Bridgestone Corporation

Seiichiro Nishide

Tadashi Watanabe

Makito Mukae

Shigeoki Usami

Masaharu Sumiuchi

The forward end of a belt-shaped member is transferred to a predetermined position on the outer circumferential surface of a bladder, and pressurized air is filled into the bladder, while it is rotated. When the bladder has been inflated to a predetermined diameter, the filling of the pressurized air is stopped and at the same time the rotation of the bladder is stopped to set it at the predetermined diameter. The forward end of the belt-shaped member is fixed on the bladder by means of a fixture, and the bladder is rotated together with the fixture to wind and attach the belt-shaped member around and to the outer circumferential surface of the bladder. Thereafter, the fixture is removed from the bladder after completion of the attaching of the belt-shaped member to the bladder.

Method for setting bladder outer diameter of tire forming drum in a

A transfer apparatus for tire constituting members transfers them from a pre-process drum such as a carcass band forming drum to a post-process drum such as a tire forming drum. The apparatus includes a movable frame movable between the pre-process drum and the post-process drum, a holder mounted on the movable frame so that the holder is able to surround and grasp the tire constituting member, and a correction mechanism mounted on the holder on a near side to the post-process drum to expand an axial end of the tire constituting member which is tapered due to rubber contraction and gravity for correcting the tire constituting member into a substantially cylindrical shape.

Transfer apparatus for tire constituting members

A pneumatic tire comprising a carcass made up of layers of cord materials and extending from one bead to the other bead, a tread portion disposed radially outwardly of the carcass and extending in a circumferential direction of the tire, a belt layer of at least one belt disposed between the carcass and the tread portion, and a reinforcing layer disposed between the tread portion and the belt layer, wherein the reinforcing layer is formed by spirally hooping two continuous ribbon materials, each of which is composed of two to twelve cord materials covered with rubber and has a ribbon width of 4-11 mm, on the belt layer in the circumferential direction so that the lateral edges of the belt layer are covered and that the ends of each ribbon material do not overlap each other, and wherein one of the ribbon materials is hooped in two or more layers at one laterally outer end portion of the belt layer and the other ribbon material is hooped in two or more layers at an opposite laterally outer end portion of the belt layer.

Pneumatic tire with a reinforcing layer formed by spirally hooping two

A tire building apparatus includes a forming drum to which tire constituting members are attached, annular bead setting rings movable in axial directions of the forming drum for grasping beads on their inner circumferential sides and driving the tire beads into predetermined positions on a tire constituting member, and annular turning-up holders movable in the axial directions of the forming drum for turning up parts of the tire constituting member on axially outer sides of bead driven positions about the tire beads with the aid of bladders. The bead setting rings and the turning-up holders are divided into a plurality of arcuate segments circumferentially spaced. The apparatus further comprises guiding units for supporting the arcuate segments radially movably, moving unit for moving the arcuate segments in radial directions in synchronism with each other into radial positions corresponding to a size of a tire to be formed and causing movements of the arcuate segments required for forming tires of various sizes, and regulating unit for regulating radially outward movements of the arcuate segments against reactions to which the arcuate segments are subjected from the bladders. The annular bead setting ring and the annular turning-up holder are integrally formed as a composite assembly having simultaneously functions of the guiding unit, moving unit and regulating unit.

Tire building apparatus

A drum installing mechanism for a tire-building machine comprises a pair of threaded sections which are disposed concentrically with a spindle and a drum and joined together by rotating an inner shaft only. The drum and the spindle are held axially fast by the threaded sections while being held rotationally fast by a connecting means including a plurality of connecting pins, axial holes, radial holes, locking pins and detent teeth.

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Kodaira, Japan

Seiichiro Nishide