The Goodyear & Tire Rubber Company

Brett Alan Kasper

Jean-Claude Lucien Girard

Michael James Hogan

Todd Andrew Bachochin

Gregory Lee Loney

James Stephen Horvath

David Alton Balderson

A tire mold having improved heat transfer is disclosed. A plurality of wear plates are installed onto a conical inner surface of an actuating ring. The wear plates are designed to improve thermal transfer between the actuating ring and a segmented treadmolding ring, reducing tire cure time and temperature variation within the mold.

Tire mold having improved heat transfer characteristics

Apparatus and method for molding a tire () with a radially expandable bead molding ring (). When expanded, the bead molding ring has a circumferentially continuous radially outward-facing surface () for molding the bead. The bead molding ring comprises a plurality of segments (), half of the segments being first segments () that are complementary to, and circumferentially alternated with second segments (). The first segments are wedge shaped, having circumferentially lateral faces () that converge towards the radially outward-facing bead molding surface of the bead molding ring, the first segment lateral faces being planar and oriented in the axial direction; and the second segments have lateral faces () that are complementary to the first segment lateral faces, such that radially outward movement of the first segments () causes radially outward movement of the second segments (). Guide rods () restrict first and second segments to radial movement () only. The elements of the bead molding ring are preferably combined in a single assembly () with the sidewall mold to form a unit that is easily maintained and changed to adapt to different profiles to be molded on beads of different tire constructions. Expansion of the bead molding ring can be driven by a simple wedging action caused by a single frustraconical cam

Radially expandable bead molding ring for a tire mold

Apparatus and method for molding a tire ( ) with an expandable bead molding ring assembly ( ) having a two-stage movement from a retracted and disengaged state, to a radially expanded state, to an expanded and engaged state for molding a tire bead ( ). The two-stage movement is accomplished using a simple assembly of easily manufactured parts, and is driven by a simple continuous downward (axially outward) movement ( ) of a hub ( ) of a mold press ( ). A combination of annular elements with springs converts the hub movement to the desired two-stage movement of segments ( ) of a segmented bead molding ring ( ). Frustraconical cam surfaces ( ) are used to divide axially directed forces ( ) from the mold press movement ( ) into radial force components ( ) and axial force components ( ) for causing corresponding radial movements ( ) and axial movements ( ) during the two stage movement. Spring resistances are balanced, and stopping surfaces are provided in order to control and properly sequence the two-stage movement. The elements of the expandable bead molding ring assembly are preferably assembled with a sidewall mold to form a single unit ( ) that is easily maintained and easily switched in and out of the mold press for mold changeover to adapt to different profiles to be molded on beads of different tire constructions.

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Stow, OH, United States of America

Brett Alan Kasper