Tire curing method
AssigneeCaterpillar Tractor Co.
InventorCharles E. Grawey
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of curing a green rubber tire (40) having a closed interior cavity (42) with two spaced ports (46,48) extending from the interior cavity to the tire exterior. The method includes the step of forming the tire on the porous, disintegratable core (44) and then positioning the tire within a pressure vessel (50). The pressure vessel and the interior cavity and porous core are then filled with a liquid (52) at an elevated temperature which is sufficient to cure the green rubber. The liquid is then circulated at the elevated temperature through the pressure vessel around the exterior of the tire and through the porous core and the interior cavity of the tire.
Claims8
A method of curing a green rubber tire having a closed interior cavity with two spaced ports extending from the interior cavity to the tire exterior comprising the steps of:
- (a) forming the green rubber tire on a porous disintegratable core;
- (b) positioning the green rubber tire within a pressure vessel;
- (c) filling the pressure vessel and the interior cavity and porous core with a liquid at an elevated temperature which is sufficient to cure rubber;
- (c) circulating liquid at the elevated temperature through the pressure vessel and around the exterior of the green rubber tire;
- and
- (e) simultaneously circulating liquid at the elevated temperature through the porous core and the interior cavity of the tire.
A method of curing a green rubber tire having a closed interior cavity with two spaced ports extending from the interior cavity to the tire exterior comprising the steps of:
- (a) positioning the green rubber tire within a pressure vessel;
- (b) filling the pressure vessel and the interior cavity of the tire with a liquid at an elevated temperature sufficient to cure rubber;
- (c) circulating liquid at the elevated temperature through the pressure vessel and around the exterior of the green rubber tire;
- (d) simultaneously circulating liquid at the elevated temperature through the interior cavity of the tire;
- and
- (e) controlling the circulation of the liquid through the interior cavity of the tire independently of the controlling of the circulation of the liquid through the pressure vessel while maintaining a pressure differential from the interior to the exterior of the tire insufficient to cause the rubber to flow.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.