Abstract: Apparatus for separating a movable mold section from a fixed mold section includes a linkage of an elongate arm pivotally mounted at about its midpoint and having a first end pivotally secured to the movable mold section and a second end in engagement with a cam for pivoting the arm. An elongate link also has one end pivotally secured to a support and its opposed end pivotally secured to the movable mold section. The pivotal mounting points of the link are disposed between the mounting points of the arm and above them whereby upon pivoting of the arm, the movable mold section is first moved away from the fixed mold section in a straight line and then in an arcuate path.

Abstract: A tire curing press for the curing of radial tires includes top and bottom mold sections, relatively movable top and bottom bead rings, the latter being on top of a well, and a center mechanism in the bottom bead ring well. The top mold section includes a sectional mold operator, a top bead ring actuator and an actuator for raising and lowering a chuck for the top bead ring of an uncured tire. The chuck includes a series of horizontal L-shape plates each of which swings about a respective swing axis. An open vertical tube aligned with the top mold section includes a gear at its bottom in mesh with gear segments on the chuck plates so that rotation of the tube opens and closes the chuck. The extent of rotation of the tube controls the extent of the chuck.

Abstract: A tire press having upper and lower cavity molds with a tire loader which is vertically and horizontally movable and has a chuck which grips a tire by the tread rather than the bead. The gripper has plural gripping shoes movable by bell-cranks and piston actuators. The chuck of the invention grips a tire by the tread and positions it adjacent a mold where the tire bead is gripped by a second chuck (not claimed) which deposits the tire in the mold.

Abstract: A tire press of the slideback type has mounted on the press head beam a precision loader for the uncured tires. The beam moves vertically and then laterally or horizontally while maintaining the top mold section in parallelism with the bottom mold section for concurrent opening, loading of the uncured tire and discharge of the cured tire from the press. The invention includes a pair of tire chucks mounted on a loader beam for precise vertical movement through an electric motor driven rack and pinion drive. The loader beam is in turn mounted on the press head beam but through a lost motion connection. In this manner the loader is uncoupled from the press head during the final loading horizontal travel thereof to allow independent movement of the loader and press head. The loader is biased toward the press head by springs.

Abstract: A screw extruder of the elastomeric material type includes a feed section with a power driven feed roll in a feed box running adjacent and counter the rotation of the screw. The roll is journaled for rotation on a frame which may easily be moved to and from an operative and an open position to facilitate service or cleaning. A quick release mechanism secures and releases the feed roll in the operative position. The roll frame is mounted for easy movement on horizontally extending guide rods which may extend and be journaled for sliding movement over or under the feed section. The feed box includes an insert which is adjustable and incorporates roll end lip seals and also a separately adjustable roll face scraper or seal thereby to reduce clearances as wear occurs without disturbing the proper relationship of such seals.

Abstract: A spring finger ply down for a tire building machine comprising an annular array of spring fingers, an annular support for the fingers and a constrictable clamp for securing each finger to the support at an axial interference between each finger and the support. The constrictable clamp includes an elastic band stretched circumferentially around the fingers and/or a clamping ring of relatively inextensible material that is adjustably constricted or cinched around the fingers or, if used, the elastic band for holding rigidly or relatively rigidly the fingers to the support. The elastic band is locally radially deformable to permit radial release of the axial interference for easy insertion and removal of a finger without disturbing adjacent fingers.

Abstract: A tire building machine and method employing a tire building drum for receiving at least one ply of tire material having an edge overhanging an axial end of the drum, a bladder turn-up mechanism extending axially outwardly from the drum, an annular array of radially contractible ply-down fingers movable axially to and from a position encircling the overhanging ply edge, and an axially movable ring device operative first to effect radial contraction of the ply-down fingers to turn the ply edge down over the end of the drum, then to set a tire bead against the turned down ply edge at the end of the drum, and then to push the bladder of the turn-up mechanism when inflated to cause the ply edge to be progressively wrapped around the bead and then over the drum.

