Apparatus for recapping a tire with a flexible segmented mold
AssigneeLong Mile Rubber Company
InventorsArthur W. Magee, Richard D. Shockley, Michael E. Crawford
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for retreading a tire includes a mold segment (14) having open ends (16) and (18). A tire carcass (10) has a layer of uncured rubber (12) built up on the surface thereof. The mold (14) is disposed therearound with ribs (20) resting on the surface thereof. A semi-flexible cap (24) is disposed over the ends (16) and (18) which are separated by a gap (20). An elastic strap (26) is then wrapped about the assembly to secure the mold (14) to the built up tire carcass (10). An envelope (28) is then wrapped about the assembled tire carcass (10) to provide a radially inward force thereto. The whole assembly is then cured in a curing oven.
Claims18
Apparatus for recapping tires utilizing uncured rubber and a prepared tire carcass, comprising:
- an arcuate segmented elastomeric mold having a negative contour of a desired tread pattern formed on one side thereof comprised of ribs operable to extend downwardly into a layer of uncured rubber built-up around the tire carcass, said segmented mold having a predefined length and at least two free ends that are operable to abut and form a band when said ribs are fully imbedded in said layer of uncured rubber;
- means for securing said segmented mold around a circumferential surface of said built-up tire carcass with a gap between said free ends and said ribs partially imbedded into said uncured rubber;
- and
- means for applying an external force radially inwardly to said segmented mold so that said ribs are forced into said uncured rubber during curing until said free ends of said mold abut.
Apparatus for recapping tires utilizing uncured rubber and a prepared tire carcass, comprising:
- a first arcuate rubber mold segment having a negative contour of a desired tread pattern formed on an interior surface thereof, the negative contour formed of ribs extending radially inwardly;
- a second arcuate rubber mold segment substantially identical to said first mold segment, said first and second mold segments being adapted to enclose the prepared tire carcass and impress said negative contour in a layer of uncured rubber which is built-up on the prepared tire carcass;
- said first and second segments each having a defined length with a first and a second end;
- means for securing said first and second mold segments with gaps between adjacent said ends onto said tire carcass such that a portion of said ribs is embedded into said layer of uncured rubber;
- and
- means for forcing said first and second mold segments radially inwardly to fully imbed said ribs and to abut said ends.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.