Building Tires Directly From Strands Or Cords Patents (Class 156/117)
  • Patent number: 12103258
    Abstract: A tire building method, in particular for strip-winding, includes the step of: providing a choice between a production mode for building a tire component and a test mode for obtaining test measurements, wherein the choice is provided prior to executing the test mode; wherein at least one or more building parameters is set prior to the building of the tire component based on test measurements performed on a test strip during the test mode. Also disclosed is a tyre building system and a measurement tool.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2024
    Assignee: VMI HOLLAND B.V.
    Inventors: Maarten Reinoud Van Der Made, Cees Johan Van Voskuilen, Gerrit Mulder
  • Patent number: 11865867
    Abstract: A motorcycle tire includes a tread rubber that includes a base rubber layer and a cap rubber layer disposed outward in the tire radial direction of the base rubber layer to form a ground contact surface. The cap rubber layer includes a crown cap portion disposed in a middle region in the tire axial direction of a tread portion and a pair of shoulder cap portions disposed in both sides in the tire axial direction of the crown cap portion. The crown cap portion has a loss tangent tan ?c, the shoulder cap portions have a loss tangent tan ?s, and the base rubber layer has a loss tangent tan ?b, wherein the loss tangents tan ?c, tan ?s and tan ?b satisfy the following equation (1): tan ?c<tan ?s?tan ?b . . . (1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventor: Kenji Nonaka
  • Patent number: 11571867
    Abstract: An apparatus for building and for checking a continuous elongated element during the building of a tyre for vehicle wheels. A beam of an electromagnetic radiation is projected on a section of the continuous elongated element dispensed by a dispensing head and interposed between the dispensing head and a first contact area of the continuous elongated element with a radially outer surface of a tyre being processed. An image of a radiation reflected by the section is acquired. A first parameter related to the image is detected, and the first parameter is compared with a second reference parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2023
    Assignee: PIRELLI TYRE S.P.A.
    Inventor: Cesare Emanuele Amurri
  • Patent number: 11565551
    Abstract: A hooping reinforcement of a tire for a heavy duty civil engineering type vehicle is disclosed. The crown reinforcement (3) of the tire (1), radially on the inside of a tread (2), comprises a protective reinforcement (6), a working reinforcement (5) and a hooping reinforcement (7). Said hooping reinforcement (7) has an axial width at most equal to the smallest axial width (L61, L62) of the two working layers (61, 62), and comprises at least two hooping layers (71, 72) that are formed from strips each made up of elastic metal reinforcers. Each hooping layer (71, 72) is made up of an axial juxtaposition of contiguous turns of the strip (8), which are circumferentially wound around the working layer (51). Each strip (8) is at least 35 mm and at most 250 mm thick, and its distributed breaking tension is at least equal to 100 daN/mm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: COMPAGNIE GENERALE DES ETABLISSEMENTS MICHELIN
    Inventors: Alain Domingo, Vincent Estenne, Cedric Khayat, Emmanuel Clement
  • Patent number: 11420406
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing an agricultural tyre (1) with deep cross-lugs (6), comprising the steps of: (a) proving a tyre case (2) and tread belts (3); (b) applying rubber blocks (206) onto tread belts (3), each of such rubber blocks (206) being arranged to make a respective lug (6) of the final tread (4); (c) winding a rubber ribbon (200) above said rubber blocks (206) so as to completely enclose said rubber blocks (206); (d) curing the rubber blocks (206) together with the wound ribbon (200) in a curing mould (105) negatively reproducing a desired pattern of the tread (4).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: BRIDGESTONE EUROPE NV/SA
    Inventor: Roberto Mattocci
  • Patent number: 11325331
    Abstract: In a manufacturing method of a tire which manufactures a side-wall rubber as a constituent member of the tire by winding a rubber strip formed of unvulcanized rubber on a carcass ply serving as a rotating body, the method includes the steps of: winding the rubber strip prior to vulcanization in a spiral manner having a partially overlapping region, so that at least part thereof is exposed at an outer surface, and another portion thereof is covered by the rubber strip after being wound; and arranging an electronic component so that the electronic component is positioned in the partially overlapping region of the rubber strip or between the carcass ply, etc. serving as the lower layer member of the rubber strip and the rubber strip, in the winding step or an earlier step thereto.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: Toyo Tire Corporation
    Inventor: Hiraku Nagayoshi
  • Patent number: 11207857
    Abstract: A method for controlling the thickness of a continuous elongated element made of elastomeric material, applied according to coils wound on a forming support, includes: advancing a head end of the continuous elongated element toward the forming support; subjecting, during the advancement, the continuous elongated element to a first stretching with a first stretch coefficient before applying on the forming support; and subjecting, during the advancement, the continuous elongated element to a second stretching with a second stretch coefficient during the application on the forming support. During the first stretching, a span of the continuous elongated element adjacent to the head end is stretched with a supplementary stretch coefficient greater than the first stretch coefficient, in a manner so as to confer, also to the span adjacent to the head end, a stretch and a section similar or substantially equivalent to those of the rest of the continuous elongated element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: PIRELLI TYRE S.p.A.
