Bead Portion Of Carcass Treatment Patents (Class 156/135)
  • Patent number: 9757914
    Abstract: In order to improve tire production efficiency, there is provided a conveying apparatus that conveys a tire-accompanied rigid core in a lying-sideways position to a loading position P1, a preheating device for preheating at a preheating position P2, a vulcanizing device for vulcanizing at a vulcanizing position P3, a cooling device for cooling at a cooling position P4, and a transferring device. The transferring device has a turning arm capable of turning horizontally around an axis of turning and movable up and down, and transfers the tire-accompanied rigid core from and to the conveying device, the preheating device, the vulcanizing device, and the cooling device at the positions P1 to P4. The loading position P1, the preheating position P2, the vulcanizing position P3 and the cooling position P4 are arranged on the same circumferential line centered on the axis of turning.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2017
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Onimatsu
  • Publication number: 20150083307
    Abstract: A tyre building machine for applying an apex to a bead to form a bead-apex assembly for a green tyre, including a bead holder for holding the bead, wherein the tyre building machine includes a first gripper and a second gripper for engaging and moving the apex in a direction of conveyance towards the bead, wherein the first gripper is moveable between a first start position and a first end position and the second gripper is moveable between a second start position and a second end position, wherein the tyre building machine is provided with wedges, wherein the grippers are biased to a closed state in which the grippers are arranged to engage the apex, and wherein the wedges are arranged for countering the bias of the grippers when the grippers are at one of the start positions or the end positions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2013
    Publication date: March 26, 2015
    Applicant: VMI HOLLAND B.V.
    Inventors: Marco Slot, Gerard Johannes Van Laar
  • Publication number: 20150053326
    Abstract: The present invention has an object of providing a pneumatic tire that exhibits better uniformity by improving the wire wound body for constituting the bead core. The pneumatic tire 1 comprises a bead core 5 comprising a wire wound body 10 in which one bead wire 10a is spirally wound in a continuous around a tire rotational axis CL so that a plurality of layers of the bead wire are formed in a radial direction of the tire. The wire wound body 10 comprises a first part 13 and a second part 14. The first part 13 comprises a plurality of layers of the bead wire 10a each circumferentially extending with a constant radius from the tire rotational axis CL. The second part comprises a plurality of layers of the bead wire 10a each circumferentially extending while changing its radius from the tire rotational axis CL.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 22, 2012
    Publication date: February 26, 2015
    Inventors: Naoki Sugiyama, Tomoharu Torii
  • Publication number: 20140332143
    Abstract: In the method according to the invention for producing a pneumatic tire for heavy load, it is important that the following vulcanizing conditions are satisfied, the temperature for vulcanizing the tread region is 140° C. or lower, a vulcanization calorie given to the bead regions is a calorie corresponding to a time of 25 to 40 minutes in terms of the vulcanization calorie at a vulcanizing temperature of 140° C., and the ratio of a vulcanization calorie given to the front surface of the tread region to the vulcanization calorie given to the bead regions is 0.6 or more and less than 1.0, these vulcanization calories being each in terms of the vulcanization calorie at the vulcanizing temperature of 140° C.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 6, 2014
    Publication date: November 13, 2014
    Applicant: TOYO TIRE & RUBBER CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Hiroaki Narita
  • Patent number: 8877105
    Abstract: A process for manufacturing an elastomeric tire component includes the steps of a) preparing an elongated element including a cross-linkable elastomeric material by feeding it to an extruding device having a plurality of units, each having a respective thermal inertia, and b) delivering the elongated element onto a building support, and further includes at least one non-productive step of c) submitting at least one of the units of the extruding device to a thermal transition selected from heating or cooling, substantially reducing the risk of scorching during the thermal transition from and to the non-productive step ranking the units according to their thermal inertia and heating the units starting with the top-ranked unit sequentially to the bottom-ranked unit to reach the respective working temperature or cooling the units starting from the maximum working temperature unit sequentially to the minimum working temperature unit to reach the respective non-working temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: Pirelli Tyre S.p.A.
    Inventors: Francesco D'Oria, Enrico Sabbatani, Maurizio Marchini
  • Patent number: 8764924
    Abstract: To build a tire carcass, a tubular carcass body is formed about a building drum, which has a longitudinal axis, and an outer surface coaxial with the longitudinal axis and defined at least partly by a ring of longitudinal articulated rods lying in respective planes of a sheaf of planes through the longitudinal axis; the building drum locking two bead bundles to the tubular carcass body and torus-shaping the tubular carcass body by moving and/or deforming the articulated rods in their planes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2014
    Assignee: Marangoni Meccanica S.p.A.
