The Goodyear & Tire Rubber Company

William Allen Rex

Frederick Forbes Vannan, Jr

Joseph Carmine Lettieri

Gary Edwin Tubb

Douglas Raymond Weaver

Kenneth Dean Conger

James Michael Hart

Albert James Yovichin

Thomas Andrew Laurich

Brian Joseph Wilson

Timothy Michael Rooney

Robert Leon Benedict

George Michael Stoila

Norbert Majerus

Dale Eugene Wells

Jean-Claude Lucien Girard

Lawrence E Chlebina

Robert S Riggs

John S Rambacher

Todd Andrew Bachochin

Bernard Byron Jacobs

William Andrew Haydu

Harold Aloysius Wolbert

David Lowell Wolfe

Larry E Chlebina

Daniel Patrick Hentosz

Daniel Dale Enix

Mohammad Eghbal Sobhanie

Carl L Mace, Jr

Ronda Renee Thayer

Dwayne Richard Huston

Walter George Macesich

Robert Allen Birch

Scott Richard Harshbarger

Mathew Ray Cappelli

William Murray Huth

The present invention relates to an apparatus for providing the upper and lower portions of two-part tire molds with an expansible opening to provide clearance for the insertion of green tires, in particular large green tires of the sort used on industrial or off-road vehicles. The tire mold according to the present invention provides a segmented tire mold wherein a plurality of circumferentially arranged segments which contribute to the shaping of the circumferential tread portion of a tire. The sidewall rings and the tread segments may include internal cavities which house insulating material.

Method and apparatus for controlling the sidewall vs. tread curing temperature in a tire mold

A method and apparatus for partial depth-wise cure of a tire inner liner are disclosed. The method comprising forming a layer of uncured rubber, that layer having a first surface and an opposite surface, applying pressure to the layer of rubber, heating the layer of rubber from the first surface to more fully cure the layer on that surface than on the opposite surface, cooling the layer of rubber and releasing the pressure applied to the layer of rubber after the layer has cooled. The apparatus comprising a drum, a heat exchange chamber on the inner surface of the drum, a housing that surrounds the drum, a space between the outer surface of the drum and the housing, an inflatable seal at each end of the housing inside the housing such that by inflating the seal, the seal expands and encloses the space between the drum and the housing, a gas inlet for feeding a gas to the space and pressurizing the space, a heat source in communication with the heat exchange chamber for heating the drum and a coolant source in communication with the heat exchange chamber for cooling the drum.

Partial depth-wise cure of a tire inner liner

Apparatus and a method for pre-cure application of an antenna assembly to a tire comprises the method steps: forming within a rigid core defining an interior surface of the tire a core recess complementarily configured to the antenna assembly; positioning the antenna assembly within the core recess; building an uncured carcass of the tire around the rigid core entrapping the antenna assembly within the core recess; cross-bonding the antenna assembly to the inner surface of the tire during a cure cycle; and removing the cured tire and assembly from the rigid core.

Method for incorporating an annular antenna and electronics into a tire

Apparatus and method in the use thereof attaches an annular transponder unit to an annular tire surface, the transponder unit being of a type having a sensor housing coupled to an annular antenna. The apparatus includes a rotary turntable for supportably rotating a tire having an annular tire surface in an accessible disposition and an arm proximately disposed to the turntable and having end-of-arm tooling for attaching the transponder unit section by section to the annular tire surface as the tire is rotated. The tooling includes a gripping mechanism engaging the sensor housing and placing the sensor housing at a preselected location on the annular tire surface and a guide mechanism engaging the annular antenna and positioning the annular antenna section by section along the annular tire surface as the tire is rotated. An adhesive material applicator nozzle is disposed between the guide mechanism and the gripping means for application of the adhesive material between the annular antenna and the annular tire surface as the tire is rotated. A pre-staging station supporting the transponder unit may further be utilized, the arm moving between the pre-staging station and the turntable and the gripping mechanism engaging the sensor housing at the pre-staging station to transport the transponder unit from the pre-staging station to the turntable.

Apparatus and method for attaching an annular transponder unit to tire

Nozzle apparatus and method for affixing an annular transponder unit to an annular surface of a tire includes a nozzle block having an adhesive conduit extending therein to an inward end; a transverse channel open along an outward side and extending into the block, the channel being dimensioned for close receipt segment by segment of the annular transponder unit therein; and at least one adhesive port opposite the open channel side in fluid communication with the channel and the adhesive conduit inward end. The block channel open side is positioned opposite the annular tire surface and the adhesive port is positioned to direct adhesive material therefrom into the block channel to surround a segment of the annular transponder unit located within the channel.

