Bridgestone/firestone, Inc.

Bridgestone Corporation

Bridgestone/firestone Research, Inc.

Gregory D Chaplin

Charles D Spragg

Georg G Bohm

Arthur W Greenstreet

Dale R Harrigle, Jr

John D Rensel

James M Kirby

Stephen M Vossberg

John D Clothiaux

Donald E Andrews

James F Siegfried

William P Stanfield

Joseph C Norka

Allen C Kearney

Thomas S Fleishchman

James A Williams, Jr

A pneumatic race tire has an elastomeric casing with a tread in the crown portion thereof, a pair of bead areas and a body ply carcass extending continuously between the bead areas and through the sidewalls and crown portion. A continuous thin annular band formed of a high strength, lightweight material such as metal, fiberglass, a composite material or the like is located radially inwardly of the tread and between the tread and body ply carcass to enhance tire performance by reducing the thickness of the tread area.

Race tire containing band element

A portable test apparatus (and associated method) for measuring nonuniformity of a tire/wheel assembly in situ on a wheel bearing hub of a vehicle are characterized by a lightweight assembly of components including, in particular, a probe for monitoring deflections of a surface of the tire/wheel assembly during rotation of the tire/wheel assembly and producing an electrical output indicative of the surface deflections, and an indexing device for producing an electrical output indicative of the rotational position of the tire/wheel assembly during rotation thereof, the indexing device having an attachment mechanism for removable coupling to the tire/wheel assembly. A holder is provided for holding the probe adjacent the surface of the tire/wheel assembly to be monitored for uniformity, and an electronic processor is provided for receiving and processing the electrical outputs from the probe and indexing device to provide an output indicative of at least one parameter representative of the nonuniformity of the tire/wheel assembly.

Portable tire uniformity measurement system and method

A pneumatic tire having a tread, a pair of sidewalls each terminating in an annular bead area, and a pair of beads located within the bead areas, for mounting the tire on a rim. Each of the beads is formed by at least one strand of metallic wire wound upon itself into a spiral and terminating in inner and outer ends, which ends circumferentially overlap each other. The beads are placed in the tire so that the spiral orientation of the beads are opposite to each other and the inner ends of the beads are in substantial axial alignment to reduce radial force variations on the tire.

Pneumatic tire having opposite spiral oriented beads

A compact and precision extrusion system for extruding strips of rubber compounds with profiles of accurate dimensions. Strips of rubber compound are uniformly heated and mixed in an extruder and then passed through a low pressure drop strainer to remove foreign matter. The strained compound then is fed directly into a gear pump which delivers precise volumes of the rubber compound immediately into the spread chamber of an extrusion head after which it passes through a die to form a precise strip of the rubber compound. The strainer and extrusion head are movably mounted with respect to the gear pump for axial separation from the gear pump for easy removal of the rubber compound from the various components of the system to facilitate compound changes. A control system regulates the speed of the extruder to provide a near constant pressure at the entrance port of the gear pump to precisely regulate the rate of extrusion of the compound from the extrusion head. The extruder preferably includes a feed section, a pressure generation section, and a mix section which maintain the temperature of the rubber compound below 100.degree. C.

Compact precision extrusion system

A compact and precision extrusion system and method for extruding strips of rubber compounds with profiles of accurate dimensions. Strips of rubber compound are uniformly heated and mixed in an extruder and then passed through a low pressure drop strainer to remove foreign matter. The strained compound then is fed directly into a gear pump which delivers precise volumes of the rubber compound immediately into the spread chamber of an extrusion head after which it passes through a die to form a precise strip of the rubber compound. The strainer and extrusion head are movably mounted with respect to the gear pump for axial separation from the gear pump for easy removal of the rubber compound from the various components of the system to facilitate compound changes. A control system regulates the speed of the extruder to provide a near constant pressure at the entrance port of the gear pump to precisely regulate the rate of extrusion of the compound from the extrusion head. The extruder preferably includes a feed section, a pressure generation section, and a mix section which maintain the temperature of the rubber compound below 100.degree. C.

Compact precision extrusion method

A system and apparatus for accurately delivering rubberized sheets from a supply roll of stock material containing an intervening liner to an assembly station for subsequent assembling into an air spring or similar article of manufacture by eliminating the heretofore formation of a 'free loop' therein. The supply roll and a liner take-up reel are rotatably mounted on a carriage transversely movable with respect to the longitudinal motion of the stock material. A hugger device has a plurality of timing belts which frictionally engage the liner at the take-up reel and winds the liner onto the reel at a constant linear speed regardless of the diameter of the reel and collected liner to move the rubberized sheet at a controlled rate toward the assembly station. The motion profile of the timing belts is controlled by a servo drive motor and the belts engage an arcuate portion of the circumference of the take-up reel to provide positive frictional drive engagement therewith. The carriage is moved along a pair of tracks by a ballscrew mechanism for bringing the cartridges of stock material and take-up reel into position with the timing belts and assembly station. An optical edge detection device and encoder, in conjunction with a motion controller, accurately control and regulate the system.

Server system for rubberized sheets

Growing community of inventors

Chippewa, OH, United States of America

Gregory D Chaplin