The Goodyear & Tire Rubber Company

Donald Chester Kubinski

Christopher David Dyrlund

William James Head

Michael W Smith

Lawrence E Chlebina

Jeffrey Ford Bull

Frank Alan Edwards

Richard Nicholas Hrycyk

John Patrick Roman

Robert S Riggs

Mark Daniel Banas

Thomas Alan Murray

Bruce Thomas Choate

Warren Paul Ripple

Matthew Ray Cappelli

Wayne Antoine Douglas

Rodney Taylor Moffatt

Richard Joseph Piccin

Brandy Cyan Barker

An apparatus for forming a continuous preparation ply of the type used to make vehicle tires from preparation ply sections having nonmetallic cords. An infeed conveyor successively feeds the preparation ply sections to a butt splicing machine that joins the ends of the two preparation ply sections to form a butt joint. A gum strip applier receives the continuous preparation ply from an outfeed conveyor and applies a gum strip over the butt joint. A method is provided for forming a continuous preparation ply by first automatically forming a butt joint, and thereafter automatically placing a gum strip on the butt joint.

Tire preparation ply manufacturing apparatus and method

A chipper and apex subassemblyas an intermediate article of manufacture in a pneumatic tire has an apex stripformed as a continuous elastomeric strip of unvulcanized material having a bottom base portionand two opposing sidesextending towards the narrow outer tipand a chipper ply stripreinforced with parallel cords oriented on a bias angle relative to the length of the strip cojoined to the apexalong the length of the strips and attached to one side of the unvulcanized apex strips on an outer surface. The chipperis spaced from the bottom base portionof the apexand extends widthwise towards the narrow outer tipto form a subassemblyof a chipperand apexas an intermediate article of manufacture. Additionally the subassemblycan be attached to bead coreto make a subassemblyas a further intermediate article of manufacture.

Chipper and apex subassembly as an intermediate article of manufacture

The present invention relates to a cable bead, the method of constructing the cable bead and a tire constructed by a process incorporating the cable bead wherein the cable bead is formed with a bead core wound from a single filament of bead core wire having a rubber or elastomeric coating, first annular wrap of bead wrapping wire helically wound around the bead core, and a coating of lubricant or fatty acid disposed about the bead core.

Cable bead and method of manufacture

A pneumatic radial ply tire () comprises a tread (), a belt structure (), and a carcass (). The carcass () has a radial ply () and two bead sections (A,B). Each bead section (A,B) has a bead () and a component apex () with a inner apex (A), a middle apex (B) and an outer apex (C).

Compound apex for vehicle tire

A strip component ( ) is carried by a liner ( ) into a storage spool (24) having spiral grooved flanges ( ) for edges of the liner ( ) which are guided into the grooves by guide rods ( ) which do not interfere with the transporting of the strip component ( ) into and out of the spool ( ).

Storage spool with coiled liner

An apparatus and method are described for forming and reinforcing a butt splice ( ) along the abutting edges ( ) of two elastomeric sheets ( ) which typically contain a plurality of reinforcing cords ( ) extending parallel to one another and to the abutting edges ( ) of the sheets. Each butt splice ( ) is reinforced with a splice strip ( ) which bridges the butt splice. The splice strip ( ) is applied to the butt splice ( ) using a splice applicating device ( ) containing at least one and preferably two applicator heads ( ) which move from a splice strip load position P to a third position P where an applicator head can press the splice strip ( ) into contact with the butt splice ( ). First, the applicator heads ( ) rotate about an axis between the load position P and a second position P spaced from the butt splice ( ). Then, one of the heads ( ) reciprocates toward and away from the splice strip application position P . The splice strip ( ) is held on the applicator head ( ) by vacuum until the splice strip is pressed against and adhered to the butt splice ( ) at which time the vacuum is released and the applicator head ( ) is withdrawn.

Butt splicing of elastomeric sheets

A method and apparatus are provided for a sub forming an elastomeric extrusion into a bead apex filler and for applying the same to an annular bead ( ) to form a bead/apex subassembly for use in the construction of a pneumatic tire. The apex filler ( ) is formed from a triangular shaped extrusion ( ) that is initially wrapped around a rotating mandrel ( ) having a diameter of between about 50% to about 75% of the outer diameter of the annular bead to which the filler is attached. A helical former ( ) disposed around the mandrel causes the extrusion to move in a helical path as it traverses the mandrel. As the extrusion is removed from the mandrel, the extrusion is sufficiently uncoiled to relieve and compressive or tensile stresses. Then, the partially uncoiled extrusion is wrapped around the outer periphery of the bead to form a bead/apex filler subassembly ( ) which is substantially without compressive or tensile stresses when mounted onto the tire being constructed.

