Abstract: A tire vulcanizing press of the present invention uses a split die device having an upper disk to which an upper die portion for molding the tire side is attached, a lower disk to which a lower die portion for molding the tire side is attached, divided segments to which a split tread die portion for molding the tire tread is attached, and an outer ring which has an inner inclined surface corresponding to the outer inclined surface of the segment and are slidably engaged with the outer inclined surface. Each of the divided segments has protrusions at the upper part and the lower part so that outward forces applied to the die portions during vulcanization are received by the protrusions of the segments.

Abstract: A mold changing apparatus for use in a tire vulcanizer includes a mold stations having tire molds disposed in a row, a movable mold open-close manipulator, and a mold preparing station provided at a proper position in the row of tire molds for centering and preheating a tire mold. A mold that has been centered and preheated completely in the mold preparing station is automatically received by the mold open-close manipulator, and it is then automatically transferred to and installed in the mold station where vulcanization is executed. A mold which is to be removed is automatically received from the mold station by the manipulator, and it is automatically transferred to the mold preparing station and separated from the manipulator. Subsequently, the manipulator automatically receives a new mold which has already been heated. Thus, a fully-automatic mold change is realized.

Abstract: A PCI main body includes two sets of gripping mechanisms and is rotatable about a horizontal axis, and a loader for detachably gripping an outside rim of the PCI and which is swingable in a horizontal plane. A vulcanized tire is received on the outside rim of the loader externally of the PCI main body, the loader is rotated to a position underneath the PCI main body, the tire and the outside rim are locked to the main body, a tire is seated on and fixed between an inside rim and the outside rim, compressed fluid is fed to the inside of the tire, and the PCI main body is rotated. Accordingly, a degree of precision in the concentricity between the respective rims can be maintained, a remote operation is possible, and the rims can be exchanged in a short period of time. Also, in addition to the above-mentioned features, a slide mechanism causes a support member for the outside rim to retreat upon rotation of the loader. Thus, the stroke of a rim interval adjusting screw can be relatively short.

Abstract: A bladder control mechanism of a tire vulcanizer includes an actuating mechanism for moving a bladder holder and a bladder gripping bowl of an upper bladder clamp relative to one another. A spring of the control mechanism imparts a gripping force to the bladder holder. Therefore, no re-tightening is required while a bladder is in use. When the bladder is to be changed, the actuating mechanism is actuated to forcibly separate the bladder holder from the bladder gripping bowl in opposition to the spring. As a result, the bladder holder frees the edge portion of the bladder. Further, due to a bayonet connection, the bladder can be readily changed in a short time by turning and removing the bladder holder.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for vulcanizing an elastomer product, such as automobile tires, wherein the elastomer product is placed in a vulcanizing chamber in a mold steam at an elevated pressure is supplied to the vulcanizing chamber to heat and pressurize the elastomer product until the elastomer product reaches a prespecified temperature or for a prespecified period of time, the steam supply is stopped and a pressurizing gas, at a pressure not lower than the steam supply pressure, is supplied to the vulcanizing chamber until the end of a heating period, said steam being blown in and supplied from an upper position of the center of the vulcanizing chamber in a horizontal direction or in an inclined downward direction, said steam being blown in and supplied from a lower position of the center of the vulcanizing chamber toward an upper region of the vulcanizing chamber.

Abstract: A center mechanism for a tire mold comprising a mushroom-shaped bladder, a clamp ring for clamping a lower opening edge of the bladder, a post cylinder for extending and contracting a height of the bladder, a movable stopper for receiving a depressing force against the clamp ring which is generated by heating medium introduced into the bladder upon vulcanizing a tire, and a bladder elevator cylinder for elevating and lowering the clamp ring upon loading and unloading a tire.

