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:
Sep. 21, 2004
Filed:
Sep. 21, 2001
Michel Lemaire, Habay-la-Neuve, BE;
John Kolbjoern Rodseth, Bissen, LU;
Francis Cornet, Habay-la-Vieille, BE;
The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, Akron, OH (US);
Abstract
Method and apparatus for precision longitudinal registration of a movable tire building drum ( ) to an automated tire building system ( ) work station ( ), wherein the automated tire building system comprises one or more work stations with application drums ( ), and the tire building drum is moved longitudinally forward ( ) into and out of each work station, comprising: providing a work station longitudinal reference point ( ) upon a forward-facing surface ( ) of a laterally extendible portion ( ) of the work station; providing a drum reference point ( ) upon a rearward-facing surface ( ) of the tire building drum; and after the tire building drum has been moved into a work station, halting the tire building drum movement, laterally extending the work station longitudinal reference point rearward of the tire building drum, and then moving the tire building drum longitudinally rearward to abut the drum reference point against the work station longitudinal reference point. The tire building drum can be moved by a self-propelled vehicle ( ) which is flexibly connected to the tire building drum with a coupling ( ) which can be uncoupled. Then the tire building drum is moved longitudinally rearward by: coupling the work station to the tire building drum; uncoupling the tire building drum from the vehicle; and longitudinally moving the tire building drum relative to the vehicle. The flexible connecting means allows controlled lateral and vertical movement of the tire building drum relative to the vehicle while the vehicle is moving the tire building drum forward.