Abstract: For folding an annular resilient band about a circumferential fold line, the band is first wrapped on a generally cylindrical, radially collapsible drum structure having a cylindrical external contour about the center axis of the drum and an annular zone radially inward of the contour with an inflatable annular first bladder positioned in such a manner as to have a folded-over axial end portion axially protruding into the aforesaid annular zone and with an inflatable annular second bladder positioned radially inwardly of the first bladder and in such a manner that the first and second bladders have axial portions overlapping each other, whereupon the first bladder is inflated to a medium expanded state so that an axial end portion of the band on the drum structure is contacted by the bladder and displaced radially outwardly and thereafter the first bladder is moved axially away from the drum structure for forming an annular gap between the first bladder and the axial end portion of the band, the second bladde

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a tire comprises a first process including the steps of forming a carcass ply or the like to a cylindrical configuration, placing bead cores on the cylindrical carcass ply and then effecting assembly of a carcass ply-bead core structure. A second process of the method includes the steps of receiving the structure from the last step in the first process, effecting assembly of a cylindrical carcass layer and then deforming the latter into a trochoidal configuration to obtain a green tire, wherein the carcass ply located between both the bead cores on the structure is caused to expand either in the first process or in the second process. The structure is placed on a drum device in the second process, the bead cores are wrapped with the end portions of the carcass ply and then the green tire for the radial tire is assembled by attaching side wall members or the like.

Abstract: For automatically feeding a rubbery strip to a tire-building drum for the production of, for example, a green tire, the rubbery strip is forwardly conveyed toward the tire-building drum until a leading end portion thereof is received on a smooth surface with one face of the leading end portion directed toward the tire-building drum so as to establish close contact between the other face of the leading end portion of the rubbery strip and the smooth surface portion throughout the width of the rubbery strip whereby the leading end portion of the rubbery strip is detachably retained to the smooth surface portion, whereupon the leading end portion of the rubbery strip is transferred from the surface portion to the tire-building drum for permitting the leading end portion of the strip to be wrapped round the tire-building drum and thereafter the leading end portion of the rubbery strip is cut from the remainder of the strip for forming a cut segment having a predetermined length, the tire-building drum being there

Abstract: A pneumatic tire which comprises:a tread portion; a breaker structure to brace the tread portion; two sidewalls each having an associated bead containing a bead core, and each sidewall containing a reinforcing ply of cords anchored around the bead core of the respective one of said associated beads and extending into the tread portion radially outwardly of the breaker structure to overlap at least part of the width of the breaker structure but terminating short of the other of said associated beads.

Abstract: An improved bicycle tire which can be folded for storage and transportation while maintaining the same running properties as a conventional tire. A plurality of bead cores made of a cord tensile member embedded in the bead section of the tire are provided by winding three to five turns of a cord tensile member having a low elongation ratio and high strength and which has been twisted one to two turns/10 cm in such a manner that the start and finish ends of the bead core overlap one another by 60 to 150 mm. The bead core preferably has a cut elongation of 5% or less and the strength of 300 kg/core.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method for feeding an elongated strip onto a tire component building drum are especially adapted for applying breaker strips to giant radial tire breaker building drums. The apparatus includes a carriage with roller means for conveying the strip that is mounted on the same side of the building drum as the operator stands while applying the strip to the drum. The carriage is movable on a track on a frame mounted on a floor on which the operator stands, and the track and frame extend upwardly from the floor and are preferably slanted toward the drum. A roll of strip to be applied to the drum is contained in a roll support means near where the frame is mounted on the floor, and the strip is unwound from the roll and passed over rollers on the carriage and onto the drum. By moving the carriage on the track, the position of the carriage can be adjusted to the position that is best, in the judgment of the operator, for applying the strip to the drum.

Abstract: A pneumatic bias tire for off-road vehicles is disclosed. This tire comprises a bias-structured carcass composed of plural plies each containing organic fiber cords embedded in rubber. In the carcass, the inner plies located near the inner surface of the tire have a rubberized cord arrangement of a more slackened state as compared with the outer plies and further medium plies existent between the inner and outer plies.