Abstract: A tire curing press incorporates an improved seal assembly for the center mechanism or bladder assembly. The bottom or lower clamp ring assembly for the shaping bladder is normally threaded on a hub. The hub and ring assembly include cylindrical telescoping surfaces and axially facing surfaces with an O-ring or seal ring provided between the former and a harder bumper ring provided between the latter. The present invention eliminates the seal between the cylindrical surfaces and provides between the axially facing surfaces a special seal assembly which includes an annular sealing plate with a low coefficient of friction and two sealing O-rings on each side thereof. The seal assembly prevents "blow-by" and makes the parts easier to assemble and disassemble under various temperature conditions.

Abstract: A hydraulic tire curing press comprises a center column and two outer columns respectively located at the apex and ends of a shallow V, and a pair of press cavities each located between the center column and a respective outer column. The press cavities each include a lower cavity part and an upper cavity part, the latter being supported by and between the center column and respective outer column for vertical movement by an in line or shallow V arrangement of actuators which raise and lower the upper cavity parts in order to open and close the press cavities. The center column, when at the front of the press, is used as a common mount for a pair of tire loaders respectively associated with press cavities.

Abstract: A tire press and loader achieves precision and accuracy in positoning an uncured tire on or near the bottom mold section after the top mold section has been moved to open the press. The loader utilizes a horizontally movable carriage which is mounted on a track system for shuttling between a pick-up and loading position through the action of a cable piston-cylinder assembly. The track system includes a rod rail at one side with preloaded spaced ball bushings riding thereon and a channel rail at the other side with three spaced rollers riding therein with the center roller being eccentrically loaded against one side of the channel in turn to load the other rollers against the opposite side of the channel. A pair of loader chucks are mounted on the lower ends of vertically movable posts which are each supported by vertically spaced sets of three rollers on the carriage.

Abstract: A tire press, loader and method employs a stationary bottom mold section and a vertically movable top mold section which moves upwardly to open the press clearing the area therebetween for discharge of the cured tire and loading of the green or uncured tire. The press loads the green tire initially into the top mold section centering and holding the top bead of the green tire on the bead ring of the top mold section. To position the uncured tire for such top loading there is provided a loader which engages the uncured tire at the lower shoulder of the tread area. The loader includes pivotally movable chuck sector assemblies, each mounted on a ring. The ring can readily be centered with respect to the axis of the mold sections and each assembly can be moved concurrently uniformly radially of the ring to accommodate tires of different sizes.

Abstract: A tire curing press with an improved loader includes a shaping or center mechanism which includes a vertically movable well on which is mounted the bottom bead or toe ring. The press includes a loader of improved design affording precision centering and accuracy which is driven for vertical movement by a ball screw and nut drive which positions the green tire concentric with the upper and lower mold sections and over the bottom bead ring. The loader then moves the green tire downwardly until the lower bead of the green tire reaches a predetermined point touching or fairly closely adjacent the elevated bead ring. Simultaneously, an adjustable pad on the loader contacts the tip of an extended rod of a vertically oriented synchronizer piston-cylinder assembly.

Abstract: A tire building machine and method employing a tire building drum for receiving at least one ply of tire material having an edge overhanging an axial end of the drum, a bladder turn-up mechanism extending axially outwardly from the drum, an annular array of radially contractible ply-down fingers movable axially to and from a position encircling the overhanging ply edge, and an axially movable ring device operative first to effect radial contraction of the ply-down fingers to turn the ply edge down over the end of the drum, then to set a tire bead against the turned down ply edge at the end of the drum, and then to push the bladder of the turn-up mechanism when inflated to cause the ply edge to be progressively wrapped around the bead and then over the drum.

Abstract: A tire building machine and method characterized by the employment of a rigid annular bead support at each end of and coaxial with the axis of a tire building drum for holding a tire bead in round and centered to the drum axis during bead placement, after bead placement and during a subsequent ply turn-up operation. The bead support preferably is in the form of a precision machined register ring preferably supported independently of the drum and having a radially outer bead support surface which extends slightly axially beyond a shoulder end face of the drum in radially inwardly offset relation to such end face. During bead placement and/or limited axial outward movement of the register ring, the register ring serves to wipe and firmly stitch interposed ply material to the inner diameter of the tire bead. During such wiping action, the bead may be axially held in place by an inflating turn-up bladder or by a bead setter utilized to set the bead at the drum end.

