Loading patent…
AssigneeThe Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
InventorsRichard A. Davies, Michael W. Lee, Frank A. Rodenberger, James R. Hill, David P. Kulavich, Donald L. Sowell
Estimating the term…
A machine for crimping tire bead rings in which an inner die member has grooves for holding the bead rings in the area of the bead splices and an upper die member engages the outer surface of the bead rings in that area. The die members are compressed with sufficient force for a sufficient period of time so that the strands of the bead rings are held together by the insulating material around the strands in the area of the bead splices. The side portions of the grooves control the spreading of the bead rings and may be flared to compress and then release the bead rings. The grooves of the inner die member may have movable inserts for ejecting the bead rings. The upper die member may also include grooves in mating engagement with the grooves of the inner die member for enclosing the outer portions of the bead rings at the splice area and provide for release of the bead rings after crimping.
A bead crimping apparatus for a bead ring having strands coated with an elastomeric material and coiled in a plurality of convolutions with the inside ends of the strands positioned at the radially inner surface of the ring and the outside ends of the strands positioned at the radially outer surface of the ring, comprising an upper die member and an inner die member of said bead crimping apparatus, said inner die member having an inner groove with a generally cylindrical base portion and radially extending side portions, means to move said inner die member and said upper die member together for simultaneous mating engagement with said inside ends and said outside ends and for compressing said strands between said side portions and against said base portion and means for separating said inner die member and said upper die member for removal of said ring from said groove.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.