Abstract: A tubular compression spring body made of a thermoplastic elastomeric material has stepped internal and external wall surfaces that are designed so that when the body is compressed, it absorbs a large amount of the compression energy and has a low rebound force. Also, when compressed again after rebound, the compression spring body exhibits excellent repeatability in its force-displacement performance. In different embodiments, the compression spring body may be designed to exhibit various force-displacement performance curves in order to meet various criteria desired by the user, such as maximum energy absorption and/or minimum rebound force.

Abstract: A servicer is described for supplying two cut-to-length strips of sidewall simultaneously to a tire building drum without handling by the tire builder, thereby eliminating any stretching of the sidewalls or distortion of the shape of the sidewalls which can happen when the sidewalls are physically handled by the tire builder. The servicer employs twin cassettes which contain two spools of spirally wound sidewall which is separated by a comparatively rigid, U-shaped protective liner.The servicer has an indexing table for moving twin cassettes from a standby position to a let-off position to a take-up position and, lastly, to a removal position where the cassette is removed for rewinding with new material.