Back to results
US 4,230,517 AGranted
Modular tire building machine
AssigneeNRM Corporation
InventorGeorge E. Enders
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Loading patent…
Loading patent…
AssigneeNRM Corporation
InventorGeorge E. Enders
Estimating the term…
A tire building machine comprises a number of modular packages which can be used interchangeably in single stage, or first stage tire component assembly. Some of the modular components are particularly useful in the manufacture of larger or truck type tires but can also be used in the automatic or semi-automatic production of smaller passenger size tires. One of the principal components is a carriage mounted device for transfer of components such as bands or belt and tread assemblies, or finished tires, which also functions as a bead setter and as a retractable two-position idle journal support for the non-driven end of the main shaft of the tire building drum or shaper. The shaft supports a wide variety of shapers or drums for single, first or second stage building. The device is mounted for movement to and from the shaper or drum and includes a support arm which moves in a circular arc to assume and maintain various positions during various periods in the machine cycle. For certain types of shapers, the device provides support and means for automatic removal and replacement of the outboard bead seal flange. A bead setter is supported on the device and is adjustable omnidirectionally to obtain concentricity and squareness and is also adjustable axially for accurate bead placement symmetrically about the axis centerline of the shaper or drum and thus the tire being built. A bead gripper, actuated by fluid power, automatically rotates clear of the bead flippers or apex and clamps the tire bead securely and squarely to ensure accurate bead placement while transferring the tire bead to its selected location. A retractable positive intermediate stop is employed to position the carriage of the device to perform its various functions. A wide variety of arrangements of the components may be employed performing various tire building processes for different types and sizes of tires.
A tire building machine comprising a tire building drum mounted on a shaft, a carrier movable axially of said shaft and including a ring in a plane normal to the axis of said shaft and concentric therewith, an arm secured to said ring, and means to swing said arm from a shaft alignment position to a clear position to clear the interior of said ring for movement of said carrier axially of said shaft.
A tire building machine comprising a tire building and shaping drum and a belt building drum, a belt transfer mounted for movement between said drums, an intermediate stop for said transfer, and support means mounted on said transfer operative to support the shaft of said tire building and shaping drum when said transfer is in engagement with said stop.
A tire building machine comprising a shaft driven for controlled rotation at one end, and an idle journal for said shaft at the other end, and mounting means for said idle journal for movement thereof axially of said shaft and arcuately transversely of the axis of said shaft, said mounting means comprising a transfer for a tire component movable axially of said shaft.
A tire building machine comprising a shaft driven for controlled rotation at one end, and a carrier at the other end of said shaft movable axially of said shaft operative to support said shaft at two axial positions of said carrier.
A tire building machine comprising a shaft driven at one end and adapted to be idly supported at the other end, a carrier mounted for movement parallel to the axis of said shaft, and a movable support on said carrier, said support in one position rotatably supporting said shaft at said other end, and in another position being clear of said shaft to enable said carrier to be moved axially of said shaft.
A tire building machine comprising a tire shaper and a carriage, support means for moving the carriage axially of said tire shaper to transfer tires or tire components to or from such shaper, adjustable positive end stops for said carriage, and positive intermediate stop means for said carriage operative positively to position said carriage intermediate said end stops in a position to support said shaper.
A tire building machine comprising inboard and outboard tire bead sealing flanges movable uniformly toward and away from each other to seal and inflate a tire therebetween, said outboard flange comprising two separable parts, one of which may be removed from the other to permit a tire to be positioned on and removed from the machine, the improvement comprising a carrier movable toward and away from the outboard flange, said carrier including means to release said one part from the other and secure it to the carrier and vice versa.
In a tire shaping and building machine having a two part outboard sealing flange, a carrier operative to disassemble one of said two parts and move it clear of the other to permit a tire to be removed from the machine and a new tire placed thereon.
In a tire building machine, a bead setter operative axially to place a bead in the proper axial and squareness position with respect to a tire to be built, a support for said bead setter, said support including a ring movable axially of the tire to set the bead, and means mounting said bead setter on said ring for limited transaxial and axial directional adjustment to obtain concentricity and squareness with the axis of the tire.
In a tire building machine, a bead setter operative axially to place a bead in the proper axial and squareness position with respect to a tire to be built, a support for said bead setter, said support including a ring movable axially of the tire to set the bead, means mounting said bead setter on said ring for omnidirectional adjustment to obtain concentricity and squareness with the axis of the tire, a carrier for said bead setter operative to move the same axially of the tire, said carrier comprising a transfer for tires or tire components, and an arm pivoted to said transfer on which said bead setter is mounted.
In a tire building machine, a flange remover operative to remove and replace a tire supporting flange of a tire building machine, a support for said flange remover, said support including a frame movable axially of the flange, and means on said frame operative to engage said flange and lock the same to said frame for movement therewith, and vice versa.
In a tire building machine, a bead setter, means operative axially to move said bead setter when in axial alignment with the tire to be built, said bead setter including bead gripping fingers, and actuators for said fingers operative to move said fingers axially of the tire and also axially to rotate said fingers when thus axially moved.
In a tire building machine, a bead setter movable axially of a tire to be built to place a bead in proper position, a carrier for said bead setter, means to move said carrier axially of the tire, said carrier in at least one axial position thereof including means to hold the axis of the tire in precise squareness and concentricity with the bead.
In a tire building machine, a drum, a tire supporting flange on said drum a flange remover for said flange, means mounting said flange remover for movement axially of the tire to be built, and means mounting said flange remover for movement transversely of the axis of the tire.
In a tire building machine, a flange remover, means mounting said flange remover for movement axially of the tire to be built, and means mounting said flange remover for movement transversely of the axis of the tire, said flange remover being mounted on a transfer for tires or tire components, said last mentioned means being operative to move said flange remover clear of the path of the transfer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.