Abstract: The annular tread belt body is assembled of uncured resilient material having reinforcing cords and is then mounted on a precured tire casing. The read belt body is assembled with a predetermined configuration at a radially inner surface and the precured tire casing has a matching predetermined configuration on the radially outer surface for mounting of the tread belt in a centered position on the tire casing. The tread belt body and precured tire casing are enclosed in a segmental mold where the tread belt is cured. After removal from the mold, the tread belt is separated from the tire casing. The tread belt is then mounted on the radially outer surface of a tire having reinforcing cords positioned in a generally radial direction relative to the axis of the tire.

Abstract: A radial tire carcass fabricated by a first stage process has bead portions which are placed over a pair of spaced-apart coaxial bead seats. The bead seats may be segmented radially expandable rings which are expanded by fluid pressure into engagement with the bead portions. The tire carcass is initially positioned on the drum with the bead seats at a spaced-apart distance so that upon expansion of the segments of the bead seats at a low pressure and axial movement apart of the bead seats the ply of the tire carcass is stretched and the bead portions moved into register on the bead seats. The fluid pressure expanding the segments of the bead seats is then increased to secure the bead portions on the bead seats at predetermined positions with a predetermined diameter. Annular sealing members may be mounted on the segments of the bead seats at the tire-supporting surfaces of the segments for compression upon application of high pressure.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for assembling a tire carcass comprising a precarcass band and a pair of inextensible bead rings. The band is built and consolidated on a form having a rigid cylindrical surface. The band includes at least one cord or wire-reinforced ply and one or more tire liners of a rubbery gum, and may include additional tire components, in particular the components which will form the sidewalls of the tire. The band is removed from its building form and then moved axially freely over a shaping apparatus. An axially narrow central part of the band is expanded sufficiently to resist axial displacement of the band, which is then spread and smoothed outward from its central part by expanding and then moving outwardly a pair of expandable spreading elements.

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: 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: An apex is cohered to the bead wire bundle or core to form a unitary bead assembly. The core is supported on a rigid continuous planar surface. The apex strip in endless form is supported on the uninflated inflatable cylindrical surface of a turn-up bladder arrangement. Inflation of the bladder arrangement turns or rolls the apex angularly outward to surround the bead core and into an appropriate radial orientation and shape. The bladder action is found to cohere the apex-core so strongly together that conventional roller stitching is not required.

Abstract: A simple low cost building arbor having a wide range of axial length or bead set length variation. The arbor has no moving parts which are not of rubber or rubber-like material and is operable by air pressure alone. An expandable ring expands, by air pressure, to hold a bead ring in axial position and independently a turn-up bladder is expanded to turn a ply sleeve end about the bead ring. Operating air is conducted, in all axially selected positions in the range, not by tubing but by air transfer chambers connecting the bladder and a sleeve associated with the expandable ring with passage in the center shaft.The present invention relates to a building arbor for tires and like articles.The principal object of the invention is the provision of a simple, low cost building arbor actuable solely by fluid pressure to position an inextensible bead ring about a ply in cylindrical form on the arbor and to turn the ply ending about the bead ring.

Abstract: A machine used in the renewal of large earthmover type tires, wherein the worn lugs are completely removed from the tire casing and replaced with convolutions of unvulcanized rubber material. The machine is provided with a heated knife blade which is utilized to cut a series of grooves in the unvulcanized rubber material of the tread in accordance with a pattern mounted on the machine. The pattern consists of a cam with a curved outer periphery which is monitored as the cam rotates on the machine. The depth to which the knife cuts into the unvulcanized rubber material as it moves transversely across the tread, is varied in accordance with the periphery of the cam being monitored.

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: 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 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.