Abstract: A method for continuously feeding tire constituent materials in a tire fabricating machine includes the steps of positioning a second material truck holding a new roll of material at a standby location at the rear or to the side of a material feeder as aligned therewith, holding a trailing end portion of old rolled material being used for the tire production on a first material truck disposed in the material feeder before the material being used is consumed, delivering the first material truck when empty to the front, the side or the rear of the material feeder, transferring the second material truck holding the new roll of material into the material feeder from the rear or the side of the material feeder, delivering a leading end portion of the new rolled material on the second material truck once disposed in the material feeder up to a preselected position, splicing the trailing end portion of the old material being held to the leading end portion of the new material along a location where the respective en

Abstract: A vulcanizing apparatus having penetrating passages connected and communicated with a jacket portion of a mold member. An upper open end portion of one of the penetrating passages is connected to a steam inlet pipe while an upper open end portion of the other penetrating passage is connected to a steam outlet pipe. The connections and communications of the jacket portion with the steam inlet and outlet pipes can be simultaneously and efficiently completed in a single operation. Inner tubes are slidably disposed along the penetrating passages and pressed against the connecting surface of the mold, and appropriate pressure is applied on the seal packing member on the connecting surface independent from the clamping force of the upper mold in order to ensure reliable sealing.

Abstract: The present invention is drawn to a method an an apparatus for cutting a sheet member embedded with wires for use in tire, having the following characteristics. That is, a wire-embedded member is cut with a rotatable cutter at the middle of the member in a width-wise direction thereof while applying a pushing force, effected by a high pressure, on the cutter. The cutter is shiftably and rotatably mounted on a frame so as to be movable in a shifting direction while rotating. The cutter movement may also deviate in a direction orthogonal to the shifting direction thereof. The completion of the cutting at the middle of the member is detected by an electrical connection between the cutter and a support member, which connection is confirmed by a confirmation control mechanism. The cutter is shifted by a pushing mechanism from the middle to one side edge of the sheet member under a pushing force, effected by a pressure lower than that of the high pressure, so as to carry out a first half of a cutting operation.

Abstract: An improved apparatus for sticking a metal cord strip onto a lower component layer of a tire held on a tire forming drum is disclosed. Left and right roller brackets having a plurality of guide rollers respectively mounted on opposed surfaces thereof are disposed on the left and right sides of a conveying passageway of a metal cord strip. Roller brackets moving device is adapted to move the respective roller brackets by the same amount in the directions of making them approach to or separate from a center line in the conveying direction according to the width of the metal cord strip. Left and right outlet guide plates and left and right magnets are mounted to the end portions on the downwstream side in the conveying direction of the respective roller brackets. Left and right magnet moving device are adapted to move the respective magnets beween attracting positions on the backside of the respective outlet guide plates and retreating positions separated from the respective outlet guide plates.

Abstract: A tire vulcanizing press includes a vertically movable upper die closable over a lower die, a guide roller mounted on support structure of the upper die, a nearly horizontal roller guide way provided on a rear top portion of a press body, a vertical roller guide groove provided with a notch extending upward of the roller guide way and communicating therewith on the front top portion of the press body at the rear of a vertically intermediate portion thereof, a counter-rotatable crank gear, and a crank arm coupling a crank pin mounted at an eccentric position of the crank gear with the upper die support structure. When the press is operated during normal tire production, the crank gear is rotated in one direction, the crank pin is shifted from a bottom dead point to a top dead point, and movement of the crank pin is transferred to the upper die support structure through the crank arm, thus shifting the guide roller from a lower end portion to an upper end portion of the vertical roller guide groove.

Abstract: An apparatus for manufacturing a tire comprises a former for forming a carcass ply or the like to a cylindrical configuration, a bead holder for placing bead cores on the cylindrical carcass ply and then effecting assembly of a carcass ply-bead core structure. A drum receives the structure from the former and effects assembly of a cylindrical carcass layer and then deforms the latter into a trochoidal configuration to obtain a green tire. The carcass ply located between both the bead cores on the structure is caused to expand and the structure is placed on the drum, the bead cores are wrapped with the end portions of the carcass ply and then the green tire for the radial tire is assembled by attaching side wall members or the like.

Abstract: A tire supplying apparatus has a self-propelled green tire carrying wagon for carrying a green tire to be vulcanized, a green tire unloading device mounted on the wagon and a green tire receiving stand disposed at a predetermined position located in front of a vulcanizing press or a green tire loading device mounted on the vulcanizing press. The green tire unloading device is provided with an aligning mechanism adapted to hold the unloaded green tire so as to displace it in any radial direction while it is lifted up, the aligning mechanism serving to locate its center in correct alignment with respect to the green tire receiving stand or the green tire loading device.

