Abstract: A method and apparatus for grooving a tire tread in which a computerized numerical controller regulates the positional relationships between the tire and a hot cutting knife. The controller, through a plurality of servo motors, causes the tire to rotate in a vertical plane while effecting lateral and rotational movement of the cutter knife in each of two planes. During the cutting operation, the controller regulates the temperature of the cutting knife in accordance with the contour of the cut and the rate at which it is being made. Additionally, the computerized numerical controller is operator-programmable, providing for the generation of a program while the knife is caused to trace a tread design. The method and apparatus achieves simultaneous five-axis control of the tire grooving operation with concurrent regulation of the knife temperature.

Abstract: An apex is cohered to the bead wire bundle or core to form a unitary bead assembly. The core is supported on a rigid continuous planar surface. The apex strip in endless form is supported on the uninflated inflatable cylindrical surface of a turn-up bladder arrangement. Inflation of the bladder arrangement turns or rolls the apex angularly outward to surround the bead core and into an appropriate radial orientation and shape. The bladder action is found to cohere the apex-core so strongly together that conventional roller stitching is not required.