Abstract: A loose admixture of polymer pellets and carbon black primary aggregate (together with any other desired fillers) is subjected to a first shear and smear action to incorporate the filler(s) into the polymer and subsequently to additional shear and smear actions to deagglomerate and blend the mixture, all of these actions being carried out at temperatures well below the plasticizing temperature of the polymer so that smearing of the filler(s) into the polymer is facilitated. Each shear and smear assembly is made of similar hammer and anvil components comprising a milling tool acting as a hammer by rotating adjacent an array of stationary pegs acting as anvils. The end face of a milling tool presented to the pegs has oblique surfaces at the downstream ends of its channels and these smear the mixture against the confronting corners of the pegs.

Abstract: Apparatus comprising a former used in the manufacture of tires. Two green covers (52, 53) devoid of sidewalls for pneumatic tires are assembled and shaped side-by-side. The two covers (52, 53) may be joined together during assembly but separated during manufacture.

Abstract: A method of manufacture of a tire in which a carcass ply is formed by winding a continuous cord around a pair of spaced members to form a ply (31) having loops (36) at its edges. The cord ply is rubberized and support elements (32)(33) are located in the loops (36) to form a cylindrical ply having spaced hooped support elements at each ply edge. Bead wire assemblies (40) and (41) are located coaxially of the ply together with the support elements which are subsequently incorporated in the bead wire assemblies.There is also provided a tire building former on which the above method can be performed. The former (100) comprises at least three coaxial discs (101), (102), (106) for supporting a carcass ply 30 on their radially outer surfaces. The central disc (106) is axially movable between the two other discs so as to support a portion of an elastomeric ply (103) helically wound onto the former (100) from a strip (1040.

Abstract: In the manufacture of a pneumatic tire the approximately triangular space immediately radially inward of each bead of the tire is filled by an apex construction made by helically winding uncured rubber strip. The tapered configuration is achieved by winding from a position progressively closer to a support surface so that the windings become progressively more oblique. Width reduction of the rubber strip can be achieved by subjecting it to progresively greater tension during winding. The winding of the apex formation may be interrupted while an end of a carcass play is turned over the bead and incomplete apex. Turns of unsheathed wire may be wound over the carcass ply end and then winding of the uncured rubber strip continued until the apex formation is completed. In one modification (FIG. 5) the carcass ply is incorporated in a wound bead assembly. In another (FIG. 3) windings of a harder material such as Kevlar are interposed between windings of uncured rubber.

Abstract: The reinforcement for the bead of e.g. a pneumatic type, a rolling lobe diaphragm or an air spring is constructed by winding onto a mandrel or former superimposed layers alternately of unsheathed wire and flat, uncured rubber strip. Rubber is wound on before wire winding commences and continues after wire winding stops, so that the assembly exposes no cut wire end. After the winding operation the assembly is subjected to heat and pressure with all the wire embedded in and surrounded by an integrated, vulcanized rubber body.The rubber layers may be parallel with and on opposite sides of the layers of spaced wire windings or a given rubber winding may have wire windings on its radially opposite sides.The windings, both of rubber and wire, may be discrete loops or may be made by helically winding a single rubber strip or wire. The shape of the assembly as well as the volume of rubber at any position therein may be controlled by varying the tension under which the rubber strip and/or the wire is wound.

Abstract: Flexible reinforced polymeric material (30), typically a tape, comprises two elongate flexible support layers (31, 39) and a plurality of lengthwise extending cords (36) secured thereto. The respective edges of the support layers (31, 39) are transversely offset to result in a pair of edge regions and some cords (36) are sandwiched between the support layers while at least one cord (32, 33, 40) and (37, 38, 41) is secured to one of the edge regions. Preferably the two edge regions have corresponding cord arrangements (32, 33, 40) and (37, 38, 41) provided such that the cords (32, 33, 40) of one edge region may be caused to interlock with those (37, 38, 41) at the other edge region.

Abstract: A flexible reinforced polymeric article, suitable for use as a breaker fabric in a pneumatic type, comprising an elongate strip of polymeric material having embedded therein a pair of reinforcement elements (1) and (2) disposed in a zig-zag manner across the width of the strip such that two successive transverse portions of one reinforcement element (1) lie between two successive transverse portions of the other element (2) in a manner in which the two elements (1), (2) are free from overlapping cross-over regions. Preferably a part of the length (6), (8) of each element at an edge region (5), (5') of the strip lies parallel with the length (c--c) of the strip.

Abstract: An apparatus for the manufacture of pneumatic vehicle tires including a mold for forming a tread pattern on the ground contacting surface of the tire. The tread mold 23 has an inner surface 24 in which a closely fitting open network grid 10 is removably positioned. The grid has at least one axial split therein to allow removal of the grid from the tire after its curing is completed.