    Inventors: Marco Fabbretti, Andrea Crepaldi, Cesare Emanuele Amurri, Maurizio Marchini
  • Patent number: 11135736
    Abstract: A belt forming system may include an upstream conveyor, a downstream conveyor located downstream of the upstream conveyor, and a belt assembly system in communication with the upstream conveyor and the downstream conveyor. The belt assembly system may also include an arm, an actuator for moving the arm, and/or a holding component coupled to the arm and adapted to move a strip section from the upstream conveyor to a desired position on the downstream conveyor such that the strip section is oriented at a predetermined angle on the downstream conveyor. In one embodiment, the belt forming system comprises a belt cutter. The present disclosure also relates to a method for manufacturing at least a portion of a tire belt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2021
    Assignee: THE STEELASTIC COMPANY, LLC
    Inventor: Mark Marabito
  • Patent number: 11135795
    Abstract: Cord ply joiner for a tire includes a first pressurizer having first pressing member and first pressure receiving member in upper and lower sides, and a second pressurizer having second pressing member and second pressure receiving member in the upper and lower sides. A first code ply positioning mechanism positions a first code ply by bringing a tail end of the first code ply into contact with a side surface of the second pressure receiving member, a first code ply fixing mechanism lowers the cord end pressing member so the first cord ply is fixed, and a second code ply positioning mechanism positions the tip of the second code ply by bringing the tip into contact with a side surface of the cord end pressing member. The first pressurizer and the second pressurizer are brought close to each other, whereby a shearing force is applied to an overlapped portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2021
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Kei Onishi, Hiroshi Uchida
  • Patent number: 11084238
    Abstract: A method for controlling the thickness of a continuous elongated element made of elastomeric material, applied according to coils wound on a forming support, includes: advancing a head end of the continuous elongated element toward the forming support; subjecting, during the advancement, the continuous elongated element to a first stretching with a first stretch coefficient before applying on the forming support; and subjecting, during the advancement, the continuous elongated element to a second stretching with a second stretch coefficient during the application on the forming support. During the first stretching, a span of the continuous elongated element adjacent to the head end is stretched with a supplementary stretch coefficient greater than the first stretch coefficient, in a manner so as to confer, also to the span adjacent to the head end, a stretch and a section similar or substantially equivalent to those of the rest of the continuous elongated element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Assignee: PIRELLI TYRE S.p.A.
    Inventors: Marco Fabbretti, Andrea Crepaldi, Cesare Emanuele Amurri, Maurizio Marchini
  • Patent number: 11034111
    Abstract: Various embodiments relate to a pivoted dual roller tire sidewall and body ply stitching apparatus for stitching tire components, the apparatus including a first roller having a toroidal shape and connected to a first supporting arm, a second roller having a toroidal shape and connected to a second supporting arm and a supporting member connected to the first roller, the second roller and a third supporting arm wherein the second supporting arm is longer than the first supporting arm and the first roller and the second roller are configured to pivot on the supporting member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Assignee: Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations, LLC
    Inventors: Sandro Daidoji, Christopher D. Ellis, Phillip T. Brasher, Jr., Jason J. Para, Blair Kim
  • Patent number: 11001022
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a motorcycle tire comprises: building a raw tire main body, building a breaker, sticking the breaker, and building a band. The building of the breaker comprises: moving two cylindrical support rings to operating positions, swelling the raw tire main body to have its crown portion protruding from the support rings through a gap therebetween, and winding a breaker ply material on the support rings to form a cylindrical breaker ply whose inner surface is adhered to the raw tire main body. The sticking of the breaker comprises: expanding a profiled deck to swell the raw tire main body into a second swollen state, and turning down both edge portions of the breaker while being supported by the profiled deck. The building of the band comprises: spirally winding a tape on the curved breaker ply while being supported by the profiled deck.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2021
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventor: Masafumi Otani
  • Patent number: 10952357
    Abstract: The Internet of Things (IoT)-based receiver according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes a signal receive unit that receives a signal from a base station, which supports one IoT mode among a plurality of IoT modes, a mode determination unit determinates the IoT mode that is supported by the base station based on the received signal, and a function unit that processes a function related to IoT-based communication, supports each of the plurality of IoT modes, and operates based on the IoT mode, which is supported by the base station, among the plurality of IoT modes that is determined by the mode determination unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: Seong-Woo Woo, Jinbae Kim, Jung Ju Suh
  • Patent number: 10807334
    Abstract: A process for manufacturing tyres for vehicle wheels includes associating at least one reinforcing structure with at least one surface portion of at least one tyre component laid on a forming support, wherein associating the at least one reinforcing structure includes bringing, through a handling and deposition member, at least one reinforcing element to the forming support and depositing, through said handling and deposition member, the reinforcing element on a respective deposition part defined on a surface portion of the component. The depositing includes gradually laying the reinforcing element on the deposition part following the profile of the deposition part in a circumferential direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2020
    Assignee: PIRELLI TYRE S.p.A.