    Inventors: Viscardo Baldoni, Flavio Boscolo
  • Publication number: 20140138015
    Abstract: The present invention provides a tire having improved durability of a bead portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 24, 2014
    Publication date: May 22, 2014
    Applicant: BRIDGESTONE CORPORATION
    Inventor: Jyunya ASARI
  • Patent number: 8696970
    Abstract: Along a building line, a green tyre is built on a rigid toroidal support having an outer surface substantially conforming in shape to an inner surface of the green tyre. The green tyre is then transferred to a bead moulding and prevulcanisation station where each bead of the tyre is moulded by tightening it between a surface portion of the toroidal support and an annular clamping surface carried by a removable tightening flange. The tightened beads are prevulcanised through a heat supply by means of electric resistors integrated into the tightening flanges. The tyre with the prevulcanised and tightened beads is transferred into a moulding cavity having an inner wall of a shape substantially conforming to that of the outer surface of the moulded tyre, to carry out moulding of the tyre and complete vulcanisation of same.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2014
    Assignee: Pirelli Tyre S.p.A.
    Inventor: Gianni Mancini
  • Publication number: 20140069573
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method and apparatus for preforming a green tire into a shape that is equivalent to the shape of the green tire when placed in a closed mold. The method for preforming orients the beads of the green tire parallel and concentric to one another and also rotates the bead area components of the tire into the proper configuration prior to cure. The bead portions of the tire maintain the parallel position as the tire is loaded into a tire mold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 21, 2013
    Publication date: March 13, 2014
    Inventors: Andres Ignacio Delgado, Eugene Andrew Bator
  • Publication number: 20140000791
    Abstract: Process for manufacturing a tyre, includes the following steps: (a) winding at least one metal wire so as to form a plurality of coils, the coils being radially superimposed and axially arranged side-by-side with respect to one another, so as to obtain a bead core; (b) applying at least one layer of a crosslinkable elastomeric material to the bead core obtained in step (a), so as to obtain a coated bead core; (c) partially crosslinking the at least one layer of crosslinkable elastomeric material, so as to obtain an amount of free sulfur of 30% by weight to 70% by weight, preferably of 40% by weight to 65% by weight, more preferably of 50% by weight to 60% by weight, with respect to the total weight of the sulfur present in the crosslinkable elastomeric material: and (d) applying a bead filler to the radial outer surface of the bead core obtained in step (c), so as to obtain a bead structure for a green tyre.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 6, 2013
    Publication date: January 2, 2014
    Applicant: PIRELLI TYRE S.p.A.
    Inventors: Giuseppe CEREDA, Luca Merlo
  • Patent number: 8603275
    Abstract: In a process of manufacturing pneumatic tires, a carcass sleeve is made which includes at least one carcass ply provided with axially opposite flaps turned up around annular anchoring structures, so as to form respective loops. An outer sleeve is positioned around the carcass sleeve and the latter is radially expanded in order to cause application of same against a radially internal surface of the outer sleeve. After each of the end flaps has been turned up and before radial expansion, only a portion belonging to each of the loops and extending substantially parallel to the respective annular anchoring structure is submitted to a step of carrying out heating under pressure, to make each loop integral with the annular anchoring structure and prevent the turned-up ply/plies from even partly slipping off, during the subsequent radial-expansion step of the carcass sleeve and vulcanization step of the tire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2013
    Assignee: Pirelli Tyre S.p.A.
    Inventors: Pier Giuseppe Piantanida, Andrea Casali, Fiorenzo Mariani
  • Publication number: 20130276958
    Abstract: In the method for producing a tire casing of the present invention by vulcanizing a casing portion comprising a belt portion composed of multiple belt layers, a side portion and a bead portion and also comprising at least any one of a tread casing and a belt under-cushion rubber, a rubber composition containing carbon black having a nitrogen adsorption specific surface area of from 25 to 130 m2/g as defined in JIS K 6217-2:2001 in an amount of from 25 to 45 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of the rubber component therein is used as at least the rubber composition constituting the tread casing to be a part of the tread portion or the rubber composition constituting the belt under-cushion rubber, and accordingly, the rolling resistance of the tire can be reduced and the durability thereof can be improved.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2011
    Publication date: October 24, 2013
    Applicant: BRIDGESTONE CORPORATION
    Inventor: Motoaki Kanou
  • Patent number: 8518317
    Abstract: A green tire is built on a forming drum and then transferred to a bead molding and pre-vulcanization station where each bead of the tire is molded by tightening it between two axially opposite clamping surfaces respectively carried by an axially external annular locating element and an axially internal annular locating element consisting of radially expandable circumferential sectors. The tightened beads can be pre-vulcanized through heat supply by means of electric resistors integrated into the axially external annular locating elements. The tire with the tightened and possibly pre-vulcanized beads is transferred to a molding cavity having an inner wall substantially conforming to the shape of an outer surface of the molded tire to carry out molding and complete vulcanization of the tire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2013
    Assignee: Pirelli Tyre S.p.A.
