Abstract: A method for manufacturing a forged article, capable of improving the durability of a die for forging is provided. The method, includes forging a steel material, by using a die, by spraying or applying a water-soluble polymer lubricant containing 0.01 to 0.98 mass % of a water-soluble sulfate onto a working surface of the die, the die being made of a raw material having a constituent composition of by mass %, of 0.4 to 0.7% of C, 1.0% or less of Si, 1.0% or less of Mn, 4.0 to 6.0% of Cr, 2.0 to 4.0% of (Mo+½W), 0.5 to 2.5% of (V+Nb), 0 to 1.0% of Ni, 0 to 5.0% of Co, 0.02% or less of N, and a remnant composed of Fe and impurities, and having hardness of 55 to 60 HRC, and the die including a nitrided layer or a nitrosulfidized layer on the working surface thereof.

Abstract: A tire holding mechanism includes a first support body, a second support body and a moving device. The first support body is provided with a substantially annular first flange which supports a first bead at one side of the tire, a lock shaft having a lock mechanism and which protrudes in an axial direction of the first flange to allow the first flange to move in the axial direction, and a stopper which restrains the first flange at the proximal end of the lock shaft. The second support body is provided with a substantially annular second flange which supports a second bead of the tire, and an engagement portion with which the lock mechanism is removably engaged. The moving device moves the first support body between a tire holding position and a tire transferring position. The lock mechanism is engaged with the engagement portion at the tire holding position.

Abstract: In a center mechanism of a tire vulcanizing machine, including an upper clamp ring for grasping an upper opening end part of a bladder, a lower clamp ring for grasping a lower opening end part of the bladder, a hub on a side of a lower mold for supporting the lower clamp ring, a spacer connected to the hub and supported on the side of the lower mold to be ascendable and descendable, and a center post supported by the spacer to be extensible and contractible, the hub and the spacer are formed as members separate from each other, and are divisibly bound to each other by bolts.

Abstract: A container mold exchanging apparatus includes: a container support body which supports the jacket of the container from which the lower sidewall mold is separated; a gripping mechanism which includes upper and lower gripping members and grips each tread mold so as to be interposed between the upper and lower gripping members in the vertical direction; first and second driving mechanisms which respectively elevate the upper and lower gripping members; a third driving mechanism which expands or contracts the upper and lower gripping members in the radial direction of the container; and a fourth driving mechanism which moves the gripping mechanism along the axis of the container relative to the container support body.

Abstract: In a center mechanism of a tire vulcanizing machine, including an upper clamp ring for grasping an upper opening end part of a bladder, a lower clamp ring for grasping a lower opening end part of the bladder, a hub on a side of a lower mold for supporting the lower clamp ring, a spacer connected to the hub and supported on the side of the lower mold to be ascendable and descendable, and a center post supported by the spacer to be extensible and contractible, the hub and the spacer are formed as members separate from each other, and are divisibly bound to each other by bolts.

Abstract: A container mold exchanging apparatus includes: a container support body which supports the jacket of the container from which the lower sidewall mold is separated; a gripping mechanism which includes upper and lower gripping members and grips each tread mold so as to be interposed between the upper and lower gripping members in the vertical direction; first and second driving mechanisms which respectively elevate the upper and lower gripping members; a third driving mechanism which expands or contracts the upper and lower gripping members in the radial direction of the container; and a fourth driving mechanism which moves the gripping mechanism along the axis of the container relative to the container support body.

Abstract: This tire holding mechanism holds a tire and transfers the tire to/from other equipments. The tire holding mechanism includes a first support body, a second support body and a moving device. The first support body is provided with a substantially annular first flange which supports a first bead at one side of the tire, a lock shaft having a lock mechanism and which protrudes in an axial direction of the first flange to allow the first flange to move in the axial direction, and a stopper which restrains the first flange at the proximal end of the lock shaft. The second support body is provided with a substantially annular second flange which supports a second bead at the other side of the tire, and an engagement portion with which the lock mechanism is removably engaged. The moving device moves the first support body between a tire holding position and a tire transferring position. The lock mechanism is engaged with the engagement portion at the tire holding position.