Abstract: An automatic ply applying apparatus and method for forming an elastic annular body, such as a vehicle tire, by transporting each ply to a former, retaining a portion of the ply adjacent to the leading end of the former, applying the leading end portion of the ply to the peripheral surface of the former and applying the remaining portion of the ply to the peripheral surface of the former during rotation of the former.

Abstract: A pneumatic tire having spaced beads and a pair of biased inner plies tied to each bead, upon which is placed a third ply disposed at a greater angle to the equatorial plane than the underlying bias plies, resulting in the outermost ply cords being "loose" in comparison to the innermost ply cords being "tight" after the tire shaping operation. The cords of the outermost ply assume a shorter effective length along with an increase in their twist (tpi) in the inflated shaped vulcanized tire than the length and twist as laid down on the building drum. A further proviso is that the cords of the third ply shall be at some degree of compression greater than as laid down on the building machine, with said compression being the maximum attainable by the cords as a consequence of the bias cords pantographing during the shaping of the tire.

Abstract: A pneumatic radial tire is made by applying a restricting member circumferentially around a cylindrical radial tire carcass. Shaping pressure inflates the carcass to a toroidal shape having a section height less than a predetermined section height so that the carcass can be enclosed by a mold for vulcanization. After vulcanization, normal inflation pressure is sufficient to further expand the restricting member and carcass to a shape having a section height greater than the predetermined section height so that the carcass may be pressed into gripping engagement with a replaceable tread belt.

Abstract: Carcass plies for radial-ply tires are prepared by coating individual reinforcing strands with a rubber composition, and winding the coated strands in a winding machine with relatively weak transverse circumferential strands into a continuous cylindrical tube in which the reinforcing strands are substantially parallel to the tube axis and circumferentially spaced, and are connected by the circumferential strands of weaker material. Axial sections are cut from the tube, and only the axially central, annular portion of each section is expanded radially during shaping of the carcass, thereby stretching or breaking the transverse, circumferential strands.

Abstract: A folded fabric reinforcement member provides a plurality of reinforcing layers equivalent to at least one ply and at least one breaker of a conventional bias tire or at least one ply and at least one belt of a conventional radial or bias-belted tire. The cord angle of the belts is less than that of the ply and results from offsetting one outer zone of a fabric sheet from the other before impregnating the central zone thereof with elastomeric material and folding thereof to form a folded fabric reinforcement member.

Abstract: A pair of transfer drums arranged to move to and away from nip-forming relation with a tire building drum on which a tire is being built operate to save building time. Individual strip appliers place two strip components on each transfer drum while the main carcass ply is being wrapped on the building drum. The strip components are together then transferred rapidly and effectively to the tire. The foregoing abstract is not to be taken as limiting the invention of this application, and in order to understand the full nature and extent of the technical disclosure of this application, reference must be made to the accompanying drawing and the following detailed description.

Abstract: The tread of a pneumatic tire is bonded to a toroidal shaped radial tire carcass and a reinforcing structure which has discontinuities in its thickness in two planes parallel to the equatorial plane of the tire by a stitching process wherein the annular central portion of the tread while unvulcanized is first rotated against a brush. The lateral portions of the tread which overlie the thickest edge portions of the reinforcing structure are also pressed by rotating brushes commencing while the central portion is being pressed and the annular areas of the tread intermediate the center and lateral areas are pressed with metallic discs. The lateral portions of the tread overlying the thickest parts of the reinforcing structure are then pressed with metallic discs. The process and apparatus having two sets of brushes to achieve the sequence of pressing steps adhere the unvulcanized tread to the underlying structure without air bubbles being trapped therebetween.

Abstract: A non-vulcanized tire body in the form of an endless band has opposite edges, an inner surface, and an outer surface having a tread. Either a completely enclosed toroidal shaped inner tube formed of non-vulcanized material or a layer of non-vulcanized material having a high impermeability to air is positioned on the inner surface of the tire body. The tire body is then wrapped around the inner tube, and the opposite edges of the tire body are joined to form a completely enclosed tire. The edges may be abutted or overlapped. Thereafter, the tire is vulcanized to form a completely and irremovably enclosed tubular tire.