    Inventor: Gianni Mancini
  • Publication number: 20130206321
    Abstract: Method and assembly for manufacturing a green tyre using a building drum (1) and a transfer device (3). The method comprises a step of arranging and forming a first tyre component assembly for the green tyre on a building drum (1), a step of placing the transfer device (3) around the building drum, a removal step of the first tyre component assembly for the green tyre being removed from the building drum (1) by the transfer device (3). After the removal step second tyre components for the same green tyre are arranged on the building drum (1), followed by a step of placing the transfer device (3) around the building drum (1), and a step of placing the first tyre component assembly on the second tyre components.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 14, 2011
    Publication date: August 15, 2013
    Applicant: VMI HOLLAND B.V.
    Inventors: Jan Kornelis Grashuis, Martin De Graaf, Fredrik Jaap Wemerman
  • Publication number: 20130186553
    Abstract: A tire component that has no defect caused by air insertion in an uneven portion and gives no defective external appearance caused by the uneven portions through laminate molding a belt-shaped rubber. A molding device has a rubber extruder having a mouthpiece with a rhombic cross-section, and upper and lower rollers, rolling a belt-shaped rubber with the rhombic cross-section extruded through the mouthpiece into a hexagonal cross-section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2011
    Publication date: July 25, 2013
    Applicant: BRIDGESTONE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yosuke Kimiya, Jun Takizawa
  • Publication number: 20130180647
    Abstract: A process for manufacturing a tyre for vehicle wheels includes: laying at least one carcass ply on a forming support having a rotation axis; bringing an annular anchoring structure in contact position with an end edge of the carcass ply; holding through a positioning device, the annular anchoring structure in contact position with the end edge while an air chamber is partially inflated to carry out a first part of turning up the end edge around the annular anchoring structure; moving the positioning device away from the annular anchoring structure; and completing the inflation of the air chamber to carry out the remaining part of turning up the end edge around the annular anchoring structure, so as to form a turned up end portion of the carcass ply including the annular anchoring structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 26, 2011
    Publication date: July 18, 2013
    Inventors: Maurizio Marchini, Gianni Mancini
  • Patent number: 8221570
    Abstract: A process and apparatus for manufacturing tires for vehicle wheels, includes building, on a toroidal support, a carcass structure including at least one carcass ply associated, at axially opposite end edges thereof, with annular anchoring structures, the building step of the carcass structure includes forming at least one reinforcing structure, operatively associated with the annular anchoring structures through deposition on the toroidal support of at least one reinforcing element along a predetermined curvilinear deposition path. The deposition of the at least one reinforcing element includes the steps of: cutting to size a piece of at least one reinforcing continuous band-like element fed by a feeding device along a predetermined feeding direction, deforming the piece obtained according to the curvature of a deposition part of the deposition path intended to receive the piece, and depositing the deformed piece at the deposition part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2012
    Assignee: Pirelli Tyre S.p.A.
    Inventors: Maurizio Marchini, Fiorenzo Mariani, Riccardo Azzaretto, Stefano Sangiovanni
  • Publication number: 20110315295
    Abstract: Method of manufacturing a tire comprising a carcass reinforcement extending between beads, this carcass reinforcement being anchored in each bead by being wrapped around each circumferential bead reinforcement to form a turned-back portion, this carcass reinforcement comprising at least one rubber ply which is reinforced with a plurality of metal cords of low or zero permeability, each bead comprising a plurality of rubber-based strips, at least one of these strips, known as the bead rubber strip, radially on the outside of the circumferential bead reinforcement performing a function of filling and mechanical connection between the carcass reinforcement and its turned-back portion, this bead rubber strip comprising a first surface axially towards the inside in contact with the carcass reinforcement and a second surface axially towards the outside, each bead further comprising at least one other strip, known as the filler strip which, radially on the outside of the radially outermost points of the turned-back
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 4, 2009
    Publication date: December 29, 2011
    Applicants: Michelin Recherche Et Technique S.A., Societe De Technologie Michelin
    Inventors: Michael Cogne, Laurent Nadreau, Niclas Seidel, Robert Veyret
  • Patent number: 8082964
    Abstract: A vehicle wheel tire includes a carcass structure, at least one annular reinforcing structure, a tread band, and a pair of sidewalls. The carcass structure includes at least one carcass ply, each including a plurality of elongated elements disposed around a cross-section profile of the tire. Each elongated element includes two side portions at mutually-spaced-apart positions and a crown portion that extends between the side portions. The at least one annular reinforcing structure includes at least one bead core. A fraction of the elongated elements is turned up around the at least one bead core. A method of manufacturing the tire includes preparing the elongated elements, disposing each elongated element on a toroidal support, applying at least one bead core at a region close to side portions of the elongated elements, and turning up ends of a fraction of the elongated elements around the at least one bead core.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2011
    Assignee: Pirelli Pneumatici S.p.A.
