With Wire Or Strand Preforming Or Shaping Patents (Class 57/311)
  • Patent number: 6016647
    Abstract: A method for using a bunching type twisting machine to manufacture a steel cord made up of one core filament having a continuous wavy form and five to eight sheath filaments not having a wavy form disposed around the core filament, the cross-sectional shape of the cord forming an ellipse whose orientation is substantially constant in the length direction of the cord. After a core filament is preformed with a helical wavy form of a smaller pitch than the cord twisting pitch, this is squashed to form a flat helical core filament at a stage before it is twisted together with sheath filaments, and then sheath filaments are twisted around this flat helical core filament to make an intermediate product cord and this intermediate product cord is then squashed and thereby flattened before being taken up on a reel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2000
    Assignee: Tokyo Rope Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Kawatani, Shigeru Suzuki
  • Patent number: 5946897
    Abstract: A production unit for twisted cable is disclosed that facilitates the supply and removal of fixed length cables, thereby contributing to improved workability and automation compatibility. A plurality of pairs of relatively rotatable opposed cable clamps are provided with one cable clamp of each pair provided at one end of the fixed length cables and the other of each pair of cable clamps provided at the other end. Each pair of clamps is intermittently moved forward in a direction transverse to the opposed direction in which the cables extend. Each pair of cable clamps sequentially circulate, and the supply and removal operation of fixed length cables to and from the pairs of clamps are conducted respectively at predetermined positions by stations provided in the circulating route, by which it becomes possible to carry out the supply and removal of fixed length cables to continuously repeat the twisting operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 7, 1999
    Assignee: Sumitomo Wiring Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masaharu Ichikawa, Hideki Nakamura
  • Patent number: 5911675
    Abstract: A steel cord for reinforcing a rubber product includes a core consisting of one steel filament and a sheath consisting of a plurality of steel filaments wound around the core. The steel filament of the core alternately having straight portions, whose axes of the straight portions are disposed on one line, and protrusions formed by bending. The peak of each protrusion is disposed outside of the sheath. The steel cord for reinforcing a rubber product is used in a pneumatic tire. The pneumatic tire includes a carcass having a crown portion and having a toroidal shape, a pair of beads over which the toroidal shape extends, a belt layer or belt layers for reinforcing the crown portion of the carcass, and rubber surrounding the carcass, the pair of bead, and the belt layer(s). The steel cord is used in the carcass and/or the belt layer(s).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 15, 1999
    Assignee: Bridgestone Corporation
    Inventor: Naohiko Obana
  • Patent number: 5878564
    Abstract: A steel cord (114) comprises strength elements (100, 132) and having a length, a longitudinal central axis (112) and a cord pitch. At least one of the elements (100) has a projection on a plane YZ perpendicular to the longitudinal central axis (112). This projection takes the form of a curve with a radius of curvature which alternates between a maximum and a minimum. The curve further has a center of curvature. The radius of curvature and the center of curvature lie inside the curve so that a convex curve is obtained. The cord (114) is further characterized by one or both of following features:(i) the distance between two minimum radii of curvature of said curve measured along the longitudinal central axis (112) is different from half the cord pitch; or(ii) if all of said elements (100) provide a convex curve, at least one of said convex curves substantially differs from another convex curve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 9, 1999
    Assignee: N.V. Bekaert S.A.
