Abstract: A simple low cost building drum, free of axially movable parts for building tires and cylindrical articles having inextensible beads of given diameter therein but spaced axially any selected distance apart, has a single axially and circumferentially continuous radial expandable membrane overlying a thick-walled cylinder of deformable rubbery material the full axial length of which is expandable radially to wrap the membrane against beads placed about the drum and to divide the membrane into a non-inflatable center section and two inflatable end sections each axially outboard of a respective bead. The thick-walled cylinder is expanded radially by inflating an axially extending cylindrical sleeve within control members in the form of four semi-cylindrical strips which prevent bulging outward of the central portion of the thick-walled cylinder and which engage cylindrical flanges of a pair of end rings spaced along the drum's center shaft.

Abstract: Two embodiments of a mandrel for fabricating an air spring are disclosed. Each has a fixed diameter cylindrical portion and a portion variable in diameter to provide an extension of the cylindrical surface expandable to conic form. An array of fingers are pivotally secured to swing in radial planes to provide the variable diameter portions and are actuated by inflatable sleeves. The fingers are notched to provide a locating groove for the wire ring at the end of the air spring. Ply endings are folded about the wire ring by a second inflatable sleeve or bladder.

Abstract: A closed torus tire in which the cord or wire reinforcement ply, or plies, surround the inflation chamber which can retain pressure without being mounted on a wheel. The reinforcement ply is continuous circumferentially of the tire and axially in the crown and sidewalls. The circumferential ply edges are lap-spliced in the inner wheel-engaging part, rather than being folded around bead cores. The tire is made without use of a building core of any kind, thus avoiding the cost and difficulty of removing such core from the completed tire. The tire is made by wrapping the reinforcement ply, or plies, about a cylindrical drum to form a sleeve. An inner liner is then wrapped about the sleeve, a reversal of normal tire building practice. One circumfferential edge of the sleeve is then moved outward and axially over the remaining sleeve, beyond the other, unmoved edge. The one edge is then moved inward and axially under the other edge to form the lapped splice.

Abstract: A coordinated method and apparatus system for concurrently building an endless band and an endless inextensible belt, transferring the band coaxially of itself to a carcass forming and shaping drum, enfolding beads in inwardly turned ends of such band to form a carcass, then shaping the carcass while swinging the drum about a vertical axis to transfer the endless belt coaxially of itself and of the shaped carcass. The apparatus includes a band building drum with cooperating ply stock servicer for building the tire band and a belt building drum also with a cooperating servicer for supplying belt ply stock and, optionally, tread stock. Axes of the band drum and belt drum are disposed to intersect a vertical axis about which a turret mounted carcass forming drum swings into alternate coaxial alignment with the band building drum and the belt building drum.

Abstract: Stitchers for consolidating tire building components successively wrapped on a building drum comprise multiple thin or narrow annular discs in side-by-side array. Each is free independently and individually to rotate about an axis common to the discs in response to the rotation of the building drum, and to be displaced normal to such axis by differing radial elevation of the components relative to the surface of the drum. Uniformly distributed pressure of the discs on the components along the contact zone is obtained by an inflatable cushion extending through the discs and acting on them individually. Thin inner plates disposed respectively within each disc rotatably support the discs and transfer the stitching forces from the cushion to individual discs.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for building a cord or wire wound carcass for a closed torus tire. An endless flattened inflatable tube providing a liner for the carcass and coaxially spaced bead rings are placed on a support comprising a cylindrical array of rolls. The bead rings are spaced axially to control the length of each turn of cord or wire wound in the flattened oval path around them. A single wire or cord is wound in a flat oval orbit about the liner and bead rings by orbiting a spool along a track having two straight parallel portions, one inside, the other outside the bead rings and liner. The parallel track portions are connected at their ends by semi-circular track portions. No rigid core is required. After winding the cord or wire about the liner and bead rings, the liner is inflated and the bead rings are shifted axially toward each other to the axial spacing appropriate for the inflated tire in use.

Abstract: A portable apparatus which can be used by local tire distributors to customize a tire by forming in the sidewall of the tire, personalized indicia requested by the owner of the tire. The apparatus has a support for holding the desired pattern of indicia, a stylus that is traceable on the indicia, and a small router-like engraving tool which is movable, in unison, with the stylus for grinding into the sidewall of the tire, indicia corresponding to that of the desired pattern.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for wrapping a cord or wire in a toroidal helix about a liner to form a closed torus carcass. An extruder, die, and diehead provide means for extruding a liner having a horseshoe-shaped profile. Circumferential edges of the liner are joined with a preformed assembly of bead rings and a spacer ring. Cord or wire is wound snugly about an array of control fingers and then slipped off the fingers as successive tensionless turns about the liner and rings as the latter rotate through a winding plane in which a spool supplying cord or wire orbits. No rigid core is required. An endless inflatable tube can be used in lieu of the extruded liner.

Abstract: The adhesion of cord or wire to the elastomer, rubber, or rubbery material is measured by exerting forces or loads collinear with the cords or wires such that one of the cords or wires is pulled from between a pair of cords. The three cords are embedded in a predetermined length of the elastomer. In a static test the opposing forces are exerted at a predetermined rate. In a dynamic test the opposing forces oscillate at predetermined frequency. Fixtures adapting an MTS high-speed oscillating tester are provided. The foregoing abstract is not to be taken as limiting the invention of this application, and in order to understand the full nature and extent of the technical disclosure of this application, reference must be made to the accompanying drawing and the following detailed description.