Abstract: A method of making a belted tire by first molding and vulcanizing a tire casing which may include carcass plies, tire beads, sidewall and undertread stock. The cured tire casing is mounted on axially movable rings and inflated. The beads of the tire casing are positioned axially so that the tire casing will have substantially the same diameter at the centerplane as the diameter of the finished tire. A narrow, inextensible restrictor band is wrapped centrally around the outer periphery of the tire and adhered thereto by an adhesive. The band is narrow enough not to radically change the operational characteristics of the belt structure, but wide enough to restrict expansion of the portion of the tire casing at the centerplane beyond a desired diameter for receiving the belt structure and tread. The beads are then positioned axially so that the shoulder diameter of the inflated casing is sufficient to provide a surface with the desired contour for receiving the belt plies and tread.

Abstract: A light weight pneumatic tire having a thin side wall rubber is disclosed. The thin side wall rubber has previously been squeezed on that region of the outer surface of an upper ply which corresponds to the side wall portion of the tire prior to the tire shaping step, and has a Shore A hardness after vulcanization of 40.degree. to 55.degree., an excellent flex-cracking and weather resistant property. The upper ply is superimposed about at least a portion extending from a hump portion to a bead portion is composed of cords coated with a high resilient rubber. A tread rubber layer is extended across the thin side wall rubber layers and pressed and made integral therewith by stitching.

Abstract: In a tire and rim assembly a high pressure pneumatic tube tire formed of a single closed toroidal ply the cords of which are angled to the circumferential direction of the tire and a single belt ply of opposite and lower angle to the circumferential direction of the tire. Anchoring means may be included to promote lateral stability and to provide engagement with the rim. Alternatively, the anchoring means may be eliminated by bonding the tire to the rim. The tire may be assembled on a conventional cylindrical tire building drum or upon the rim itself.

Abstract: A radial tire having a belt structure consisting of a pair of belt plies reinforced with parallel cords. A single ply is disposed between the carcass plies of the tire and the belt structure. This single ply or carcass overlay is reinforced with parallel cords which extend circumferentially of the tire. Further, the reinforcement cords of the carcass overlay are inextensible when the tire is molded and vulcanized, but elongatable in correlated relation to the blow-up ratio of the tire from a cylindrical to a toroidal shape.

Abstract: A flat cylindrical carcass band is built on a cylindrical surface provided by a unique shaping means and abutting turnup means. The shaping means has inner and outer walls the ends of which are juxtaposed solid elastomeric end rings so as to form an annular envelope. The outer wall has between its inner and outer layers an arrangement of spring blades of particular shape formed to control the toroidal shape of the expanded outer wall to a precisely determined contour. The turnup means each include an inner and an outer bladder the edges of each being also juxtaposed solid elastomeric end rings. The end rings of each turnup means are seated with the associated end rings of the shaping means in a common retaining groove formed in a circumferential set of radially extendable segments which expand the end rings and the overlying carcass to conform the carcass initially about prelocated bead cores.

Abstract: Tubular tire for motor vehicles, of the type including an inflatable tubular inner (pneumatic) tube, a bracing, a case of the radial type, a rim strip, some rubber sides, a tire tread and two semi-rigid circular rods. The two rods 7 are set at the level of the bracing 2 at the edges thereof; the rim strip 4 has a width included between approximately 0.25 L and approximately 0.35 L; the transverse section of the tire has an H/L ratio included between approximately 0.5 and approximately 0.6; the sides 5 of the tire have a profile corresponding to that of the top part of the curve which represents the equation of a classic radial tire; the aggregate is such that, seen in transverse section, the tire fairly forms an isostable triangulated system.

Abstract: A radial tire having a belt structure reinforced with different cords, and a method of flat-band building such a tire. The belt structure comprises of at least one textile cord reinforced belt ply and a surrounding metal cord reinforced belt ply. The cords of said metal belt ply being highly elongatable during the toroidal shaping of the tire. The metal ply does not contribute substantially to the restricting action of said belt structure, but serves as a protective shield for the reinforcing belts.

Abstract: A tire building drum has an infinite number of length and diameter settings. The drum can be used to build various size tires. The diameter of the drum can also be varied during the tire building operation to improve the tire building procedure.

