Apparatus for engraving the sidewall of a tire
AssigneeThe Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
InventorsAndrew A. Graven, David M. Ronyak, Edward B. Bose
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A portable apparatus which can be used by local tire distributors to customize a tire by forming in the sidewall of the tire, personalized indicia requested by the owner of the tire. The apparatus has a support for holding the desired pattern of indicia, a stylus that is traceable on the indicia, and a small router-like engraving tool which is movable, in unison, with the stylus for grinding into the sidewall of the tire, indicia corresponding to that of the desired pattern.
Claims20
An apparatus used in the formation of indicia in the sidewall of a tire having a center axis, comprising:
- (a) means for supporting a tire and wheel rim on which the tire is mounted;
- (b) a pattern of indicia desired to be formed in a sidewall of the tire mounted on the wheel rim, the indicia of the pattern having a traceable surface;
- c. means, coacting with the tire and wheel rim supporting means, for mounting the pattern of indicia such that the indicia of the pattern are equally spaced from the center axis of the tire and wheel rim and the traceable surface of the indicia corresponds to the curved, outer surface of the sidewall receiving the indicia;
- d. a stylus for tracing the indicia of the pattern;
- e. a tool for grinding the indicia in the sidewall;
- and
- f. means, coacting with said tire and wheel rim supporting means, for mounting the stylus and grinding tool for unitary corresponding radial and arcuate movement and any combination thereof, relative to the center axis of the tire and wheel rim.
A method of engraving indicia in the sidewall of a tire having an outer layer of rubbery material covering an underlying layer of contrastingly colored rubbery material, comprising:
- a. supporting a tire, mounted on a wheel rim and inflated, in a horizontal plane, the tire and wheel rim having a center axis;
- b. mounting a pattern of indicia above the horizontally disposed tire such that the individual indicia of the pattern are equally spaced from the center axis of the tire and wheel rim;
- c. tracing a stylus along the individual indicia of the pattern, the stylus being coupled for unitary movement to a small diameter, abrasive bit which is rotatable for grinding indicia in the surface of a sidewall of a tire and about an axis that is substantially perpendicular to said sidewall surface;
- and
- d. grinding the indicia through the outer layer into the inner layer in accordance with the pattern of indicia.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.