Davian Enterprises, LLC

Wyko Tire Technology Limited

Brian Painter

A tire building drum is disclosed having first and second sets of deck segments, disposed in an alternating configuration about a central shaft. Each of the segments is mounted to a pair of axially movable hub units via an associated scissor linkage. The scissor linkages of the first segments are slidably mounted to the hub units and biased toward a median plane of the tire building drum. When the hub units are separated, the second segments are disposed radially inwardly of and between the first segments. Movement of the hub units toward one another through a first range of motion expands the first deck segments to an expanded diameter of the drum, and movement of the hub units toward one another through a second range of motion expands the second deck segments to allow the second deck segments to be received between the first deck segments.

Tire building drum having sequenced segment expansion

This invention relates to a bead lock arrangement for use in tire building equipment, and to tire building equipment utilizing such a bead lock arrangement. A bead lock assembly is disclosed comprising first and second parallel, coaxial, axially spaced bead lock arrangements (), each bead lock arrangement including an annular, extensible, bead seating ring () encircling the radially movable segments () of the bead lock arrangement and having, at its radially outermost face, a circumferentially extending bead seating surface (), and an annular sealing ring () positioned coaxial with the respective bead seating ring () and disposed adjacent a side face of the respective bead seating ring () presented generally towards the bead seating ring () of the opposing bead lock arrangement. The use of a bead seating ring () and a separately formed sealing ring () has considerable advantages over the use of a conventional bead seating ring. The use of a separate, extensible bead seating ring () and a non-expanding sealing ring () allows the production of less complex items having extended service life.

Bead lock arrangement

The 'Anti-Flex Assembly' is an assembly for maintaining axial stability in a rotatable, expandable and collapsible drum used in tire manufacturing. A cylindrical rod with at least one helical groove is defined in the outer surface of the cylindrical rod and at least one hardened dowel is aligned so as to protrude into the helical groove of the cylindrical rod. A means to maintain the orientation and protrusion of the hardened dowel protruding into the helical groove(s), and a clamping lock is provided to lock the cylindrical rod in place once the desired width of the rotatable, expandable and collapsible drum has been set, thus providing axial stability of the rotatable, expandable and collapsible drum during tire carcass manufacturing.

Anti-flex assembly

A rotary radial expand collapse tire building drum comprises segments defining an outer circumference of said drum, said segments being divided into two sets, one set being located to each opposite side of a transverse central plane of the drum, said central plane being disposed normal to a rotational axis of the drum, said two sets being adapted to be driven by a rotatable hub assembly between a collapsed position in which a formed tire carcass may be removed from the drum and an expanded position in which a tire carcass may be formed on said drum wherein each set of segments are mounted for selective relative axial using positioning means, and adjustment means is located outside of the rotational axis of the drum, which is arranged to adjust an overall working width of said drum. The invention allows for an axial positioning mechanism of a REC building drum.

Growing community of inventors

Dudley, United Kingdom

Brian Painter