Abstract: A method of manufacture of a vehicle tire in which an annular mold (11) is filled with uncured elastomeric compound to form in the annular mold an apex (14) and integral chafer (17), and preferably a sidewall (13). The annular mould (11) with the components (14) (17) and (13) in-situ is then brought into alignment with a toroidally shaped tire carcass (22) to assemble the apex (14) and chafer (17) to the carcass.

Abstract: A pneumatic tire (10) having a pair of beads (15) each of which comprises a plurality of bundled together wire hoops (40), and a carcass ply (16) extending between the beads 15. The end portions (30) of the carcass ply are anchored in each bead bundle (15) by at least one hooped member (40), (22) or (23) incorporated in the bead configuration. The carcass ply (16) may be reinforced by a continuous cord formed as a series of windings looped around a pair of hooped support elements (22) or (23) which are incorporated into each bead (15) to occupy a position with the bead configuration.

Abstract: A method of manufacture of a tire in which a carcass ply is formed by winding a continuous cord around a pair of spaced members to form a ply (31) having loops (36) at its edges. The cord ply is rubberized and support elements (32) (33) are located in the loops (36) to form a cylindrical ply having spaced hooped support elements at each ply edge. Bead wire assemblies (40) and (41) are located coaxially of the ply together with the support elements which are subsequently incorporated in the bead wire assemblies.There is also provided a tire building former on which the above method can be performed. The former (100) comprises at least three coaxial discs (101), (102), (106) for supporting a carcass ply 30 on their radially outer surfaces. The central disc (106) is axially movable between the two other discs so as to support a portion of an elastomeric ply (103) helically wound onto the former (100) from a strip (104).

Abstract: A method of manufacture of pneumatic tires having a tread T with grooves therein in which the grooves are formed by use of cylindrical network grid 10. The grid 10 is filled with tread compound T, and is then located concentrically to surround a tire carcass assembly C to assemble the carcass to the tread. Other tire components such as sidewalls S are added to the carcass C with the grid in situ, and the assembled tire is then cured with grid in situ, the grid being subsequently stripped from the finished tire. Apparatus for above method include a tread mould body (23) having an inner mould surface (24) in which the closely fitting cylindrical network grid (10) is located. The grid (10) is separate from the mould body (23) and has at least one axial split therein to allow removal of the grid (10) from the finished tire.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for making vehicle tires comprising filling a pair of discrete annular tire sidewall molds with uncured sidewall compound bringing the sidewall molds into contact, one on either side of a preshaped green tire carcass, positioning the assembly of sidewall molds and tire carcass in a tire curing mold, curing the tire and removing it from the curing mold and the sidewall mold.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for building a tire comprising fitting a patterned cavity of a tread mould with unvulcanized tread composition, shaping the radially inner surface of the tread to a first profile to accommodate a tread reinforcement breaker, consolidating the assembly and shaping its radially inner surface to a second profile, fitting a tire carcass into the second profile, completing the tire assembly, vulcanizing the assembly in the tread mould and removing it from the mould. The method includes various means for fitting the components for consolidating them and for forming the required profiles for subsequent components.

Abstract: Apparatus for the manufacture of fabric, especially tire building fabric ply material, in which a pair of rotatable parallel spindles are each surrounded by a helical member rotatable in the opposite direction to the respective spindles. The opposite rotation of the spindles and the helical members helps to ensure a uniform winding as fabric is built up from filamentary material applied around the spindles from a feeding head rotating around the spindles.

Abstract: Apparatus for manufacturing tire breaker fabric comprising a cord feed unit, guide means for guiding a single cord between two sets of retaining means attached one to either edge of an endless belt to form an elongate sheet of parallel closely spaced cords laid in zig-zag fashion such that the edges of the sheet are formed by a series of folded cord edges which are held by the retaining means. Stepwise drive means advances the belt and cord assembly to elastomer applying means for applying elastomer to one surface of the cord assembly.

Abstract: An apparatus and method of manufacture for making tire breaker cord fabric comprising a tire cord laying head to lay a zig-zag assembly of a single cord, edge loop holding units and drive means for relatively moving the cord assembly to an elastomeric material coating device.

Abstract: Tire breaker fabric for a pneumatic tire comprising a sheet of tire cords wherein the cords comprise a twisted package of high modulus material filaments having a twist angle of not more than 18.degree. and the cords are formed by one single continuous cord which extends back and forth across the sheet in a zig-zag formation. The cords are preferably closely spaced and held in the sheet by a thin sheet of elastomeric material. The invention provides in addition a tire including breaker fabric of this type.

Abstract: A method for making tires. The tire is first formed in two or more parts from uncured rubber, in mould cavities provided with locking sprues to retain the moulded tire part in a desired section of the moulding. The mould is pressurized, at least when moulding the tire sidewalls, then opened and the moulded uncured tire parts carried in parts of the mould are brought together and joined under heat and pressure.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing tire inner tubes in which the tube is moulded in two annular parts from worked uncured rubber, and the parts are joined but before curing of the rubber is completed the tube is stretched to a larger internal diameter and inflated into a mould with the larger internal diameter.