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US 4,151,035 AGranted
Building machine having an infinite number of drum settings
AssigneeThe General Tire & Rubber Company
InventorFrank R. Jellison
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A tire building drum has an infinite number of length and diameter settings. The drum can be used to build various size tires. The diameter of the drum can also be varied during the tire building operation to improve the tire building procedure.
Claims6
A tire building machine having:
- A. a building drum of substantially cylindrical shape and of uniform diameter during expansion and contraction having an infinite number of diameter and length settings adapted for building at least a portion of a pneumatic tire thereon;
- B. a hollow spindle for rotatably mounting the drum axially thereon;
- C. a plurality of arcuate segments positioned about the drum at opposite axial end portions of the drum to define at least a part of the cylindrical surface of the drum;
- D. a plurality of segment stems positioned in each said end portion of the drum with each segment stem adapted to radially support an arcuate segment;
- E. a plurality of stem support members positioned in each said end portion of the drum with each support member slidably supporting a segment stem;
- F. cam means slidably mounted coaxially on said hollow spindle at each said end portion of the drum adapted to move each of said segment stems and each of said arcuate segments an equal finite radial distance for any given axial movement of the cam means and to hold said arcuate segments in place at the termination of movement;
- G. at least one threaded drive shaft rotatably mounted within said hollow spindle adapted to move said cam means axially on rotation of said shaft to any position on a predetermined length of said shaft;
- H. power means mounted adjacent said drive shaft for rotationally driving said drive shaft any number of revolutions or portions thereof within a predetermined range;
- I. a clutch-brake mechanism attached to said power means for rotation of spindle and drive shaft in unison or for rotation of drive shaft independently of said spindle;
- J. a shoulder frame in each end portion of the building drum slidably fastened axially on said spindle to lengthen or shorten said building drum, said frame supporting said stem support members;
- K. turn-up bladders supported by said shoulder frame positioned adjacent said end portions outwardly of said building drum;
- L. tie rod means capable of rigidly fastening the shoulder frame relative to said spindle while leaving the cam means axially slidable on the spindle to provide for an infinite number of controlled drum diameter settings and while retaining a fixed drum length;
- M. means capable of fastening the cams means relative to said shoulder frame to provide for an infinite number of controlled drum lengths.
10 more elements
An expansible tire building drum comprising:
- A. a building drum of substantially cylindrical shape adapted for building at least a portion of a pneumatic tire thereon;
- B. a hollow spindle for rotatably mounting the drum axially thereon;
- C. a plurality of arcuate segments positioned about the drum at opposite axial end portions of the drum to define at least a part of the cylindrical surface of the drum;
- D. a plurality of segment stems positioned in each said end portion of the drum with each segment stem adapted to radially support an arcuate segment;
- E. a plurality of stem support members positioned in each said end portion of the drum with each support member slidably supporting a segment stem;
- F. cam means slidably mounted coaxially on said hollow spindle at each said end portion of the drum adapted to move each of said segment stems and each of said arcuate segments an equal finite radial distance for any given axial movement of the cam means and to hold said arcuate segments in place at the termination of movement;
- G. at least one drive shaft rotatably mounted within said hollow spindle adapted to move said cam means axially on rotation of said shaft to any position on a predetermined length of said shaft;
- H. power means mounted adjacent said drive shaft for rotationally driving said drive shaft any number of revolutions or portions thereof within a predetermined range;
- I. a clutch-brake mechanism attached to said power means for rotation of spindle and drive shaft in unison or for rotation of drive shaft independently of said spindle;
- J. a shoulder frame in each end portion of the building drum slidably fastened axially on said spindle to lengthen or shorten said building drum, said frame supporting said stem support members;
- K. tie rod means capable of rigidly fastening the shoulder frame relative to said spindle while leaving the cam means axially slidable on the spindle;
- L. turn-up bladders supported by said shoulder frame, positioned adjacent said end portions outwardly of said building drum;
- M. a plurality of push rods positioned centrally of said segment stems at each said end portion of the drum;
- N. a plurality of rod support members positioned in each said end portion of the drum with each support member slidably supporting a push rod;
- and
- O. at least one guide support member mounted about said rotatable spindle at each said end portion of the drum and adapted to engage said push rods when the arcuate segments are extended to a preset radial position and radially support said arcuate segments substantially rigid.
13 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.