Tire slitting apparatus
OwnerWalter Dennis Hall, Merrell Thomas Miller +1inventors
InventorsWalter Dennis Hall, Merrell Thomas Miller, Douglas L. Roof
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A tire slitting apparatus for slitting tire carcasses circumferentially into segments comprises a frame with a tire slitting head mounted thereon to fit inside the body of a tire, and tire drive means to rotate the tire around the tire slitting head. Cutting means are mounted on the tire slitting head to slit the tire and external guide means are positionable against the side walls of the tire to guide and stabilize it during the slitting.
Claims6
A tire slitting apparatus for slitting tire carcasses circumferentially into segments, comprising:
- a. a frame,
- b. a tire head assembly mounted on the frame and receiving the tire,
- c. a tire slitting head mounted on the tire head assembly and fitting inside the body of the tire engaging the inner crown thereof,
- d. tire drive means engaging the outer crown of the tire and operative to rotate the tire around the tire slitting head,
- e. external guide means mounted on the frame and positionable against the side wall of the tire to guide and stabilize the tire during rotation, and the external guide means comprising:
- 1. an L-shaped plate mounted on the frame parallel to the plane of the tire and positioned to make three point contact with the side wall of the tire,
- 2. sliding support means mounting the plate to allow lateral movement of the plate relative to the tire, and
- 3. linkage means connected to the plate to initiate movement of the plate on the sliding support means, and
- f. cutting means mounted on the tire slitting head and positioned to slit the tire from the inside out.
A tire slitting apparatus for slitting tire carcasses circumferentially into segments, comprising:
- a. a frame,
- b. a tire head assembly mounted on the frame and receiving the tire,
- c. a tire slitting head mounted on the tire head assembly and fitting inside the body of the tire engaging the inner crown thereof,
- d. tire drive means engaging the outer crown of the tire and operative to rotate the tire around the tire slitting head, the tire drive means comprising:
- 1. drive rollers rotatably mounted in the frame and positioned to frictionally engage the outer crown surface of the tire,
- 2. elastic bands defining a plurality of peripheral holes and configured to fit releasably over the drive rollers for frictional engagement therewith,
- 3. tire studs located within the holes and having head portions positioned between the bands and the drive rollers and gripping portions protruding from the bands, and
- 4. power means for rotating the drive rollers,
- e. external guide means mounted on the frame and positionable against the side wall of the tire to guide and stabilize the tire during rotation, and
- f. cutting means mounted on the tire slitting head and positioned to slit the tire from the inside out.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.