    Inventors: Maurizio Marchini, Christian De Col
  • Patent number: 10717225
    Abstract: A method for placing a piece of a composite material. The piece of the composite material is picked up from a source using an end effector. The piece is moved to a tool using the end effector. The piece is placed on the tool using the end effector. The piece is conformed to a shape of the tool using a roller system in the end effector, in which the roller system is moveable to conform the piece to a shape of the tool.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2020
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventor: Paul R. Stone
  • Patent number: 10688829
    Abstract: A tire includes a tread rubber which is formed by a plurality kinds of rubber having different elastic modulus, the tread rubber is provided with peripheral joint portions where the plurality kinds of rubber having the different elastic modulus is joined in a tire peripheral direction, and a ground end portion of an outside surface of the tread rubber in a tire width direction is formed by the rubber having the greatest elastic modulus among the plurality kinds of rubber constructing the peripheral joint portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: TOYO TIRE CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hirokazu Sakata
  • Patent number: 10449742
    Abstract: An apparatus for building a tire for a vehicle wheel includes at least one forming support and at least one assembly device for assembling components of elastomeric material on the forming support. The at least one assembly device includes at least one dispensing device for dispensing a continuous elongated element of elastomeric material and at least one application device for applying the continuous elongated element in a form of coils disposed in side by side relationship or at least partly superposed, wound on the forming support and forming the at least one component of elastomeric material of the tire. The apparatus also includes at least one pressure device operatively acting on an applied portion of the continuous elongated element, wherein the pressure device includes a central roller and two side rollers, each laterally offset relative to the central roller and on the opposite side relative to the other side roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2019
    Assignee: PIRELLI TYRE S.p.A.
    Inventors: Cesare Emanuele Amurri, Maurizio Marchini, Gianni Mancini
  • Patent number: 10399388
    Abstract: The working reinforcement (2) of an aircraft tire is made by the zigzag winding of a strip (5) having width W, with a periodic curve (7), corresponding to the mid-line of the strip, forming, with the circumferential direction (XX), a non-zero angle A. The circumferential distance (c) between the extrema (S51, S52, S53) of the respective mid-lines of two consecutive strip portions (51, 52, 53) is equal to the ratio W/sin A. For any set of three consecutive strip portions (51, 52, 53), made up of a first, a second and a third portion, the respective mid-lines of the first and third strip portions (51, 53) intersect at an intersection point (I), axially aligned with the extremum (S52) of the mid-line of the second strip portion (52) and axially on the inside of said extremum (S52) at an axial distance (a) at least equal to the width W.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2019
    Assignee: COMPAGNIE GENERALE DES ETABLISSEMENTS MICHELIN
    Inventor: Marc Romero De La Osa
  • Patent number: 10239271
    Abstract: A strip of a thermoplastic elastomer to be wound spirally on a cylindrical drum for forming an inner liner for a tire having a shape close to a finished sectional shape is provided. The strip is formed of composite layers of (A) a first layer made of a styrene-isobutylene-styrene triblock copolymer and (B) a second layer containing at least one of a styrene-isoprene-styrene triblock copolymer and a styrene-isobutylene diblock copolymer. The strip further has a strip main body and ear portions arranged on opposite sides thereof. The strip main body has a thickness (T1) of 0.05 mm to 1.0 mm. The ear portions have a thickness (T2) thinner than the thickness (T1) of the strip main body and a width (W2) of 0.5 mm to 5.0 mm. This ribbon-shaped strip reduces unevenness of the surface of a sheet formed by the opposite ends of the strip when manufacturing an inner liner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventor: Mutsuki Sugimoto
  • Patent number: 10213977
    Abstract: A carcass ply is built on a forming drum by application of a plurality of strip-like elements by the steps of: setting a width of these strip-like elements, setting a width of the overlapped part between two adjacent strip-like elements, setting a fitting diameter of the forming drum by calculating a corresponding extension of a radially external laying surface, and calculating a whole number of strip-like elements to be applied. The whole number of drip-like elements is applied by rotating the forming drum around a geometric rotation axis thereof, and applying pairs of strip-like elements by means of a first laying unit and a second laying unit located close to opposite portions of the forming drum relative to the geometric rotation axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2019
    Assignee: PIRELLI TYRE S.p.A.
