The Goodyear & Tire Rubber Company

Other

Daniel Ray Downing

James Alfred Benzing, Ii

William James Head

Dennis Alan Lundell

Robert Allen Losey

Michael Stefan Skurich

Joseph Carmine Lettieri

James Michael Hart

David Thomas Reese

Larry James Gehrett

Mark Alan Thompson

David Michael Dejacimo

Frederick Forbes Vannan, Jr

William Dudley Currie

Steven Amos Edwards

Arun Kumar Byatarayanapura Gopala

Steven Leonard Kitz

Harold Aloysius Wolbert

Albert James Yovichin

William Frank Dunn

Klaus Beer

Michael L Becker

Frank Anthony Kmiecik

Lori Ann Kefalos

Luc Minsart

Jean Alex Reichling

A structurally supported tire includes a ground contacting annular tread portion, an annular shear band and geodesic ply.

Beadless non-pneumatic tire with geodesic ply

A structurally supported tire includes a ground contacting annular tread portion, an annular hoop structure for supporting a load on the tire, a means for attachment to a vehicle rim, and a ply structure secured to a first axial limit and extending radially outward and between the hoop structure and the tread portion and further extending radially inward from between the hoop structure and tread portion to a second axial limit. The ply structure is secured to both the first axial limit and the second axial limit. The tread portion is secured to a radially outer surface of the ply structure. The hoop structure is secured to a radially inner surface of the ply structure.

Structurally supported tire

A method and apparatus is provided for cutting an elastomeric laminate that may include a layer of reinforcement cords, into a desired length without cutting through the cords. The method includes the step of cutting through the gum portion of the elastomeric composite material at a desired skive angle, and then opening up the skived cut. Next, the cord reinforcement layer is cut without severing the reinforcement cords. An elastomeric composite strip cut to the desired length is produced and has cut ends. One of the cut ends has the gum portion cut at a desired skive angle adjacent an overhang portion of the reinforcement layer. The opposite end of the elastomeric composite segment also has a skived portion to mate with the skived portion of the first cut end, and a gap in the cord ply to mate with the cord overhang of the first end, resulting in a splice. An improved anvil having independently controlled vacuum zones is also provided, as well as improved cutting mechanisms.

Apparatus for cutting elastomeric materials

A method and apparatus is provided for cutting an elastomeric laminate that may include a layer of reinforcement cords, into a desired length without cutting through the cords. The method includes the step of cutting through the gum portion of the elastomeric composite material at a desired skive angle, and then opening up the skived cut. Next, the cord reinforcement layer is cut without severing the reinforcement cords. An elastomeric composite strip cut to the desired length is produced and has cut ends. One of the cut ends has the gum portion cut at a desired skive angle adjacent an overhang portion of the reinforcement layer. The opposite end of the elastomeric composite segment also has a skived portion to mate with the skived portion of the first cut end, and a gap in the cord ply to mate with the cord overhang of the first end, resulting in a splice. An improved anvil having independently controlled vacuum zones and adjustable width vacuum zones is also provided, as well as improved cutting mechanisms.

Anvil with vacuum width adjustment

A method and apparatus for a calendering system is provided to allow for fine gauge adjustment of the product. The calender system has a first and second roller each having a first and second end mounted in opposed end supports. The end supports each have an inlet and an outlet in fluid communication with one or more internal passages, wherein a heat transfer medium may be circulated through the one or more internal passages. The heat transfer medium may either heat or cool the internal passages of the end supports, resulting in the respective increase or decrease in the gauge of the product.

Calender gap control

A method of producing a tire having an outside-in ply construction is provided. The method includes the steps of: providing a tire building drum; laying an inner liner on said drum, applying a first layer of ply on the right hand side of the drum so that a first end of the first ply layer is located over a first bead area while the second end of the first ply layer extends laterally outwards therefrom, applying a first bead over the first bead area and ply end; applying a second layer of ply on the left hand side of the drum so that one end of the second ply layer is located over a second bead area, while the second end extends laterally outwards therefrom; applying a second bead over the second toeguard and end of second ply layer; folding the second end of the first layer of ply over the first bead until the second end of the first layer of ply contacts the second bead; folding the second layer of ply over the second bead and apex so that the outer end of the second layer of ply is located over the first bead; and shaping the carcass into a toroid. A second method of building a tire carcass comprising the steps outlined above, with an additional third layer of ply being added that has lateral ends extending from said first bead to said second bead. The tire carcass may additionally comprise one or more pairs of sidewall inserts.

