Method of manufacturing radial tire carcass employing a restricting member
AssigneeThe Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
InventorJohn R. Abbott
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A pneumatic radial tire is made by applying a restricting member circumferentially around a cylindrical radial tire carcass. Shaping pressure inflates the carcass to a toroidal shape having a section height less than a predetermined section height so that the carcass can be enclosed by a mold for vulcanization. After vulcanization, normal inflation pressure is sufficient to further expand the restricting member and carcass to a shape having a section height greater than the predetermined section height so that the carcass may be pressed into gripping engagement with a replaceable tread belt.
Claims5
A method of making a radial tire carcass for a replaceable tread belt tire comprising:
- (a) building a generally cylindrical unvulcanized tire carcass of elastomeric material including a pair of beads and at least one radial ply of reinforcing cords extending between said beads;
- (b) wrapping a restricting member circumferentially around said carcass, the strength of said restricting member being such as to limit expansion of said carcass to a toroidal shape having a section height less than a predetermined section height of said tire in the molded condition when a predetermined shaping pressure is applied to said carcass;
- (c) partially shaping said carcass to a generally toroidal shape having a section height less than said predetermined section height by inflating said carcass at said predetermined shaping pressure;
- (d) enclosing a mold having two sections which engage each other at the mid-circumferential plane of the carcass about the partially shaped unvulcanized tire carcass;
- (e) applying pressure greater than said shaping pressure to the unvulcanized tire carcass within the mold to complete the shaping of the tire carcass to a shape having said predetermined section height within the mold, said restricting member having insufficient strength to prevent expansion of said carcass to a shape having a section height greater than said predetermined section height at the normal inflation pressure of the tire;
- (f) vulcanizing the tire carcass in the mold;
- and
- (g) removing the tire carcass from the mold.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.