Insert for use with a tire bead forming apparatus

In a tire bead forming apparatus, the combination comprising:

• a) a rotatably mounted bead former including at least one forming cavity having a bottom for receiving a plurality of convolutions of a length of wire as the bead former is rotated about an axis during a bead forming operation to provide a tire bead ring having an inside surface and an outside surface;
• b) gripping means structurally associated with said at least one cavity for gripping the inner termination end of the wire during the bead forming operation;
• and
• c) an insert including a generally ramp-shaped member located in the cavity and having a leading edge and a trailing edge, said ramp-shaped member including a surface inclined upwardly from said leading edge to said trailing edge and with a sidewall portion adjacent to one side of said inclined surface and extending upwardly therefrom, said member being mounted in the bottom of said forming cavity, whereby the turns of the first convolution are wound on said member and said sidewall, with said sidewall portion providing a void in the inside surface of the wound tire bead for receiving the gripped inner termination end portion of the wire after the wound bead has been removed from the bead former to provide a tire bead ring having a substantially uniform inside surface.

Tire bead forming apparatus comprising:

• a) a bead former having at least one forming cavity for receiving a plurality of convolutions of a length of tire bead forming wire as the bead former is rotated about an axis during a bead forming operation to provide a tire bead ring having an inside surface and an outside surface:
• b) gripping means for gripping the inner termination end of the wire during the bead forming operation:
• and
• c) an insert comprising a generally ramp-shaped member positioned in said at least one forming cavity and having leading and trailing edges with respect to the direction of rotation of the bead former, said ramp-shaped member including a surface inclined upwardly from said leading edge to said trailing edge and with a sidewall portion adjacent to one side of said inclined surface and extending upwardly therefrom, said member being mounted in said at least one forming cavity such that, upon rotation of the bead former, the turns of the first convolutions of wire are wound on said member and said sidewall portion with said sidewall portion providing an opening in the inside surface of the wound bead for receiving the gripped inner termination end portion of the wire after the wound bead has been removed from the bead former to provide a tire bead having a substantially uniform inside surface.