    Inventors: Xavier De Vos, Frans Van Giel
  • Patent number: 5822973
    Abstract: A steel cord intended for use to reinforce rubber products is produced by drawing, into a steel filament of 0.10 to 0.40 mm in diameter and more than 3,000 N/mm.sup.2 in strength, a wire rod having a carbon content of more than 0.70% by weight, and twisting a plurality of such steel filaments together. Also a pneumatic tire is provided which employs in at least a portion of a reinforcing member thereof the steel cord improved in corrosion resistance and having an R.sub.1 /R.sub.0 ratio.times.100 which is less than 100, where R.sub.0 is the radius of spiral curvature of the spiraled steel filament resulting from untwisting said steel cord and R.sub.1 is the radius of spiral curvature of said steel filament of which the surface layer inside the spiral is removed by dissolving.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 20, 1998
    Assignee: Bridgestone Metalpha Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshikazu Kaneko, Naohiko Obana
  • Patent number: 5822972
    Abstract: A nep separator and detector for presenting a fiber sample having fibers, neps, and trash. A toothed rotating cylinder receives the fiber sample at a fiber sample receiving point, and impacts and propels at least a portion of the trash and neps along an ejection path. An air curtain is directed toward and passes across a portion of the toothed surface of the rotating cylinder, at a location rotationally after the fiber sample is received by the toothed rotating cylinder. The air curtain crosses and is oriented transverse to the ejection path, and draws at least a portion of the neps out of the ejection path and onto the surface of the toothed cylinder as it rotates. The trash propelled by impact with the toothed rotating cylinder has sufficient momentum to pass through the air curtain along the ejection path. A dead air space is positioned in the ejection path and disposed adjacent the air curtain and across the air curtain from the fiber sample receiving point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 20, 1998
    Assignee: Zellweger Uster, Inc.
    Inventors: David B. Patelke, Gordon F. Williams, Michael E. Galyon, Hossein M. Ghorashi
  • Patent number: 5806296
    Abstract: A steel cord intended for use to reinforce rubber products is produced by drawing, into a steel filament of 0.10 to 0.40 mm in diameter and more than 3,000 N/mm.sup.2 in strength, a wire rod having a carbon content of more than 0.70% by weight, and twisting a plurality of such steel filaments together. Also a pneumatic tire is provided which employs in at least a portion of a reinforcing member thereof the steel cord improved in corrosion resistance and having an R.sub.1 /R.sub.0 ration.times.100 which is less than 100, where R.sub.0 is the radius of spiral curvature of the spiraled steel filament resulting from untwisting said steel cord and R.sub.1 is the radius of spiral curvature of said steel filament of which the surface layer inside the spiral is removed by dissolving.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 15, 1998
    Assignee: Bridgestone Metalpha Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshikazu Kaneko, Naohiko Obana
  • Patent number: 5775079
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for imparting a virtual twist to strand material is provided. The apparatus preferably has a textile strand supply source for supplying a plurality of strands of textile strand material and a virtual twister positioned downstream from the strand supply source for virtually twisting the plurality of strands supplied from the strand supply source so as to impart cohesiveness among the plurality of strands. The virtual twister preferably has a strand guide positioned to guide the plurality of strands downstream and includes a strand twist position and a strand release position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 7, 1998
    Assignee: American Linc Corporation
    Inventor: D. Lynn Hoover
  • Patent number: 5772809
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire comprises a carcass toroidally extending between a pair of bead portions and a belt arranged outside the carcass in a radial direction of the tire and composed of at least one belt layer, in which the belt layer is made from a plurality of steel cords, each cord being formed by twisting 2 to 4 filament bundles each consisting of two steel filaments paralleled with each other so as to have a structure that major axes of the filament bundles constituting the cord are set toward substantially the same direction. In the belt layer, the major axes of the filament bundles in the cords constituting the belt layer are arranged substantially in a row in a widthwise direction of the belt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 30, 1998
    Assignee: Bridgestone Corporation
    Inventor: Manabu Yanagisawa
  • Patent number: 5765357
    Abstract: A method for producing a compacted wire strand substantially triangular in shape for making wire rope includes the steps of (i) unwinding a central group of wires from a bobbin, the central group being substantially triangular, (ii) winding up a first layer of wires around the central group, each wire of the first layer being released from a first set of bobbins mounted on a first cage rotating about the central group, (iii) winding up a second layer of wires around the first layer of wires, each wire of the second layer being released from a second set of bobbins mounted on a second cage rotating around the central group, the first cage rotating at a speed 1.6 to 1.9 times faster than that of the second cage, (iv) compacting the strand made of the first and second layers of wires in a substantially triangular die by pulling the strand therethrough, and (v) rolling up the compacted substantially triangular strand on a drum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 16, 1998
    Assignee: Wire Rope Industries Limited
    Inventors: Walter Burgess, Robert H. Bole, Jean Addison
  • Patent number: 5743078
    Abstract: A steel cord (30) consists of a first group and a second group. The first group comprises two or more plastically deformed outer steel filaments (10) twisted around each other with a first twist pitch and the second group comprises one or more plastically deformed inner steel filaments (20) twisted around each other with a second twist pitch. The second group is twisted around the first group with a cord twist pitch. One of the inner or the outer steel filaments having a part load elongation of x %, all the other inner and outer steel filaments having a part load elongation of y %, whereby x and y fulfil the equation:x-0.10.ltoreq.y.ltoreq.x+0.10,and where all the inner and outer steel filaments have a deforming pitch that is substantially equal to the cord twist pitch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 1997
    Date of Patent: April 28, 1998
    Assignee: N.V. Bekaert S.A.