    Inventors: Rodolfo Noto, Gaetano Lo Presti, Ignazio De Gese, Claudio Lacagnina
  • Publication number: 20110155300
    Abstract: In a bead manufacturing method and bead manufacturing device, a former rotatably supported on a support base and pivotably holds opposite end portions of a plurality of elastically deformable spring members arranged on an outer circumference thereof with gaps in a circumferential direction for annularly winding a bead filler around the spring members, an actuation mechanism is provided for curving the spring members in the radial directions of the former, and a bead core holding portion is arranged at one end side of the former for holding a bead core. When the spring members are elastically deformed outward in the radial directions of the former to a semicircular shape, the bead filler annularly wound around the spring members are raised up to fixedly fit a short bottom side thereof on the outer circumference of the bead core held at one end side of the former.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 16, 2009
    Publication date: June 30, 2011
    Applicant: FUJI SEIKO CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Chikara Takagi
  • Patent number: 7909953
    Abstract: A first carcass ply (3) is formed by depositing onto a toroidal support (11), strip-like lengths (13) cut to size from a continuous strip-like element and each comprising longitudinal thread-like elements (14) incorporated into a layer of elastomer material (17). The strip-like lengths are laid down sequentially in mutual circumferential side by side relationship, to form side portions (25) partly superposed on each other and crown portions (24) in mutual circumferential side by side relationship. Associated with the carcass ply (3) are annular structures (4) comprising a first and a second circumferentially inextensible annular inserts (27, 28) and an elastomer filling (29) interposed therebetween. A second carcass ply (31) is made in superposed position to the first carcass ply (3) and the annular structures (4). A belt structure (5), a tread band (8) and sidewalls (9) are combined with the carcass structure (2) thus formed, to define a tire (1) to be vulcanized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2011
    Assignee: Pirelli Pneumatici S.p.A.
    Inventor: Renato Caretta
  • Patent number: 7883595
    Abstract: A tire manufacturing method includes the steps of, when a green tire is molded, moving a toroidally expandable toroidal molding drum through a distance between a plurality of working stations at a specified tact time, disposing a carcass band and both bead cores on the drum in any working station and locking the bead cores, increasing the diameter of the molding drum, toroidally extending the carcass band between both bead cores, and rolling up the side portion of the carcass band around the bead cores in the outer radial direction, assembling tire component members with the bead cores locked to the toroidal molding drum and molding the green tire, and reducing the diameter of the molding drum, unlocking the bead cores, and removing the green tire from the molding drum, whereby the tires of a plurality of sizes can be sequentially molded, a conventional tire structure must not be largely changed, and an energy and time can be prevented from being wastefully consumed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2011
    Assignee: Bridgestone Corporation
    Inventors: Yuichi Nakada, Yuichiro Ogawa
  • Patent number: 7862674
    Abstract: In a forming method for forming an assembly of a bead core and an apex rubber, there is used a rotating body which comprises a rotating base substance having an assembly forming surface, and a core receiving portion projecting from the rotating base substance in the axially outward direction of the rotating base substance. The core receiving portion projecting has a receiving surface supporting the radially inner peripheral surface of the bead core. The apex rubber is formed by winding an unvulcanized rubber strip along the assembly forming surface from a starting position constituted by the radially outer peripheral surface of the bead core supported on the receiving surface so as to laminate in a tapered cross sectional shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2011
    Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masumi Suzuki, Shuichi Yamamori
  • Patent number: 7820000
    Abstract: In a tire molding process, a mutual positional deviation or angular deviation between the axis of a carcass member and the axis of a bead core takes place in a produced tire when the bead core is set on the outer periphery of cylindrical carcass member. By the use of an estimation formula for estimating the primary harmonic component in the waveform of a radial force, an inverse waveform with the primary harmonic component inversed is found with respect to the measurement waveform of the produced tire or with respect to the treatment waveform with a numerical value treatment applied thereto. Thereafter, in producing a tire of the same size by the mold used for producing the preceding tire, the mutual positional deviation or angular deviation between the axis of the carcass member and the axis of the bead core found by a backward calculation from the estimation formula is changed to set the bead core on the carcass member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2010
    Assignee: Bridgestone Corporation
    Inventors: Tetsuo Tsujimoto, Yukio Saegusa, Tomohiro Irie, Noriaki Kurabayashi
  • Patent number: 7819157
    Abstract: A tire comprising sidewalls joining a crown part to beads that are intended to come into contact with a mounting rim, these sidewalls comprising a carcass reinforcement anchored in each bead to at least one bead wire and having an end in each bead, the bead wire having, seen in meridian cross-section, an outer profile comprising two profile parts, a first part radially to the inside of axial width L, extending between an axially innermost point and an axially outermost part, and a second part radially to the outside between said points. Each bead comprises at least one additional coupling reinforcement in contact with the carcass reinforcement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2010
    Assignee: Michelin Recherche et Technique S.A.
