The Goodyear & Tire Rubber Company

John S Rambacher

Norbert Majerus

Larry E Chlebina

Harold E Mills

Timothy Michael Rooney

Robert Leon Benedict

William Allen Rex

Albert James Yovichin

Thomas Andrew Laurich

Bernard Byron Jacobs

David Lowell Wolfe

Daniel Patrick Hentosz

Mohammad Eghbal Sobhanie

Stephen L Felder

Ronda Renee Thayer

Walter George Macesich

Molds for injection molding tire components have controlled temperature passages leading to a manifold surrounding each mold cavity. The manifold is positioned to minimize weld lines in the injected tire component. In addition, a narrow gate opening between the manifold and mold cavity provides an elevated temperature of the injected material for decreasing the curing time of the tire component in the mold. Blade members may support and position tire components such as bead apex assemblies in the mold. These tire components may be unloaded by an unloader ring in communication with a source of vacuum for pulling the tire component out of the mold.

Injection molding of a tire component

A method and apparatus for automatically removing an annular grooved tread from an initially closed segmented mold is described. The segmented mold has an annular cavity and a central core, and has both an axial direction and a radial direction. The method includes the steps of withdrawing a first plurality of segments, restraining radial movement of the tread at a plurality of locations from which segments have been withdrawn, withdrawing a second plurality of segments, retracting the restraint, and then removing the tread from the core by using an axially movable annular ring located above the upper half of the mold. The annular ring includes a plurality of push off devices, each device having a spring loaded radially retractable tread pusher component.

Tread removal method and apparatus

A ring tread (12) or a continuous tread (16) may be injection molded in a generally cylindrical segmental mold (20) having a core (42) and radially movable segments (46) forming a mold cavity (54). A container ring (60) is movable into engagement with the segments (46) during closing of the segmental mold (20) to retain the segments (46) during closing of the segmental mold (20) to retain the segments (46) in position during injection and curing. The container ring (60) may have an opening for a continuous tread section to extend from the mold cavity (54) through the side of the container ring (60) and through a space between two of the segments (46). Roller supports on the core (42) support the continuous tread (16) when the segmental mold (20) is opened and sections of the continuous tread (16) are shifted circumferentially through the mold cavity (54).

Apparatus for injection molding tire treads

A nozzle assembly for mounting on a cold runner block has a cooled housing with a bore and a nozzle member with a shaft portion mounted in the bore for rotation about a bore axis. A cap portion of the nozzle member is connected to the shaft portion and has a surface for positioning close to the mold surface of a mold member. A mold cavity in the mold member has a mold orifice in the mold surface for alignment with a nozzle opening in the surface of the cap portion. The nozzle opening is positioned radially outward from the bore axis and is rotatable into alignment with the mold orifice upon rotation of the nozzle member. A nozzle passage extends from the nozzle opening to the bore for communicating a fluid molding material to the mold cavity. A spring device may be disposed between the housing and the nozzle member to urge the surface of the nozzle member towards the mold surface. A ball member with a flat sealing surface may be mounted in a spherical recess in the surface of the cap portion. The nozzle opening is in the flat sealing surface so that upon alignment of the nozzle opening with the mold orifice the ball member can rotate in the spherical recess and provide sealing engagement of the flat sealing surface with the flat mold surface of the mold member.

Self aligning nozzle for injection molding

A tire tread (74,76,194) is injection molded by increments in a mold cavity (56,58,119,224,262) having an open end (110,272) closed by a trailing end (116) of a cured section (114,228). A temperature moderating closed end (109,207,268) prevents complete curing of a trailing portion (116) of the cured section (114,228) while the rest of the section is cured. The mold (14,16,90,188,236) is opened so that the cured section (114,228) may be shifted to a position where the trailing portion (116) is clamped in the open end (110,272) of the mold cavity (56,58,119,224,262). A second section (118,228,264) is injection molded in the cavity (56,58,119,224,262) and the partially cured trailing portion (126) of the cured section (114,228,264) is cured and adhered to the leading portion (130) of the second section (114,228,264) as the second section is cured. This process may then be repeated for later sections to provide a desired length of cured tire tread stock (74,194,264). The mold (14,16,90,118,188,236) may have substantially flat molding surfaces (108) or longitudinally and curved molding surfaces (192,210,244). Mold segments (204,206,208,256,258,260) for a circumferentially curved mold cavity (224,262) may also be provided.

Method for injection molding elongated bodies

System for injection molding tire treads

System for injection molding elongated bodies

A single section radially and axially expandable tire building drum having solid cylindrical building surface support for stitching and the like for cylindrical form tire carcass building. Radial expansion is independent of axial adjustment of width. Radially expanded condition of the cylindrical building surface is positively supported. The drum is particularly suitable for building passenger car tires. 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 tehcnical disclosure of this application, reference must be made to the accompanying drawing and the following detailed description.

Single section tire building drum

Growing community of inventors

Akron, OH, United States of America

John S Rambacher