Mitsubishi Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha

Hideki Fukuda

In a central mechanism for a tire vulcanizer in accordance with the present invention, after a tire has been vulcanized (a bladder is expanded), a clamp rod is elevated to elevate a lower ring and separate it from a housing. After that, the clamp rod is turned so that a claw of a claw mechanism between the lower ring and the clamp rod can pass through. Then, a pin fixing a post to an upper ring is pulled out, and a bladder assembly is hung and carried out of the vulcanizer to replace the bladder and O-rings. After the bladder and other parts have been replaced, the bladder assembly is hung and mounted to the vulcanizer so that the hole for the claw mechanism of the lower ring is aligned with the upper end of the clamp rod. At this time, when the claw of the claw mechanism passes through, the lower ring is supported by the elevated clamp rod, and the lower ring and a supply/discharge opening of the housing is aligned with each other. After the mounting of the bladder assembly is completed, the pin is inserted in the upper ring and the post by reversing the above procedure to connect them to each other. The clamp rod is turned in the reverse direction to engage the claw of the claw mechanism. Then, the clamp rod is lowered to seat the lower ring on the housing, by which the preparation for vulcanizing tire is completed.

Central mechanism for a tire vulcanizer

A tire-handling apparatus is provided for moving a tire into and out of a tire processor, such as a tire-curing press. The apparatus utilizes tire-gripping members, such as a plurality of shoes, which may be moved between an extended and a retracted position for gripping and releasing the tire respectively. Also included are operating members for properly operating the gripping members between their respective positions. The operating apparatus includes at least two cylinders having piston rods extending from first ends thereof. The second ends of the cylinders are mounted in series to permit the shoes for mounting the tire to be easily extended and retracted without substantial tire deformation, regardless of the size of the tire.

Growing community of inventors

Nagasaki, Japan

Hideki Fukuda