    Inventors: Olivier Ferlin, Bopha Grisin
  • Patent number: 7811398
    Abstract: An inspection method for inspecting beads provided on a tire building drum in process of production a pneumatic tire includes measuring a displacement amount in a radial direction on each of the beads lying axially on both sides of the drum with a distance sensor such as an eddy current sensor while rotating the drum, synthesizing displacement amounts so obtained on the beads on both the sides, calculating a harmonic of the displacement amounts in the radial direction of the beads by performing harmonic analysis on a resultant synthesized displacement amount, and determining whether the magnitude of the harmonic so calculated falls within a predetermined range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2010
    Assignee: Toyo Tire & Rubber Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kinya Moriguchi, Hajime Watanabe, Osamu Yamashita
  • Publication number: 20100051177
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for manufacturing an annular tire component such as a tire bead includes locating a toroidal support; placing an ejector nozzle in an interference relationship to the toroidal support; and simultaneously ejecting through the nozzle a continuous stream of an elastomeric belt component material in a suitably fluid state and a continuous length of at least one thread component disposed within the stream onto the toroidal support in a predetermined bead configuration. The bead configuration is at least partially defined by a relief in the nozzle ejection port and by the toroidal support onto which the bead is formed. Rotation of the toroidal support may be coupled with the simultaneous ejection of the elastomeric component and thread component in order to create an annular bead structure. A tire may be constructed having a desired bead configuration and location by means of the method and apparatus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 13, 2009
    Publication date: March 4, 2010
    Inventors: Christopher David Dyrlund, Gary Robert Burg, Brian Richard Koch, Dwayne Richard Huston
  • Publication number: 20100043952
    Abstract: When a bead member formed of a bead core and a bead filler is transferred, the occurrence of deformation in the bead filler is restricted, and the shape accuracy thereof is improved. A plurality of supporting pawls provided on a transfer apparatus are brought into contact with an inside diameter portion of a bead core of a bead member to support it at a plurality of points in the circumferential direction, from the inner circumferential side. At the same time, an end of a bead filler is sucked and supported by suction pads joined to the supporting pawls via joint members. The bead member, while being held at the respective parts, is removed from a forming apparatus, is moved to a cartridge for storage, and is placed on a placing surface of the cartridge. Thereafter, the suction holding of the bead filler is released and the supporting pawls are moved away from the inside diameter portion of the bead core, thus transferring the bead member onto the cartridge.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 19, 2008
    Publication date: February 25, 2010
    Applicant: BRIDGESTONE CORPORATION
    Inventor: Toshiyuki Terazono
  • Patent number: 7628190
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire comprises a carcass reaching a bead core of a bead portion from a tread portion via a side wall portion; a side wall rubber arranged in an outer side of said carcass and forming an outer side surface of said side wall portion; and a clinch rubber for preventing a rim displacement connected to a lower end of the side wall rubber and forming an outer side surface of said bead portion. The sidewall rubber and the clinch rubber are constituted by a strip wind body formed by winding and overlapping a side wall rubber strip and a clinch rubber strip in a circumferential direction and spirally, and the respective rubber strips are wound in the same direction from the bead portion side toward the tread portion side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2009
    Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masanori Takahashi, Norio Hayashi
  • Publication number: 20090133809
    Abstract: When building an unvulcanised tyre from tyre components using a tyre building drum, the mutual distances considered in axial direction between a bead ring segment, a first end and a steering element of a folding arm in question are chosen such that at movement of a steering element towards the bead ring segment a steering surface comes to abut the steering element so that the roller element can be moved from a first position, after which the roller element presses an outer part of the tyre components against a bead ring core to be placed on the bead ring segment while simultaneously the roller element moves away from the longitudinal axis, wherein the steering element moves along the steering surface until the stop of the annular steering segment abuts an annular folding arm segment, after which the folding arm swivels about a swivel axle and the steering element comes to lie apart from the steering surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2008
