Apparatus for forming endless tire reinforcing belts

Apparatus for weaving a woven endless tire reinforcing belt for a single pneumatic tire on an endless weaving surface in a zig-zag pattern, said belt including a first belt portion having a substantially constant predetermined width and at least one additional belt portion within the same tire having a width narrower than said predetermined width on the radially outward side of said first portion, said apparatus comprising;

• (a) input means for receiving information defining said zig-zag pattern, said information including belt width information for defining the width of said first belt portion and the narrower width of said additional belt portion;
• (b) means for storing said information;
• (c) computer means including at least one programmable microprocessor chip for reading said information and controlling the successive weaving of said belt portions as defined by said information;
• (d) at least one endless weaving surface upon which said belt is woven, said weaving surface being continuously rotatable about an axis;
• (e) at least one first servomotor for continuously rotating said weaving surface about said axis, and at least one encoding means for providing rotational feedback to said computer means, said first servomotor being responsive to said computer means;
• (f) at least one reinforcement guide means for supplying cord reinforcement to said weaving surface;
• (g) at least one second servomotor for reciprocating said guide means to effect the laying of said cord reinforcement on said weaving surface in said zig-zag pattern, and at least one encoding means for providing reciprocation feedback information to said computer means, said second servomotor being responsive to said computer means;
• (h) means for limiting the amplitude of reciprocation over each belt portion forming period;
• and
• (i) at least one stepper motor responsive to said computer means for adjusting said limiting means, said stepper motor being responsive to at least one signal from said computer means to adjust said limiting means and hold said amplitude substantially constant over each said belt portion forming period;
• said computer means for controlling said first and second servomotors and said stepper motor to reciprocative said guide means at a substantially constant predetermined amplitude for a first belt forming period in a timed relationship to the rotation of said weaving surface to effect the laying of said cord reinforcement on said surface in said zig-zag pattern in accordance with said pattern-defining information to weave a first belt portion having said substantially constant predetermined width and thereafter adjust said limiting means to weave said at least one additional, narrower belt portion for the same tire superposed thereon with substantially constant width.

Apparatus for weaving a woven endless tire reinforcing belt for a single pneumatic tire on an endless weaving surface in a zig-zag pattern, said belt including a first belt portion having a substantially constant predetermined width W.sub.1 and having a predetermined number of traverses GR.sub.1, and at least one additional belt portion for the same tire having a substantially constant predetermined width W.sub.n substantially different from said predetermined width W.sub.1 and having a predetermined number of transverses GR.sub.n, said apparatus comprising:

• (a) input means for receiving pattern defining information defining said zig-zag pattern, said pattern defining information including width information W.sub.1 . . . W.sub.n for defining the respective widths of said first belt portion and said additional belt portions;
• (b) means for storing said pattern defining information;
• (c) programmable computer means for reading said pattern defining information and controlling the successive weaving of said belt portions as defined by said pattern defining information, said computer means including at least one microprocessor chip;
• (d) at least one rotatable weaving drum having a substantially cylindrical weaving surface upon which said belt is woven;
• (e) at least one first servomotor means operatively connected to said weaving drum for continuously rotating said weaving drum about a cylindrical axis thereof, said first servomotor means including at least one associated first encoding means for supplying rotational feedback information to said computer means representative of the rotation of said weaving drum, said first servomotor means being responsive to said computer means;
• (f) first and second reciprocative reinforcement guide means for supplying cord reinforcement to the surface of said drum;
• (g) at least one second servomotor means for reciprocating said first and second guide means to effect the laying of said cord reinforcement on said weaving drum surface in said zig-zag pattern, said second servomotor means being responsive to said computer means to reciprocate said first and second guide means to lay down belt portions having the number of traverses GR.sub.1 . . . GR.sub.n, said second servomotor means also including at least one associated second encoding means for supplying reciprocation feedback information representative of the rate of reciprocation of said first and second guide means to said computer means;
• (h) means for comparing said reciprocation feedback information with said pattern defining information;
• (i) at least one stepper motor means for controlling the amplitude of reciprocation of said first and second guide means to a substantially constant amplitude for each belt portion, said stepper motor means being responsive to at least one signal from said computer means to hold said amplitude substantially constant over each belt portion forming period, said belt comprising at least one belt portion having a width corresponding to the amplitude of reciprocation of said guide means, and said stepper motor means being responsive to said computer means, whereby said computer means can control the width of said belt portion;
• and
• (j) a phase lock loop controller responsive to said computer means, said microprocessor chip responsive to said first and second encoding means, and said comparing means for controlling said first and second servomotor means and said stepper motor means to synchronize the reciprocation of said first and second guide means with the rotation of said weaving drum in accordance with a timed relationship to effect the laying of said cord reinforcement on said surface in said zig-zag pattern in accordance with said pattern defining information to weave a first belt portion of width W.sub.1 and traverses GR.sub.1 and to thereafter weave at least one belt portion of width W.sub.n and traverses GR.sub.n for said tire.