    Inventors: Ghislain Doornaert, Yvan A. Lippens
  • Patent number: 5722226
    Abstract: A steel cord effective for reinforcing a super-large off-road tire wherein strands made by simultaneously twisting together 3 to 6 steel wires in the same twisting direction with the same pitch length are used and the steel cord is made by twisting together 3 to 6 such strands in the same direction as the twisting direction of the strands and with the same pitch length. Each of the steel wires constituting the strands continuously has a small wavy pattern of a pitch length smaller than the lay length of the strands and therefore each of the strands has a compound pattern comprising a wavy pattern formed by the twisting and said small wavy pattern and in a gap is formed between steel wires each of the strands by the small wavy pattern. The lay length P.sub.1 of the steel cord is 8 to 15 times the steel cord diameter D and the elongation on breakage by tension of the steel cord is over 5%.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 3, 1998
    Assignee: Tokyo Rope Manufacturing Co. Ltd.
    Inventor: Kazuo Matsumaru
  • Patent number: 5707467
    Abstract: A high elongation compact helical steel cord with a high degree of elongation at break of not less than 5% has a (1.times.n) structure comprising three or more base wires which are helically preformed at a predetermined pitch and which are twisted in the same direction and at the same pitch so that the ratio P/D of the cord diameter D to the twisting pitch P is in the range of 8-15 with the base wire preforming pitch being shorter than the cord twisting pitch. The finished cord has a helical composite structure with its elongation under a load of 35 kgf/mm.sup.2 being 0.71%-1.00% and that under a load of 70 kgf/mm.sup.2 being 1.18%-1.57%. A radial tire is reinforced with the steel cord preferably as a steel belt cord. An apparatus for making the steel cord is provided with revolving preformers on the wire introducing portion of a bunching machine such that the bunching machine is rotated in a direction reverse to the rotational direction of the revolving preformers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 1995
    Date of Patent: January 13, 1998
    Assignee: Tokyo Rope Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuo Matsumaru, Koichi Horikawa
  • Patent number: 5661965
    Abstract: A rubber article-reinforcing steel cord includes a core obtained by forming a single filament in a wavy shape, an inner sheath formed by arranging 5 to 6 filaments around the core, and an outer sheath formed by arranging 9 to 12 filaments around the inner sheath. The inner sheath and said outer sheath are twisted together. The diameter of each of the filaments of the inner and outer sheaths is not greater than that of the filaments of the core, 5d .ltoreq.L.ltoreq.3d and 1.2.ltoreq.H.ltoreq.d2.0d in which L and H are a wave length and a wave height of a wave shape of the waved filaments of the core, respectively, and d is a diameter of the filament of the core, and a ratio p.sub.3 /p.sub.2 between the twisting pitch p.sub.2 of the inner sheath and the twisting pitch p.sub.3 of the outer sheath is in a range of 1.4 to 2.5. A heavy duty pneumatic radial tire is also disclosed, which uses such steel cords in a belt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 1995
    Date of Patent: September 2, 1997
    Assignee: Bridgestone Corporation
    Inventor: Manabu Yanagisawa
  • Patent number: 5651246
