Abstract: In a tire vulcanizer of the present invention, a locking mechanism which secures a top mold and a bottom mold in a closed condition comprises tie rods disposed alongside the top mold, and each having a top end part fixed to a top mold mounting member and a lower end part on which a plurality of grooves are formed one above the other in a vertical direction; through holes formed in a bottom mold mounting member for allowing each of the tie rod to pass through each of the through holes; lock plates capable of engaging and disengaging, along a horizontal direction, with the groove on each tie rod having passed through each through hole, and lock plate shifting mechanisms each opening and closing the lock plates only in a horizontal direction relative to each tie rod. With the configuration as described above, adjustment based on a height of a mold is simplified, while reducing an overall height of the tire vulcanizer.

Abstract: A post cure inflator of the present invention is an apparatus for inflating and cooling a vulcanized tire T by sealing high pressure air into the vulcanized tire, and includes an annular rim for gripping the vulcanized tire at a bead portion, a connecting member fixed at one end portion thereof to the rim, a rim supporting member provided in a body frame, and a clamping device provided in the rim supporting member to clamp the connecting member to the rim supporting member unclampably. This construction permits a post cure inflator in which replacement of the rim is easy and an existing rim can be used.

Abstract: A tire vulcanizing apparatus and a tire vulcanizing method, by which the pressure and temperature of a heating and pressurizing medium to be supplied to the internal space of a raw tire can be controlled without the condition of pressure being affected by the condition of temperature.

Abstract: Provided is a tire vulcanizer capable of accelerating the rise in the temperature of a heating and pressurizing medium and reducing heat loss. The tire vulcanizer is used for vulcanizing a raw tire and includes: a mold for removably housing the raw tire; a medium path which is connected to the inner space of the raw tire housed in the mold and through which a heating and pressurizing medium for vulcanizing the raw tire flows; and a heating unit, provided to the medium path, for controlling the temperature of the heating and pressurizing medium flowing through the medium path. The heating unit includes a heated body internally provided with a flow channel through which the heating and pressurizing medium flows, and an induction heating unit for heating the heated body through electromagnetic induction so as to heat the heating and pressurizing medium flowing through the flow channel.

Abstract: Provided is a tire testing machine capable of measuring a force generated in a tire with high precision. The tire testing machine includes a spindle shaft (20) for holding a tire (T), a housing (22) for rotatably supporting the spindle shaft (20) through a rolling bearing (25), a running device (10) having a surface rotated by rotational driving and imparting a rotational force to a tire contacting the surface, and a measurement device (4) which is provided in the housing (22) and measures a force and moment generated in the spindle shaft (20) when the tire (T) is running. Furthermore, the tire testing machine includes a torque canceller (5) for preventing the spindle shaft (20) from such an impact that rotational friction torque (My1) generated by rotational friction, which is received by the spindle shaft (20) in the housing when the spindle shaft (20) rotates, is imparted onto the shaft (20).

Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to prevent or suppress the occurrence of a temperature difference between upper and lower portions of a green tire in a vulcanizing process carried out by a tire vulcanizing machine 1 and thereby stabilize the tire quality. The tire vulcanizing machine 1 comprises a tire vulcanizing bladder 20 disposed inside a green tire 4, a jet section 90 for jetting a heating/pressurizing medium to the interior of the bladder 20, a medium supply path for supplying the heating/pressurizing medium to the jet section 90, and a holding section 14 for holding an edge portion of the bladder 20, the edge portion being located on the side close to the medium supply path. Further, there are disposed heat insulators 7, 11, 8 and 6 so as to suppress the transfer of heat from the heating/pressurizing medium jetted from the jet section 90, to a lower edge portion of the green tire 4.

Abstract: A tire vulcanizing apparatus and a tire vulcanizing method, by which the pressure and temperature of a heating and pressurizing medium to be supplied to the internal space of a raw tire can be controlled without the condition of pressure being affected by the condition of temperature.

