Abstract: A sidewall appearance monitor for a tire uniformity machine. The tire uniformity machine has an upper chuck, a lower chuck, and a conveyor that brings a tire between the two chucks. The lower chuck raises the tire to the upper chuck where it is inflated and rotated by engagement with a loadwheel for the uniformity measurement. Upper and lower sidewall probes are provided with means for swinging the lower sidewall probe between an operative position below the tire and an inoperative position above and to the side of the tire whereby the tire may be lowered and conveyed horizontally from the machine without interference from the probe.

Abstract: In a tire testing machine, a loadwheel is repeatedly engaged by a tire. Rubber from the tire is embedded in the grit on the surface of the loadwheel. A rotating brush is moved against the loadwheel, engaging the rotating loadwheel between testing operations to maintain the loadwheel substantially free of rubber.

Abstract: Apparatus for cutting sheet molding compound in which the compound is sandwiched between two liner sheets and fed from a letoff roll onto a conveyor. The compound is conveyed past longitudinal slitters and a transverse cutting knife which cut the compound into rectangular segments of preselected size. Before a sheet reaches the area of the cutting operation, the upper liner is removed. At the area of the transverse cutting, the lower liner is diverted from the sheet compound to pass under an anvil against which the transverse cutting mechanism operates. The lower liner is then passed upwardly to return to a position underneath the sheet compound in order to support the sheet compound on the liner as it passes along the conveyor where it is picked off by the operator.

Abstract: An electronic circuit with an output that may be used, for example, to control a servo system which positions grinders of a tire grinding machine to correct tires with large cleats is disclosed. The electronic circuit is responsive to an analog electrical signal to detect whether or not the rate of change in amplitude of the analog electrical signal equals or exceeds a preselected limit. If the rate of change in amplitude of the analog electrical signal does not equal or exceed the preselected limit, the output of the electronic circuit has a characteristic that is similar to the analog electrical signal. If the rate of change in amplitude of the analog electrical signal equals or exceeds the preselected limit, the output of the electronic circuit preferably remains constant at an amplitude which the analog electrical signal attained prior to the change in amplitude at a rate equal to or in excess of the preselected limit.

Abstract: Apparatus for building a raw edge V-belt carcass comprising, a drum about which differing plies of material are wrapped and about which a cord is helically wound. A servicer adapted to supply rubberized fabric is located adjacent the drum. A squeegee adapted to apply a gummy film mounted on a fabric liner is located adjacent the drum and has an applicator roll engageable with a partially formed carcass on the drum. A cord winder mechanism has a head mounted adjacent the drum and has a motor-driven screw for causing the head to move along the length of the drum. The screw motor is tied to the drum motor at a ratio which is infinitely adjustable within limits to vary the pitch of the cord as it is wound on the drum. The cord winder has a mechanism for detecting changes in the tension on the cord and for using that information to cause variations in the speed of a cord let-off roll so that the speed of the cord let-off roll matches the demand caused by the speed of the drum.