The Goodyear & Tire Rubber Company

Larry Eugene Steidl

George Michael Stoila

Yasuhiko Fujieda

Itaru Amano

Albert James Yovichin

James Anthony Bukowski

Bryan E Nixon

Daniel Patrick Hentosz

Hideo Miyauchi

Hisaaki Onishi

Christopher D Stemm

This invention relates to a tire curing system having a plurality of molds disposed in side by side relation, transporting means for transporting green tires to the tire curing system, loading means for loading a green tire into a bottom mold half of one of the molds, mold closing means for closing a top mold half over the bottom mold half, self-locking means for locking the top mold half to the bottom mold half, curing means for curing the green tires, mold opening means for opening the top mold half from the bottom mold half, unloading means for unloading the cured tire from the bottom mold half and take-away means for carrying the cured tires away from the curing system. The loading means and the unloading means include a movable robot and the mold closing means and the mold opening means include a movable manipulator. The robot and the manipulator move in straight lines.

Tire curing system and method

A segmented annular mold for forming a tread belt having a reinforcing belt structure, the belt structure having a radial thickness (t) is disclosed. The mold has a plurality of radially movable and outwardly expandable inner segments for forming the inner surface of the tread belt and a plurality of radially movable and contracting outer segments for forming the outer tread belt surface. The radially inner and radially outer segments form a mold parting line at a location radially outward of a midpoint of the belt reinforcing structure of the tread belt at a location greater than 50% (t) as measured from the radially innermost surface of the belt reinforcing structure. The radially inner segments have upper and lower lateral edge forming portions extending outwardly to the parting line. Similarly, the radially outer mold segments have upper and lower lateral edge forming portions extending inwardly to the parting line. The parting line is located at least radially outwardly of a radially inner second belt layer of the belt reinforcing structure.

Mold for forming an annular tread belt

This invention relates to a tire curing system ( ) having a plurality of molds disposed in side by side relation, transporting means ( ) for transporting green tires ( ) to the tire curing system, loading means ( ) for loading a green tire ( ) into a bottom mold half ( ) of one of the molds, mold closing means ( ) for closing a top mold half ( ) over the bottom mold half ( ), self-locking means ( ) for locking the top mold half to the bottom mold half, curing means ( ) for curing the green tires, mold opening means ( ) for opening the top mold half from the bottom mold half, unloading means ( ) for unloading the cured tire ( ) from the bottom mold half ( ) and take-away means ( ) for carrying the cured tires ( ) away from the curing system ( ). The loading means ( ) and the unloading means ( ) include a movable robot ( ) and the mold closing means ( ) and the mold opening means ( ) include a movable manipulator ( ). The robot and the manipulator move in straight lines.

A tire mold heat transfer system in which heat pipes are enclosed in tubular passages in the tire mold to transfer heat to heated positions adjacent the tread and sidewall forming sections of the mold.

Tire mold heat transfer system

A rod gland (28) has axially extending inlet and outlet grooves (64,66) at circumferentially spaced positions on a cylindrical outer surface (34) and is provided with an annular seal (60) for preventing leaks between the grooves (64,66). The annular seal (60) is positioned in a groove (59) between an adapter hub (36) and a lower clamping ring hub (38) surrounding and in sliding engagement with the cylindrical outer surface (34) of the rod gland (28) so that at the inlet and outlet grooves (64,66) the sealing is on three sides of the annular seal (60) and between the grooves (64,66) the sealing is on four sides of the annular seal (60).

Rod gland and hub assembly for tire curing press

A tire press has a feature decoupling the mold closing force torque from the platens 3 and 22 supporting the press mold halves 4 and 11 using a spherical seat located between the platens 3 and 22 and the press member supplying the closing force to provide self-alignment of the mold halves 4 and 11 upon closing of the press.

Growing community of inventors

Akron, OH, United States of America

Larry Eugene Steidl