Abstract: A turn-up device (40) for making a molded body of an air spring on a mechanical drum (30) having expandable end portions (32). The device (40) comprises a support member (42), a plurality of turning arms (44) pivotally mounted to the support member (42), and a sleeve (46) having a plurality of fingers (72) each provided with a cam surface (74). The turning arms (44) are movable between radially outer and inner positions and are biased to the radially inner position. The turning arms (44) are positioned and sized for insertion into the spaces between the segments of the expandable end portion of the drum (30). The support member (42) is movable towards the end portion (32) of the drum (30) relative to the sleeve (46). The turning arms (44) each include a roller (62) that engages the respective cam surface (74) of the respective finger (72) when the turning arm (44) is in its radially outer position.
Abstract: A tire is provided with at least one textured marking on an outer surface of a sidewall of the tire. The at least one textured marking includes crumb rubber adhered to the sidewall of the tire.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
February 25, 2005
Date of Patent:
June 17, 2008
Assignee:
Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire, LLC
Abstract: A tire having sipes is provided. The tire includes a circumferential tread configured with at least one rib bound by at least one groove. The rib has a plurality of sipes that extend from the groove into the rib wherein one or more of the sipes narrow in a direction from the groove into the rib.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
January 27, 2005
Date of Patent:
April 22, 2008
Assignee:
Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire, LLC
Abstract: An apparatus for making reinforcement ply material wherein reinforcement elements are grouped in untwisted sets and adjacent reinforcement elements in the same set are spaced apart a distance less than the distance between adjacent sets. The apparatus includes an extruder and a die head into which the extruder extrudes an elastomeric material. The die head defines a die throat and includes a guide insert which guides the reinforcement elements into the die throat. The guide insert has passages through which the reinforcement elements pass and which are arranged in a pattern corresponding to the arrangement of the reinforcement elements in the reinforced ply material.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
October 8, 2001
Date of Patent:
June 6, 2006
Assignee:
Bridgestone/Firestone North American Tire, LLC
Abstract: A retreading method wherein a base composition and a cap composition are applied to a carcass (10) as two ribbons (14) and (16) extruded from separate extruders (18) and (20). The ribbons (14) and (16) can be layered and applied to a ready-to-retread carcass (10) simultaneously or, alternatively, the base ribbon (14) can be applied to the ready-to-retread carcass (10) first and the cap ribbon (16) applied thereafter. The carcass (10), with ribbons (14/16) applied thereto, is then inserted into an enclosed heated mold (22) and cured to complete the retread.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
October 28, 2002
Date of Patent:
May 30, 2006
Assignee:
Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire, LLC