The Steelastic Company, LLC

Bartell Machinery Systems LLC

Thomas D Miller

Mark Marabito

Jeffrey Ford Bull

Evan J Smith

Ty Rager

Thomas D Cartwright

Christopher L Johnson

Eric William Gorham

John R Russo, Ii

Paul David Gatley

Marek J Kos

Rosemarie Fisher

Donald L Matthews

Paul D Gatley

John R Russo Ii

A bead-apex assembly system comprising a bead forming system and an apex application system. In one embodiment, a supporting assembly is located at least partially between the bead forming system and the apex application system, and the supporting assembly is adapted to move an annular bead ring from the bead forming system to the apex application system.

Bead-apex assembly systems

The assembly applies an apex filler to the outer circumferential surface of an annular bead ring. The apex filler applying assembly incorporates an apex filler applicator that is preferably operable in conjunction with a plurality of server mechanisms. One server mechanism is a conveyor that receives a bead ring. A locator operates in conjunction with the conveyor to position the annular bead ring precisely on the conveyor so that it may be engaged by a transfer mechanism. The transfer mechanism removes the bead ring from the conveyor and mounts it on a chuck turret assembly. A chuck head in the chuck turret assembly engages the bead ring and accurately positions the bead ring relative to applying rollers in the apex filler applicator, in which position the apex filler--which has been directed from an extruder through an orienting mechanism, into an in-feed mechanism and severed to length by an in-flight guillotine cutter--is applied to the annular bead ring. After the apex filler has been applied to the bead ring the transfer mechanism removes the finished tire bead sub-assembly from the chuck head and deposits the tire bead sub-assembly on the conveyor for removal from the assembly.

Method for applying an apex filler to a bead ring

Apparatus for applying an apex filler to a bead ring

Growing community of inventors

Canton, OH, United States of America

Thomas D Miller