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US 5,449,483 AGranted
Method and apparatus for making a tire mold
AssigneeThe Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
InventorsAlan Greenwood, Paul T. Hardy, Veronique Moris-Herbeuval, Werner Hillman, Norbert Majerus, Douglas E. Pryor, Timothy M. Rooney, Ronda R. Bayer-Thayer, David L. Wolfe
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Making a tire mold by spraying molten atomized metal on a model to form a metal shell and then reinforcing the shell with a resin backing to form a mold segment for the tire mold. Modular shoe container assemblies have replaceable backing members for making different size molds and flat plate spacers for providing different thicknesses of the mold segment. In one embodiment a slide block is used for one side of the cavity whereby a sole plate is eliminated.
Claims18
Apparatus for making a mold segment for a tire mold having a mold segment comprising:
- (a) means for forming a model of said mold segment;
- (b) means for spraying a plurality of layers of molten atomized metal over said model while permitting each of said layers to cool to a temperature above room temperature after being sprayed and before a next layer is sprayed to produce a shell member;
- (c) a shoe container for mounting said model and shell member providing a chamber between said shoe container and said shell member including a backing member spaced from said shell member and having side plates for engaging said model at the edges of said shell member, clamping means for holding said side plates in sealing engagement with said model;
- (d) means for filling said chamber with a curable, heated fluid backing material to form said mold segment with said shell member attached including an opening in one of said side plates positioned at an upper side of said shoe container and the other one of said side plates being positioned at a lower side of said shoe container;
- (e) means for heating and curing said fluid backing material to adhere said fluid backing material to said shell member and form said mold segment;
- (f) means for removing said mold segment and model from said shoe container;
- and
- (g) means for removing said mold segment with said shell member from said model.
5 more elements
Apparatus for making a mold segment for a tire mold having a mold segment comprising:
- (a) means for forming a model of said mold segment;
- (b) means for spraying a plurality of layers of molten atomized metal over said model while permitting each of said layers to cool to a temperature above room temperature after being sprayed and before a next layer is sprayed to produce a shell member;
- (c) a shoe container for mounting said model and shell member providing a chamber between said shoe container and said shell member;
- (d) means for filling said chamber with a curable, heated fluid backing material to form said mold segment with said shell member attached;
- (e) means for heating and curing said fluid backing material to adhere said fluid backing material to said shell member and form said mold segment;
- (f) means for removing said mold segment and model from said shoe container;
- and
- (g) means for removing said mold segment with said shell member from said model and wherein said shoe container includes a base plate, a cover plate, an end plate and a pair of side arms pivotally mounted for adjustment to a desired angle between said arms to engage end portions of said model and define said chamber with said shell member, said cover plate, said end plate, said base plate and said side arms.
5 more elements
Apparatus for making a mold segment for a tire mold having a mold segment comprising:
- (a) means for forming a model of said mold segment;
- (b) means for spraying a plurality of layers of molten atomized metal over said model while permitting each of said layers to cool to a temperature above room temperature after being sprayed and before a next layer is sprayed to produce a shell member;
- (c) a shoe container for mounting said model and shell member providing a chamber between said shoe container and said shell member;
- (d) means for filling said chamber with a curable, heated fluid backing material to form said mold segment with said shell member attached;
- (e) means for heating and curing said fluid backing material to adhere said fluid backing material to said shell member and form said mold segment;
- (f) means for removing said mold segment and model from said shoe container;
- and
- (g) means for removing said mold segment with said shell member from said model;
- and wherein said shoe container comprises a backing plate member spaced from said shell member and having side plates for fastening to said backing plate member, a spacer plate positioned at an inner surface of said backing plate member to adjust the gap between said shell member and said spacer plate for providing a desired thickness of said mold segment.