    Abstract: A method for producing a steel cord from 3 to 6 steel filaments on which a coating is applied to retain the adhesion to a rubber, the steel cord being destined for use to reinforce a rubber product having a flat section, comprising the following steps of preforming steel filaments at a ratio of more than 120% by twisting them together to form an open-structure steel cord; and passing the steel cord through a flattening apparatus provided at each of outlet and inlet thereof with a roller having a groove formed in the center of the circumference thereof, and between the inlet and outlet rollers with at least a roller of which the circumferential surface is flat, to repeatedly bend the steel cord vertically or horizontally.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 1996
    Date of Patent: July 29, 1997
    Assignee: Bridgestone Metalpha Corporation
    Inventor: Noboru Kusaba
  • Patent number: 5606852
    Abstract: A steel cord for reinforcing rubber articles and a pneumatic radial tire having a belt layer using the same, in which the steel cord comprises a core made of a steel filament wave-shaped in a plane (crimped) and turned (curled) and 5-8 sheath filaments wound around the core in the same direction as the turn direction of the core. The wavelength .lambda.c of the core is preferably defined as 8 dc.ltoreq..lambda.c.ltoreq.30 dc when the diameter of the core filament is dc, and the turn-number nc of the core around the center axis of the core per one wave-length of the core is preferably defined as 0.12.ltoreq.nc.ltoreq.0.85 (turn/pitch).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 4, 1997
    Assignee: Bridgestone Corporation
    Inventor: Manabu Yanagisawa
  • Patent number: 5584169
    Abstract: A steel cord for reinforcing rubber articles comprises one wave-form or helical core steel filament and a plurality of sheath steel filaments disposed around the core steel filament, the pitch Pc of the core steel filament is 3.0 dc/0.34.ltoreq.Pc.ltoreq.10.0 dc/0.34 (dc=diameter of steel core filament) and the core forming ratio Rc=Lc/dc (Lc is an amplitude of the wave or helix of the core steel filament) is within a particular range varying depending on the number of sheath steel filaments. The rubber articles containing the steel cord have an improved resistance to corrosion propagation and a high strength. A pneumatic tire is reinforced with the above-mentioned steel cord and contains a cross belt layer where(i) an angle .theta. formed by a reinforcing steel cord and the equatorial plane of the tire is:12.degree..ltoreq..theta..ltoreq.30.degree.(ii) a gap between adjacent two steel cords in the same layer, I, is:0.5 mm.ltoreq.I.ltoreq.2.0 mm(iii) a gauge of the gum between two facing cords, G, is:0.35 mm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 1994
    Date of Patent: December 17, 1996
    Assignee: Bridgestone Corporation
    Inventor: Kiyoshi Ikehara
  • Patent number: 5581990
    Abstract: A steel cord comprises steel filaments twisted around each other in a first direction about at least one steel core filament having a wave form. The twisted filaments are individually subjected to a rotation about their own axes. This steel cord is formed by deforming the core filament into a planar wave form and twisting the core filament in a second direction to a predetermined degree. The core filaments together with the other filaments are twisted in the first direction so that the twisted filaments are individually subjected to a rotation around their own axes in the first direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 1995
    Date of Patent: December 10, 1996
    Assignee: N.V. Bekaert S.A.
    Inventors: Frans Van Giel, Xavier De Vos, Luc Sabbe
  • Patent number: 5551224
    Abstract: A device for the reverse-twisting of stranding elements (4), comprising a stationary guide disk (1) and a twisting disk (2) located at a distance from the guide disk and able to rotate around its axis. At least one filament-shaped, tension-proof support element (7) is located between the guide disk (1) and the twisting disk (2). At least one holding element (5) is mounted on the support element (7) and is located at a distance from the guide disk (1) on one side, and from the twisting disk (2) on the other. The holding element (5) contains axial passage holes (6) for the stranding elements (4). The ends of the support elements (7) are affixed in holders (9), which are able to tilt and/or rotate with respect to the twisting disk (2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 1995
    Date of Patent: September 3, 1996
    Assignee: FRISCH Kabel-und Verseilmaschinenbau GmbH
    Inventors: Friedhelm Kumpf, Peter Haberberger
  • Patent number: 5533327
    Abstract: A preforming head for making ropes and cable armor including an axle with a front preforming disk fixedly mounted thereon. A middle preforming disk and a rear preforming disk are displaceably mounted on the axle. The middle disk has a diameter larger than the front disk and smaller than the rear disk. A drive moves the disks so that the distance between front disk and middle disk remains approximately equal to the distance between middle disk and rear disk.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 1994
    Date of Patent: July 9, 1996
    Assignee: Witels Apparate-Maschinen Albert GmbH & Co KG
    Inventor: Eckehard Albert
  • Patent number: 5502960
    Abstract: A steel cord for reinforcing automobile tires is composed by intertwisting at least one material wire having small spiral-like curls and 1 to 5 straight material wires. This restricts the ratio of fracture elongation of the two kinds of material wires as well as the elongation percent of the cord at 5 kg loading and improves the stability of twist, the fatigue resistance, the penetrability of a rubber compound and the handling workability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 1994
    Date of Patent: April 2, 1996
    Assignee: Tokusen Kogyo Company Limited
    Inventors: Yoshiro Kobayashi, Katsutoshi Saita, Yoshinobu Takegawa, Koichi Hinoura
  • Patent number: 5487262
    Abstract: A steel cord, having steel filaments twisted so as to have a final twist pitch, is manufactured by plastically deforming the steel filaments by overtwisting the steel cord to a twist pitch which is smaller than the final twist pitch, untwisting the steel cord to the final twist pitch, further untwisting the steel cord to a twist pitch which is greater than the final twist pitch, and twisting the steel cord again to the final twist pitch. The first two steps (i.e., overtwisting and untwisting) are done under a first tension and the third and fourth steps (i.e., further untwisting and twisting) are done under a second tension which is lower than half of the first tension.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 1994
    Date of Patent: January 30, 1996
    Assignee: N.V. Bekaert S.A.
    Inventors: Johan De Waegenaere, Luc Sabbe, Frans Van Giel
  • Patent number: 5408819
    Abstract: A metal cord for reinforcing a rubber article is made by twisting three or more metal filaments. At least one or at most the total number minus two of the metal filaments have a larger shaping ratio in the diametrical direction of the cord than the other metal filaments. At least one of the metal filaments having a larger shaping ratio is kept out of contact at portions in the longitudinal direction with a metal filament or filaments arranged in juxtaposition at one side or both sides thereof. At least two adjacent ones of the metal filaments having a smaller shaping ratio are in contact with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 1992
    Date of Patent: April 25, 1995
    Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Yoshifumi Nishimura, Kenichi Okamoto
  • Patent number: 5375404
    Abstract: A stranded product is formed from a central wire and a plurality of wires helically wound around the central wire, wherein each of the wires helically wound around the central wire has a small longitudinal groove which increases the area of contact between each of the outer wires and the core wire, thus significantly reducing the internal contact stresses within the strand to extend the fatigue life of the strand without significantly reducing the bending flexibility of the strand. A plurality of stranded products in accordance with the invention can be employed in a conventional manner to form ropes, cables and the like, having an extended service life.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 1993
    Date of Patent: December 27, 1994
