Abstract: A trapezoidal non-pneumatic tire ("TNPT") is integrally molded from a stiff, resilient elastomeric material with particular specifications, to form a unitary structure comprising outer and inner cylindrical coaxial members ("hoops"), the outer being wider than the inner. The outer hoop is supported and cushioned by a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart, planar rib members (ribs) and a planar central web member (web) which connects the hoops at their circumferential center lines. The web lies in a plane perpendicular to the rotational axis of the TNPT. The ribs extend axially along the inner and outer hoops, connecting them, and the edges of the ribs lie along the opposite faces of the web. The ribs are angled in the range from 15.degree. to 75.degree. to radial planes which intersect them at their radially inner ends, and the ribs on one side of the web are angled oppositely from those on the other. A rubber tread is secured to the outer surface of the outer hoop.

Abstract: Apparatus to cut breaker material as it is conveyed from a roll to a rotatable drum and to align the cut breaker material comprising a conveyor to move the breaker material along a path of travel from the roll to the drum with the longitudinal centerline of the material overlying the longitudinal centerline of the conveyor; cutter means located along the path of travel to sequentially cut the material fed from the roll into strips of a predetermined length with the cut being at an angle with respect to the longitudinal centerline of the material to thereby produce an acute angle at the tip of the leading edge of each strip of cut material; and edge alignment means positioned on the side of the cutter means remote from the roll to return the tip of the cut material into proper alignment position with the opposed side edges of the cut material being at a predetermined, equal distance from the longitudinal centerline of the conveyor.

Abstract: The heat-sink capacity of a well-insulated dome curing press lends itself to saving external steam (flowed over the exterior of a mold in the press) when curing an article. Despite shutting off the external steam at about the half-way point in the normal heating cycle, or sooner, the temperature swing at a point 2 inches within the mold is less than 10.degree. F. This small swings allows the point of least cure (PLC) to receive the required number of cure equivalents long after the external steam supply is shut off, that is, while the press is "coasting". In the mean while, the internal heating and cooling cycle of the press may also be shortened for maximum energy savings, or left unchanged. Though the external steam is shut off before the PLC has received the required or specified number of cure equivalents at the PLC, the press-open to press-close cycle remains the same, and the quality of the cure is not measurably affected.

Abstract: A robot for transporting a cylindrical tire carcass between various processing locations comprising arms with contoured free ends movable toward each other to thereby grasp the exterior cylindrical surface of a carcass, the free ends also being movable away from each other to thereby grasp the interior cylindrical surface of a green tire; transport means to move the arms between a pick up location, a tire building machine, and an inspection location; and control means adapted to move the arms toward each other at the pick up location to grasp the exterior cylindrical surface of a carcass and to activate the transport means to convey the grasped carcass to the tire building machine, the control means also adapted to move the arm away from each other at the tire building machine to grasp the interior cylindrical surface of a green tire and to activate the transport means to convey the grasped green tire to the inspection location.

Abstract: Compositions and method of using such compositions in washing applications which comprise at least one water-soluble organic surfactant selected from anionic and nonionic surfactants and a lime soap dispersant having molecular weight of 20,000 to 100,000 that is a copolymer of acrylic or methacrylic acid and acrylamide itself or a substituted acrylamide, in salt form, the relative ratio of the acid to an acrylamide being 35 to 75% by weight polymerized acrylamide with remainder being polymerized acid.

Abstract: A split tire mold having a tread ring having arch-vents for venting air circumferentially across the inner surface of the tread ring so that air escapes from the parting line of the mold halves. The "dougle-wedge-shaped" arch-vents provide passage for trapped air above each tread block of the tread as it is moved against the inner surface of the tread ring. The shape of the arch-vent passages and the angulation of the wedges is critical to the effectiveness of the arch-vent which forms an arch-vent bridge of cured rubber in a cured tire. The configuration of the bridge allows a cured tire to be easily removed from the mold cavity without leaving a broken-off piece of the rubber bridge to plug the arch-vents. This arch-vent design leaves flat-sided, narrow wedge-shaped pieces of rubber as the arch-vent stubs, tapered in two directions. The arch-vent stubs, viewed in the radial direction are so unobtrusive as to be cosmetically acceptable in a finished tire.

Abstract: A high temperature PVC resin blend is made by blending from 60 to 85 parts PVC with no more than 40 parts of a ("alpha-SAN") copolymer of alpha-methyl styrene ("AMS"), styrene ("S") and acrylonitrile ("AN") and less than 20 parts by wt additives including stabilizers, antioxidants, lubricants, and processing aids. In addition, an impact modifier may be added. The blend with particularly sized glass fibers, may be thermoformed at an elevated processing temperature and pressure, to provide a reinforced composite in which the PVC is covalently bonded to the glass fiber. The composite has a substantially higher HDT and equivalent tensile strength, compared to that of a similarly reinforced, unblended PVC composite, without sacrificing the novel composite's other desirable physical properties.