6 more elements
Apparatus for making a mold segment for a tire mold having a mold segment comprising:
- (a) means for forming a model of said mold segment;
- (b) means for spraying a plurality of layers of molten atomized metal over said model while permitting each of said layers to cool to a temperature above room temperature after being sprayed and before a next layer is sprayed to produce a shell member;
- (c) a shoe container for mounting said model and shell member including a slide block, side plates and end plates providing a chamber between said shoe container and said shell member;
- (d) means for filling said chamber with a curable, heated fluid backing material to form said mold segment with said shell member attached;
- (e) means for heating and curing said fluid backing material to adhere said fluid backing material to said shell member and form said mold segment;
- (f) means for removing said mold segment and model from said shoe container;
- and
- (g) means for removing said mold segment with said shell member from said model.
5 more elements
A method of making a mold segment for a tire mold comprising:
- (a) forming a model of a tire tread for said mold segment;
- (b) spraying a plurality of layers of molten atomized metal over said model while permitting each of said layers to cool to a temperature above room temperature after being sprayed and before the next layer is sprayed to produce a shell member;
- (c) mounting said model and shell member to a shoe container providing a chamber between said shell member and said shoe container;
- (d) filling said chamber with a curable, heated fluid backing material to form one end of said mold segment and a backing for said shell member;
- (e) heating and curing said fluid backing material to adhere said material to said shell member and form said mold segment;
- (f) removing said mold segment from said shoe container;
- (g) removing said model from said shell member and wherein said shoe container is positioned to form said mold segment with said one end below an upper end and an opening in said shoe container adjacent said upper end has a flanged dam around said opening comprising filling said container with a mixture of epoxy, epoxy catalyst and metal granules, then filling said flanged dam with said mixture, excluding said metal granules to form a riser in an upper face of said segment and then machining said upper face to remove said riser from said segment.
4 more elements
A method of making a mold segment for a tire mold comprising:
- (a) forming a model of a tire tread for' said mold segment;
- (b) spraying a plurality of layers of molten atomized metal over said model while permitting each of said layers to cool to a temperature above room temperature after being sprayed and before the next layer is sprayed to produce a shell member;
- (c) mounting said model and shell member in a shoe container providing a chamber between said shell member and said shoe container;
- (d) filling said chamber with a curable, heated fluid backing material to form one end of said mold segment and a backing for said shell member while stirring said mixture by piercing with a wire during injection of said mixture;
- (e) heating and curing said fluid backing material to adhere said material to said shell member and form said mold segment;
- (f) removing said mold segment from said shoe container;
- and
- (g) removing said model from said shell member.
5 more elements
A method of making a mold segment for a tire mold comprising:
- (a) forming a model of a tire tread for said mold segment;
- (b) spraying a plurality of layers of molten atomized metal over said model while permitting each of said layers to cool to a temperature above room temperature after being sprayed and before the next layer is sprayed to produce a shell member;
- (c) mounting said model and shell member in a shoe container providing a chamber between said shell member and said shoe container;
- (d) filling said chamber with a curable, heated fluid backing material to form one end of said mold segment and a backing for said shell member;
- (e) heating and curing said fluid backing material to adhere said material to said shell member and form said mold segment;
- (f) removing said mold segment from said shoe container;
- (g) removing said model from said shell member;
- and
- (h) including machining circumferentially extending grooves in the back of said mold segment and drilling vents through said mold segment in communication with said grooves whereby gases formed during vulcanization may be vented through said vents to said grooves and then through said grooves to the interstices between adjacent tread segments.
6 more elements
A method of making a mold segment for a tire mold comprising:
- (a) forming a model of a tire tread for said mold segment;
- (b) spraying a plurality of layers of molten atomized metal over said model while permitting each of said layers to cool to a temperature above room temperature after being sprayed and before the next layer is sprayed to produce a shell member;
- (c) mounting said model and shell member on a base plate between a pair of side arms engagable with end portions of said model;
- (d) mounting an end plate on said base plate in clamping engagement with said side arms;
- (e) fastening a cover plate over said side arms and end plate providing a chamber between said shell member and said shoe container;
- (f) filling said chamber with a curable, heated fluid backing material to form one end of said mold segment and a backing for said shell member;
- (g) heating and curing said fluid backing material to adhere said material to said shell member and form said mold segment;
- (h) removing said mold segment from said shoe container;
- and
- (i) removing said model from said shell member.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.