Method of manufacturing tire with turned down ply construction

A method of an apparatus for cutting segments () to desired lengths from a strip () of elastomeric tire components having at least one cord reinforced component involves the step of impacting one cord () as the cut is being made and lifting the cord () to avoid cutting cords () while directing the cutting path along the lifted cord(). The article resulting from the method has a plurality of cords () adjacent a flat cut splicing surface () suitable for lap splicing.

Method for cutting elastomeric materials

An apparatus for making a reinforced elastomeric fabric having a gauge thickness G and a cord spacing S, the apparatus comprising: a die having a plurality of holes for receiving a reinforcement cord, the holes providing a cord spacing of about S/2, a first and second calender roll located adjacent the die, the die having a end plate having a slot wherein the slot is located adjacent a calender roll so that the reinforcement cords are pressed into engagement with a ribbon of elastomeric material, the calender rolls being spaced to provide a gauge thickness of about G/2, the apparatus further comprising a cutter for cutting the ribbon of reinforced elastomeric material into segments having a length L, each segment having a width W, each segment having lateral edges, said apparatus further comprising a pick arm for placing a plurality of segments onto a conveyor so that the lateral ends of adjacent segments are lap spliced together, the lap splice having a width W/2.

Apparatus for making tire components, and a tire

A tire having an outside-in ply construction is provided which torques the tire bead into the rim of the wheel to which it is mounted. The tire has first and second axially-spaced bead cores, a carcass having at least one belt extending under a tread, and a first ply layer having first and second ends. A first end is located axially outside and adjacent a first bead core, and a second end folds from a position axially outside a second bead core to a position axially inside and around the second bead core. The carcass further comprises a second ply layer having first and second ends, a first end is located axially outside and adjacent the second bead core, and a second end that folds from a position axially outside a first bead core to a position axially inside and around the first bead core. The tire may also comprise a first and second axially-spaced bead core, a carcass having at least one belt extending under a tread, and a first ply layer having first and second ends, a first end is located axially outside and adjacent a first bead core, and a second end that is located axially outside and adjacent a second bead core. The carcass further comprises first and second shoulder ply layers each shoulder ply layer having first and second ends, a first end is located under the tread belt, the shoulder ply extending down the side wall region with the second end folding from a position axially outside a respective bead core to a position axially inside and around the bead core.

Tire with turned down ply construction

Method for cutting elastomeric materials and the article made by the method

Method for providing precured innerliners () having a predetermined cross sectional profile for use as part of a pneumatic tire assembly used in a bladder-less shaping and vulcanizing mold. The innerliner () is formed from a continuous strip of elastomeric material () hot formed using a calender assembly () with a profiled calender roller (). The formed strip is cured 'in-line' in a press () having a profile matching platen () before being wound onto a tire building drum (). After the pneumatic tire assembly is completed, the assembly is shaped and cured in a bladder-less mold, utilizing the precured innerliner as the impervious inner layer. Initially, the center region () of the innerliner is at least twice as thick as the lateral regions (). In the finished pneumatic tire, the innerliner exhibits a uniform thickness.

Hot forming system to produce pre-cured innerliners

A method and apparatus for rapid heating of calender rolls for a calendering apparatus is disclosed. At a heating area , the rolls are preheated, reheated, or maintained at any temperature prior to the rolls being placed into the calendering apparatus . The preferred method of heating is by induction heating. The rolls may be delivered to the heating apparatus from an initial storage area or the calendering apparatus . The rolls are transported by an overhead transfer mechanism . The disclosed method and apparatus greatly facilitate formation of multi-layered laminates and is particularly useful in the tire building art.

Heating of calender roll surfaces

A method of an apparatus for cutting segments ( ) to desired lengths from a strip ( ) of elastomeric tire components having at least one cord reinforced component involves the step of impacting one cord ( ) as the cut is being made and lifting the cord ( ) to avoid cutting cords ( ) while directing the cutting path along the lifted cord( ). The article resulting from the method has a plurality of cords ( ) adjacent a flat cut splicing surface ( ) suitable for lap splicing.

Growing community of inventors

Uniontown, OH, United States of America

Daniel Ray Downing