Adjustable Rotating Tire Section Buffing Table
AssigneeBridgestone Americas Tire Operations, LLC
InventorsFreddie Gonzalez, Jr., Anthony B. Duncan, Kurt D. Willoughby, Eric L. Finger
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A table comprising a worktop including an axis of rotation, a perimeter, and an effective radius, the effective radius defined as the average distance between the axis of rotation and the perimeter; a frame; a rotational connection disposed between the worktop and the frame, the connection configured to allow the worktop to rotate about the axis of rotation; and a plurality of bearings disposed between the worktop and the frame to rollingly support the worktop on the frame, at least one of the bearings disposed more than half of the effective radius from the axis of rotation.
Claims22
A table comprising:
- a worktop including an axis of rotation, a perimeter, and an effective radius, the effective radius defined as the average distance between the axis of rotation and the perimeter;
- a frame;
- a rotational connection disposed between the worktop and the frame, the connection configured to allow the worktop to rotate about the axis of rotation;
- and
- a plurality of bearings disposed between the worktop and the frame to rollingly support the worktop on the frame, at least one of the bearings disposed more than half of the effective radius from the axis of rotation.
A table comprising:
- a top including a rotational axis, an outer edge, and an effective radius, the effective radius defined as the average distance between the rotational axis and the outer edge;
- a frame;
- a rotational connection disposed between the top and the frame, the connection configured to allow the top to rotate about the rotational axis;
- a plurality of leveling mounts;
- and
- a plurality of leveling mount supports, each of the supports configured to selectively raise a respective one of the mounts so that the respective mount bears against the top to level the top, and at least one of the leveling mounts is disposed more than half of the effective radius from the rotational axis.
A table for buffing a section of a tire, comprising:
- a frame;
- a central platform rotatably mounted on the frame, the platform including an axis of rotation and an outer edge;
- and
- a plurality of radially extending extensions configured to be mounted at a plurality of circumferentially spaced mounting locations around the outer edge of the central platform so that a tire section larger than the central platform may be supported on the central platform and one or more of the platform extensions.
A method of buffing a cross section of a tire, the method comprising:
- (a) placing the cross section on a worktop, the worktop rotatably supported by a frame;
- (b) selecting a cross section portion to buff;
- (c) rotating the worktop to a selected orientation to increase accessibility of the selected cross section portion;
- (d) buffing the selected cross section portion;
- and
- (e) repeating steps (b) through (d) for another selected cross section portion and selected orientation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.