Abstract: The heat-sink capacity of a thick-walled article being cured with a hot liquid supplying heat to one side of the wall, allows the point of least cure (PLC) to receive a higher rate of cure equivalents even after the hot liquid is replaced with a cold liquid. In the mean while, the other side of the wall continues to be heated. Because such a change-over is effected before the PLC has received the minimum number of cure equivalents required to effect a cure at the PLC (a "pre-cure change-over"), a valving arrangement is provided which allows the change-over to be effected without permitting a pressure drop in the bladder sufficient to permit the tire to "blow" because it is as yet uncured when the change-over is effected. Such a pre-cure change-over cannot be made when steam is replaced with water at ambient temperature.

Abstract: A fluidizable catalyst composition is provided containing about 2% to about 8% by weight of copper (about 4% to about 17% by weight of copper salt), from about 1.0% to about 10% by weight of a rare earth metal salt(s), preferably the chloride salt(s), and from about 0.25% to about 2.3% by weight of an alkali metal salt(s), preferably the chloride salt(s), all weight percents based upon the total weight of the catalyst composition. The metals are codeposited on a fluidizable, high surface area alumina support. The weight of the alkali metal employed is not over 2.5% by weight (as the chloride) and the weight ratio of the rare earth metal salt(s) to the alkali metal salt(s) must be at least 1:1. Such catalyst compositions are extremely useful as fluid bed catalysts in the vapor phase oxychlorination reaction of ethylene, oxygen and hydrogen chloride to produce 1,2-dichloroethane (EDC).

Abstract: Stringent specifications for an extrudate are maintained by accurate control of tread weight per unit length without regard for dimensional changes of the extrudate. This is achieved simply by adjusting the speed of a single variable-speed conveyor, whether the running-weigh-scale ("RWS") conveyor, or, the take-away conveyor, without adjusting the extruder screw, or operation of the extruder, and without measuring any dimension (width or gauge) of the extrudate; therefore, with no regard either to the cross-sectional area, or surface area, or volume of the tread. The accuracy of control depends chiefly on how accurately one can measure the weight/unit length, and how precisely the speed of the single variable-speed conveyor can be controlled. Exceptional on-spec control in the continuous extrusion of a tread stock is achieved because it was recognized that dimensional changes of the tread stock, independent of its change in weight/unit length, do not adversely effect the specifications of the extruded tread.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for tire uniformity correction. During a sensing phase, the tire to be corrected is rotated at a speed higher than the industry standard of 60 revolutions per minute while sensing the force variations to be removed. During a rubber removal phase, the tire is rotated at a slower speed tire while removing rubber in selected amounts from selected areas of the tire corresponding force variations. Frequency modified electrical signals are generated in response to the sensed force variations in the tire during the sensing phase, such signals being at frequencies higher than the industry standard of 60 cycles per minute. Such frequency modified signals are then filtered in summer amplifiers, processed and stored in a microprocessor and then utilized for the removal of rubber in a programmed manner.

Abstract: A non-pneumatic tire ("NPT") is integrally molded from a stiff, resilient elastomeric material with particular specifications, to form a unitary structure comprising outer and inner cylindrical coaxial and coextensive members ("hoops"). The outer hoop is supported and cushioned by a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart, planar rib members (ribs) and a planar central web member (web) which connects the hoops at their circumferential center lines. The web lies in a plane perpendicular to the rotational axis of the NPT. The ribs extend axially along the inner and outer hoops, connecting them, and the edges of the ribs lie along the opposite faces of the web. The ribs are angulated in the range from 15.degree. to 75.degree. to radial planes which intersect them at their radially inner ends. A rubber tread is secured to the outer surface of the outer hoop.

Abstract: The heat-sink capacity of a thick-walled article being cured with a hot liquid supplying heat to one side of the wall, allows the point of least cure (PLC) to receive a higher rate of cure equivalents even after the hot liquid is replaced with a cold liquid. In the mean while, on the other side of the wall continues to be heated. Because such a change-over is effected before the PLC has received the minimum number of cure equivalents required to effect a cure at the PLC (a "pre-cure change-over"), a valving arrangement is provided which allows the changeover to be effected without permitting a pressure drop in the bladder sufficient to permit the tire to "blow" because it is as yet uncured when the change-over is effected. Such a pre-cure change-over cannot be made when steam is replaced with water at ambient temperature.