    Inventors: Maurizio Marchini, Cesare Emanuele Amurri, Marco Cantu, Gianni Mancini, Giorgia Sgalari
  • Patent number: 10137653
    Abstract: Method for manufacturing a green tire by winding a carcass reinforcement ply onto a tire-building drum on which a number of profiled elements are axially spaced apart one from one another and have a given thickness of which the meridian line has a curved profile are laid, wherein: the front edge of the carcass reinforcement ply is grasped with the aid of a transport device having a chassis that supports a transverse row of ply gripping pads, the carcass reinforcement ply is transferred between a supply station and drum, the front edge of said ply is laid on the tire-building drum, said transport device is withdrawn, an applicator roller having a deformable profile is applied to the front edge of said ply and pressure is exerted in the radial direction across the width of said ply, and said drum is made to rotate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2018
    Assignees: Compagnie Generale Des Etablissements Michelin, Michelin Recherche Et Technique, S.A.
    Inventor: Franck Denavit
  • Patent number: 9994075
    Abstract: A tire includes: a tire case serving as an example of a circular tire frame member that is formed using a frame resin material; and a reinforcing cord member that is disposed at an outer circumference of the tire case, that is configured by a reinforcing cord covered with a resin covering layer, that is wound along a tire circumferential direction so as to form a spiral shape, that is bonded to the tire case, and in which tire axial direction adjacent portions of the reinforcing cord member are bonded together.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2018
    Assignee: BRIDGESTONE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Seiji Kon, Keiichi Hasegawa, Yoshihide Kouno
  • Patent number: 9556921
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to an air spring sleeve comprising: an outer layer, at least one reinforcing layer, and an inner layer that form the sleeve; the outer layer and the inner layer are formed of an elastomeric composition, with the proviso that the elastomeric composition does not comprise epichlorohydrin; and the at least one reinforcing layer comprises a plurality of reinforcing elements disposed between a layer of the elastomeric composition, wherein the elastomeric composition of the at least one reinforcing layer is identical to the elastomeric composition of the outer layer and the inner layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignee: FIRESTONE INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTS COMPANY, LLC
    Inventors: Michael C. Howard, Hao Wang, Sheel Agarwal, John D. Rensel
  • Patent number: 9527256
    Abstract: A process and an apparatus for building tires for vehicle wheels includes assembling at least one tire component through laying of strip-like elements disposed circumferentially close to each other on a deposition surface radially external to the forming drum, wherein laying of each strip-like element includes: radially moving the strip-like element close to the deposition surface; locking a central portion of the strip-like element against the deposition surface; and pulling the strip-like element in opposite directions starting from the central portion toward the opposite ends thereof, while the central portion is maintained in a locked condition against the deposition surface, so as to progressively lay down the strip-like element against the deposition surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: PIRELLI TYRE S.P.A.
    Inventors: Maurizio Marchini, Michele Ballabio, Stefano Boracco
  • Patent number: 9511556
    Abstract: Variable-diameter tire-building drum intended for the manufacture of a green tire having a generally cylindrical receiving surface formed of radially mobile sectors and bearing elements the radially external part of which constitutes the receiving surface, the receiving surface comprising at least one circular groove containing an elastic circumferential sleeve which is held radially away from the bottom of the groove by pushers able to move radially with respect to the mobile sectors so as to align the radially external surface of the sleeve with the receiving surface when the drum is brought to a first laying diameter, and which is pressed against the bottom of the groove under the effect of circumferential elastic tensions when the drum is placed at a laying diameter greater than the said first laying diameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2016
    Assignees: COMPAGNIE GENERALE DES ETABLISSEMENTS MICHELIN, MICHELIN RECHERCHE ET TECHNIQUE S.A.
