US 4,049,486 AGranted

Rubber strip guide apparatus

AssigneeThe General Tire & Rubber Company

InventorVirgil E. Henley

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

Apparatus suitable for guiding an uncured, deformable semiplastic rubber strip having skived or feathered outer thin edges, such as a tire tread strip or sidewall strip, into precise alignment with a tire carcass mounted on a drum of a tire building machine. Includes a plurality of support rollers linearly mounted for supporting the lower surface of a rubber strip with each support roller being axially movable and resiliently urged in the axial direction by springs mounted in compression at the ends of each support roller; a plurality of upper guide rollers and mounted above the support rollers and linearly offset from the support rollers. Each of the upper guide rollers is preferably canted upwardly and inwardly toward the center of the rubber strip and is mounted for rolling engagement with the top and edge of a thin edge of the rubber strip. Also, a plurality of lower guide rollers are mounted in linearly offset relation with the upper guide rollers and linearly offset with the support rollers. Each of the lower guide rollers is preferably canted downwardly and inwardly toward the center of the rubber strip and is mounted for rolling engagement with the bottom and edge of a thin edge of the rubber strip.

Claims21

Dependent claims

Apparatus suitable for guiding into precise alignment with a tire carcass an uncured, deformable semiplastic rubber strip having at least one tapered side edge surface meeting to form a skived or feathered edge with the upper or lower surface of said strip, examples of said rubber strip being a tire tread strip and a tire sidewall strip, said apparatus comprising:

a. a plurality of support rollers mounted in axially spaced apart and parallel relation for supporting the lower surface of said rubber strip with each support roller being axially movable and resiliently held in the axial direction by springs mounted in compression at the ends of each support roller;
b. a plurality of axially spaced first guide rollers mounted linearly offset from said support rollers, said first guide rollers being mounted for rolling engagement with said tapered side edge surface of said rubber strip adjacent said feathered edge and canted inwardly toward the center of said rubber strip;
c. a plurality of axially spaced second guide rollers mounted linearly offset from the first guide rollers and linearly offset from the support rollers, said second guide rollers being mounted for rolling engagement with said surface of said rubber strip with which said tapered side edge surface meets to form said feathered edge, said second guide rollers being canted inwardly toward the center of said rubber strip;
d. means for limiting the outward movement of the edge of said rubber strip laterally opposite from said feathered edge;
e. said support rollers being adapted to move axially to accommodate any transverse movement of said rubber strip;
said linearly offset first and second guide rollers thereby limiting the outward movement of said feathered edge of said rubber strip and combining with said support rollers to channel said feathered edge in a weaving motion between said rollers to properly align said rubber strip for application to said tire carcass.

3 more elements

Apparatus suitable for guiding into precise alignment with a tire carcass an uncured, deformable semiplastic rubber strip having at least one tapered side edge surface meeting in a skived or feathered edge with the upper or lower surface of said strip, examples of said rubber strip being a tire tread strip and a tire sidewall strip, said apparatus comprising:

a. a plurality of support rollers mounted in axially spaced apart and parallel relation for supporting the lower surface of said rubber strip with each support roller being axially movable and resiliently held in the axial direction by springs mounted in compression at the ends of each support roller;
b. a plurality of axially spaced first guide rollers mounted linearly offset from said support rollers, said first guide rollers disposed across said tapered side edge surface of said rubber strip adjacent said feathered edge and in rolling engagement with said side edge surface;
c. a plurality of axially spaced second guide rollers mounted linearly offset from the first guide rollers and linearly offset from the support rollers, said second guide rollers being disposed across said surface of said rubber strip with which said tapered side edge surface meets to form said feathered edge, said second guide rollers being in rolling engagement with said side of said rubber strip;
d. means for limiting the outward movement of the edge of said rubber strip laterally opposite from said feathered edge;
e. said support rollers being adapted to move axially to accommodate any transverse movement of said rubber strip;
said linearly offset first and second guide rollers thereby limiting the outward movement of said feathered edge of said rubber strip and combining with said support rollers to channel said feathered edge in a weaving motion between said rollers to properly align said rubber strip for application to said tire carcass.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.