Tire buffing apparatus

A tire buffing apparatus for buffing a tire casing, the tire buffing apparatus comprising:

• a rasp pedestal, the rasp pedestal including a rasp head and a texturing device;
• a moving assembly connected to the rasp pedestal for selectively moving the rasp pedestal along a pair of perpendicular axes;
• a tire hub assembly for supporting and rotating the tire casing;
• wherein the moving assembly is operable to move the rasp pedestal into engagement with a tire casing mounted to the tire hub assembly such that the rasp head can contact the tire casing to buff the tire casing to impart a predetermined tire casing profile and such that the texturing device can contact the tire casing to impart a predetermined texture to at least a portion of the tire casing.

A tire buffing apparatus for buffing a tire casing, the tire buffing apparatus comprising:

• a tire hub assembly for supporting and rotating the tire casing;
• a rasp pedestal, the rasp pedestal including a rasp shaft, a rasp head mounted thereto, and a tire measurement mechanism arranged with the rasp head to detect movement thereof, the rasp pedestal movable with respect to the tire hub assembly;
• and
• a control unit, the control unit configured to monitor the location of the rasp pedestal with respect to the tire hub assembly, and the tire measurement mechanism arranged with the control unit to signal the control unit upon sensing movement of the rasp head in response to the rasp head engaging the tire casing rotating on the tire hub assembly, whereby the control unit can determine the size of the tire casing mounted to the tire hub assembly.

A tire buffing apparatus for buffing a tire casing, the tire buffing apparatus comprising:

• a tire hub assembly for supporting and rotating the tire casing;
• a rasp pedestal, the rasp pedestal including a rotatable texturing device, the rasp pedestal movable with respect to the tire hub assembly;
• and
• a control unit, the control unit configured to monitor the location of the rasp pedestal with respect to the tire hub assembly, and the control unit operable to move the rasp pedestal with respect to the tire hub assembly such that the texturing device can contact the tire casing to impart a predetermined texture to at least a portion of the tire casing mounted to the tire hub assembly.

A tire buffing apparatus for buffing a tire casing, the tire buffing apparatus comprising:

• a tire hub assembly for supporting and rotating the tire casing;
• a rasp pedestal, the rasp pedestal including a rotatable rasp head, the rasp pedestal movable with respect to the tire hub assembly;
• and
• a control unit, the control unit configured to monitor the location of the rasp pedestal with respect to the tire hub assembly, and the control unit operable to monitor an operating parameter of one of the rasp pedestal and the tire hub assembly while buffing the tire casing mounted to the tire hub assembly, compare the actual value of the operating parameter to a predetermined target value of the parameter, and adjust an operating characteristic of at least one of the rasp pedestal and the tire hub assembly such that the actual value of the operating parameter is urged toward the target value of the operating parameter.

A method for buffing a tire casing comprising:

• mounting the tire casing to a tire hub assembly for rotating the tire casing;
• rotating the tire casing;
• moving a rasp pedestal relative to the tire hub assembly toward the tire hub assembly, the rasp pedestal including a rasp head;
• monitoring the position of the rasp pedestal;
• detecting when the rasp head engages the tire casing by a measurement mechanism mounted to the rasp pedestal;
• and
• determining the size of the tire casing by comparing the location of the tire hub assembly to the location of the rasp pedestal when the rasp head engages the tire casing.

A method for buffing a tire casing comprising:

• mounting the tire casing to a tire hub assembly for rotating the tire casing;
• rotating the tire casing;
• moving a rasp pedestal relative to the tire hub assembly toward the tire hub assembly, the rasp pedestal including a rasp head;
• engaging the rasp head with the tire casing;
• moving the rasp head along a predetermined buffing path to define a predetermined tire casing profile, the buffing path including a plurality of passes wherein the rasp head is moved across the width of the tire casing;
• and
• monitoring an operating parameter of one of the rasp pedestal and the tire hub assembly while moving the rasp head along the buffing path;
• comparing an actual value of the operating parameter to a predetermined target value of the parameter;
• and
• adjusting an operating characteristic of at least one of the rasp pedestal and the tire hub assembly such that the actual value of the operating parameter is urged toward the target value of the operating parameter.