Abstract: This invention pertains to the use of certain phosphorus compounds in conjunction with other materials which characterize cleaners of alkaline earth metal salts, metal oxide/hydroxide salts, and silica/silicate salts, particularly citric acid, malic acid, oxalic acid, ammonium bifluoride and sodium bifluoride. Amount of the phosphorus compounds is 0.5 to 70%, preferably 2 to 40%, based on 100% of a cleaner composition which includes the phosphorus compounds. Suitable phosphorus compounds are selected from aminoalkyl and hydroxyalkyl phosphonic acids and phosphonates, phosphonoalkanepolycarboxylic acids and salts thereof, polyphosphoric acids and salts thereof, and polyol phosphate esters.

Abstract: Excellent stabilization of polypropylene (PP) is obtained with a hindered amine containing a polysubstituted piperazin-2-one (PSP) moiety, for example, a C.sub.2 -C.sub.12 alkylene connecting two PSP moieties, or a polyalkylene polyamine having pendant substituted oxo-piperazinyltriazine moieties (PIP-T), that is, having pendant triazine rings substituted with PSP substituents. The stabilizers are particularly effective for PP irradiated with high energy gamma-radiation. Irradiated articles made from PP stabilized with such a hindered amine have improved strength and discoloration resistance, compared to articles made from polymer stabilized with several other hindered amines tested, particularly the 2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-4-piperidyl sebacate.

Abstract: Preparation of a macromolecular monomer of a lactone allows the preparation of copolymers of lactones with commonly available olefinically unsaturated monomers. There is no known method for the preparation of such copolymers. A cationic ring-opening polymerization of a lactone in conjunction with an unsaturated alcohol (propagator) having an acryloyl, allyl or styryl double bond, produces a polylactone macromer having an ethylenic double bond at one end and a hydroxyl group at the other. The polymerization proceeds by polyaddition of the lactone to the OH group which is the propagating species. The polylactone may include a polymeric or non-polymeric spacer. The propagator is a primary or secondary alcohol which, if cyclic may have a single internal double bond in one ring. The catalyst is an oxonium salt, or etherate of boron trifluoride. The macromer may be copolymerized with a wide variety of olefinically unsaturated monomers to form a macromer copolymer with pendant polylactone chains.

Abstract: A synthetic rubber (SR) tire tread of styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) and butyl rubber which SR is essentially free of natural rubber (NR), upon vulcanization with sulfur in the presence of a combination of sulfenamide accelerators, provides excellent oxidative stability, resistance to hardening, and flex resistance, despite increasing the level of sulfur to an amount in the range from 2.0-3.0 phr, as long as the total amount of sulfenamide accelerators is less than 2.0 phr and there is more TCS than BTS. The crosslink network generated by the use of TCS in combination with BTS, which combination produces poor oxidation stability in a predominantly NR containing rubber, is not produced in SR.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for evaluating the level of objectionable noise associated with the operation of a tire by virtue of its tread contacting a road surface, which comprises digitizing the tread design on a coordinate system so as to define load-supporting portions of the tread in contact with the pavement, and distinguish them in binary form from those portions of the tread which are not in contact, as multiple matrix elements; defining a generally arcuate profile of a leading or trailing edge of a footprint of the tread by fitting an equation to the edge; sequentially performing the time ensemble summation, of the noise produced by each matrix element, over every matrix element on the entire circumferential surface; converting the sequence of summation to a periodic analog signal; converting the analog signal to a sound; and, aurally evaluating the sound. In a simplified case 0's and 1's along at least one footprint edge are sequentially summed around the circumference of the tire.

Abstract: Disclosed is an apparatus to longitudinally cut a cord reinforced rubber sheet into at least two strips of tire ply stock while the sheet is being conveyed past the apparatus. The apparatus includes a slitting device that utilizes shear-type action to cut through the sheet by the interaction of rotating disc-like upper and lower slitters. The upper slitter is power driven while the lower slitter is rotated by frictional contact between the upper and lower slitter. The apparatus may include a trimming device for trimming a boundary strip of the sheet. The trimming device also utilizes shear-type action to trim the sheet by rotating disc-like upper and lower trimmers similar to the upper and lower disc-like slitters of the slitting device.

Abstract: A non-pneumatic tire with an annular body of resilient elastomeric material and an outer cylindrical member supported by circumferentially spaced-apart ribs, is provided with four vibration-reducing features. First, the tire has an outer tread surface with a crown radius. Secondly, the tread has a pattern with a plurality of circumferential grooves and lateral grooves arranged to reduce uneven contact pressures caused by radial forces carried by the tire's ribs. Thirdly, the spacing of the ribs is randomly varied around the circumference of the tire to broaden a vibration spectrum caused by the ribs and reduce peak vibrations. Fourthly, a wheel rim that supports the annular body is provided with a structurally incorporated hoop to reduce deflection of the wheel rim during tire operation.