    Inventors: Franck Denavit, Stephane Ravat
  • Patent number: 9498926
    Abstract: A process and an apparatus for building tires for vehicle wheels includes assembling at least one tire component through laying of strip-like elements disposed circumferentially close to each other on a deposition surface radially external to the forming drum, wherein laying of each strip-like element includes: radially moving the strip-like element close to the deposition surface; locking a central portion of the strip-like element against the deposition surface; and pulling the strip-like element in opposite directions starting from the central portion toward the opposite ends thereof, while the central portion is maintained in a locked condition against the deposition surface, so as to progressively lay down the strip-like element against the deposition surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2016
    Assignee: PIRELLI TYRE S.P.A.
    Inventors: Maurizio Marchini, Michele Ballabio, Stefano Boracco
  • Patent number: 9339980
    Abstract: A carcass ply is built on a forming drum by application of a plurality of strip-like elements, through the steps of: setting a width of these strip-like elements, setting a width of the overlapped part between two adjacent strip-like elements, setting a fitting diameter of the forming drum, calculating a whole number of strip-like elements to be applied. The whole number of strip-like elements is applied by rotating the forming drum around a geometric rotation axis thereof, and applying pairs of strip-like elements by means of a first and second laying unit located close to opposite portions of the forming drum. When the calculated whole number of strip-like elements is an odd number, the first laying unit is shifted along an adjustment path orthogonal to the geometric rotation axis and substantially tangent to the radially external laying surface of the forming drum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: Pirelli Tyre S.p.A.
    Inventors: Maurizio Marchini, Cesare Emanuele Amurri, Marco Cantu, Gianni Mancini, Giorgia Sgalari
  • Patent number: 9254618
    Abstract: An apparatus for the deposition of at least one reinforcing element on a forming including at least one feeding unit of at least one reinforcing element at a forming support, at least one deposition unit of the at least one reinforcing element on the forming support, the at least one deposition unit including at least one presser member, a control unit of the at least one deposition unit, at least one detection device of the deviations between an actual deposition profile and a theoretical deposition profile along a first deposition path defined based upon the theoretical profile, and a processing unit to define, based upon said deviations, an actual deposition path of the at least one reinforcing element on the forming support.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2016
    Assignee: Pirelli Tyre S.p.A.
    Inventors: Maurizio Marchini, Marco Cantu'
  • Patent number: 9188975
    Abstract: Method and apparatus for controlling the movement of building members of a tyre in a process for manufacturing tyres for vehicle wheels includes: providing a first device of a first electromagnetic radiation on a first tyre building member; detecting, during a movement of the first building member, a first image in which the first electromagnetic radiation defines a trajectory followed, in the movement, by the first emitter device; carrying out a first comparison between the first image and one or more first reference data; and generating a first notification signal as a function of the first comparison.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2015
    Assignees: Pirelli Tyre S.p.A., Politecnico Di Torino
    Inventors: Michele Ballabio, Gaetano Lo Presti, Bartolomeo Montrucchio, Vincenzo Orlando, Gianni Mancini
  • Patent number: 9138951
    Abstract: A tire configured from joining together plural tire frame members formed from a thermoplastic material in which sufficient strength of the joint portion is secured. Two tire halves 17A formed from a first thermoplastic material are supported by a tire supporting section 40 so as to be aligned with each other and abutting, while rotating this configuration melted welding thermoplastic material 43 is extruded from a nozzle 46 towards the joining location, and the welding thermoplastic material 43 is pressed by a flattening roller 48. The one tire half 17A and the other tire half 17A are thereby welded together with the welding thermoplastic material 43.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2015
    Assignee: BRIDGESTONE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoshihide Kouno, Seiji Kon
  • Publication number: 20150136309
    Abstract: A strip rubber adhering method includes: extruding strip rubber of a shape having an apex portion in cross section from an extruder and moving the same forward toward a drum; pressing a surface of the strip rubber on the apex portion side by a pressure bonding roller, adhering the strip rubber to the drum, moving relatively the drum and the extruder with respect to each other in an axial direction of the drum, and winding the strip rubber around the drum in a spiral manner; and exposing the surface of the strip rubber on the apex portion side to wind from a blowing apparatus in the vicinity of a position of adhesion of the strip rubber to the drum and cooling the surface of the strip rubber on the apex portion side.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 25, 2014