    Publication date: May 28, 2009
    Inventors: Henk-Jan Grolleman, Luuk Van Tienen, Jakob Pieter De Vries
  • Publication number: 20090084490
    Abstract: An apparatus for upturning a tire-building component on a tire-building drum has a roller lever. To provide an apparatus which is capable of upturning a tire-building component on a tire-building drum, and which achieves the upturn of the tire-building component without defects, in particular unintended creasing in the side wall, it is proposed that, during the procedure of preparation for upturning, a spacer provides separation between the roller and the segment in such a way that the roller is in essence in contact exclusively with the tire-building component. The roller therefore rolls along the tire-building component.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 21, 2008
    Publication date: April 2, 2009
    Applicant: CONTINENTAL AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventors: Andreas Jungk, Martin Gerighausen
  • Patent number: 7491285
    Abstract: The method for molding a bead portion for a green tire includes a bead core supporting step for supporting the bead core through a carcass ply upon expanding a diameter of a bead core supporter including a seating surface for supporting a radially inner surface of the bead core. Since the bead core supporter comprises an outer piece outside of the seating surface in a tire axial direction that rises up towards outside in the radial direction with a clearance between the same and the bead core, that is larger than the thickness of the carcass ply, it is possible to flip a carcass outer region up, that is outside in the tire axial direction than a sandwiched region of the carcass ply, sandwiched and held between the seating surface and the bead core, and to deform the carcass outer region into an outer inclined piece that is inclined and extended towards radially outside without including any partially bent portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2009
    Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuichi Takeuchi, Naoki Sugiyama
  • Publication number: 20090014108
    Abstract: A tire is provided that includes a crown with a mid-plane S, two sidewalls, a first bead, of diameter ?1, intended to be positioned on the outboard side of a vehicle, and a second bead, of diameter ?2, intended to be positioned on the inboard side of a vehicle, such that ?1>?2. When the tire is mounted on its working rim and inflated to its nominal pressure, the mid-plane S of the crown is axially offset towards the first bead relative to a mid-plane B of the beads by a positive or zero distance D.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2007
    Publication date: January 15, 2009
    Applicant: MICHELIN RECHERCHE ET TECHIQUE S.A.
    Inventors: Nicolas Grolier, Nicolas Janin
  • Patent number: 7431787
    Abstract: A method for building a tyre for a vehicle wheel includes positioning a casing sleeve on a shaping drum and securing the sleeve on the drum. During at least one of positioning and securing the sleeve, the sleeve is kept in an essentially centered position on the drum by radial forces directed against a radially inner surface of the sleeve. A shaping drum for making a tyre for a vehicle wheel includes a rotation shaft and two coaxial half-drums integral with each other with respect to rotation. At least one of the half-drums is axially movable in both directions with respect to the other half-drum. Each half-drum includes a support device, a gripping device, and a centering device. A first equatorial plane defined the centering devices is axially movable with respect to a second equatorial plane defined by the gripping devices. A plant for building a tyre is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2008
    Assignee: Pirelli Pneumatici S.p.A.
    Inventors: Gian Luigi Bosio, Roberto Rungo
  • Patent number: 7429303
    Abstract: Device (D) for winding a cylindrical sleeve (C) of axis XX? around a toric ring (R) so that the end (E) of the said cylindrical sleeve is engaged between the toric ring (R) and the cylindrical sleeve (C) itself in order to make at least one complete turn around the substantially circular radial section of the said toric ring (R). The device comprises a winding fabric (T) also formed by a sleeve sliding freely in the axial direction on the external surface of a concentric set of winding heads (10, 10?) having an external profile comprising a back (104) constituting a substantially cylindrical surface, a convex front annular surface (102) connected to the previous surface and a concave annular surface (103) connected to the latter so that the winding fabric (2) produces S-shaped loops when the said winding fabric (T) substantially follows the radial profile of the convex annular surface (102) and of the concave annular surface (103) of the winding heads (10, 10?).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2008
    Assignee: Michelin Recherche et Technique S.A.