Stress neutralization of an apex filler for a tire bead subassembly

Forming a tubular tire ply from a flat sheet of wire reinforced material, cutting the ply to length and applying the ply to a drum.

Forming and application of tire ply

The present invention is directed towards an improved method for delivering a continuous strip material to a spool upon which it is to be wound. The method includes the step of reducing the effective width of the continuous strip material prior to its being wound on the spool by shaping the strip material into an arcuate cross-section. The shaping means is rotatable about an axis parallel with the axis of the spool. The method includes moving the shaping means axis of rotation while winding the strip material on the spool and maintaining the shaping means axis of rotation parallel with the spool.

Method and apparatus for storing strip material

An improved method for mounting an annular tread 1 onto a tire casing 2 is described. The improved method comprises the steps of expanding the tread 1 radially and encircling the expanded tread with a transfer mechanism 30. The transfer mechanism 30 has a means 90 for holding the lateral edges 5 of the tread 1 in the expanded condition independent of the center 6 of the tread 1. The means 90 for holding the lateral edges 5 of the tread 1 is accomplished without contacting the radially inner surface 7 of the tread 1. The transfer mechanism 30 has a means 92 for circumferentially clamping the central portion of the tread 1 to the casing 2. The transfer mechanism 30 with expanded tread 1 is centered over the casing 2. The means 92 for clamping the central portion 6 of the tread 1 is actuated while holding the lateral edges 5 of the tread 1 in the transfer mechanism 30. Then the lateral edges 5 of the tread 1 are released from the transfer mechanism 30 thereby transferring the tread 1 to the casing 2 while preventing entrapment of air between the casing 2 and the tread 1.

Tread application apparatus

An improved method for mounting an annular tread 1 onto a tire casing 2 is described. The improved method comprises the steps of expanding the tread 1 radially and encircling the expanded tread with a transfer mechanism 30. The transfer mechanism 30 has a means 90 for holding the lateral edges 5 of the tread 1 in the expanded condition independent of the center 6 of the tread 1. The means 90 for holding the lateral edges 5 of the tread 1 is accomplished without contacting the radially inner surface 7 of the tread 1. The transfer mechanism 30 has a means 92 for circumferentially clamping the central portion of the tread 1 to the casing 2, The transfer mechanism 30 with expanded tread 1 is centered over the casing 2. The means 92 for clamping the central portion 6 of the tread 1 is actuated while holding the lateral edges 5 of the tread 1 in the transfer mechanism 30. Then the lateral edges 5 of the tread 1 are released from the transfer mechanism 30 thereby transferring the tread 1 to the casing 2 while preventing entrapment of air between the casing 2 and the tread 1.

Tread application method

A simple compact apparatus for applying sheet material, e.g., gum liner or radial ply stock, to a tire building drum has a plurality of rings carried on flanged rolls on three shafts. The rings form a hollow cylinder in which a cylinder actuates shoes disposed respectively between adjacent rings to lift the sheet cut off by a pair of piercing blades (for ply stock) traversed oppositely each way from center or by a single blade (for gum liner stock). One flanged roll with the rings between respective pairs of flanges forms a continuous line nip with a tire building drum for transferring the sheet from the apparatus to the building drum. The foregoing abstract is not to be taken as limiting the invention of this application, and in order to understand the full nature and extent of the technical disclosure of this application, reference must be made to the accompanying drawing and the following detailed description.

Tire building apparatus

A simple practical space saving device applies sidewall to a tire carcass on a building drum and cuts off the appropriate length from a supply of sidewall stock at an acute angle. A carrier has fingers supporting the leading end of the sidewall which fingers move a short horizontal distance from the site of a previous cut to a nip formed between an application roll surface and the carcass. The fingers are each accommodated in an annular slot in the application roll surface. This abstract is not to be taken as limiting the invention of this application, and in order to understand the full nature and extent of the technical disclosure of this application, reference must be made to the accompanying drawings and the following detailed description.

Application of sidewall to a tire carcass

A tire building drum having simple economical means for expanding both drum shoulders and bead-locating fingers as well as for convenient and simple adjustment of the length of the drum between shoulders. Air for inflating pairs of ply-turnup bladders is supplied externally by way of an air ring on the drum shaft from an externally mounted air manifold.

Growing community of inventors

Medina, OH, United States of America

Donald Chester Kubinski