Abstract: A motorcycle tire particularly for racing motorcycles which has a tread, a pair of beads, and a carcass comprising a single bias ply extending to and around the beads, and a single breaker ply whose width is at least about 85 percent of the tread width and the ends of the single bias ply overlying 50 to 90 percent of the breaker ply. In its uninflated state, the cross-section of the tire suggests a triangle.

Abstract: A tire mold having two "half" molds each including a side wall and a tread molding portion and a center ring having a tread molding portion for molding one third or less of the total width of the tire tread. The center ring is divided into eight sections each hinged to one of the half molds to swing open and outward of interfering portions of the tread pattern, being opened solely by the movement of the tire as it is lifted from the mold. No auxiliary mechanism for driving the sections is used or needed, and the mold is opened and closed in the same manner as the usual two piece tire mold. The foregoing abstract is not to be taken as limiting the invention of this application, and in order to understand the full nature and extent of the technical disclosure of this application, reference must be made to the accompanying drawing and the following detailed description.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for applying a permanent clamp to secure a hose end to a hose coupling provide for equalizing the radial forces between the clamp and the hose and for deforming part of a strap or wire clamp to lock its open free end to its loop or closed end.

Abstract: Apparatus for treating running lengths of tire ply stock, gum stock, chafer, chipper, and similar components of diverse widths by electron radiation from a high voltage electron accelerator in a shielded chamber, facilitates handling by plural parallel conveyors which can operate individually for lesser widths or in synchronism as one conveyor to carry greater widths through the treatment chamber. Letoff and windup units are associated with individual conveyors and with the combined conveyors.

Abstract: Ply stock is delivered to a bias-cutter by a feed mechanism which moves the stock to be bias cut in measured increments of length. The present apparatus provides a smooth continuous surface of a feed pan supporting the full width of the ply stock to a forward edge which is adjustable angularly to the angle of the desired bias cut. The feed pan moves toward the shear line of the bias-cutter with the ply stock held on the surface; then with holding clamps released is drawn away from the shear line while the ply stock is held to the shear line. The feed pan is less subject to distortion or deflection and is relatively insensitive to changes in humidity. Accuracy of both bias angle cut and length of cut are improved.

Abstract: A tire building drum having simple economical means for expanding both drum shoulders and bead-locating fingers as well as for convenient and simple adjustment of the length of the drum between shoulders. Air for inflating pairs of ply-turnup bladders is supplied externally by way of an air ring on the drum shaft from an externally mounted air manifold.

Abstract: A bladder for use in conjunction with a tire building drum, said bladder having cords extending substantially parallel to the rotational axis of the bladder and including two belt plies of square woven fabric extending circumferentially about the bladder. The bladder is manufactured by first providing an at least partially cured cylindrical membrane reinforced with cords extending substantially parallel to the rotational axis of the membrane. The membrane is then expanded to a toroidal configuration and an uncured belt structure is applied to the expanded membrane. The membrane is then contracted to the cylindrical configuration and the belt structure is cured.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for cleaning a tire curing mold by immersion in liquid cleaning agent bath, wherein the complete upper assembly of the mold is immersed in the bath and slowly rotated. Super or ultrasonic energy sources are particularly located and aimed, so that in combination with the relative motion of the mold assembly relative to the sources no portion of the surfaces to be cleaned is hidden by any other part from the direct impingement thereon of the sound wave energy. Efficiency of mold cleaning is materially advanced.

Abstract: A server particularly adapted for delivering tire sidewall and the like in strip form to a tire building drum. Features a cold, non-driven but rotatable knife for cutting off a measured length of strip and projecting it forward directly to contact a partially completed tire carcass on the drum by a shuttle having closely spaced rollers which first draw the strip straight for cut-off, then when the cut-off is made, move the strip forward relative to the shuttle, and finally free wheel to allow the drum to draw the strip off the shuttle. A spoon-like tensioner controls the strip as it is wound about the drum.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for use in building a closed torus tire. An expandable sleeve having an inflatable portion expands to wrap a sheet of tire building material partially about a disintegratable generally toroidal core. A bladder beneath the sleeve is then inflated to roll the sleeve toward the core causing the edges of the sheet to flip or snap from the sleeve surface to the core surface. The apparatus includes a drum expandable to either of two fully supported and different building diameters enabling stable support first of the core with at least one sheet of material engaged with the internal circumference of the core, and then the core with added thickness of tire components engaged with the internal diameter of the core.

Abstract: Handling of cut-to-length pieces of gum stock for use in building tires is improved by a method of and apparatus for lifting such pieces from a roller conveyor on which they travel lengthwise and transporting them in a direction normal to their own lengths and in parallel array on a multiple belt conveyor and thence to a winding cloth on which, still in parallel array, they are wound up in convolutions of the cloth about a core. At a tire building station the cloth is unwound from the core to place individual pieces conveniently at hand for use by the tire builder.