Abstract: The present invention provides a heating unit capable of easily and inexpensively adjusting total impedance based on tire mold size so that a power source can be used at a high power factor, and a tire heating apparatus using the same. A ferromagnetic metallic member 10a heats a tire mold M1 by heat conduction. An induction heating coil C1 is disposed on the side of the ferromagnetic metallic member 10a opposite the tire mold M1 to induction-heat the ferromagnetic metallic member 10a by generating magnetic field lines. A nonmagnetic conductor 30a is disposed on the side of the induction heating coil C1 opposite the ferromagnetic metallic member 10a to shield the magnetic field lines generated by the induction heating coil C1. A heating unit 100a including these elements heats the tire mold M1 storing a tire.

Abstract: In a post-cure inflator of the present invention, a rim of a pair of disk shape rims for sandwiching bead portions of a tire has one rim surface and the other rim surface in which a plurality of step portions corresponding to the bead portions of different bead diameters are formed so as to reduce thickness from a center to an outer periphery. A pair of the rims is supported switchably between arrangement in which the one rim surfaces face each other and arrangement in which the other rim surfaces face each other. By such a configuration, it is possible to favorably sandwich the tire even when the bead diameter to be treated is added.

Abstract: A center mechanism of a tire vulcanizer is provided with a screwing mechanism provided with a screw shaft and a screw nut screwed onto the screw shaft, a motor for rotating the screw shaft so as to raise and lower an upper ring body, an inverter for controlling the motor, and a mechanical brake for retaining a predetermined position of the upper ring body so that a bladder retains a shaping state. Within a time range from start of a closing action of the upper die to contact between the upper die and the upper ring body, an operation of the mechanical brake is released and position control of the upper ring body by the inverter is started, and at least after the release of the operation of the mechanical brake, a position of the upper ring body is controlled by the inverter. By such a configuration, even when there is an erroneous operation of the brake or incorrect setting, it is possible to prevent damage and breakage of constituent parts and have a simple structure.

Abstract: When a green tire is molded on a bladder in molding step and then carried into the mold of a vulcanizer in vulcanization step to vulcanization-mold the green tire, the upper bead and lower bead of the green tire are connected and fixed through a center post as they are retained by the bladder kept in the airtight state by an upper ring and a lower ring until the molded green tire has been carried into the mold of the vulcanizer, and a pressure gas is sealed into the bladder located in the internal space of the green tire to lay it in the expanded state, whereby the green tire can be carried between the steps and carried into the mold in the state maintaining a fixed shape. Accordingly, the deformation of the green tire can be prevented, and the slippage of supporting center of the green tire when set in the vulcanizer can be sufficiently reduced.

Abstract: A tire press comprising a center post 22 vertically movably extended through a center part of a lower ring mechanism 12 and vertically moving an upper ring 19 with respect to a lower ring mechanism 12, a heater 103 arranged in an outer peripheral position of the center post 22 on the tire inner peripheral side of a green tire 4 held by the lower ring mechanism 12 and the upper ring 19, heater 103 to apply a heat to the green tire 4, a first driving mechanism such as a tubular member vertically moving cylinder 98 capable of vertically moving the heater 103 to a suitable height position so as to move the heater 103 to a suitable position independently of vertical movement of the center post 22, and a second driving mechanism such as a driving motor 99 capable of rotating the heater 103. By the provision of such a mechanism as described, press molding relative to a green tire 4 can be completed in a sufficiently short period of time.

Abstract: A bladder for a vulcanizer includes, as a constituent member, a low elongation material with stable properties at vulcanization temperatures. During a vulcanization-molding process, the bladder is pressed against the inner surface of a green tire using a pressurized medium. The pressurized medium can be at vulcanization temperatures. The bladder has substantially the same shape as the inner wall surface of the tire that is formed using the bladder. As a result, irregularities in the shape of the inner wall surface of a tire rarely occur, and the frequency of exchange of bladders can be reduced. The vulcanizer bladder can include a conductive material or a magnetic material, both of which can be heated by using an induction heating coil. The use of both heat from the pressurized medium and heat generated in the bladder to vulcanize a green tire can shorten the period of time required for vulcanizing-molding.

Abstract: A vulcanizer includes a vulcanizer body for heating a green tire by making use of heat quantity to vulcanize an mold it and repetitiously using the heating medium used for the vulcanizing and molding for heating. A heat quantity supplementing device heats the heating medium to thereby supplement a lost part of the heat quantity of the heating medium. Thereby, vulcanizing and molding can be carried out with less energy loss of the heating medium.

