The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Feb. 25, 1997
Filed:
Feb. 06, 1995
James L McLaughlin, Akron, OH (US);
The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, Akron, OH (US);
Abstract
A method and apparatus is described for applying unvulcanized gumstrips in precise overlapping relation on the marginal edges of an unvulcanized tire reinforcement belt or breaker to enhance the adhesion between the reinforcement belt or breaker and surrounding components of a finished, vulcanized tire. The method and apparatus comprise a number of important features; namely, tensioning the gumstrips as they pay out from a letoff device, reeving the gumstrips, in tension, at least partially around a pair of barrel-shaped rollers which precisely locate the gumstrips for subsequent contact with a belt as it moves in a horizontal pathway, providing a specially contoured roller for applying the gumstrips to the moving belt, removing a protective cover sheet from each gumstrip at a unique angle where the resistance to separating the two components is minimized, and folding any portions of the gumstrips overhanging the marginal edges of the belt, at a plurality of stations which employ at least two sets of rollers which are resiliently and horizontally preloaded to accommodate variations in the width of the belts being processed.