The Goodyear & Tire Rubber Company

James B Knizely

Roger E Payne

Robert K Rossi

A reinforcing cord is positioned in a mold cavity for reinforcing an annular article such as a tire by wrapping the cord on an annular spacer band which is supported on a mold core and then placed in the mold. The mold is charged with a liquid polyurethane reaction mixture to form an outer polymeric ring of the annular article which is adhered to the cord and partially cured. The spacer band is removed, the mold closed and charged with additional liquid polyurethane reaction mixture to form an inner polymeric ring of the annular article adjacent the reinforcing cord carried by the outer ring. The partially cured outer ring and the inner ring are then cured to adhere the inner ring to the outer ring with the layer of reinforcing cord encapsulated between the rings. An additional layer of reinforcing cord may be positioned in the article by wrapping another cord around a second spacer band having a smaller diameter than the first spacer band. The second spacer band is placed in a mold and defines a cavity between the spacer band and the outer ring. The mold is then charged with additional liquid reaction mixture to form the second polymeric ring and encapsulate the cord on the second spacer ring and partially cure the second ring for adherence to the first ring. The second spacer band is then removed and the mold charged with additional liquid reaction mixture to form the radially innermost third polymeric ring. The reaction mixture of the second and third rings are then cured to provide adherence between the adjacent rings.

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Middlebury, CT, United States of America

James B Knizely