Nrm Corporation

Virgil Y Blosser

Anand P Singh

Thomas A Crumbacher

Dallas B Rupp

A P Singh

G E Isaksson

A pop-up, rotating nozzle in a tire curing press provides for dispersed and uniform introduction of fluid media into the upper containment portion of a curing and shaping bladder during tire cure and cooling, and yet allows for relatively close spacing of upper and lower bladder clamps such as during bladder insertion and stripping operations. The nozzle has an outlet head in communication with the interior of the bladder and a supply stem mounted in a lower bladder clamp and porting assembly of the press for both axial and rotational movement. The nozzle is movable against a spring biasing force by the upper bladder clamp to a lowermost retracted position which allows the bladder clamps to be axially spaced apart a distance substantially less than their axial spacing during cure. As the bladder clamps move apart to their respective positions for cure, the spring urges the nozzle to an elevated dispensing position locating the outlet head thereof in the upper containment portion of the bladder and closely adjacent the upper bladder clamp for more uniform circulation of fluid media with the drain located at the bottom of the bladder. The outlet head is provided with a plurality of tangentially arranged outlets or jets such that the nozzle will rotate causing a uniform and dispersed flow of fluid media throughout the interior of the bladder. The outlet head may also serve to locate the bladder clamps with respect to one another when engaged therebetween.

Tire curing press with pop-up, rotating nozzle

A tire press, loader and method wherein a green tire is positioned by the loader between vertically separated mold sections and then engaged and held at the top bead thereof in registered contact with an upper bead ring of the press mold by a green tire bead elevator in the press head. While such registered contact is maintained, the upper bead ring and bead elevator raise and hold the green tire to the upper mold section as the loader axially clears the green tire and withdraws from the press. After such transfer of the green tire to the press head, the press partially closes to bring the bottom bead of the green tire against the lower bead ring of the press mold for subsequent shaping of the green tire and final closure of the press. The bead elevator includes a radially expandable chuck mounted for vertical movement in the press head which operates, when expanded, to engage and move the top bead of the green tire into registered or fully seated contact with the upper bead ring. The loader employed to introduce the green tire into the press includes a relatively narrow fluid expandable ring grip for substantially continuously gripping the outside of the tread leaving both bead areas free for centering, register and seating during the loading, seating and shaping process. The loader also has the facility for elevating the green tire into contact with the upper bead ring once in axial alignment with the mold sections and for removing a cured tire from the lower bead ring after transfer of the green tire to the press head.

Growing community of inventors

Canfield, OH, United States of America

Virgil Y Blosser