Abstract: A bladderless former sleeve (100) is disclosed for a bladderless second stage tire building machine (102) having at least one bead lock assembly (116), the bead lock assembly (116) having an annular clamp (114) with an annular groove (112). The sleeve (100) includes an annular main body (104) having first (106) and second (108) ends, the main body (104) having a thickness. A bead (110) is attached to the annular main body (104) at the first end (106). The bead (110) has a thickness substantially greater than the thickness of the main body (104) at the second end (108). The bead (110) is sized to fit snugly within the groove (112) of the clamp (114). The main body (104) of the sleeve (100) is sized to substantially cover the bead lock assembly (116) or at least the bead lock shoes (120) of the machine (102) during operation of the machine when the bead lock shoes (120) are in a fully expanded position.

Abstract: An inlet check valve for use with inflatable buoyancy tubes such as are used on life rafts and escape slides. The inlet check valve being freely rotatable within the flange affixed to the raft fabric thereby allowing for easier packing and deployment due to the design of the inlet check valve to rotate within the flange to seek a lower stress orientation. In addition, the inlet check valve is readily removable from the flange if valve replacement or repair is needed. Furthermore, a manifold may be used which includes multiple inlet check valves coupled together.

Abstract: An improved shutoff valve has an inverted stem/seat design with a removable cartridge including a stem designed to include a high performance polymer tip for use with a compressed fluid cylinder. The high performance polymer tip reduces the likelihood of damage to the valve seating area of the shutoff valve. The removable cartridge with the high performance polymer tip thereon makes replacement quick and easy should the soft tip become damaged. The inverted stem/seat design positions the stem and high performance polymer tip such that the pressurized gas acts in unison with the threaded stem tip in seating the stem rather than acting against the stem.

Abstract: A method for monitoring various engineering conditions of a pneumatic tire such a temperature, pressure, tire rotation and other operating conditions of the tire. A tire tag is mounted on the interior of the tire within the pressurizable cavity and contains the stored data and sensors for detecting certain conditions within the cavity. A separate transponding device is mounted on the tire rim. The tire tag contains a battery, an antenna and stored data pertaining to the tire. The transponding device uses electronic circuitry which collects data from the tire tag. The tire tag is actuated by transmitted radio frequency waves from the transponding device, which data is retransmitted by the transponding device to the remote location by an antenna which extends from the transponding device through the rim to a location externally of the tire.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for bonding an active tag to a patch and assembling the patch to a tire is set forth. A patch assembly and a method for securing an electronic monitoring device having electronic and mechanical components for monitoring at least one engineering condition within a tire, comprising an rigid tag assembly encapsulating the electronic monitoring device, bonded to a vulcanized rubber patch which is secured to the inner cavity of a tire utilizing a layer of dual cure bonding rubber.

Abstract: A pressure relief valve for use with inflatable devices such as life rafts and escape slides which provide significant improvement in exhaust flows while maintaining a highly desirable compact configuration, particularly as to the height dimension. The pressure relief valve including a poppet having a protected skirt thereon which is biased within a valve body to maintain pressure within the inflatable device unless a preselected maximum pressure is exceeded whereby the poppet releases and opens a fluid passage to exhaust ports. The protected skirt providing a more efficient and thus improved "pop action" which results in improved low pressure PRV performance.

Abstract: A three dimensional mill capable of plunging, ramping, circle interpolating and other milling processes while providing a finished surface not in need of finish grinding. The milling cutter includes cutting inserts of a modified design including flats separating rounded corners of a two radius design. Each insert also includes a rail that is secured to the milling cutter along a longitudinal surface that is radial to the axis of the milling cutter at any cross sectional plane.

Abstract: A hole cutting tool for holemaking, chamfering, grooving, threading and/or O-ring grooving. The tool is a rotary tool for holemaking in a workpiece which includes one or more holemaking inserts about the outermost end of the tool, at least a pair of axially spaced apart chamfering inserts radially sunken into the intermediate portion of the tool, and one or more grooving inserts also radially sunken into the intermediate portion of the tool between the chamfering inserts, all of which provides for holemaking with chamfered entrance and exit edges and/or a slot, groove, or threads within the hole. An additional O-ring grooving insert may be provided to cut an annular groove around the hole on an end face of the workpiece.