    Publication date: May 21, 2015
    Applicant: TOYO TIRE & RUBBER CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Syuuichi Nishikawa
  • Patent number: 9028630
    Abstract: In the invention, at least a tire outer circumferential side portion of a tread portion is formed of a non-conductive rubber layer. The non-conductive rubber layer is formed by winding and laminating a non-conductive rubber ribbon along a tire circumferential direction. A conductive layer is provided on an outer circumference of the non-conductive rubber ribbon, and the conductive layer continuously and spirally extends along the tire circumferential direction, and is exposed on a tread surface from a bottom surface of the non-conductive rubber layer toward a tire outer circumferential side. Accordingly, an electricity generated in a vehicle body is discharged to a road through the conductive layer. Since the conductive layer is scattered within the non-conductive rubber layer and exposure on the tread surface is preferably secured, it is possible to achieve an excellent conductivity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignee: Toyo Tire & Rubber Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshinori Asayama, Eiji Azuma
  • Publication number: 20150122402
    Abstract: A method of producing a tyre tread with lugs; the tread having a tread base, and a number of lugs projecting upwards from the tread base; and the method including the steps of: preparing a green-rubber blank tread thinner at the sides and thicker at the centre to define a raised centre portion; applying green-rubber blocks to the areas of the blank tread where the lugs are to be formed, which blocks rest centrally against the raised centre portion; and curing the blank tread, together with the blocks, in a curing mold negatively reproducing the pattern of the tread.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 19, 2013
    Publication date: May 7, 2015
    Inventor: Roberto Mattocci
  • Publication number: 20150107755
    Abstract: A method and system for manufacturing a tyre tread with lugs, the tread having a tread base, and a number of lugs projecting upwards from the tread base; the method having the steps of: preparing a green-rubber blank tread of constant thickness; applying rubber blocks to the areas of the blank tread where the lugs are to be formed, each block varying lengthwise in cross section, so it is thinner at the centre and thicker at the side; and curing the blank tread, together with the blocks, in a curing mold negatively reproducing the pattern of the tread.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 19, 2013
    Publication date: April 23, 2015
    Inventor: Roberto Mattocci
  • Publication number: 20150068667
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire molding device includes an extruder which mixes and discharges a rubber material, a mouth piece which is attached to a leading end of the extruder, and a rotary support body around which a rubber strip discharged out of a discharge port of the mouth piece is wound, wherein a receiving portion is formed in the mouth piece closer to a rear side in a rotating direction of the rotary support body than the discharge port in an end surface facing to a rotation surface of the rotary support body, the receiving portion being capable of receiving the rubber strip which has been already wound around the rotary support body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 11, 2014
    Publication date: March 12, 2015
    Inventor: Syuuichi Nishikawa
  • Patent number: 8973635
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire comprising a belt structure and a torus shaped carcass having a first inner radius and an outer radius, wherein the carcass is comprised of three or more layers of ply, wherein each layer of ply is formed from a rubberized strip of one or more cords, the strips being wound in an geodesic pattern having the cord extend across the carcass from a first shoulder to a second shoulder in a path that has at least one point tangent to the first inner radius located in the bead area of the tire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2015
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventors: Robert Allen Losey, Samuel Patrick Landers, Thulasiram Gobinath
  • Publication number: 20140374008
    Abstract: Building the carcass structure of tyres for vehicle wheels includes associating, at each end edge of a carcass ply, at least one respective annular reinforcement structure formed by depositing along a circumferential direction a plurality of reinforcement elements having a first length. Such elements are cut to size from a reinforced continuous band-like element fed to a cutting group arranged at a first operative position adapted to allow a barycentric grip of the reinforcement elements. The cutting group can translate along a feeding direction of the band-like element to a second operative position for cutting to size a plurality of second reinforcement elements having a second length different from the first length. The second operative position is defined on the basis of the second length, so as to have a barycentric grip of the second reinforcement elements too.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2012
    Publication date: December 25, 2014
    Applicant: PIRELLI TYRE S.P.A.
    Inventors: Maurizio Marchini, Michele Ballabio, Christian De Col
  • Publication number: 20140338818
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a motorcycle tire comprises: building a raw tire main body, building a breaker, sticking the breaker, and building a band. The building of the breaker comprises: moving two cylindrical support rings to operating positions, swelling the raw tire main body to have its crown portion protruding from the support rings through a gap therebetween, and winding a breaker ply material on the support rings to form a cylindrical breaker ply whose inner surface is adhered to the raw tire main body. The sticking of the breaker comprises: expanding a profiled deck to swell the raw tire main body into a second swollen state, and turning down both edge portions of the breaker while being supported by the profiled deck. The building of the band comprises: spirally winding a tape on the curved breaker ply while being supported by the profiled deck.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 6, 2014
    Publication date: November 20, 2014
    Applicant: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Masafumi OTANI
  • Patent number: 8877105
    Abstract: A process for manufacturing an elastomeric tire component includes the steps of a) preparing an elongated element including a cross-linkable elastomeric material by feeding it to an extruding device having a plurality of units, each having a respective thermal inertia, and b) delivering the elongated element onto a building support, and further includes at least one non-productive step of c) submitting at least one of the units of the extruding device to a thermal transition selected from heating or cooling, substantially reducing the risk of scorching during the thermal transition from and to the non-productive step ranking the units according to their thermal inertia and heating the units starting with the top-ranked unit sequentially to the bottom-ranked unit to reach the respective working temperature or cooling the units starting from the maximum working temperature unit sequentially to the minimum working temperature unit to reach the respective non-working temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: Pirelli Tyre S.p.A.
    Inventors: Francesco D'Oria, Enrico Sabbatani, Maurizio Marchini
  • Patent number: 8876997
    Abstract: In the field of tire building, underbelt inserts are applied to an expandable support associated with an auxiliary drum on which the belt structure is made, simultaneously with manufacture of a carcass structure on a primary drum. Following expansion of the expandable support, the underbelt inserts are applied to the belt structure that can be directly made on the support itself in an expanded condition. The belt structure together with the underbelt inserts and a tread band are then transferred onto the carcass structure formed on the primary drum to complete building of the tire following shaping of the carcass into a toroidal conformation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: Pirelli Tyre S.p.A.
    Inventors: Claudio Lacagnina, Luigi Braghieri
  • Publication number: 20140311655
    Abstract: Production of carcass structures and/or production of crown structures includes: positioning a first continuous elongated element so that its end stretch is aligned with a cutting position; positioning a second continuous elongated element so that its end stretch is in side by side relationship with the end stretch of the first continuous elongated element; forming first strip-like elements from the first continuous elongated element; depositing the first strip-like elements on at least one forming drum; translating the end stretches of the first and second continuous elongated element in a transverse direction relative to their longitudinal extension to align the end stretch of the second continuous elongated element to said cutting position; forming second strip-like elements from the second continuous elongated element; and depositing the second strip-like elements on said at least one forming drum.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2012
    Publication date: October 23, 2014
    Inventors: Maurizio Marchini, Michele Ballabio
  • Patent number: 8815032
    Abstract: A process for producing a tread for a tire with a radially inner layer composed of a first rubber material and with a radially outer second layer composed of a second rubber material and forming the ground-contact surface of the pneumatic tire. The first rubber material has higher electrical conductivity than the second rubber material, and where, in a form of a web axially dividing the second layer around the periphery of the tire, the first rubber material extends radially outwards through the second layer as far as the ground-contact surface. A ply of the first and second layers are constructed radially one on the other, on a rotationally symmetric construction surface, on one of the two axial sides of the web to be produced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: Continental Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Udo Frerichs
  • Patent number: 8801884
    Abstract: A method of forming a tire innerliner having a cylindrical inner rubber layer and a cylindrical film formed of a thermoplastic resin or a thermoplastic elastomer composition having a thermoplastic resin and an elastomer blended therewith. The cylindrical film is disposed radially outwardly of the cylindrical inner rubber layer. The method includes the following steps: wrapping an unvulcanized rubber layer cylindrically around a building drum to form the cylindrical inner rubber layer; and subsequently wrapping a sheet-shaped film formed of a thermoplastic resin or a thermoplastic elastomer composition having a thermoplastic resin and an elastomer blended therewith cylindrically around the cylindrical inner rubber layer, which is already wrapped around the building drum, to form the cylindrical film. The unvulcanized rubber layer constituting the cylindrical inner rubber layer is a strip-shaped rubber layer, and the cylindrical inner rubber layer is formed by spirally winding the strip-shaped rubber layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignee: The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshiaki Hashimura, Takahiko Sawada, Norifumi Kameda
  • Publication number: 20140196834
    Abstract: The invention provides an assembly and a method for manufacturing a green tyre. The assembly comprises a building drum (52), an extrusion device (75) for extruding a strip (70) of an unvulcanized rubber, a transfer drum (72) for helically winding the strip (70) of the unvulcanized rubber thereon into a layer of rubber material, and a cutting device (76) for at least substantially in axial direction severing the layer of rubber material, wherein the transfer drum (72) is movable between a first position near the extrusion device (52) and a second position near the building drum (52) for transferring the layer of rubber material from the transfer drum (72) to the building drum (52).
