Abstract: A tire building drum particularly useful for mounting a tire carcass while winding tread compound in narrow and/or thin strips therearound to build up the tread portion of the tire. The drum has a multiplicity of narrow tire support members or segments each one of which is supported and moved radially by two pairs of links which form triangular wide-based columns. Each of the links extend from a pivot connecting its radially inner end to the drum center shaft, outward and through a guiding slot in a link support tube fixed coaxially of the shaft, to a radially outer pivot mounted on the respective segment. In an alternative construction, the pairs of links are extended, and connected to the support members by additional pairs of links to extend the range of radial movement of the support members. The drum disclosed is capable of accommodating a wide range of tire carcasses differing in bead diameters and/or in section widths without need for removal or replacement of parts.

Abstract: To compensate for shifts of the mid-circumferential centerline of an expansible carcass relative to the apparatus for expanding the carcass into an inexpansible breaker-belt positioned coaxially and in annularly spaced relation therearound, a reference plane is provided by three circumferentially spaced points directly connected to and equidistantly from the mid-circumferential line of the carcass. The breaker-belt can then be registered in symmetrically centered relation to the carcass by reference to such reference plane despite shifts of such line relative to the apparatus.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 rigid structure supporting a motor driven spindle carried in a radially and axially stiff hydrostatic fluid film bearing provides for mounting and rotating a tire at a selected speed including a speed of the tire corresponding to a road speed in excess of 100 miles per hour (approximately 160 kilometers per hour) while the tire is loaded against the cylindrical surface of the freely rotatable load wheel. Force and force variation measurements can be taken by means of measurement frames or load cells including a plurality of strain gauges fixed therein of force and force variation components oriented radially tangentially and axially of the tire which forces are communicated to the spindle and from the spindle entirely through the fluid film of the fluid film bearing to the measuring frames, while the spindle and tire are driven in loaded rolling contact with the load wheel.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for building a giant tire and particularly for building one or more endless bands of suitable ply stock and for transferring such bands from the band building means to a carcass building drum after which transfer the remaining construction of the tire can be accomplished conventionally. The apparatus includes a wide, flat, endless belt, the surface of which functions as a splicing table whereon successive panels of ply stock are joined edge-to-edge to form a ply and also as means for transferring the so-formed ply directly into wrapping relation with a band building surface whereon such ply is made endless to form a tire ply band. A bridge spanning the width of the belt, at successive selected angles transverse to the direction of movement of the belt, supports at least one ply stock pay-off means from which successive discrete panels of suitable ply stock are disposed on the surface of the belt.

Abstract: A first stage radial ply carcass and an endless breaker belt are built conventionally about horizontal axes. Carcass and belt separately are upended, to axis-vertical positions. The respective mid-circumferential planes of the carcass and the belt are made coplanar and coincident about the vertical axis of a shaping and curing core, without fixed reference to the vertical axis. The core is raised, into and through the carcass and expanded, first to support the carcass without significant radial deformation due to gravity, and then to expand the carcass to adhere the belt therearound. The assembly of core and belted carcass is then returned to horizontal orientation to receive tread therearound. The tire is cured conventionally while the shaping core remains in the tire, still inflated, preferably with an inert gas.

Abstract: Apparatus for curing a tire having an internal cavity using as heat and fluid pressure media first steam and then cooler inert gas. The time rate of pressure loss in the cavity is determined in each tire curing cycle by closing the cavity so as to form a completely closed chamber for a test time less than the normal cure time for the tire. Pressure loss during the test time is monitored and if determined to be at a greater than tolerable rate a warning device is actuated and means for loading a next tire into the mold is rendered inactive.

Abstract: In apparatus for grinding arc portions of parts of the width of a tire tread, apparatus for controlling tilt of the grinding wheels relative to the tire rotation plane makes use of three paddles having arc contours for lengthened contact with the circumference of the tire tread and means for adjusting the location of the contour relative to the tire and grinding wheel centers to accommodate differences in diameter of one tire from another.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: The surface appearance of a tire tread finished by grinding to alleviate force variations in the tire is improved by reversing the grinding mode of one of the usual two grinding wheels. The effect is particularly useful in tires having large open block pattern treads as in mud and snow tires.

Abstract: A tire building drum, in particular useful for applying a tread to a previously built uncured tire carcass, having a large number of segments, e.g. 36, which can move radially to expand and to contract the drum. An improved arrangement and construction of cover plates for spanning the gaps between the segments in combination with an improved construction of the segments for cooperation with the cover plates.