Method and apparatus for tire carcass positioning on a drum

A shaping drum for use in the manufacture of a vehicle tire from a green flexible hollow cylindrical tire carcass, the drum including a rotational axis, and centerplane and first and second sections thereof disposed on opposite sides of the centerplane of the drum and being moveable laterally along the rotational axis of the drum in a direction toward or away from one another, comprising

• a first plurality of positioning shoes disposed on one side of the centerplane of the drum and a second plurality of positioning shoes disposed on the opposite side of the centerline of the drum, said shoes of each of said first and second plurality of shoes being pivotally mounted to a respective one of said first and second sections of the drum and about an pivot axis which is aligned substantially parallel to the rotational axis of the drum and at respective locations substantially equally spaced generally about the overall outer circumference of the drum,
• each of said shoes of a given one of said first and second plurality of shoes including a curved distal edge disposed laterally outwardly from the centerline of the drum, said curved distal edges of said shoes of a respective one of said first and second plurality of shoes collectively partially defining a generally circumferential locus of engagement of said distal edges of said shoes with one end of a carcass mounted in encircling relationship with respect to the drum and overlying said shoes of each of said first and second plurality of shoes,
• means for substantially simultaneously adjusting the lateral distance of each of said first and second pluralities of shoes relative to the centerplane of the drum to thereby urge the distal edges of respective ones of said shoes into engagement with a respective end of the carcass and exert a vectorial force laterally of the carcass on the drum to thereby center the carcass relative to the centerplane of the drum.

Apparatus for positioning a generally hollow cylindrical carcass on a drum having a centerplane and a central shaft defining a rotational axis of the drum, comprising:

• first and second pluralities of positioning wheels, the wheels of said first plurality of wheels being disposed on one side of the centerplane of the drum, and said second plurality of wheels being disposed on an opposite side of the centerplane of the drum,
• each of said wheels of each of said plurality of wheels being mounted for rotation thereof about an axis aligned substantially parallel to the rotational axis of the drum, and including a plurality of rollers mounted in spaced apart relationship about the outer circumference of each of said wheels, said rollers being mounted for rotation about an axis oriented substantially perpendicular to said axis of rotation of their respective wheel,
• each of said wheels being mounted for substantially simultaneous radial positioning between first and second positions relative to the central shaft of the drum, whereby when in said first radial position, at least a portion of the outer circumference of each of said rollers of said wheels are disposed radially beyond the overall outer circumference of the drum and in position to engage the inner circumference of a carcass mounted on the drum in encircling relationship to said first and second plurality of wheels, and, when in said second position, said rollers are disposed radially inwardly of the overall outer circumference of the drum and out of engagement with the inner circumference of a carcass mounted on the drum.

A method of positioning a vehicle tire carcass on a drum having a centerplane, a central shaft defining a rotational axis of the drum and first and second sections disposed on opposite sides of the centerline of the drum comprising the steps of

• providing a first plurality of laterally positionable shoes on one side of the centerplane of the drum and a second plurality of laterally positionable shoes on the opposite side of the centerplane of the drum, each of said shoes of said first and second pluralities of shoes including a distal edge, said distal edges of each plurality of shoes collectively defining a generally circumferential locus of engagement of said edges with a respective end of a carcass disposed on the drum and encircling said first and second pluralities of shoes, said circumferential locus of engagement of said edges of said first plurality of shoes and said circumferential locus of engagement of said edges of said second plurality of shoes being disposed substantially equidistant from the centerline of the drum,
• providing a first plurality of positioning wheels on one side of the centerplane of the drum between said first plurality of shoes and the centerplane of the drum,
• providing a second plurality of positioning wheels on the opposite side of the centerplane of the drum,
• mounting each of said wheels of each of said plurality of wheels for rotation thereof about an axis aligned substantially parallel to the rotational axis of the drum,
• mounting a plurality of rollers in spaced apart relationship about the outer circumference of each of said wheels for rotation about an axis oriented substantially perpendicular to said axis of rotation of their respective wheel,
• further mounting each of said plurality of wheels for substantially simultaneous radial positioning between first and second positions relative to the rotational axis of the drum, whereby when in said first radial position, at least a portion of the outer circumference of each of said rollers of said wheels are disposed radially beyond the overall outer circumference of the drum in position to engage and support a carcass for free and independent movement laterally of the drum and rotatable about the rotational axis of the drum,
• disposing a carcass on the drum in encircling relationship to said first and second pluralities of shoes and said first and second pluralities of wheels with said circumferential locus of engagement of each of said pluralities of shoes in engagement with respective ends of the carcass and with said first and second pluralities of wheels
• adjusting the radial position of said first and second pluralities of shoes with respect to the rotational axis of the drum to thereby apply to each end of the carcass a vectorial force tending to equalize the distance of each locus of engagement from the centerplane of the drum.