Abstract: Disclosed is a tire vulcanizing apparatus including: upper and lower circular plates, to which sidewall dies for forming side portions of a tire are attached; respectively; and plural segments, to which tread dies separated as plural pieces for forming a tread portion of the tire are attached; respectively, in which apparatus, the upper and lower circular plates are held by engagement of lug portions, formed respectively on upper and lower portions of the segments, with protrusions on outer circumferential portions of the upper and lower circular plates so as to prevent the upper and lower circular plates from moving away from each other, the apparatus being constituted by providing adjustment plates, used for maintaining a measurement between the upper and lower circular plates, to an interface between the protrusion of each of the upper and lower circular plates and a corresponding one of the lug portions of each segment.

Abstract: A center mechanism of a tire vulcanizer in accordance with the present invention has an upper clamp ring for holding the upper opening end of a bladder, a lower clamp ring for holding the lower opening end of the bladder, a lower ring on the lower mold side supporting the lower clamp ring, a spacer installed to the lower ring and having a ventilating portion, and a center post elevating cylinder installed to the spacer. The extending portion of piston rod of the center post elevating cylinder is made a center post, the center post is inserted, in such a manner as to be movable vertically, into a through hole formed in the center of the lower ring and the lower clamp ring, and the upper clamp ring is fixed to the upper end portion of center post protruding upward from the through hole of the lower clamp ring.

Abstract: After loading a green tire in a tire vulcanizing machine and before shaping, bead portions of the green tires are centered relative to bead rings of upper and lower metal molds and are sequentially inserted into the bead rings precisely in parallel thereto by the same extendable/retractable sectors and chucks which are movable vertically. An apparatus preferable for practicing the aforementioned method includes a plurality of such sectors for centering and holding a bead portion of the green tire, slide and linkage mechanisms for extending and retracting chucks to which the sectors are mounted, and a cylinder mechanism for vertically moving the chucks so as to insert the bead portion of the green tire centered and held by the sectors into a bead ring of a tire metal mold.

Abstract: In a green tire charging apparatus for a tire vulcanizing machine according to the present invention, provision is made such that a vertically movable chuck body is inserted into a tire, chuck segments which are synchronously slidable in the radial direction are expanded to concentrically hold an upper bead portion by upper projections of centering rods, the chuck body is raised to insert the upper bead portion into an upper bead ring of a metal mold, subsequently the upper bead portion is held by holder arms of holders, the chuck body is lowered to hold a lower bead portion of the tire by lower projections of the centering rods, and the lower bead portion is inserted into a lower bead ring of the metal mold. Owing to the above-mentioned the upper and lower bead portion of provision, even a deformed green tire can be surely set on the upper and lower bead rings, respectively, of the metal mold.

Abstract: A bladder control mechanism of a tire vulcanizer includes an actuating mechanism for moving a bladder holder and a bladder gripping bowl of an upper bladder clamp relative to one another. A spring of the control mechanism imparts a gripping force to the bladder holder. Therefore, no re-tightening is required while a bladder is in use. When the bladder is to be changed, the actuating mechanism is actuated to forcibly separate the bladder holder from the bladder gripping bowl in opposition to the spring. As a result, the bladder holder frees the edge portion of the bladder. Further, due to a bayonet connection, the bladder can be readily changed in a short time by turning and removing the bladder holder.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for vulcanizing an elastomer product, such as automobile tires, wherein the elastomer product is placed in a vulcanizing chamber in a mold steam at an elevated pressure is supplied to the vulcanizing chamber to heat and pressurize the elastomer product until the elastomer product reaches a prespecified temperature or for a prespecified period of time, the steam supply is stopped and a pressurizing gas, at a pressure not lower than the steam supply pressure, is supplied to the vulcanizing chamber until the end of a heating period, said steam being blown in and supplied from an upper position of the center of the vulcanizing chamber in a horizontal direction or in an inclined downward direction, said steam being blown in and supplied from a lower position of the center of the vulcanizing chamber toward an upper region of the vulcanizing chamber.

