Abstract: Disclosed is a tire mold for curing pneumatic tires wherein the mold includes a mold back, a tread ring and an insulator plate located between the mold back and the tread ring. The insulator plate is made of material that has a lower thermal conductivity than the thermal conductivity of the material in the mold back or tread ring. The addition of the insulator plate between the mold back and the tread ring induces reduction in heat transfer between the mold back and the tread ring allowing the maintenance of higher heat transfer for areas of the tire not shielded by the insulator plate and achieving the lower heat transfer in the area of the tire shielded by the insulator plate.

Abstract: A process is disclosed for high speed automatic production of ply stock in which tire cord fabric on a first conveyor is cut by a bias cutter to form panels which are spliced at the side of said conveyor and then pulled transversely onto a second conveyor. During each cycle a cut panel is advanced by the first conveyor to a stationary transfer position where its uncut side portion is overlapped by the trailing side portion of an adjacent panel in a stationary splicing position on the second conveyor.

Abstract: An adjustable tire building drum is disclosed for use during strip winding of OTR tire treads having nine replaceable segments with interfitting fingers extending circumferentially to define a rigid generally cylindrical shell whose diameter and axial length may readily be adjusted for a wide variety of different tire sizes. A unique precision actuating mechanism is provided for adjusting the segments radially including a heavy cantilever link and an associated stabilizing arm for each segment which maintains rigidity even when the segmental shell is expanded 90 to 100 percent.

Abstract: A universal cement composition is disclosed suitable for both natural and synthetic rubber based tire compounds which solves the tack and cured adhesion problems heretofore encountered at the tread splice region of radial and bias/belted tires. The composition disclosed contains 75 to 90 parts by weight ("wt") of a cis-polybutadiene elastomer, 10 to 25 parts by wt of natural rubber, 5 to 30 parts by wt of a phenolic tackifying resin, and 40 to 80 parts by wt of a fine reinforcing carbon black and has an AMEDA carbon black dispersion rating of from 96 to 99 percent.

Abstract: The quality and useful life of curing bladders used in standard "Bag-O-Matic" tire vulcanizing presses is greatly improved by replacing the standard split two-piece core of the bladder mold with a unitary core which forms a disc-like rubber diaphragm below the core and integral with the rubber curing bladder at the periphery of the core. A unique base plate fits in the lower mold half below the core and has a grooved upper surface to hold the diaphragm in place so that the core can be removed manually or automatically with the assistance of internal air pressure.

Abstract: A pneumatic radial tire is provided with a tread having from 1 part by weight of hydrated amorphous fine-particle silica per 3 parts of carbon black tread reinforcing filler, to about 3 parts by weight of the silica to 1 part of the carbon black. The amount of silica present is preferably in the range from about 18 parts to about 50 parts by weight per 100 parts of natural or synthetic rubber. When such a tread is compounded with a mercaptosilane in which the mercapto group is reversibly blocked, the tread provides reduced rolling resistance without loss of traction. Such reduction in rolling resistance without loss of traction is not observed when the silica is not coupled with the mercaptosilane coupling agent.

Abstract: An escape slide and life raft assembly for evacuating personnel from an aircraft or other elevated place and thereafter providing a floating support when the evacuation is on water. A slide portion of the assembly has side tubes connected to transverse and longitudinal tubes of an outrigger portion to provide additional seating capacity of the assembly when used as a life raft. Upon inflation and extension of the slide portion, the outrigger portion is reefed or held in against the side tubes and only partially inflated so that the partially inflated longitudinal tubes reinforce the side tubes of the slide portion. When the outrigger portion is fully inflated and extended by releasing the reefing, the pressure in the assembly will be reduced due to the increased volume of the inflatable support tubes; however, the reduced pressure is at a preferred level for operation of the assembly as a life raft.

Abstract: A simple economical multistage vulcanization process is disclosed for producing premium anomaly-free tires wherein the inner liner or curing bladder is supplied with dead end water and steam sequentially in several stages at high pressures which assure thorough diffusion of entrapped air. The internal steam pressure is 250 to 300 psig in stage I to effect rapid heat transfer, the internal water pressure in stage II is from 300 to 450 psig, and the internal steam pressure is 250 psig or higher in the first part of stage III. The overall cycle time for curing radial passenger car tires in "Bag-O-Matic" presses is reduced one minute or more by using internal steam pressures from 250 to 300 psig in stage I and III and reducing the steam pressure near the end of stage III to boil off the residual water.

