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AssigneeThe Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
InventorsGilbert W. Ray, Max D. Brinkley
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An apparatus having a grooving tool for carving grooves in a tire tread drives the tool transversely of the tread while varying the elevation of the tool so as to carve curvate, chevron, herringbone, lazy-S, or other non-linear grooves. Means for orienting the cutting edge of the tool normal to the actual direction of traversing movement is disclosed. The elevation of the tool is controlled by a sensor which follows the template profile or contour as the tool travels. The orientation of the tool is also controlled by a sensor cooperating with a template. The apparatus includes a base adapted for movement to grooving relation with a tire mounted on a rotatable chuck or away from the tire. The foregoing abstract is not to be taken as limiting the invention of this application, and in order to understand the full nature and extent of the technical disclosure of this application, reference must be made to the accompanying drawing and the following detailed description.
An apparatus for forming grooves in a tire tread comprising a grooving tool having a cutting edge, a frame disposable adjacent said tire, first means mounted on said frame for moving said grooving tool transversely in the tread of a tire in accordance with a predetermined non-linear profile, second means on said frame mounting said tool for rotation, and third means coordinated with the first means for varying the orientation of said tool in response to changes in slope of said profile as said tool is moved transversely of the tire, said third means comprising template means defining a contour coordinated with said predetermined profile, follower means carried in said first means for sensing said contour and comprising a servo-valve having an actuating plunger engaging said contour, linking means connecting said follower means with said second means for varying the angular orientation of said tool to maintain its cutting edge normal to its direction of movement by said first means and including a fluid power cylinder operable in response to said valve, and gear means operatively connected to said cylinder and drivingly engaging said second means to rotate said second means in response to changes in slope of said contour during movement of said tool transversely of the tire.
A method of grooving a tread rubber in place on a tire comprising moving a grooving tool in a compound movement path cutting said rubber while holding said tire to prevent its rotation about its own axis, said path including three direction components of which:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.