    Assignee: The University of Akron
    Inventor: Ted A. Conway
  • Patent number: 5351470
    Abstract: A steel cord for reinforcing a high polymer material has a core formed by twisting three steel core filaments having a mutually equal diameter of 0.1 to 0.35 mm, and at least one sheath formed by twisting a plurality of steel sheath filaments having a mutually equal diameter of 0.1 to 0.35 mm and arranged around the core. The three core filaments are composed of one or two waving steel filaments each having waved portions apart from a longitudinal center line thereof, and an unwaving steel filament as a remainder. The clearances (T) between the waving steel filament and the unwaving steel filament are in a range of 0.15 to 0.6 times the diameter of the steel core filament. A sum total (M) of a mean void (m) between adjoining steel sheath filaments in each sheath is in a range of 5 to 35% of a sum total (N) of a mean center distance (n) between adjoining steel sheath filaments in each sheath.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 1992
    Date of Patent: October 4, 1994
    Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Yasushi Shinmura
  • Patent number: 5337549
    Abstract: A steel cord for reinforcement of rubber products composed of two material wires of a diameter of 0.25 to 0.40 mm and a carbon content of 0.75 to 0.88 wt % which are entwisted at a twist pitch of 9.0 to 16.0 mm and in open structure, with improved fatigue resistance, flexibility and corrosion resistance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 1993
    Date of Patent: August 16, 1994
    Assignee: Tokusen Kogyo Company Limited
    Inventors: Yoshirou Kobayashi, Koichi Hinoura, Akihiro Nagamoto
  • Patent number: 5331800
    Abstract: The apparatus for making a cable by roebling individual rectangular cross-sectioned strands includes two pressing elements, each of the pressing elements extending in a direction (y-axis) perpendicular to the conveying direction (z-direction), engaging different stacks from the top side and bottom side of the cable respectively and being displaceable in opposite directions in a timed reciprocating manner to move stacks toward each other; two nonrotatable pushing members, each of which being mounted on opposite lateral sides of the cable, being structured and positioned to be moveable in another direction (x-axis) perpendicular to and across the conveying direction (z-axis) to displace respective individual strands to adjacent stacks and to simultaneously bend them; a nonrotatable counterabutment member spaced along the conveying direction from each of said pushing members and being mounted to be moveable oppositely to the pushing member associated therewith; a device for adjusting, prior to roebling, a spacin
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 1992
    Date of Patent: July 26, 1994
    Assignee: Lackdraht Union GmbH
    Inventors: Wilhelm Schaumburg, Hartmut Gottschling
  • Patent number: 5323595
    Abstract: A steel tire cord is composed of three to five strands twisted closely with minimum gaps between the strands. The steel tire cord is easy to handle in embedding the same in rubber to form a tire, free from corrosion and highly durable. A tire incorporates the steel tire cords which are bonded firmly to rubber in a belt layer. Tires thus fabricated are uniform in quality and highly durable. The steel tire cord is composed of three to five twisted strands arranged in a construction reducing the sectional area of spaces in the steel tire cord to a minimum. The core strands twist in helices around imaginary cylinders having axes aligned with the axis of the steel tire cord. The outside strands twist in helices around imaginary cylinders having axes aligned with the axis of the steel tire cord and having diameters greater than those of the imaginary cylinders around which the core strands twist. At least one of the strands among the component strands of the steel tire cord is crimped to form bends therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 1991
    Date of Patent: June 28, 1994
    Assignee: Kokoku Steel Wire Ltd.
    Inventors: Takehiko Mizuta, Noriyuki Ozaki, Toshiaki Ito, Masao Shinmyo
  • Patent number: 5321941
    Abstract: A steel cord (1) for the reinforcement of rubber articles such as tires includes a core of two to four steel filaments (2) and a layer of steel filaments (3, 4) around the core. All of the filaments have a diameter between 0.15 and 0.40 mm and are twisted in the same direction and at the same pitch. The cord has over a substantial portion of its entire length cross-sections where the accumulated gaps between adjacent layer filaments are at least 0.03 mm. At least one filament of the layer has been preformed differently from the other filaments. The above structure avoids core migration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 1991
    Date of Patent: June 21, 1994
    Assignee: N.V. Bekaert S.A.