Abstract: A radial pneumatic tire and a method of making same. The tire has a discontinuous cord belt reinforcement comprising narrow strips of fabric wound around the tire in a plurality of circumferential overlapping turns. The tire is capable of being built in one stage and shaped into toroidal shape after the circumferential belt is applied.

Abstract: A tractor tire is disclosed having widely spaced lug pairs with a symmetrical Y-shaped footprint, each lug pair having inclined transverse lugs and an elongated longitudinal nose portion at the peripheral centerline providing a central lug projecting in the direction of tire rotation and overlapping the trailing end portions of the next adjacent lug pair. The unique lug arrangement minimizes vibration to improve safety during operation on the highway while retaining the characteristics required for effective off-the-road (OTR) performance on soft ground.

Abstract: Non-adhesive activated ("non-AA") polyester cord, or aramid cord, and fabrics made therefrom, may be coated in a two-step process, the first step of which is conventional. In the novel second step, after the cord is conventionally pre-coated in the first step, it is dipped in a R/F-free latex of a diene polymer in which an acrylic resin having a mol wt. in the range from about 100,000 to about 1,000,000 is dispersed. The acrylic resin resin is a copolymer selected from the group consisting of two or more monomers, one of which is (meth)acrylic acid and another is a lower alkyl(meth)acrylic acid ester, the monomers having the configuration ##STR1## wherein, R represents H, methyl, ethyl, Cl or CN, and, X represents hydroxyl (OH), hydroxymethylamino (NHCH.sub.2 OH), or alkoxy (O-alkyl) having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms; and, optionally, in addition the copolymer may include a vinyl aromatic monomer having from 8 to about 18 carbon atoms.

Abstract: Inflatable collars (32,34) are positioned on each side of a downed aircraft (10) and the collars (32,34) are connected by belly bands (80,100) to support the ends (18,20) of the aircraft (10). The bands (80,100) are positioned by positioning straps (90,90') which are attached to the aircraft (10) prior to inflation. The collars (32,34) are also attached to the aircraft (10) at intermediate locations (24,26). The collars (32,34) are divided into separate chambers (44,48,52,54,56,44',48',52',54',56') so that after inflation the different chambers of the collars (32,34) support the different parts (18,20,22) of the aircraft (10).

Abstract: A collapsible tire building drum having a collapsible central cylindrical portion composed of a plurality of drum segments. The outer laterally spaced edges of the drum segments are grooved for connecting annular rings to the respective edges. Each of the annular rings is composed of a plurality of arcuate segments whose profile is the same at the juncture with the drum segments but tapers radially outwardly and upwardly and then curves downwardly and inwardly to provide an off-set under cut portion.

Abstract: A simple inexpensive modification of existing tire molds used in old steam dome vulcanizing presses provides remarkable versatility and permits curing of truck and farm tractor tires at higher temperatures with higher internal water pressures to reduce curing times 5 to 10% or more while improving tire quality. A thin, flat heat exchanger with outstanding heat transfer characteristics is readily provided on each mold half by welding a flat outer disc and spacers to the mold to form an annular steam chamber of narrow cross section in direct communication with the outer mold face and the vent passages.

Abstract: An aspirator used to inflate flexible structures such as aircraft evacuation slides, rafts, or the like comprises a tubular housing an atmospheric air inlet at one end of the housing, a nozzle within the housing for introduction of high pressure gas downstream of said air inlet, flapper valve means closing the air inlet and operable to open when atmospheric air is induced through the inlet by operation of said nozzle, and means within the housing to operate a device to positively lock or unlock the flapper valve means when said nozzle is not operating or operating, respectively.

Abstract: An escape slide for evacuating personnel from an aircraft wing or other elevated surface where persons to be evacuated must walk a short distance before sliding down the slide. The escape slide has an entrance portion with a walkway and a walkway ramp of an inflatable bulkhead construction providing a firm walkway surface. The slide portion joins the entrance portion and is inclined toward the ground. When used on an aircraft wing with flaps, the bottom of the slide portion is engageable with and supported by the flaps at different operating positions. A support pillow attached to the bottom of the slide portion is engageable with the flap in the fully extended landing position. Inflatable indicator tubes are also attached to and in communication with the inflatable members of the slide to indicate when the slide is inflated and ready for passengers.