Shaping nozzle and method for attaching an annular transponder unit to a tire

Guide mechanism and method for axially directing an annular transponder unit segment by segment to an adhesive application station for subsequent attachment of the annular transponder unit segment by segment to an annular tire surface, the transponder unit being of a type having a sensor housing coupled to an annular antenna. The guide mechanism includes opposed fingers proximately positioned adjacent to an adhesive application station. The opposed fingers pivot to capture the annular assembly therebetween and slideably direct the assembly segment by segment to the adhesive application station. The guide mechanism is adjustable to a preferred proximal height from the annular surface of a tire and presents the annular transponder unit to the adhesive application station at a specified diameter and height above the tire surface.

Guide mechanism and method for axially directing an annular transponder unit

A tire bundle is molded in a mold cavity formed by closing a mold having upper and lower mold halves with intermeshing fingers ( ) for enclosing bead wires and providing a molded bead ring for placing in a bead apex mold.

Bead curing finger mold

A method and apparatus ( ) for shaping a tire wherein an outboard pocket assembly ( ) and an inboard pocket assembly ( ) are radially movable outwardly into engagement with preshaped bead/apex assemblies ( ) of a tire band ( ) and are movable axially to a cured tire width of the bead/apex assemblies for shaping other tire components to a cured tire shape and for positioning the ply edges at predetermined cured tire positions.

Tire building method and apparatus

A method of removing waste material from an annular, elastomeric article The method includes the steps of: securing at least a portion of the annular, elastomeric article securing at least a portion of the waste material; penetrating the waste material with a cutting tool and guiding the cutting tool through the waste material. The method is characterized by the step of stretching the waste material prior to guiding the cutting tool In the preferred method, the waste material is stretched a distance sufficient to simultaneously apply some degree of tension to the unsecured portions of the waste material.

Method for removing waste material from an annular, elastomeric article

The invention relates to the manufacture of a tire (,) in a bladderless tire mold (,) that incorporates sealing rings (,) that enable the tire (,) to be easily and quickly installed within the tire mold (,) so that the pressurized gas or fluid used to inflate and vulcanize the tire (,) does not leak around the tire bead sections (,) of the tire (,) and escape into the mold cavity (,). An improved method of mounting the tire (,) into the bladderless tire mold (,) allows the tire (,) to be quickly and easily loaded in and unload from the tire mold (,) without the need of moving any mold parts into or out of the space between the tire bead sections (,).

Method for building pneumatic tires in an improved tire mold

An improved tire,having precured tire tread,for mounting to an unvulcanized or a vulcanized tire casing,is disclosed. The improved precured tread,has a pair of circumferentially continuous projections,. One projection,extends axially outwardly from each of the lateral surfaces,of the tread. The rejection,provides a means for air tightly sealing the tread casing assembly at the lateral surfaces,during the vulcanization of the tread,to the casing,. The method of assembly includes placing the tread,and casing,in a smooth mold, closing the mold inflating a bladder expanding the casing,into the tread,, the tread,correspondingly expands effecting an air tight sealing of the tread,and the mold at the annular projections,of the tread,, applying heat and pressure causing a uniform flow of unvulcanized material radially outwardly along the tread edges. This invention provides uniform pressure distribution on the tire casing during curing. In this way belt package distortion is greatly minimized or eliminated. In another embodiment, a precured inner liner eliminates the need for an inflatable bladder.

Precurred tire tread for a truck tire and the method of assembly

Molds for injection molding tire components have controlled temperature passages leading to a manifold surrounding each mold cavity. The manifold is positioned to minimize weld lines in the injected tire component. In addition, a narrow gate opening between the manifold and mold cavity provides an elevated temperature of the injected material for decreasing the curing time of the tire component in the mold. Blade members may support and position tire components such as bead apex assemblies in the mold. These tire components may be unloaded by an unloader ring in communication with a source of vacuum for pulling the tire component out of the mold.

Injection molding of a tire component

A method and apparatus (10) for grinding the edge of a precured tread (100) is described. The method for removing material from and shaping an edge of a precured tread comprises the steps of:

Tread edge grinding method and apparatus

A tread splicer (10) including two rows (60,64) of splicing blade assemblies (68) mounted with the blades (76) of one row (60) tilted toward and overlapping the blades (76) of the other row (64). Each of the blade assemblies (68) is operable independently to control the pressure applied to selected portions of the tread ends. Guide rollers (54,56,58) on the tread splicer (10) provide stitching of the tread (14) as well as positioning of the blades (76) relative to the tread (14) and tire building machine drum (18).

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Doylestown, OH, United States of America

William Allen Rex