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US 5,120,209 AGranted
Apparatus for molding tire treads
OwnerKenneth T. MacMillaninventor
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OwnerKenneth T. MacMillaninventor
Estimating the term…
An apparatus for molding articles, particularly tires, of different diameters/circumferences including a plurality of pitches defining a mold cavity, the pitches having transverse faces in generally face-to-face abutment in a closed position of the mold cavity, and at least several of the pitches being of different lengthwise sizes. The pitches in the closed position of the mold cavity defining a predetermined mold configuration which includes portions at angles to the length of the article molded in the mold cavity. The mold configuration matches lengthwise across all of the transverse faces irrespective of the location of the pitches relative to each other and irrespective of the number of the pitches. The latter arrangement permits articles, such as new or retread tires, of different lengths but of the generally same predetermined mold configuration to be molded in a single mold.
Apparatus for molding tire treads of different lengths comprising a plurality of segments, each segment being formed of a plurality of interchangeable pitches, said plurality of pitches defining a mold having a mold cavity, said pitches each having opposite transverse faces, a traverse face of each adjacent pair of pitches being in generally face-to-face abutment with each other in a closed position of said mold, at least several of said pitches being of different lengthwise sizes, said pitches in the closed position of said mold defining a predetermined mold configuration which includes portions at angles to the length of the tire treads molded in said mold cavity, and said mold configuration being defined by tread configuration means for matching at all abutting transverse faces of said pitches irrespective of the location of said pitches relative to each other and irrespective of the number of said pitches whereby said mold configuration matches itself lengthwise across all of said transverse faces and tire treads of different lengths but the generally same predetermined tread configuration can be molded in the same mold.
Apparatus for molding tire treads of different lengths comprising a plurality of segments, each segment being formed of a plurality of interchangeable pitches, said plurality of pitches defining a mold having a mold cavity, said pitches each having opposite transverse faces, a traverse face of each adjacent pair of pitches being in generally face-to-face abutment with each other in a closed position of said mold, all of said pitches being of the same lengthwise size, said pitches in the closed position of said mold defining a predetermined mold configuration which includes portions at angles to the length of the tire treads molded in said mold cavity, and said mold configuration being defined by tread configuration means for matching at all abutting transverse faces of said pitches irrespective of the location of said pitches relative to each other and irrespective of the number of said pitches whereby said mold configuration matches itself lengthwise across all of said transverse faces and tire treads of different lengths but the generally same predetermined tread configuration can be molded in the same mold.
Apparatus for molding tire treads of different diameters comprising a plurality of segments, each segment being formed of a plurality of interchangeable pitches, said plurality of pitches defining a mold having a generally annular mold cavity, said pitches each having opposite generally radial faces, a radial face of each adjacent pair of pitches being in generally face-to-face abutment in a closed position of said mold, at least several of said pitches being of different circumferential sizes, said pitches in the closed position of said mold defining a predetermined mold configuration which includes portions at angles to the length of the tire treads molded in said mold cavity, and said mold configuration being defined by tread configuration means for matching at all abutting radial faces of said pitches irrespective of the location of said pitches relative to each other and the number of said pitches whereby said mold configuration matches itself lengthwise across all of said radial faces and tire treads of different diameters but the generally same predetermined tread configuration can be molded in the same mold.
Apparatus for molding tire treads of different diameters comprising a plurality of mold sections, means for effecting relative movement of at least two of said mold sections between open and closed positions of said mold, a plurality of matrix segments carried by each mold section, means mounting at least one of said matrix segments for radial and circumferential movement, a plurality of interchangeable pitches carried by each matrix segment, at least several of said pitches being of different circumferential sizes, said plurality of pitches in the closed position defining a mold having a generally annular mold cavity of a predetermined mold configuration which includes portions at angles to the length of the tire treads moldeds in said mold cavity, said pitches each having opposite generally radial faces, a radial face of each adjacent pair of pitches being in generally face-to-face abutting relationship with each other in the closed position of said mold, and said mold configuration being defined by tread configuration means for matching at all abutting radial faces of said pitches irrespective of the location of said pitches relative to each other and irrespective of the number of said pitches per matrix segment whereby said mold configuration matches itself lengthwise across all of said radial faces and tire treads of different diameters but the generally same tread configuration can be molded in the same mold.
Apparatus for molding tire treads of different lengths comprising a plurality of segments, each segment being formed of a plurality of interchangeable pitches, said plurality of pitches defining a mold having a mold cavity, said pitches each having opposite transverse faces, a traverse face of each adjacent pair of pitches being in generally face-to-face abutment with each other in a closed position of said mold, at least several of said pitches being of different lengthwise sizes, said pitches in the closed position of said mold defining a predetermined mold configuration which includes portions at angles to the length of the tire treads molded in said mold cavity, and said mold configuration being defined by tread configuration means for matching at all abutting transverse faces of said pitches including across said mold configuration angled portions irrespective of the location of said pitches relative to each other and irrespective of the number of said pitches whereby said mold configuration mathces itself lengthwise across all of said transverse faces and tire treads of different lengths but the generally same predetermined tread configuration can be molded in the same mold.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.