    Inventor: Stéphane Ravat
  • Publication number: 20080149250
    Abstract: A tire and method of building a tire is described wherein the tire has a carcass having a pair of sidewall plies and a bridge ply, each ply being reinforced with cords, the sidewall plies each having a first end which is received between the bridge ply and a belt reinforcing structure; wherein each sidewall ply extends axially outward along the sidewall and extending radially inwardly to the bead core and folded from a position axially outside the bead core to a position axially inside and around the bead core to an axially inner turnup end; said bridge ply having ends which overlap with a respective inner turnup end of said sidewall ply.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 10, 2007
    Publication date: June 26, 2008
    Inventors: Keith Carl Trares, Joseph Kevin Hubbell, Robert Allen Losey, Robert Anthony Neubauer
  • Publication number: 20080105360
    Abstract: An apparatus for shaping a green tire carcass is provided having a bladder mounted to a first and second support, a retractable support shaft mounted inside the bladder, and upper and lower bead ring for mounting the beads of the tire carcass thereon, wherein one of said bead rings has a channel in fluid communication with a pressurized source of fluid, wherein said channel has an outlet located between said bladder and said carcass for injecting pressurized fluid between the carcass and the bladder.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 3, 2006
    Publication date: May 8, 2008
    Inventor: George Michael Stoila
  • Patent number: 7361244
    Abstract: There are provided a method and a drum for building a tire in which residual air can be effectively removed by enhancing a pressing force of a carcass band to a bead filler in the turning of the carcass band around a bead core, wherein a cylindrical green case is arranged on an outer peripheral side of a building drum, and a central portion of the green case is expansion-deformed in a radial direction while approaching both the bead cores to each other under a restraint of the bead core through the building drum, and the green case is pressed onto an inner peripheral face of a belt-tread band, and thereafter both the end portions of the carcass band are turned around the bead cores so that the carcass band is pushed onto rigid support members disposed at an inner peripheral side of the carcass band together with the bead cores and bead fillers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2008
    Assignee: Bridgestone Corporation
    Inventor: Toshio Tokunaga
  • Patent number: 7316255
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire comprises: a carcass ply turned up around a bead core in each bead portion from the inside to the outside of the tire so as to form a pair of turnup portions and a main portion therebetween; a bead apex disposed between the carcass ply turnup portion and main portion; and a reinforcing rubber layer disposed axially outside the carcass ply, wherein the bead apex extends radially outwardly from the bead core up to a position at a radial height in a range of from 10 to 25 mm from the radially outer end of the bead core; the reinforcing rubber layer extends radially outwardly beyond the maximum tire section width point, and radially inwardly beyond the radially outer edge of the turnup portion; and the bead apex and reinforcing rubber layer are each made of a hard rubber, and the difference in hardness therebetween is not more than 15 degrees.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2008
    Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries Ltd.
    Inventor: Yoshiki Nakagawa
  • Patent number: 7288160
    Abstract: A tire building drum and a method of building a tire carcass is disclosed. The tire building drum has a center section comprised of a plurality of segments that are radially and axially movable. The building drum further comprises shoulder sections that are axially movable. The shoulder sections include radially expandable bead locks. The method employs the steps of applying one or more carcass layers, locking the bead locks and moving the center section radially outwardly while moving the bead locks axially inwardly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2007
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventors: John Kolbjoern Roedseth, Francis Omer Elie Cornet, Jean-Marie Emilien Gabriel Colling
  • Patent number: 7285176
    Abstract: The thread 4, intended to form a carcass reinforcement, is laid in continguous hoops on a rigid core 1 by a system with at least two oscillating arms transporting an orifice 6 so as to enable it to pass over a core 1 and thus lay adjacent hoops.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2007
    Assignee: Michelin Recherche et Technique S.A.
    Inventor: Jean-Claude Mayet
  • Patent number: 7276131
    Abstract: A method of making a tire includes making a carcass structure; applying a belt structure, tread band, and at least one pair of sidewalls; and vulcanizing the tire. Making the carcass structure involves formation of at least one first carcass ply, including preparing and depositing at least one continuous strip element onto a toroidal support in alternating deposition sections. Each deposition section extends in a substantially U-shaped conformation against a profile in transverse section of the toroidal support or a previously deposited deposition section, substantially over an entire length of the section, to define two side portions, a crown portion, and two transition regions defined between the side and crown portions. The crown portions of the deposition sections are arranged consecutively in side-by-side relationship along a circumferential extension of the toroidal support.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2007
    Assignee: Pirelli Pneumatici S.p.A.
    Inventors: Renato Caretta, Fiorenzo Mariani
  • Patent number: 7241353
    Abstract: There is provided a method of manufacturing a tire wherein a uniformity of a tire having a reinforcing rubber layer of substantially a crescent-shaped section between a carcass and an innerliner and capable of mainly running at a run-flat state is improved by transferring a carcass band prior to turning of a carcass member around a bead core to a green tire building drum of a cylindrical form from outside in a radial direction, holding the bead core by the green tire building drum, deforming a main body portion of the carcass, turning a turnup portion thereof, attaching an innerliner rubber 12 onto an outer periphery of a first band building drum in a cylindrical form, relatively reducing a size of a reinforcing rubber overlap region of the innerliner rubber 12 every axial position by two times a thickness of the reinforcing rubber substantially corresponding to such a position as compared with a reinforcing rubber non-corresponding region, and then attaching a reinforcing rubber 13 onto the relatively size-r
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2007
    Assignee: Bridgestone Corporation
    Inventor: Toshio Tokunaga
  • Patent number: 7144466
    Abstract: Device for turning up sidewalls of a tire. The device includes a first lever supporting body arranged on a first side of a drum center and being movable in an axial direction. A first lever system pivotally connected to the first lever supporting body. A second lever supporting body arranged on a second side of the drum center and being movable in an axial direction. A second lever system pivotally connected to the second lever supporting body. The first and second sides are arranged on opposite sides of the drum center. A base spindle is adapted to move the first and second lever supporting bodies in an axial synchronous manner relative to each another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2006
    Assignee: Continental Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Andreas Jungk
  • Patent number: 7101451
    Abstract: A tire building drum with a turn-up device for production of unvulcanized tires, consisting of a horizontally disposed central bearing hollow shaft (1) with a driving spindle extending through the centre of the bearing hollow shaft, around which there are arranged two sets of lever arms (26) with rollers (27), between which a mechanism for supporting bead wires from both sides is located at both sides of a vertical symmetry plane, the mechanism consisting of: an axially movably arranged first guiding disc (21) with radially movably arranged clamping bead segments (33), adapted to cooperate with a mechanism for controlling radial lift of clamping bead segments (33), and an axially movably arranged second guiding disc (34) with radially movably arranged supporting bead segments (32), adapted to cooperate with a mechanism for controlling radial lift of the supporting bead segments (32), wherein the clamping bead segment (33) is provided with a space (3) for receiving supporting arms (9, 9a) with a bridge (11) of
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2006
    Assignee: Matador A. S.
