US 4,312,696 A · Tire building apparatus

Abstract

A tire building apparatus having two end drums disposed on respective opposite sides of an intermediate drum, with the intermediate drum embodying a perforated sleeve for supporting the portion of a tire carcass to be disposed between the beads of a completed tire and for permitting air to flow therethrough into direct contact with the aforementioned tire carcass for pneumatically expanding the latter, and with the end drums carrying bead lock clamping members and ply turn-up bags that are movable inwardly toward the longitudinal center of the apparatus during the aforementioned expanding of the tire carcass, the bags being of dual-compartment construction, having inner compartments for effecting ply turn-up operations at air pressures greater than the air pressure for expanding and supporting the tire carcass, and outer compartments for effecting additional sidewall-applying operations at internal air pressure less than the pressures in the inner compartments, and with the components of the intermediate drum and end drums being readily removable and replaceable for changing the size of the tire to be produced by the apparatus. In a modified form of the invention, which is particularly well adapted for completing the building of a tire from a preformed carcass that embodies the two beads and the sidewall components of the tire, the apparatus embodies a modified form of the construction of the preferred form of the apparatus which, among other things, does not embody the ply turn-up bags thereof.

Claims21

Dependent claims

A tire building apparatus including in combination;

an elongated shaft,
an air-pervious intermediate cylindrical-shaped supporting means mounted on said shaft in surrounding relation thereto to permit passage of air outwardly therethrough,
two end supporting means disposed around said shaft on respective opposite sides of said intermediate supporting means, said end supporting means having outer peripheral surfaces for support of the tire carcass components thereon and bead lock clamp means movable radially outwardly to clamp said tire carcass material to the tire beads, wherein in one position said outer peripheral surfaces are disposed in substantially axially aligned relation to the outer peripheral surface of said intermediate cylindrical-shaped supporting means to support said tire carcass material therearound,
carrier means mounted on said shaft and operatively connected to said end supporting means, said carrier means being movable relative to said shaft for mounting or demounting said tire carcass material while in the axially outward position and for disposing said bead lock clamp means in position to support said beads in the position of the beads of a finished tire while in an axially inward position, and
means for feeding air under pressure into said intermediate cylindrical-shaped supporting means for passage outwardly therethrough into contact with said tire carcass material disposed therearound, simultaneously with said moving of said end supporting means inwardly towards one another, to thereby move the carcass material substantially radially outwardly away from said intermediate cylindrical-shaped supporting means into an expanded position.

2 more elements

The tire building apparatus for building a complete tire in a single operation, including in combination;

an elongated shaft,
an air-pervious intermediate drum mounted on said shaft in surrounding relation thereto, said intermediate drum including a substantially cylindrical central supporting member,
two end drums disposed around said shaft on respective opposite sides of said intermediate drum, said end drums each having outer peripheral surfaces mounted in telescoping relationship with respect to each other and said intermediate drum for support of the tire carcass components thereon and bead lock clamp means movable radially outwardly to clamp said tire carcass material to the tire beads, wherein in one position said outer peripheral surfaces are disposed in substantially axially aligned relation to the outer peripheral surface of said central supporting member to support said tire carcass material therearound,
carrier means mounted on said shaft and operatively connected to said end drums, said carrier means being movable relative to said shaft for moving said end drums inwardly toward each other along said shaft into position to dispose said bead lock clamp means in position to support the beads in the positionof the beads of a finished tire,
means for feeding air under pressure into said air-pervious intermediate drum for passage outwardly therethrough into contact with said tire carcass material disposed therearound, simultaneously with said moving of said end drums inwardly toward each other, to thereby move said tire carcass material substantially radially outwardly into said expanded position thereof, and
carcass ply turn-up means mounted on said end drums axially outwardly of said bead lock clamping means.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Tire building apparatus

Life of this patent

Tire building apparatus

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims21