Applying Tread Material To Fully-formed Carcass Patents (Class 156/128.1)
  • Publication number: 20040261934
    Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to precisely and efficiently paste a tread ring and a raw tire base body with each other. A ring-like base body 5 is aligned with a former 3. The ring-like base body 5 relatively approaches and separates from a former 3. The ring-like base body 5 includes pasting means 6 which pastes a tread ring A to a raw tire base body B. The pasting means 6 includes a grasping tool 11 having a plurality of segments 13 which abut against an outer peripheral surface of the tread ring A to grasp the tread ring A. The pasting means 6 also includes a pushing-down pasting tool 12 having an annular rubber tube body 15. The rubber tube body 15 is disposed on each side of the segment 13 and pushes down a shoulder side portion As of the tread ring A by expansion to paste the shoulder side portion As to the raw tire base body B.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 23, 2004
    Publication date: December 30, 2004
    Inventors: Norikatsu Nakata, Akio Hakamada, Yutaka Yoshida
  • Patent number: 6824633
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for treading a tire carcass in which a crude rubber tread is deposited on a tire carcass to be treaded, the tire carcass thus covered having been mounted on a rim and inflated, a resilient ring-shaped mold possessing an inner annular surface ensuring molding of the tread is positioned on the tread, a resilient flange is placed between each bead and each peripheral edge of the mold and covers the outer surface of the tire casing lying between the bead and the edge, and the assembly is placed in a pressurized and heated enclosure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2004
    Assignee: Michelin Recherche et Technique, S.A.
    Inventor: Francois Chamoy
  • Patent number: 6805177
    Abstract: A high performance tire includes a carcass provided with at least one carcass ply, a belt including two or more layers of reinforcing cords parallel to each other in a layer and crossed with respect to those of an adjacent layer, applied circumferentially on the carcass, a radially-external layer of circumferentially-oriented reinforcing cords applied on the belt, and a tread band comprising an underlayer and an external layer. The underlayer may have a hardness which is substantially constant over a temperature range between 23° C. and 100° C. The underlayer may also have an elastic modulus which is substantially constant over a temperature range between 70° C. and 100° C. Additionally, the underlayer may be made from an elastomer compound comprising reinforcing fibers and hardening resins. Further, the underlayer may have a hardness and an elastic modulus which remain substantially constant between 70° C. and 100° C. A method for making the tire is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2004
    Assignee: Pirelli Pneumatici S.p.A.
    Inventors: Marco Nahmias Nanni, Antonio Serra, Antonio Brunacci
  • Patent number: 6758931
    Abstract: An apparatus for retreading tires is disclosed. The apparatus has a rotatable hub for the mounting of a buffed tire casing. The apparatus also has a cushion gum applicator that is configured to stretch a length of cushion gum onto a tire casing. Further, the apparatus has a tread dispenser that is configured to automatically dispense a length of tire tread based on the circumference of at least one of the tire casing and the tire casing plus the cushion gum. Further still, the apparatus includes a tread applicator that is configured to stretch the length of tire tread onto the cushion gum. The entire apparatus including the cushion gum applicator, the tread dispenser, and the tread applicator are integrated into a single tire bench machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2004
    Assignee: Bandag, Incorporated
    Inventors: Estes M. Daugherty, Steven W. Mory
  • Publication number: 20040127652
    Abstract: The invention relates to a rubber composition which contains an aminoalcohol as a tack retention additive. The invention also relates to a tire having a component of such rubber composition. The invention is further directed to a method of preparing a tire having tire tread ends or other rubber components joined together without an adhesive.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2002
    Publication date: July 1, 2004
    Inventors: Ramendra Nath Majumdar, Lewis Timothy Lukich, Bruce Raymond Hahn, David W. Killian
  • Publication number: 20040084120
    Abstract: The present invention is a tire comprising a tread and layers radially interior to said tread, wherein at least one layer comprises a dye or pigment that fluoresces when exposed to ultraviolet light. The fluorescent dye may be on the surface of the layer, or dispersed throughout the layer. The present invention also comprises a method of inspecting a tire for proper placement of components comprising shining an ultraviolet light onto a cut section of the aforesaid layer. The invention also includes a method of re-treading a tire where the fluorescent layer is interior to the tread, and detecting the fluorescence of the layer is a signal to cease tread removal operations. In one to embodiment of the invention, the tire has at least one steel belt, and the fluorescent layer is a tape covering the edge of the belt. In another embodiment of the invention, the tire is a non-pneumatic tire.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 27, 2002
    Publication date: May 6, 2004
    Inventors: Jesse Arnold, Christopher Sean Madden
  • Publication number: 20040079470
    Abstract: A retreading method wherein a base composition and a cap composition are applied to a carcass (10) as two ribbons (14) and (16) extruded from separate extruders (18) and (20). The ribbons (14) and (16) can be layered and applied to a ready-to-retread carcass (10) simultaneously or, alternatively, the base ribbon (14) can be applied to the ready-to-retread carcass (10) first and the cap ribbon (16) applied thereafter. The carcass (10), with ribbons (14/16) applied thereto, is then inserted into an enclosed heated mold (22) and cured to complete the retread.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 28, 2002
    Publication date: April 29, 2004
    Inventors: Akira Tamura, Tomizo Kiyosue
  • Publication number: 20040050478
    Abstract: Plastic impact driven fasteners having relatively high flexural strength and relatively low heat deformation temperature are provided. Additional embodiments relate to methods of using the fasteners. For example, the fasteners may be used in a tire retreading process. In such a case, one or more fasteners may be used to secure new tread to a tire core before and/or during a curing process. The curing process may also cause deformation of the fastener, thereby eliminating the need to remove the fasteners after the curing process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 18, 2002
    Publication date: March 18, 2004
    Inventors: Pamela S. Tucker, Nancy Showers
  • Patent number: 6699344
    Abstract: A process is disclosed for producing a vehicular pneumatic tire, in which, in order to produce and apply a preferably unvulcanized tread strip to a partial tire, which already has a cambered carcass and a ply packet radially outward therefrom, at least two strips of material, each consisting of a mixture of rubber and/or plastic, are applied to the partial tire. At least one strip of material is wound in numerous essentially adjoining windings running in the circumferential direction of the tire. In the case of two strips of material, these consist of different mixtures and, depending upon the desired characteristics of the tire, are arranged simultaneously or sequentially on different areas in the inner or the radially outer zone of the space occupied by the finished tread strip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2004
    Assignee: Continental Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Horst Sergel, Heinrich Huinink, Wolfgang Holzbach
  • Publication number: 20030121592
    Abstract: In a method of making a pneumatic tire which comprises a tire main body and a tread rubber with axial edges, the inside diameter of the tread rubber being smaller at the axial edges than in the intermediate portion, the tire main body including an underlying component on which the axial edge of the tread rubber is stuck, the green tire is made by: making a raw tire main body including an underlying component; placing an annular raw tread rubber around the raw tire main body; swelling the raw tire main body by pressurizing the inside thereof; pushing the entire width of the raw tread rubber onto the swollen tire main body partially with respect to the tire circumferential direction; and conducting the circumferentially-partial pushing through the enter circumference of the raw tread rubber, whereby the axial edge of the raw tread rubber is stuck on the underlying component without being wrinkled.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 26, 2002
    Publication date: July 3, 2003
    Inventor: Kazuya Suzuki
  • Patent number: 6516847
    Abstract: A low rolling resistance tire (1) for vehicles is described which comprises at least one belt layer (7) coaxially extending around at least one carcass ply (3), a composite tread (10) coaxially extending around the belt layer (7) and comprising a radially outer layer (12) and a radially inner layer (11), wherein the ratio between the modulus of elasticity E' at 70° C. of the radially inner layer (11) and the modulus of elasticity E' at 70° C. of the radially outer layer (12) is comprised between 1.1 and 3, and the ratio between the value of tang&dgr; at 70° C of the radially inner layer (11) and the value of tang&dgr; at 70° C. of the radially outer layer (12) is lower than 0.8. Advantageously, the tire (1) achieves a better compromise between the characteristics of rolling resistance, handling and comfort with respect to what is obtainable from known tires for the same type of use.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2003
    Assignee: Pirelli Pneumatici S.p.A.
    Inventors: Angela Amaddeo, Mario Isola, Antonio Serra
  • Patent number: 6502611
    Abstract: Disclosed is a pneumatic tire adopting a bias ply structure in which plural carcass layers are disposed so that cords cross each other between the layers, and having an aspect ratio of 55% or less and an outer diameter of 300 mm or less, wherein a cord angle to a tire circumferential direction of said carcass layer is set to a range from 27 to 37° in the center line position, and a surface shape of a tread portion is formed to be straight to a tire width direction in the region of 60 to 75% of a tread width.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2003
    Assignee: The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinichi Mori, Masaharu Sekoguchi
  • Patent number: 6484772
    Abstract: A tread for a tire, the tread being provided with a plurality of cutouts, defined by walls perpendicular to or oblique to the rolling surface of the tread, in which the two main walls of at least one cutout located in the part of the tread affected by the loading on the ground of the tire during travel are connected by at least one rubber connecting element and in that the total connection surface SE of the connecting element(s) is at most 80% of the surface defined by the geometric contour L of minimum length and surrounding said total connection surface SE. A method for producing a cutout provided with at least one connecting element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2002
    Assignee: Compagnie Générale des Establissements Michelin-Michelin & Cie
    Inventors: Bertrand Garnier De Labareyre, Jose Merino Lopez
  • Publication number: 20020157761
    Abstract: A retreaded tire assembly and method for making the same is disclosed. The method and assembly provide for the application of new tread to a buffed tire casing with only a layer of cushion gum disposed therebetween. The cushion gum is applied directly to the buffed circumference of a tire casing without the use of conventional spray cement normally applied to the buffed surface of the entire casing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2002
    Publication date: October 31, 2002
    Applicant: Bandag Licensing Corporation
    Inventors: David L. Bender, James E. Bundschuh, Lawrence Carlson, Johnathon Leslie Logsden, Floyd S. Myers, Gary W. Schnedler, Ronald Seiler
  • Publication number: 20020153083
    Abstract: A ply station 12, a band station 13, a shaping station 14, and a belt-tread station 15 are disposed along one side of a conveyor line 11 which extends linearly. A first feeding apparatus 16 disposed between the stations 12, 13, a second feeding apparatus 17 between the stations 13, 14, and a third feeding apparatus 18 between the stations 15, 14 are movably supported on the conveyor line 11. A vulcanizing station 19 comprising a plurality of vulcanizers 20 is disposed on a second side of the conveyor line 11. A delivery apparatus 22 is disposed between the vulcanizing station 19 and the shaping station 14.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 16, 2002
    Publication date: October 24, 2002
    Inventor: Shigemasa Takagi
  • Patent number: 6406575
    Abstract: Process for producing a pneumatic tire that includes an inner liner of a layer that is as air-impermeable as possible, at least one carcass ply provided with strength supports, horn profiles, bead cores, sidewalls, a belt assembly, and a tread. The process includes building-up a partial tire in a production part A, where the partial tire includes at least a carcass body that includes the at least one carcass ply provided with the strength supports, bead reinforcements and cores, core fillers and horn profiles, and an undertread, and shaping and at least partially vulcanizing the partial tire under an internal pressure in a vulcanization mold in a first vulcanization procedure. The process also includes determining a cross-sectional contour for a completed tire and an amount of surface and strength supports to be added to the partial tire prior to a production part B, and building-up the partial tire in the production part B by adding remaining tire components to produce a complete tire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2002
    Assignee: Continental Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Rainer Baumgarten, Olaf Campsheide, Volkmar Fries, Roland Jenke
  • Patent number: 6397910
    Abstract: A retreaded tire comprised of a tread and carcass with an intervening rubber layer, conventionally referred to as a cushion, wherein the tread has an oil rich rubber-based adhesive on its inner surface at the interface between said tread and cushion. Said oil rich rubber based adhesive is free, or substantially free, of volatile organic compounds, particularly volatile organic solvents. Alternately, the oil-rich rubber-based adhesive may contain oil and volatile organic solvent wherein oil is the major component insofar as the oil and solvent is concerned.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2002
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventors: Cheryl Ann Losey, Arthur Webster Magee, Roger John Hopper, Richard Michael D'Sidocky
  • Patent number: 6368439
    Abstract: A retreaded tire assembly and method for making the same is disclosed. The method and assembly provide for the application of new tread to a buffed tire casing with only a layer of cushion gum disposed therebetween. The cushion gum is applied directly to the buffed circumference of a tire casing without the use of conventional spray cement normally applied to the buffed surface of the entire casing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 1996
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2002
    Assignee: Bandag Licensing Corporation
    Inventors: David L. Bender, James E. Bundschuh, Jr., Lawrence Carlson, Johnathon Leslie Logsden, Floyd S. Myers, Gary W. Schnedler, Ronald Seiler
  • Patent number: 6355136
    Abstract: Tread guides (24, 26, 28) supported on a frame (16) over a conveyor (10) have rollers (28) for engaging edges of the tread (14) an the conveyor and a constant centering force is provided by ball nuts (50, 52) in engagement with a ball screw (44) connected to a pneumatic torque applying actuator (56). Conicity adjustment (62, 66) is provided by lateral adjustment of the ball screw (44), ball nuts (50, 52) and tread guide assembly as a unit relative to the conveyor (10).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2002
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventors: William Dudley Currie, James Michael Hart, Patrick David Marks
  • Publication number: 20010050134
    Abstract: A method of producing a tire with a simplified operation and a high productivity, for improving the lateral rigidity and the steering stability performance of the tire. An annular laminated body as a reinforcing layer in the side surface area of the tire is formed by spirally winding and laminating a ribbon of an unvulcanized rubber embedding a thin gauge and embedding short fibers with a desired orientation. The annular laminated body is applied at a position corresponding to the side surface area of the tire, between the outer rubber and the inner liner rubber, upon formation of a green tire for the tire.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 6, 2001
    Publication date: December 13, 2001
    Inventor: Shuhei Iizuka
  • Patent number: 6258189
    Abstract: Means for measuring deviation measures a vertical deviation of a green tire from circularity while the green tire is clamped by a green tire building drum. The green tire to be formed is shaped into a complete circle according to the measured value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2001
    Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masayuki Sakamoto, Takuya Mizuta, Seiki Yamada, Kazuya Suzuki, Susumu Tanaka, Yukio Endo, Toshihiko Omokawa
  • Publication number: 20010002608
    Abstract: The invention discloses a tire forming system including a band forming machine, a shaping forming machine and a belt/tread forming machine, in each of which setting conditions of a tire size can be optionally changed, and having transport means for delivering a semi-fabricated product to each forming machine, wherein there are provided:
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 1, 2000
    Publication date: June 7, 2001
    Applicant: THE YOKOHAMA RUBBER CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Noboru Okada, Haruhisa Hasegawa, Tatsuya Takaoka, Ichiro Takasu, Hisayoshi Fukuzawa, Susumu Imamiya, Eiichi Iida, Toshihiko Take
  • Patent number: 6202724
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire comprising a silica-rich compound tread provided with an antistatic conductive rubber layer has improved safty based on durability and extrusion productivity. In this tire, the silica-rich compound rubber layer is divided at at least one portion in a width directional of the tire by a conductive rubber layer extended in a circumferential direction substantially over the whole thickness of said rubber layer. In this case, a thickness direction distance a in a width directional section of said rubber layer and an edge face length b of a divisional rubber layer consisting of said conductive rubber layer in a width directional section satisfy a relation formulated by the following expression, a<b.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2001
    Assignee: Bridgestone Corporation
    Inventors: Masato Hiruma, Akio Kusano, Yasuyo Fujita