    Inventors: Jozef {hacek over (Z)}emla, Mário Janovec, {hacek over (S)}tefan Bakoś
  • Patent number: 7041185
    Abstract: A method of making a tire includes forming at least one first carcass ply of a structure, forming at least one circumferentially-inextensible annular structure, and applying the at least one circumferentially-inextensible annular structure to a region close to inner cicumferential edges of the at least one first carcass ply. Forming the at least one first carcass ply includes preparing first strip lengths, each first strip length including longitudinal and parallel thread elements at least partly coated with at least one layer of raw elastomer material, and depositing the first strip lengths onto a toroidal support to define two side portions and a crown portion. The crown portions are disposed consecutively in side-by-side relationship along a circumferential extension of the toroidal support. The side portions of each first strip length cover in part or are partly covered by a side portion of at least one circumferentially-consecutive first strip length.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2006
    Assignee: Pirelli Pneumatici S.p.A.
    Inventors: Renato Caretta, Maurizio Marchini
  • Patent number: 6964719
    Abstract: A process of manufacturing a pneumatic tire (300) with oppositely disposed annularly-shaped beads (324) for mounting on flange shoulders (304) of a wheel rim (302) with the opposed beads (324) spaced apart from one another by a distance “i”. The process comprises the steps of: forming a green tire assembly (308) including a tread (312), and a carcass (316) with a ply (320) and opposed sidewalls (318) that each include a radial inner-end bead portion (322) with one of the beads (324) and wherein each bead portion (322) is spaced apart from one another by a distance “f”. The green tire assembly (308) is cured by applying pressure thereto at an elevated temperature in a vulcanization mold (400). The process is characterized by the steps of spacing the opposed beads (324) apart from one another by a distance “g” which is substantially equal to the distance “f” therebetween when the green tire assembly (308) was formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2005
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventor: John See Van Hoose
  • Patent number: 6941992
    Abstract: A carcass structure for a vehicle wheel tyre includes at least one carcass ply comprising thread elements substantially disposed transversely of a circumferential extension of the carcass structure, and at least one pair of annular reinforcing structures disposed close to respective inner circumferential edges of the at least one carcass ply. Each of the annular reinforcing structures includes at least one first circumferentially-inextensible annular insert formed of at least one first elongated element extending in concentric coils, and at least one second circumferentially-inextensible annular insert formed of at least one second elongated element extending in concentric coils. The at least one carcass ply has end flaps each turned back around an inner circumferential edge of a respective first annular insert and each axially interposed between respective first and second annular inserts. A method of manufacturing the carcass structure is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2005
    Assignee: Pirelli Pneumatici S.p.A.
    Inventor: Renato Caretta
  • Patent number: 6923234
    Abstract: Tire including at least one carcass reinforcement of at least one ply anchored in each bead B to at least one bead wire, each bead being reinforced by at least two reinforcement plies formed of reinforcing elements inclined relative to the circumferential direction at an angle between 10° and 30°, said reinforcement plies being axially adjacent to the carcass ply wherein the reinforcing elements of at least one ply of the carcass reinforcement, in each part adjacent to the two bead reinforcement plies, are inclined relative to the circumferential direction at an angle between 50° and 80° and are radial in the part located between the radially upper ends of said two reinforcement plies, said ends being located radially outside the sidewall points that define the maximum axial width of the tire when mounted on its intended wheel rim and inflated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2005
    Assignee: Michelin Recherche et Technique S.A.
    Inventors: Luc Bestgen, Michel Ahouanto
  • Patent number: 6887327
    Abstract: The thread 4, intended to form a carcass reinforcement, is laid in continguous hoops on a rigid core 1 by a system with at least two oscillating arms transporting an orifice 6 so as to enable it to pass over a core 1 and thus lay adjacent hoops.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2005
    Assignee: Michelin Recherche et Technique S.A.
    Inventor: Jean-Claude Mayet