Abstract: A tire press comprising a center post 22 vertically movably extended through a center part of a lower ring mechanism 12 and vertically moving an upper ring 19 with respect to a lower ring mechanism 12, a heater 103 arranged in an outer peripheral position of the center post 22 on the tire inner peripheral side of a green tire 4 held by the lower ring mechanism 12 and the upper ring 19, heater 103 to apply a heat to the green tire 4, a first driving mechanism such as a tubular member vertically moving cylinder 98 capable of vertically moving the heater 103 to a suitable height position so as to move the heater 103 to a suitable position independently of vertical movement of the center post 22, and a second driving mechanism such as a driving motor 99 capable of rotating the heater 103. By the provision of such a mechanism as described, press molding relative to a green tire 4 can be completed in a sufficiently short period of time.

Abstract: A vertical tire press has a lower mold fixed to a lower platen mounted on a base, and an upper mold facing the lower mold and fixed to an upper platen mounted on a top slide. The top slide is moved vertically by a crank mechanism, thereby closing together or opening apart the upper and lower molds. The lower or upper platen has a cylinder structure so as to squeeze together the upper and lower molds. This vertical tire press basically employs a crank mechanism, but is free from disadvantages peculiar to a tilt-back type tire press. The vertical tire press provides good economic performance as well as advantages of an oil-hydraulic type tire press, i.e. uniform application of a squeezing force and easy adjustment of the squeezing force, without using an oil-hydraulic cylinder.

Abstract: A tire press in which a pair of upper and lower molds are opened/closed and squeezed by an operation of a crank mechanism is disclosed. Especially, the tire press is improved in the aspects of its machine accuracy, strength, size, and maintenance. The tire press has: a pair of upper and lower molds; a base for supporting the lower mold; side frames on both sides of the base; a side slot vertically extended in each of the side frames; a top slide which slides along the side slots and holds the upper mold; and a crank mechanism for moving the top slide only in the vertical direction. The crank mechanism includes: a crank gear; a lever attached to the crank gear and whose front and is positioned on the outer side of the outer diameter of the crank gear; and a link connecting a crank fulcrum at the tip of the lever and the top slide sliding along the side slots. The side slot vertically extends parallel to a vertical central line crossing the center of rotation of the crank gear and the crank fulcrum.

Abstract: Separable upper and lower rims of a post-cure tire inflator requiring no upper rim replacing operation which requires much time and labor especially when mounting the upper rim, and also no time and labor for holding a lower rim upward when mounting. In the upper and lower rim for holding the bead section of the tire, a high-pressure air is filled in a cured tire discharged from a tire curing press to thereby inflate and cool the tire; therefore at least the upper rim has stairway-like steps having two or more outer diameters fit to the bead diameters of tires of different sizes and formed by extending a small outer diameter on a large outer diameter.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a tire vulcanizing press which presses to fasten an upper and a lower molds used for vulcanizing a tire by hydraulic cylinders and raises and lowers the upper mold in an up-and-down direction to remove the tire being finished a vulcanizing processing.In the tire vulcanizing press in accordance with the present invention, since the plurality of tie rods hung from the upper mold installation member are respectively connected through the lock device to the cylinder rod of the fastening cylinder and the lower mold installation member to which the fastening cylinder is fixed is pressed to rise toward the upper mold installation member, only the tie rods are positioned around the upper and the lower molds. Therefore, a maintenance of the upper and the lower molds becomes easy, and it also becomes possible to reduce the apparatus size of the tire vulcanizing press as a whole.

Abstract: A bladder bladderless-type dual-purpose tire vulcanizer wherein a lower center mechanism for the bladder type and a lower center mechanism for the bladderless type are interchangeably mounted on a lower platen which supports a lower half of a mold. An upper center mechanism for the bladderless type is vertically movably mounted, between an operating position and an upper waiting position, on an upper plate which supports an upper half of the mold. An upper bead ring for the bladder type and an upper bead ring for the bladderless type are interchangeably mounted on the upper half of the mold. Furthermore the lower center mechanism is provided with a lower bead ring, and upper and lower domes for enclosing and clamping the upper and lower platens.