Abstract: A process is provided for the manufacture of radial tires for vehicle wheels, having an annular reinforcement structure inserted between the tread and the casing. The reinforcement structure has two layers of metal cord and in a radially outer position a third layer of cords arranged in a longitudinal direction. The third layer is made of a textile material which shrinks when heated. The process comprises the steps of first shaping the vulcanized casing to form a toroid, then applying to the shaped casing the two layers of metal cords together with a portion of the layer of textile cords at each side zone of the reinforcement structure. The width of the side zone is between 1/3 and 1/10 of the total width of the structure. The casing is shaped a second time to increase the external equatorial development thereof to a value greater than that reached during the first shaping step. The remaining central portion of the layer of textile cord is then applied on top of the layers of metal cords.

Abstract: Guiding of narrow strip components of yieldable material is accomplished by applying a gentle drag to the strip which is greater near its edge more distant from the guide line or plane than in the strip closer to such guide line or plane. The drag is applied by positioning soft bristle brushes in an apparatus in a guide frame one sidewall of which provides the guide plane while the strip is continuously supported on a floor plate perpendicular to the plane. The strip can be supported by an air film introduced between the strip and the floor of the guide frame. A simple mechanism for swinging the brushes into and out of operating position is also disclosed. The foregoing abstract is not to be taken as limiting the invention of this application, and in order to understand the full nature and extent of the technical disclosure of this application, reference must be made to the accompanying drawing and the following detailed description.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for building a closed torus pneumatic tire in which the components of the tire, exclusive of the belt and tread structures, are wrapped about a cylindrical former, inextensible bead rings are positioned about the former in positions spaced axially apart substantially the same as the final desired axial spacing. The former is radially expanded and expands the carcass structure to clampingly engage the bead rings. Each axially outer end portion of the carcass structures is folded over toward the axial centerplane of the drum in a manner in which the carcass is free of internal restraint at the fold. Each axially outer end of the folded over end portion of the carcass structure freely contracts radially into position to be clamped by a pull-over ring and is pulled axially across the former to a predetermined position past the midcircumferential centerplane of the former and released. A sidewall restraint ring moves into position adjacent the fold to prevent roll back of each end portion.

Abstract: An improved forming apparatus for a breaker layer to be used in a radial tire is described herein. The apparatus essentially comprises a drum device (D), a press contact device (A), first and second breaker material folding-wrapping devices (B) and (C), means for rotating said drum device (D), and means for moving said respective devices (A), (B) and (C) in the axial direction relative to said drum device (D) and for fixing them at predetermined positions. The drum device (D) includes a plurality of segments which have a width of their outer circumferential surfaces approximately equal to the width of the breaker layer to be formed, which can form a substantially cylindrical press contact surface with their outer circumferential surfaces, and which can expand and contract the diameter of said cylindrical contact surface.

Abstract: A closed torus tire in which the cord or wire reinforcement ply, or plies, surround the inflation chamber which can retain pressure without being mounted on a wheel. The reinforcement ply is continuous circumferentially of the tire and axially in the crown and sidewalls. The circumferential ply edges are lap-spliced in the inner wheel-engaging part, rather than being folded around bead cores. The tire is made without use of a building core of any kind, thus avoiding the cost and difficulty of removing such core from the completed tire. The tire is made by wrapping the reinforcement ply, or plies, about a cylindrical drum to form a sleeve. An inner liner is then wrapped about the sleeve, a reversal of normal tire building practice. One circumfferential edge of the sleeve is then moved outward and axially over the remaining sleeve, beyond the other, unmoved edge. The one edge is then moved inward and axially under the other edge to form the lapped splice.

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: A fabric delivering device which has a fabric supplying roll cooperative with a feeding device which delivers fabric strip material to a tire building drum with the centerline of the fabric aligned with the vertical median centerline of the drum. A centering device cooperates with the feeding device to center the fabric which is picked up by a plurality of spaced pins that retain the orientation of the fabric material as it is fed to the tire building drum.