Abstract: A tire supplying apparatus has a self-propelled green tire carrying wagon for carrying a green tire to be vulcanized, a green tire unloading device mounted on the wagon and a green tire receiving stand disposed at a predetermined position located in front of a vulcanizing press or a green tire loading device mounted on the vulcanizing press. The green tire unloading device is provided with an aligning mechanism adapted to hold the unloaded green tire so as to displace it in any radial direction while it is lifted up, the aligning mechanism serving to locate its center in correct alignment with respect to the green tire receiving stand or the green tire loading device.

Abstract: An improved for loading green tires in a laterally aligned two chamber type tire curing press, in which green tire loading devices for the respective chambers are provided in a movable manner at a center portion of the tire curing press. A green tire placing table is provided in a movable manner at a position in front of the center portion of the tire curing press. Positions in front of the respective chambers of the tire curing press are used as standby positions of the green tire loading devices. A position in front of the center position of the tire curing press is used as a green tire supply position onto the green tire placing table. Delivery of a green tire is effected either by moving the green tire loading device to the green tire supply position or by moving the green tire placing table to the standby position and then inverting the green tire onto gripping claws of the loading device. Green tires can be thereby successively loaded into the respective chambers of the tire curing press.

Abstract: An improved method of loading green tires in a laterally aligned two chamber type tire curing press in which green tire loading devices for the respective chambers are provided in a movable manner at a center portion of the tire curing press. A green tire placing table is provided in a movable manner at a position in front of the center portion of the tire curing press. Positions in front of the respective chambers of the tire curing press are used as standby positions of the green tire loading devices. A position in front of the center position of the tire curing press is used as a green tire supply position onto the green tire placing table. Delivery of a green tire is effected either by moving the green tire loading device to the green tire supply position or by moving the green tire placing table to the standby position and then inverting the green tire onto gripping claws of the loading device. Green tires can be thereby successively loaded into the respective chambers of the tire curing press.

Abstract: A bead lock device comprises mutually separable and engageable shafts, and a pair of left and right bead lock members consisting of a plurality of segments, each segment having one end pivoted to the shafts and the other end adapted to expand in diameter in the radial direction and to hold the bead portion of a green tire case in substantially circular form. A slide member capable of moving in the radial direction of the shafts is provided and is connected to the segments through a link member for expanding and contracting the diameter of the segments in the radial direction through a link mechanism. A mechanism for moving the slide member in the direction of an expansion in diameter is provided for the segments and also provided is a mechanism for moving the segments in the direction of contraction in diameter of said segments.

Abstract: An improved tire vulcanizing press includes an upper frame, a lower frame and side frames by way of which the upper frame and the lower frame are integrally connected to one another, wherein a lower die half is fixedly mounted on the lower frame and an upper die half is fixedly secured to a raising and lowering table adapted to be raised up or lowered by means of a raising and lowering mechanism fixedly attached to the upper frame in such a manner that the upper die half is displaced away from or toward the lower die half.

Abstract: A radial tire forming apparatus wherein a first stage forming arrangement comprising a carcass band forming drum, green case forming drum and band transfer, and a second stage forming arrangement comprising a belt-tread structure forming drum, raw tire forming drum and belt-tread transfer, are so arranged that the above mentioned respective forming drums may be positioned on the same axis. A green case transfer is set above the first and second stage forming arrangements and improvements in the green case transfer and further a novel formation of a gripping device for forming the green case transfer are provided.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a tire comprises a first process including the steps of forming a carcass ply or the like to a cylindrical configuration, placing bead cores on the cylindrical carcass ply and then effecting assembly of a carcass ply-bead core structure. A second process of the method includes the steps of receiving the structure from the last step in the first process, effecting assembly of a cylindrical carcass layer and then deforming the latter into a trochoidal configuration to obtain a green tire, wherein the carcass ply located between both the bead cores on the structure is caused to expand either in the first process or in the second process. The structure is placed on a drum device in the second process, the bead cores are wrapped with the end portions of the carcass ply and then the green tire for the radial tire is assembled by attaching side wall members or the like.