    Inventors: Jan Bollen, Luc Bourgois, Bernard Huysentruyt
  • Patent number: 5319915
    Abstract: A steel cord comprising a number (between 3 and 27) of element steel wires tightly twisted at a regular pitch P between 5 and 20 mm in the same direction. Each wire has a diameter d between 0.1 and 0.4 mm. At least one of the wires includes a spiral portion having a spiral pitch P1 between 0.1P and 0.7P and a spiral diameter d1 between d+2/100 mm and d+2/10 mm. At least one other wire includes a straight portion. At any cross section of the cord, 1/4 through 2/3 of the wires is/are spiral and the other wire/s is/are straight. The stretch of the cord under a load of 5 kg is between 0.10 and 0.40%. A method of producing a steel cord comprises supplying a number of element steel wires, forming at least part of at least one of the wires to be spiral, and tightly twisting the wires.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 1993
    Date of Patent: June 14, 1994
    Assignee: Tokusen Kogyo Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshiro Kobayashi, Koichi Hinoura, Akihiro Nagamoto, Toshiaki Shimizu, Takanori Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 5295346
    Abstract: A metal cord usable for the reinforcement of rubber articles is comprised of a helically formed single wire filament having a twisting angle of 75-84.5.degree. or a bundle of two twisted metal filaments each having a twisting angle of 75-84.5.degree.. Such metal cords are preferably used as a rubber reinforcement in each part of a pneumatic tire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 1992
    Date of Patent: March 22, 1994
    Assignee: Bridgestone Corporation
    Inventors: Motonori Bundo, Kazuma Morotomi
  • Patent number: 5287691
    Abstract: A metal cord is formed by twisting two spirally preshaped metal filaments together with a twisting pitch P. The metal filament has not only the spiral shape formed by twisting, but retains so much of its spiral preshape as to have a pitch p equal to 0.20-0.50 times the twisting pitch and a diametric height h of 0.05-0.25 mm. The retained spiral shape is in the same rotary direction as the direction in which the filaments are twisted together.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 1992
    Date of Patent: February 22, 1994
    Assignees: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd., Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenichi Okamoto, Yoshifumi Nishimura, Kazuhiko Kawamura
  • Patent number: 5238199
    Abstract: An arrangement for laying a wire in circular windings by bending the wire to circular form during simultaneous twisting includes a wire conveying device and a consecutively arranged laying head including a rotating laying pipe, whose central axis is oriented tangentially to the wire axis on the wire entry end and which gradually passes from the entry end into a circular arc directed approximately perpendicular to the axis of rotation, its center lying on the axis of rotation. A twisting device is provided between the wire conveying means and the laying head. In order to be able to lay wires of larger diameters in closely adjacent windings, the twisting device is formed by a bent pipe twisting the wire under positive locking and frictional engagement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 1991
    Date of Patent: August 24, 1993
    Assignee: Voest-Alpine Industrieanlagenbau G.m.b.H.
    Inventors: Walter Ossoinig, Gunter Prinz, Ernst Schandl, Alois Stadlbauer, Klaus Zeman
  • Patent number: 5223060
    Abstract: A pneumatic radial tire containing a steel cord/rubber composite reinforcement structure wherein the steel cord comprises a plurality of steel filaments embedded in a rubber layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 1992
    Date of Patent: June 29, 1993
    Assignee: The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Susumu Imamiya, Yukio Tozawa
  • Patent number: 5221392
    Abstract: The described process comprises the following operating steps: an extrusion step in which the raw rubber is extruded in the form of a strip (7) from an appropriate machine (1); a winding step in which the rubber strip (7) is wound about a rotating drum (2); an insert application step in which steel insert pieces (16) are applied to the rubber layer wound about the rotating drum (2); a second winding step in which the rubber strip (7) is wound on the steel insert pieces (16); a coiling step in which a steel wire (4) is wound into spiral shape on the rubber layer wound about the rotating drum (2); a third winding step in which the rubber strip (7) is wound on the coiled steel wire (4) as far as a product in the form of a ring is achieved; a removal step in which the ring-shaped produce is removed from the drum (2); an introduction step in which the ring-shaped product is introduced into a mold; a forming and vulcanization step carried out on the product in the mold; an extraction step in which the ready track i
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 1990
    Date of Patent: June 22, 1993
    Assignee: MAI S.p.A.