Abstract: A loader for a tire curing press comprising a support, a loader frame mounted to the support for vertical and horizontal movement, a loader basket mounted to the loader frame for engaging, holding and releasing a tire, a first actuator for vertically moving the loader frame, a second actuator for horizontally moving the loader frame into and out of the press when open, and a mechanical guide for guiding the loader frame from an over-center position in the press to a center position as the loader frame is moved vertically in the press. The loader frame is supported on a spline shaft for movement therealong and rotation therewith by ball bushings riding in the grooves of the spline split. The loader basket comprises a plurality of generally radially movable shoes, an adjustable stop for limiting radial movement of each shoe and an adjustment mechanism for simultaneously and uniformly adjusting the adjustable stops.

Abstract: An extruder system includes a barrel surrounded by a jacket defining a plurality of zones. Other zones may be in the feed screw and downstream processes. A temperature control unit has a hot water circuit and a cold water circuit each with supply and return manifolds and valves which allow connection of each of the zones to receive either hot or cold water. Each circuit has a single heat exchanger which is used to heat or cool all the water circulating in the respective circuit. The two circuits may be interconnected by a heat pump so that waste heat from the cooling circuit is used by the heating circuit. In this case the heat exchangers become auxiliary. The system permits optimum energy reuse from heated areas to cooled areas, or vice versa, and minimizes additional energy requirements.

Abstract: A pop-up, rotating nozzle in a tire curing press provides for dispersed and uniform introduction of fluid media into the upper containment portion of a curing and shaping bladder during tire cure and cooling, and yet allows for relatively close spacing of upper and lower bladder clamps such as during bladder insertion and stripping operations. The nozzle has an outlet head in communication with the interior of the bladder and a supply stem mounted in a lower bladder clamp and porting assembly of the press for both axial and rotational movement. The nozzle is movable against a spring biasing force by the upper bladder clamp to a lowermost retracted position which allows the bladder clamps to be axially spaced apart a distance substantially less than their axial spacing during cure.

Abstract: A tire building machine of the bead set, ply down, and dual bladder turn-up type includes a bladder clamping system which may be used greatly to broaden the size range capability of existing tire building machines without affecting or replacing a substantial portion of the bladder clamping system or adjacent machinery such as the ply down assembly. Thus, by maintaining an inventory of a reduced number of parts, a machine may more easily be converted to manufacture sizes of tires beyond its standard. This is accomplished by changing the configuration in clamping rings and front nose of the outer bladder only.

Abstract: A tire press and loader includes a tire chuck supporting, horizontal elevator frame which is vertically movable and maintained horizontal under normal operating conditions by drives connected to respective opposite ends of the frame. The loader also includes a safety device operative to cause canting of the frame from such horizontal position upon failure of one of the drives and a control responsive to such canting to render the loader drives inoperative and further to interrupt automatic operation of the press until the fault causing such failure is corrected. The safety device includes holding devices at opposite ends of the horizontal frame which yield to downward driving movement of such ends by respective drives. The holding devices are characterized by flexible elements trained over sprockets connected by slip clutches to a common safety shaft which may rotate in only one direction corresponding to upward movement of the horizontal frame by reason of a one-way clutch or the like.

Abstract: A tire press, loader and method wherein a green tire is positioned by the loader between vertically separated mold sections and then engaged and held at the top bead thereof in registered contact with an upper bead ring of the press mold by a green tire bead elevator in the press head. While such registered contact is maintained, the upper bead ring and bead elevator raise and hold the green tire to the upper mold section as the loader axially clears the green tire and withdraws from the press. After such transfer of the green tire to the press head, the press partially closes to bring the bottom bead of the green tire against the lower bead ring of the press mold for subsequent shaping of the green tire and final closure of the press. The bead elevator includes a radially expandable chuck mounted for vertical movement in the press head which operates, when expanded, to engage and move the top bead of the green tire into registered or fully seated contact with the upper bead ring.