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2012
    Publication date: July 17, 2014
    Inventors: Jan Kornelis Grashuis, Antonie Slots
  • Publication number: 20140190617
    Abstract: An objective of the present invention is to reduce the development of defect during vulcanization. A method for producing a pneumatic tire comprises: a carcass ply forming step to cover both surfaces of a code array made of the carcass cords of the carcass ply with a topping rubber; a step of forming a raw cover including the carcass; and a step of vulcanizing the raw cover. The carcass ply forming step comprises an arranging process to intersect rubber-un-coated air-absorptive organic fiber cords with carcass cords of the carcass ply on at least one side of the carcass ply.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 24, 2012
    Publication date: July 10, 2014
    Applicant: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Yukishige Adachi, Kei Onishi
  • Publication number: 20140174637
    Abstract: The tool which contains: a support, and an arm bearing a strip extrusion member and a strip applicator roller, wherein the arm is articulated with respect to the support about a first axis parallel to a geometric axis of the roller and about a second axis tangential to a circumference of the roller, of the first and second axes at least one passing through a centre of gravity of the arm.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 7, 2012
    Publication date: June 26, 2014
    Applicants: Michelin Recherche et Techique S.A., COMPAGNIE GENERALE DES ETABLISSMENTS MICHELIN
    Inventor: Nicolas Chevaux
  • Publication number: 20140174638
    Abstract: A thread displacement device for displacing a thread on a winding body includes a thread guide, which, depending on a movement of the winding body, can be freely selectively moved back and forth along a curved path defined by guide means. The thread guide has a thread guide roller rotatably mounted about a thread guide roller rotational axis to guide and press the thread against the winding body, said thread guide roller being configured as a self-directing roller. The guide means includes a flexibly deformable traction means, which can be guided back and forth via deflection rollers and/or deflection rods and on which the thread guide is directly fastened.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2014
    Publication date: June 26, 2014
    Applicant: SSM Scharer Schweiter Mettler AG
    Inventors: André Wandeler, Davide Maccabruni, Christian Muser
  • Publication number: 20140150956
    Abstract: In tyre manufacture, a belt structure is made by means of strip-like segments each including parallel cords incorporated into an elastomeric layer, which strip-like segments are sequentially laid down in mutual circumferential side by side relationship on a toroidal support.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2012
    Publication date: June 5, 2014
    Applicant: Pirelli Tyre S.p.A.
    Inventors: Stefano Sangiovanni, Maurizio Marchini, Massimo Mortarino
  • Publication number: 20140138006
    Abstract: The invention provides a pneumatic tire which suppresses one-sided flow of a tire caused by ply steer without deteriorating uniformity. A tread rubber is formed by a ribbon rubber which is wound around a tire rotating axis continuously from a winding start end to a winding terminal end. Positions of the winding start end and the winding terminal end are different from each other in a tire width direction. In the case that a belt incline side is set to a side in which a cord of a belt ply in the outermost side in a tire diametrical direction among a plurality of belt plies is inclined to a tire peripheral direction, the ribbon rubber is wound in a posture in which the ribbon rubber is inclined to an opposite side to the belt incline side in relation to the tire peripheral direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 17, 2013
    Publication date: May 22, 2014
    Applicant: TOYO TIRE & RUBBER CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Yuji Inoue
  • Patent number: 8714222
    Abstract: On a building drum, anchoring structures to beads, carcass plies, a belt structure and/or other annular composite components are sequentially assembled with a liner, sidewalls, sidewall inserts, under-belt inserts or other annular elastomer components. Each of the sidewall inserts, sidewalls, or under-belt inserts is made as a one piece construction in a service station operating far away from the building drum for storage on a movable storing device. Actuating members operating on the movable storing device carry the annular elastomer components from the service station to the building drum. A transfer member picks up the annular elastomer components from the movable storing device to transfer them to the building drum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: Pirelli Tyre S.p.A.
    Inventor: Gianni Mancini