Abstract: A gear metering pump for delivering precise amounts of a compounded elastomeric material into a die. The gear pump has a housing formed with a hollow interior chamber containing a pair of rotating meshing gears mounted on shafts, one of which is power driven, for passing controlled quantities of the compounded material out of the chamber and into the die. A side plate is removably mounted on the housing and encloses an open side of the chamber and is moved between open and closed positions by fluid pressure cylinders mounted on the housing to provide ready access into the chamber for cleanout. A first bearing assembly for the gear shafts is mounted on the removable side plate and retains the gears mounted thereon for removing the gears from within the chamber along with the side plate.

Abstract: A system and apparatus for accurately delivering rubberized sheets from a supply roll of stock material containing an intervening liner to an assembly station for subsequent assembling into an air spring or similar article of manufacture by eliminating the heretofore formation of a "free loop" therein. The supply roll and a liner take-up reel are rotatably mounted on a carriage transversely movable with respect to the longitudinal motion of the stock material. A hugger device has a plurality of timing belts which frictionally engage the liner at the take-up reel and winds the liner onto the reel at a constant linear speed regardless of the diameter of the reel and collected liner to move the rubberized sheet at a controlled rate toward the assembly station. The motion profile of the timing belts is controlled by a servo drive motor and the belts engage an arcuate portion of the circumference of the take-up reel to provide positive frictional drive engagement therewith.