Transfer ring which resists backdriving forces during a tire construction process

In a transfer ring for transporting a belt and tread package in position about a tire carcass and for holding the belt and tread package in position as the tire carcass is inflated within the interior of the belt and tread package during a tire construction process wherein the transfer ring includes a plurality of shoes which collectively define a spacing for accepting a belt and tread package positioned therein and which are movable radially inwardly and outwardly with respect to the spacing for purposes of grasping and releasing the outer circumference of a belt and tread package positioned within the spacing, the improvement comprising:

• means for moving the shoes radially inwardly of the spacing to a radial position about a belt and tread package positioned within the spacing at which radial position the shoes engage the outer circumference of the belt and tread package and apply thereto a radially inwardly-directed biasing force about the belt and tread package and wherein said means for moving maintains a substantially uniform inwardly-directed pressure about the belt and tread package through the shoes in the event that the belt and tread package contracts in diameter subsequent to the movement of the shoes radially inwardly to the radial position about the belt and tread package;
• and
• means for preventing the shoes from moving radially outwardly of the radial position when a tire carcass is inflated within the interior of the belt and tread package grasped by the shoes to thereby limit the diameter of the belt and tread package to that possessed thereby when the shoes are moved radially inwardly to said radial position about the belt and tread package wherein the means for preventing includes means defining a braking surface and a body associated with the means for moving which is movable relative to the braking surface between a scotched condition at which the body is in engagement with the braking surface for preventing the movement of the shoes radially outwardly of the radial position yet permitting the movement of the shoes radially inwardly of the radial position and a condition of release at which the body is out of engagement with the braking surface so that the shoes are permitted to move radially inwardly or outwardly and
• the movement of the body between the scotched condition and the condition of release is coordinated with the radial movement of the shoes so that when the shoes are in the radial position, the body is in the scotched condition and when the shoes are disposed inwardly of the radial position, the body is in the condition of release and
• wherein each of the body and the braking surface defines a series of teeth which are movable into and out of meshed relationship with the series of teeth of the other of the braking surface and the body as the body is moved into and out of its scotched condition.

A transfer ring for use during a tire manufacturing process involving the support of a belt and tread package in position about a tire carcass for purposes of inflating the tire carcass against the interior of the belt and tread package, the transfer ring comprises:

• a plurality of shoes which are movable radially inwardly and outwardly for grasping or releasing the outer circumference of a belt and tread package;
• a pair of spaced and parallel housing rings which are maintained in a fixed positional relationship with one another;
• an actuator ring disposed between the housing rings and permitted to rotate with respect thereto between alternative rotational positions;
• a linkage system which joins the plurality of shoes to the housing rings and the actuator ring so that rotation of the actuator ring in one rotational direction relative to the housing rings moves the shoes radially inwardly and rotation of the actuator ring in the opposite rotational direction relative to the housing rings moves the shoes radially outwardly;
• a cylinder assembly for rotating the actuator ring in the one and the other rotational directions relative to the housing rings wherein the cylinder assembly includes a housing and a ram which is movable relative to and along the length of the housing, and the housing and the ram are adapted to act between the housing rings and the actuator ring so that by moving the ram in one direction along the length of the housing, the actuator ring is rotated in a forward direction relative to the housing rings for movement of the shoes radially inwardly and by moving the ram in the other direction along the length of the housing, the actuator ring is rotated rearwardly relative to the housing rings for movement of the shoes radially outwardly;
• means for anchoring the position of the ram relative to the housing after the actuator ring has been rotated in the one rotational direction relative to the housing rings to a condition at which the shoes are disposed in a radial position about the belt and tread package;
• means for preventing the shoes from moving radially outwardly of the radial position when a tire carcass is subsequently inflated within the interior of a belt and tread package grasped by the shoes wherein the means for preventing includes:
• a) means defining a braking surface which is disposed in a stationary relationship relative to the housing rings and
• b) a body associated with the cylinder assembly which is movable relative to the braking surface between a scotched condition at which the body is in engagement with the braking surface for preventing the rotational movement of the actuator ring rearwardly of the housing rings yet permitting the rotational movement of the actuator ring forwardly relative to the housing rings and a condition of release at which the body is out of engagement with the braking surface so that the actuator ring is permitted to rotate forwardly or rearwardly relative to the housing rings and
• the movement of the body between the scotched condition and the condition of release is coordinated with the radial inwardly and outwardly movement of the shoes so that when the shoes are in the radial position, the body is in the scotched condition and when the shoes are disposed inwardly of the radial position, the body is in the condition of release;
• and
• wherein each of the body and the braking surface defines a series of teeth which are movable into and out of meshed relationship with the series of teeth of the other of the braking surface and the body as the body is moved into and out of its scotched condition.

In a transfer ring having a plurality of shoes collectively defining a spacing within which a belt and tread package is positionable and which are capable of grasping the outer surface of a belt and tread package positioned within the spacing during a tire-making process, the improvement comprising:

• a pair of spaced and parallel outer housing rings which are maintained in a fixed positional relationship with one another;
• an actuator ring disposed between the outer housing rings and permitted to rotate relative thereto between alternative angular positions;
• a linkage system which joins the plurality of shoes to the housing rings and the actuator ring so that rotation of the actuator ring in one rotational direction relative to the housing rings moves the shoes radially inwardly of the spacing defined thereby and rotation of the actuator ring in the opposite rotational direction relative to the housing rings moves the shoes radially outwardly of the spacing defined thereby;
• a brake rack arrangement secured to the housing rings and defining an elongated braking surface which extends along the housing rings;
• a cylinder assembly for rotating the actuator ring in the one and the other rotational directions relative to the housing rings wherein the cylinder assembly includes a housing and a ram which is movable relative to and along the length of the housing, and the cylinder housing and the ram are adapted to act between the housing rings and the actuator ring so that by moving the ram in one direction along the length of the housing, the actuator ring is rotated in a forward direction relative to the housing rings for movement of the shoes radially inwardly and by moving the ram in the other direction along the length of the housing, the actuator ring is rotated rearwardly relative to the housing rings for movement of the shoes radially outwardly;
• means for anchoring the position of the ram relative to the housing after the actuator ring has been rotated in the one rotational direction relative to the housing rings to a condition at which the shoes are disposed in a radial position about the belt and tread package;
• a body which is connected to the cylinder assembly for pivotal movement relative thereto about a first pivot axis and which is connected to the actuator ring for pivotal movement relative thereto about a second pivot axis wherein the body is movable relative to the braking surface of the brake rack arrangement between a scotched condition at which the body is in engagement with the braking surface for preventing the movement of the shoes radially outwardly of the radial position yet permitting the movement of the shoes radially inwardly of the radial position to accommodate the movement of the shoes radially inwardly in the event of a contraction of the belt and tread package and a condition of release at which the body is out of engagement with the braking surface so that the shoes are permitted to move radially inwardly or outwardly and
• the movement of the body between the scotched condition and the condition of release is coordinated with the movement of the shoes so that when the shoes are in the radial position, the body is in the scotched condition to thereby prevent the shoes from moving radially outwardly of the radial position when a tire carcass is inflated within the interior of the belt and tread package and when the shoes are disposed inwardly of the radial position, the body is in the condition of release;
• and
• means for biasing the body away from the braking surface so that upon anchoring the position of the ram relative to the housing when the shoes are moved inwardly to the radial position, the shoes continue to be urged radially inwardly against the belt and tread package by the biasing means and so that when the body is in the condition of release, the shoes are permitted to be moved radially inwardly in conjunction with the contraction of the belt and tread package while the shoes maintain a substantially uniform grasping force about the belt and tread package under the force of the biasing means.