle tire, comprising:

an extrusion apparatus for forming, in a substantially continuous manner, a sheet of rubber-coated fabric comprising a plurality of reinforcing cords substantially parallel to one another;
means for conveying the sheet along a first conveying direction;
a first cutting device for cutting the sheet in a cutting position along a cutting direction forming a first predetermined angle with respect to the first conveying direction to obtain a plurality of strips of predetermined length;
a device for transferring the strips from the cutting position to a releasing position where the strips are arranged parallel to one another along edges of prevailing length of the strips;
a device for splicing the strips at the edges of prevailing length of the strips to form a substantially continuous belt assembly comprising reinforcing cords parallel to one another and inclined at a second predetermined angle with respect to a longitudinal axis of the belt assembly;
means for conveying the strips and the belt assembly along a second conveying direction;
a second cutting device for cutting the belt assembly along the longitudinal axis into two belt strips;
a third cutting device for cutting each of the belt strips into portions of predetermined length;
means for conveying the belt strips and the portions of the belt strips along respective conveying directions;
at least one assembly drum adapted to support the portions of the belt strips;
an extrusion apparatus for forming, in a substantially continuous manner, a ribbon or tape of rubber mixture comprising a plurality of reinforcing cords substantially parallel to one another;
means for cutting the ribbon or tape of rubber mixture into portions of predetermined length;
a belt package assembly drum;
and
a device for transferring the belt structure towards the belt package assembly drum.

12 more elements

An apparatus for manufacturing a crown structure of a vehicle tire, comprising:

an extrusion apparatus for forming, in a substantially continuous manner, a sheet of rubber-coated fabric comprising a plurality of reinforcing cords substantially parallel to one another;
means for conveying the sheet along a first conveying direction;
a first cutting device for cutting the sheet in a cutting position along a cutting direction forming a first predetermined angle with respect to the first conveying direction to obtain a plurality of strips of predetermined length;
a device for transferring the strips from the cutting position to a releasing position where the strips are arranged parallel to one another along edges of prevailing length of the strips;
a device for splicing the strips at the edges of prevailing length of the strips to form a substantially continuous belt assembly comprising reinforcing cords parallel to one another and inclined at a second predetermined angle with respect to a longitudinal axis of the belt assembly;
means for conveying the strips and the belt assembly along a second conveying direction;
a second cutting device for cutting the belt assembly along the longitudinal axis into two belt strips;
a third cutting device for cutting each of the belt strips into portions of predetermined length;
means for conveying the belt strips and the portions of the belt strips along respective conveying directions;
at least one assembly drum adapted to support the portions of the belt strips;
an extrusion apparatus for forming, in a substantially continuous manner, a ribbon or tape of rubber mixture comprising a plurality of reinforcing cords substantially parallel to one another;
means for cutting the ribbon or tape of rubber mixture into portions of predetermined length;
a belt package assembly drum;
a device for transferring the belt structure towards the belt package assembly drum;
an extrusion apparatus for forming, in a substantially continuous manner, a continuous tread sheet of rubber mixture;
means for conveying the continuous tread sheet of rubber mixture towards the belt package assembly drum;
and
means for cutting the continuous tread sheet of rubber mixture in portions of predetermined length to obtain respective treads.

15 more elements

An apparatus for manufacturing a vehicle tire, comprising:

means for preparing a carcass structure;
means for toroidally shaping the carcass structure;
means for preparing a belt structure;
means for arranging the belt structure as a crown around the toroidally shaped carcass structure;
means for wrapping a tread around the belt structure;
wherein the means for preparing the belt structure comprises:
an extrusion apparatus for forming, in a substantially continuous manner, a sheet of rubber-coated fabric comprising a plurality of reinforcing cords substantially parallel to one another;
means for conveying the sheet along a first conveying direction;
a first cutting device for cutting the sheet in a cutting position along a cutting direction forming a first predetermined angle with respect to the first conveying direction to obtain a plurality of strips of predetermined length;
a device for transferring the strips from the cutting position to a releasing position where the strips are arranged parallel to one another along edges of prevailing length of the strips;
a device for splicing the strips at the edges of prevailing length of the strips to form a substantially continuous belt assembly comprising reinforcing cords parallel to one another and inclined at a second predetermined angle with respect to a longitudinal axis of the belt assembly;
means for conveying the strips and the belt assembly along a second conveying direction;
a second cutting device for cutting the belt assembly along the longitudinal axis into two belt strips;
a third cutting device for cutting each of the belt strips into portions of predetermined length;
means for conveying the belt strips and the portions of the belt strips along respective conveying directions;
and
at least one assembly drum adapted to support the portions of the belt strips.

14 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application

10/873,222Filed 23 Jun 2004

Priority

EP 00204248.929 Nov 2000

Published

6 Jan 2005

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification16 codes

B29D 30/70
Pneumatic tyres or parts thereof: annular breakers
B29C 48/08
Flat, e.g. panels: flexible, e.g. films
B29D 30/3007
Applying the layers; Guiding or stretching the layers during application: by feeding a sheet perpendicular to the drum axis and joining the ends…
B29C 48/00
Extrusion moulding, i.e. expressing the moulding material through a die or nozzle

Family

Application60/251,051Us provisional application · filed 5 Dec 2000

Application09/995,638Division · filed 29 Nov 2001

Application10/873,222Division · filed 23 Jun 2004

US 2002/0062908 A1Published application

US 6,797,095 B2Related patent

US 7,172,005 B2Related patent

US 2005/0000625 A1This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

Apparatus for manufacturing a vehicle tire and a belt structure, [[a]] belt package and [[a]] crown structure of the tire

Life of this patent

Apparatus for manufacturing a vehicle tire and a belt structure, [[a]] belt package and [[a]] crown structure of the tire

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims21