Bfs Diversified Products, LLC

The Firestone Tire & Rubber Company

Bridgestone/firestone, Inc.

Robert F Elliott

Joshua R Leonard

Donald E Foulke, Jr

Charles R Simmons

Keith E Hoffman

Phyllis S Woodrum

Michael E Leakey

David J Mickler

Air actuator

A pneumatic actuator adapted for placement between a pair of spaced members for controlling relative movement between said members is formed of two different hardness plastic materials and includes a rigid base and a flexible top member forming an internal air chamber therebetween. The top member is movable between collapsed and expanded positions by pressurized air introduced into the internal chamber for relative movement of the spaced members. The base has a sidewall terminating in a peripheral edge on which the top member is sealingly secured by a hot welded joint. A central portion of the top member has a raised thickened portion which engages one of the spaced members. A stop is located within the internal chamber to maintain the central portion of the top member above the peripheral edge of the base to prevent contact of the spaced member with the sealed joint when the top member is in the collapsed position. An air passage is formed in the base to enable the pressurized air to enter the internal chamber.

Pneumatic actuator

An air actuator adapted to be located between a pair of spaced members for moving said members with respect to each other includes a hollow body formed of an expandable non-reinforced polyurethane. The body has an ellipsoidal shape and terminates in a pair of curved closed ends and has an interior pressure cavity for receiving and discharging a pressurized fluid for expanding and contracting the body. The body is formed of at least two half members of the non-reinforced polyurethane by either a pair of longitudinal seams extending generally parallel to a longitudinal axis of the body or a single circumferential seam. An air tube connector is mounted in one of the closed ends of the body for connecting the interior cavity to a source of pressurized air.

An apparatus for curing a tapered airsleeve has a bladder curing chamber into which a rigid tapered sleeve cartridge is inserted to form the airsleeve thereon. The bladder curing chamber is formed by a rigid bladder support tube positioned between upper and lower plates and joined by strain rods. A straight cylindrical bladder is positioned within the bladder support tube and the ends are sealed by flipping them from the inside of the bladder support tube 180.degree. over each end of the tube for sealing the curing chamber. The hollow tapered sleeve mold or cartridge is inserted into the bladder curing chamber and will be dimensionally similar to the airsleeve to be molded therein. A preshaped uncured green sleeve is positioned over the tapered sleeve cartridge before inserting it into the curing chamber. The straight cylindrical bladder is inflated and expands radially outwardly causing the uncured sleeve to conform against the tapered sleeve cartridge. A mixture of steam and air enters the interior of the support tube through an inlet port for expanding the bladder toward the sleeve cartridge, and together with a heated fluid injected into the hollow interior of the cartridge, cures the tapered sleeve.

Tapered airsleeve curing press

An spring has a pair of axially spaced end members and an intervening bellows. The bellows includes inner and outer elastomeric body plies, each containing cords biased at generally opposite angles with respect to each other, such as 341/2.degree.. A pair of reinforcing strips of elastomeric coated cords are located between the inner and outer body plys. The cords of the reinforcing strips are biased in opposite directions with respect to each other and in opposite directions with respect to the cords of the body plies adjacent thereto. Furthermore, the cords of the reinforcing strips are between 2.degree. and 6.degree. less than the bias angles of the body ply cords. The reinforcing strips extend from adjacent the peripheral sealing edge of one of the end members a distance of between 2 inches and 6 inches, or generally less than one-fourth the axial separation of the end members, and stiffens the one end of the bellows to prevent the bellows from rolling over the peripheral edge of the one end member.

Fabric reinforced stiffener for air springs

Air springs or other fluid pressure devices have flexible elastomeric sleeves terminating in a pair of end beads which are clamped or crimped onto a pair of spaced end members. Each of the beads is reinforced by a solid annular ring of nonreinforced thermoplastic material which is molded within the sleeve beads. The rings preferably are formed of nylon and are sufficiently flexible to move with the end members and sleeve and return to their original shape after such movement. A similar nonreinforced plastic ring may be molded in a central portion of the elastomer sleeve to provide the girdle hoop of the sleeve.

Nylon bead reinforcement ring for fluid pressure devices

An airspring for motor vehicles which includes a pair of spaced end members with an intervening flexible elastomeric sleeve forming a fluid pressure chamber therebetween, for absorbing shock forces exerted on the vehicle caused by variations in the surface of the roadway. An elongated flexible strap of synthetic fabric such as nylon, is formed as a closed loop and is connected to and extends between the end members within the pressure chamber. The flexible strap limits the expansion of the flexible sleeve in an extended direction to prevent damage to the airspring without effecting the external configuration of the airspring and without materially effecting movement of the airspring in the jounce direction.

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Westfield, IN, United States of America

Robert F Elliott