Abstract: A vulcanizing apparatus having penetrating passages connected and communicated with a jacket portion of a mold member. An upper open end portion of one of the penetrating passages is connected to a steam inlet pipe while an upper open end portion of the other penetrating passage is connected to a steam outlet pipe. The connections and communications of the jacket portion with the steam inlet and outlet pipes can be simultaneously and efficiently completed in a single operation. Inner tubes are slidably disposed along the penetrating passages and pressed against the connecting surface of the mold, and appropriate pressure is applied on the seal packing member on the connecting surface independent from the clamping force of the upper mold in order to ensure reliable sealing.

Abstract: A method of setting a crude tire into a space between upper and lower molds in a tire vulcanizing press having upper and lower mold units movable relative to each other includes the steps of pushing an upper bead of the crude tire into a bead of the upper mold by a vertically movable device which supports the upper bead of the crude tire, introducing gas into a bladder to expand the bladder while restricting the elevation of an upper portion fixing ring of a bladder holder mechanism attached to the lower mold unit, and pushing a lower bead of the crude tire into a bead of the lower mold by utilizing the expansion forces of the bladder. With the bladder enclosed air-tightly, the tire lower bead can efficiently be pushed into the lower mold bead.

Abstract: An ejector in a tire vulcanizing machine for ejecting the condensate of vulcanizing steam accumulated within a bladder to the outside of a tire includes a drain extraction pipe elevatably and rotatably supported in the machine and extending through a lower ring and a guide ring for clamping a lower edge portion of the bladder, a drain suction pipe extending horizontally from the top end portion of the drain extraction pipe and having its tip end portion bent downwards, an elevation drive and a rotary drive for the drain extraction pipe, and a rotary limit adjusting mechanism provided in the rotary drive. Preferably, the rotary drive is made up of a rotary shaft of a rotary cylinder mounted to the bottom end portion of the drain extraction pipe so as to be supported in an axially movable manner and a body of the rotary cylinder surrounding the rotary shaft.

Abstract: An upper metal mold clamp device in a tire vulcanizing machine of the type that an upper metal mold is detachably fixed to a bolster by rotating clamp rods vertically penetrating through the bolster and provided with clamp claws at their bottom ends, is improved. Drive units rotate the respective clamp rods independently of rotation of the other clamp rods. Nuts are mounted onto the bolster plate in an unrotatable but vertically movable manner, and threadedly engaged with male screws at the upper portions of the clamp rods. Hollow spaces for accommodating the clamp claws are formed around the clamp rods on the bottom surface of an upper heat plate held in contact with the upper metal mold.

Abstract: A metal mold centering and clamping device in a tire vulcanizing machine has hydraulic cylinders each having a piston rod equipped with a non-directional bearing at its top portion. The cylinders are mounted on a vulcanizing machine frame close to an outer circumference of a metal mold. An outside portion of a centering member is connected to the vulcanizing machine frame via parallel links to form a parallel linkage, and a bottom portion of the same centering member is connected to the piston rod via a link. On the inside of the centering member and on the outer circumference of a lower metal mold are respectively formed centering surfaces opposed to each other. In addition, at an upper portion of the inside surface of the centering member is formed a clamp claw adapted to be engaged with the edge of the lower metal mold.

Abstract: A green tire inserting apparatus with which upper and lower bead portions of a green tire can be inserted correctly and surely into bead rings of upper and lower metal molds. An upper bead portion and a lower bead portion of a green tire are gripped in a true-circular shape by separate segments to be pushed respectively into bead rings of upper and lower metal molds in a vulcanizing machine. Cylinders and linkages for radially expanding the segments and pushing the bead portions into the bead rings are provided in an upper portion and a lower portion of a center mechanism of a vulcanizing machine. There are provided stoppers for presetting a segment expansion limit, which are adjustable according to variation of a bead diameter of a green tire, and bead height regulators, which are adjustable according to variation of a height of a green tire. The adjustment can be made to be automatic.