Abstract: The single-stage building of 0.degree. belted pneumatic tires completely in flat band form on standard building drums, is disclosed. The feasibility of the process rests on the provision of the substantially inextensible metallic or non-metallic belt cords in the form of longitudinally extensible high "soft stretch" tapes. In a preferred version of the invention, the tape is composed of a plurality of cords each having formed therein a multiplicity of undulations which in any given straight length of the tape are substantially planar, the cords being disposed in side by side relation so that the planes of the undulations of each cord are generally parallel to the planes of the undulations of each adjacent cord, and the cords together with a relatively weak and frangible but only minimally undulated stabilizing yarn for the tape being secured to each other and held in their undulating state by a relative weak, chain stitch knitted, frangible stitching yarn or thread.

Abstract: A radial tire and a three-step process for making the radial tire. In the first step an intermediate tire assembly is made by assembling a carcass and side rubber layers. In the second step a green case is made by flexing the intermediate tire assembly and mounting a breaker and a tread rubber layer on the carcass. In the third step the green case is vulcanized. The tread rubber layer has edge portions made of the same rubber material as the side rubber layers.

Abstract: A pneumatic tire building machine with a rotatable building drum and means for feeding to and positioning on a carcass band thereon, a circumferential belt or breaker strip. One or more belt strips are separately positioned adjacent the building drum and guide means separately guide the belt strips over the rotating drum in precision alignment relative to and preferably substantially symmetrically of the circumferential centerline of the drum. The belt strips are applied over the carcass band on the building drum at substantially the same velocity as the surface velocity of the rotating building drum and carcass band thereon.

Abstract: Unique carcass constructions and tires containing same, the carcass featuring variant cord angles depending upon the location of the cord in the carcass, are disclosed herein together with novel sheet-like candidate materials for carcass plies and methods of making such sheet-like materials featuring these variant angles.

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.

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: A steel-belted radial ply tire construction characterized by improved uniformity and resistance to ply separation, and a method of manufacturing such tires in non-segmented molds, are disclosed. In the finished tire, a cap band having at least one layer of rubberized tire cords of synthetic filamentary textile material is disposed in direct surrounding relation to the radially outermost belt ply of bias-angled steel cords, the cap band having a width equal to or greater than the width of the belt, with the cords in the cap band being disposed parallel to one another and to the median equatorial plane of the tire, i.e., at an essentially 0.degree. bias angle. The cords in the cap band are prestressed, due to their having been stretched about 1 to 5% in the manufacturing operation during the final expansion of the tire into the mold contours under high internal pressure, so as to exert a stability and uniformity-enhancing compressive stress on the underlying belt.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for building a giant tire and particularly for building one or more endless bands of suitable ply stock and for transferring such bands from the band building means to a carcass building drum after which transfer the remaining construction of the tire can be accomplished conventionally. The apparatus includes a wide, flat, endless belt, the surface of which functions as a splicing table whereon successive panels of ply stock are joined edge-to-edge to form a ply and also as means for transferring the so-formed ply directly into wrapping relation with a band building surface whereon such ply is made endless to form a tire ply band. A bridge spanning the width of the belt, at successive selected angles transverse to the direction of movement of the belt, supports at least one ply stock pay-off means from which successive discrete panels of suitable ply stock are disposed on the surface of the belt.

Abstract: A first stage radial ply carcass and an endless breaker belt are built conventionally about horizontal axes. Carcass and belt separately are upended, to axis-vertical positions. The respective mid-circumferential planes of the carcass and the belt are made coplanar and coincident about the vertical axis of a shaping and curing core, without fixed reference to the vertical axis. The core is raised, into and through the carcass and expanded, first to support the carcass without significant radial deformation due to gravity, and then to expand the carcass to adhere the belt therearound. The assembly of core and belted carcass is then returned to horizontal orientation to receive tread therearound. The tire is cured conventionally while the shaping core remains in the tire, still inflated, preferably with an inert gas.

Abstract: A tire building drum, in particular useful for applying a tread to a previously built uncured tire carcass, having a large number of segments, e.g. 36, which can move radially to expand and to contract the drum. An improved arrangement and construction of cover plates for spanning the gaps between the segments in combination with an improved construction of the segments for cooperation with the cover plates.