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:
Dec. 02, 2003
Filed:
Jan. 11, 2001
James M. Kirby, Akron, OH (US);
Bridgestone/Firestone North American Tire, LLC, Nashville, TN (US);
Abstract
A green tire holding device ( ) including a frame ( ), a rod ( ) extending horizontally from the frame ( ), and a bladder ( ) mounted on the rod ( ). The bladder ( ) is inflatable to an inflated shape so that it contacts a substantial portion of an inner circumference of a green tire (T) to support the green tire during a pre-curing wait cycle. The green tire holding device ( ) can comprise a plurality of rods ( ), a plurality of bladders ( ), and/or a plurality of bladders ( ) on each rod ( ). The bladders ( ) can be inflated at substantially the same time and/or certain bladders ( ) can be deflated independently of other bladders ( ). In a tire manufacturing method, the loaded green tire storage device ( ) is transported to a doping/curing area with the bladders ( ) deflated. At the doping/curing area, the tires (T) are removed from the rods ( ), doped, and re-hung on the rods ( ). The bladders ( ) are then inflated so that the tires (T) are stored on inflated bladders during the pre-curing wait cycle.