Bridgestone Bandag, LLC

Robert G Otting

Andrew D Cerny

Terry A Westaway

Troy Allen Kost

David L Bender

Logan M Koepke

Jim L Jones

Yichen Li

Susan M Jensen

Kimberlee C Nietzel

A method for automatically filling skived areas on a tire carcass is provided. The method including analyzing, by a computer system, a surface of a tire carcass with a sensor, identifying, by the computer system, a first skived area of the tire carcass, determining, by the computer system, whether to perform a filling operation to fill the first skived area, communicating, by the computer system, the location of the first skived area to a filling device responsive to a determination to perform the filling operation, and filling, by the filling device, the first skived area.

Auto skive filling system

A method of retreading a tire. The method includes the steps of applying a primer to an inner surface of a circumferential tread and applying the primer to an outer surface of a tire casing; applying an adhesive to the primer disposed on the inner surface and the primer disposed on the outer surface; applying the circumferential tread to the tire casing so the inner surface contacts the outer surface and a bondline edge forms circumferentially about the tire casing proximate to a shoulder area of the tire casing; and coupling a moisture reservoir to the circumferential tread proximate to the bondline edge.

Use of a moisture reservoir for retreading

A mold for molding a tire tread comprises a plurality of mold segments. Each of the plurality of mold segments includes an integer number of tread pitch repetitions. The plurality of mold segments are structured to be coupled to each other end-to-end so as to form the mold such that the mold includes an integer number of tread pitches. The mold also includes at least one mold end segment positioned on at least one end of the mold and has a mold end segment length shorter than a length of each of the plurality of mold segments.

Method and apparatus for improved tread splicing

A sipe forming assembly is provided. The sipe forming assembly includes a plunge cutting assembly, a leading roller assembly positioned upstream of the plunge cutting assembly, and a trailing roller assembly positioned downstream of the plunge cutting assembly. The plunge cutting assembly includes a blade and a linear actuator configured to actuate the blade to cut a sipe in a tire tread. The leading roller assembly includes a first leading roller and a second leading roller positionable relative to the first leading roller. The second leading roller and the first leading roller are configured to cooperate to clamp the tire tread between the first leading roller and the second leading roller. The trailing roller assembly includes a first trailing roller and a second trailing roller configured to cooperate to clamp the tire tread between the first trailing roller and the second trailing roller.

Versatile sipe machine

A method of manufacturing a tread band includes providing a mold having one or more protrusions extending outward in a first direction away from a bottom surface of the mold. At least a first one of the protrusions includes a tip feature extending outward in the first direction. Rubber material is introduced into the mold. A first surface of the rubber material opposite the bottom surface covers the tip feature. The rubber material is compressed into the mold. The compressed rubber material covers the tip feature. The mold is released from the rubber material to form a tread band. The tread band has one or more grooves in a second surface opposite the first surface. The one or more grooves correspond to the one or more protrusions in the mold. A first groove corresponding to the first protrusion includes a vent corresponding to the tip feature in the mold.

Growing community of inventors

Illinois City, IL, United States of America

Robert G Otting