Abstract: A toolholder is provided for receiving, pressurizing, and conducting an external stream of coolant to a rotating cutting tool without mechanical containment between the toolholder and the coolant stream. The toolholder includes a shank attachably connectable to a rotatable drive shaft, an adapter, such as a collet chuck, for connecting a rotatable cutting tool to the shank, and a coolant inducer mounted between the shank and the adapter. The coolant inducer is formed from an impeller assembly having a plurality of uniformly spaced, coolant receiving openings around its periphery for receiving an uncontained coolant stream. A passageway is provided along the axis of rotation of the adapter for receiving and conducting the coolant pressurized by the impeller assembly to a cutting tool secured in the adapter. The impeller-type coolant inducer eliminates the need for fluid seals or other friction-generating mechanical interfaces between the rotating toolholder and the source of pressurized coolant.

Abstract: A multiple fluted helical end mill with at least two flutes. Each flute includes a plurality of inserts secured therein. The inserts are all identical. The inserts in different flutes being secured therein at different rake angles. The different rake angles resulting in different effective axial lengths of the inserts. This different effective length of inserts in adjacent flutes results in all effective cutting and it is particularly beneficial where the inserts in a given flute do not have overlapping cutting edges.

Abstract: A sealed collet having improved radial flexibility is provided for facilitating removal from a locknut of a chuck assembly. The sealed collet includes a collet body formed from a tubular configuration of elongated gripping fingers separated by elongated slots which render the body radially resilient in response to pressure applied by a locknut. The slots are filled with a bonding agent, which may be a silicon rubber compound, for preventing dirt and debris from entering the collet slots and for preventing pressurized coolant intended to flow through a bore in a tool shank from flowing through the walls of the collet body. To increase the radial compressibility of the collet, agent-free gaps are provided in the slots immediately behind a distal portion of the collet body. In the preferred embodiment, the length of the agent-free gap is between 20% and 30% of the overall length of its respective slot.

Abstract: A self-locking clamping apparatus is provided for coupling a tool unit to a tool supporter. The clamping apparatus includes a pair of locking spheres, a canister member that is matable with the tool unit and which includes a pair of opposing apertures for admitting the locking spheres, and a lock rod reciprocally movable within the canister member along an axis and having opposing ramp portions for radially moving the locking spheres through the canister apertures into locking engagement with the tool unit. The ramp portions are inclined at a small angle of approximately 5.degree. with respect to the axis of movement of the lock rod to render the lock rod self-locking as a result of stiction between the surfaces of the ramp portions and the locking spheres. The small angle of the ramp portions allows the use of a small, lightweight pneumatic actuator which may be powered by shop air.

Abstract: Guide element for a cutting tool having a location hole (20) in the tool shank (4) having an internal thread (16, 10), which has a threaded bolt (14) having an external thread that can be screwed into the internal thread (16, 10) and is spring mounted in the screw-in direction when screwed in, and a guide head (13) fixed to a free end of the threaded bolt (14) and operating in the manner of a sliding rail.

Abstract: A rotary tool, in particular a high-speed milling or boring tool, has at least two balancing rings (17, 18) with a variable mass around their circumference mounted on the tool holder or tool body (1). Two concentric balancing rings (17, 18) whose position in relation to the axis of rotation (6) of the tool (1) may be adjusted are releasable mounted in the tool holder or in the tool body (1) and are supported in the radial direction (14) in the tool holder or tool body (1). A short rotary tool (1) is thus obtained with a simple support of the balancing rings (17, 18) in the radial direction.

Abstract: A cutting insert having a chipbreaking configuration for effectively embrittling and breaking thin, foil-like chips produced by drilling or other fine-cutting operations is provided. The cutting insert includes a polygonal insert body having a top surface, a side relief surface, and a cutting edge defined therebetween, and a chipbreaker formed by an elongated groove disposed on the top surface behind the cutting edge in combination with a plurality of recesses disposed over the groove having opposing side edges. The back wall of the groove applies curling forces to the chips, while the opposing side edges of the recesses engage and corrugate the chips thereby embrittling them by work-hardening. The corrugated chips are broken by the curling forces applied by the back and rear walls of the groove and the recesses into small pieces that are easily expelled from the vicinity of the cutting operation.

Abstract: An insert for use in a ball nose end mill is provided that includes an insert body having a top wall, a bottom wall, and at least one arcuate side wall. An arcuate cutting edge is defined at an intersection between the top and side walls that includes a plurality of sinusoidal undulations for reducing cutting forces, and vibration, and enhancing the breaking and removal of chips removed from a workpiece during a cutting operation. An end portion of the insert crosses the axis of rotation when the insert is mounted in the seat of an end mill body, and the undulations reduce the considerable shear forces applied to the cutting edge at this location. The cutting edge has a profile which follows the contour of a sphere to permit machining a rounded cut. The side wall of the insert body includes an upper relief portion disposed directly under the cutting edge, with a relief angle for preventing the undulations from making unwanted striations or tool marks in the sidewalls of the rounded cut.