Nrm Corporation

Dallas B Rupp

Virgil Y Blosser

A P Singh

Paul M Sheerer

G E Isaksson

A tire press and loader includes a tire chuck supporting, horizontal elevator frame which is vertically movable and maintained horizontal under normal operating conditions by drives connected to respective opposite ends of the frame. The loader also includes a safety device operative to cause canting of the frame from such horizontal position upon failure of one of the drives and a control responsive to such canting to render the loader drives inoperative and further to interrupt automatic operation of the press until the fault causing such failure is corrected. The safety device includes holding devices at opposite ends of the horizontal frame which yield to downward driving movement of such ends by respective drives. The holding devices are characterized by flexible elements trained over sprockets connected by slip clutches to a common safety shaft which may rotate in only one direction corresponding to upward movement of the horizontal frame by reason of a one-way clutch or the like. The flexible elements are connected to counterweights or wind-up devices which maintain the flexible elements taut and in engagement with the sprockets. The safety device minimizes damage to the machinery in the event of a drive component failure.

Tire press and loader

A tire press, loader and method wherein a green tire is positioned by the loader between vertically separated mold sections and then engaged and held at the top bead thereof in registered contact with an upper bead ring of the press mold by a green tire bead elevator in the press head. While such registered contact is maintained, the upper bead ring and bead elevator raise and hold the green tire to the upper mold section as the loader axially clears the green tire and withdraws from the press. After such transfer of the green tire to the press head, the press partially closes to bring the bottom bead of the green tire against the lower bead ring of the press mold for subsequent shaping of the green tire and final closure of the press. The bead elevator includes a radially expandable chuck mounted for vertical movement in the press head which operates, when expanded, to engage and move the top bead of the green tire into registered or fully seated contact with the upper bead ring. The loader employed to introduce the green tire into the press includes a relatively narrow fluid expandable ring grip for substantially continuously gripping the outside of the tread leaving both bead areas free for centering, register and seating during the loading, seating and shaping process. The loader also has the facility for elevating the green tire into contact with the upper bead ring once in axial alignment with the mold sections and for removing a cured tire from the lower bead ring after transfer of the green tire to the press head.

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Lisbon, OH, United States of America

Dallas B Rupp