Method for tire tread application

Abstract

A method and apparatus of applying a tire tread to a tire carcass including the steps of conveying a tread on conveyor between two self-centering guides which are slidably mounted on a frame over the conveyor, the guides having parallel rows of rollers for engaging opposite edges of the treads; adhering one end of the tread to the tire carcass on a tire building drum; rotating the tire building drum to pull the tread over the tire carcass; and applying a predetermined uniform pressure against the opposite edges of the tire tread through the rollers to uniformly resist movement of the tread toward the tire building drum and thereby uniformly stretch the tread. The apparatus includes the use of a pneumatic piston cylinder which urges the rollers against the edges of the tread, applying uniform force perpendicular to the tread's axis regardless of the width or width variations of the tread.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.