    Inventor: Renato Mai
  • Patent number: 5213652
    Abstract: A pneumatic radial tire for automotive vehicles comprising a least one rubber coated steel cord consisting of a pair of intertwisted filaments and having a flatness ratio f in the range of 0.6.ltoreq.f .ltoreq.0.9, where f is defined by 2d/h, where d is a diameter of a filament and h is the maximum diameter of the flattened 1.times.2 cord. This cord is obtained by deforming the cord with a force applied transversely and unidirectionally over its length.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 1991
    Date of Patent: May 25, 1993
    Assignee: The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hisao Katoh, Susumu Imamiya
  • Patent number: 5147662
    Abstract: A twisted wire manufacturing apparatus is provided with cradle which is suspended at a pair of rotating shafts having extreme ends opposed to each other through bearings. A main body of the wire twisting machine is mounted on the cradle. A raw material guide and a twisted wire guide are mounted in respect to a pair of rotating shafts having axial insertion holes. A raw material capstan and the twisted wire take-up machine are mounted on the cradle. The raw wire material is guided through these devices. Another twisted wire manufacturing machine has a plurality of injection dies communicating with an annular groove formed in the rotary head. An annular shoe for gradually reducing a sectional area of the annular groove is slidably fitted to the annular groove. The raw material is supplied into the annular groove and the raw wires are injected from the injection dies. One injection die of a plurality of injection dies is provided with an adjustment for increasing an injection resistance of the raw wires.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 1991
    Date of Patent: September 15, 1992
    Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
    Inventors: Tamotsu Nishijima, Toshihiro Fujino
  • Patent number: 5118278
    Abstract: A twisted wire manufacturing apparatus is provided with a plurality of injection dies communicating with an annular groove formed in a rotary head. An annular shoe for gradually reducing a sectional area of the annular groove is slidably fitted to the annular groove. Raw material is supplied into the annular groove and raw wires are injected from the injection dies. One of the plurality of injection dies provides an increased injection resistance to reduce the injection speed of a core raw wire injected from that injection die relative to the injection speed of outer layer raw wires injected from other injection dies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 1990
    Date of Patent: June 2, 1992
    Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
    Inventors: Tamotsu Nishijima, Toshihiro Fujino
  • Patent number: 5111649
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a tire steel cord formed of more than three strands twisted together, at least one of the strands being marked so as to formed therein with zig-zagging marked parts which form gaps between strands, rubber accordingly immersing the steel cord into its center part through the thus formed gaps so as to fill in a cavity in the center part of the steel cord.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 1991
    Date of Patent: May 12, 1992
    Assignee: Kokoku Wire Steel Ltd.
    Inventor: Hidenori Watakabe
  • Patent number: 5020312
    Abstract: A tire steel cord formed of more than three strands twisted together, at least one of the strands being marked so as to formed therein with zig-zagging marked parts which form gaps between strands, rubber accordingly immersing the steel cord into its center part through the thus formed gaps so as to fill in a cavity in the center part of the steel cord.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 1989
    Date of Patent: June 4, 1991
    Assignee: Kokoku Steel Wire Ltd.
    Inventor: Hidenori Watakabe
  • Patent number: 4974408
    Abstract: An alternate reverse or so-called SZ-twisting method and apparatus and cable product produced by alternate reverse twisting method and/or apparatus. Elements (2 ) which are to be alternately reversely twisted may be wires, leads, optical fibers, their groups and which can also include quads of wires, leads, optical fibers. Elements (2) to be twisted and a possible core element (9) are drawn from a fixed divider (3), preferably a perforated holeplate, through a twister (6), preferably a perforated holeplate, rotating periodically in opposite directions, to a presser (7), preferably a nipple, in which the elements to be twisted and the possible core element are pressed together, to form an alternately reversely twisted product (8). Between the divider (3) and the twister (6) pipe group (4, 5) is provided for defining the feedpaths of the elements (2) to be twisted and the possible core element (9).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 1988
    Date of Patent: December 4, 1990
    Assignee: Oy Nokia AB
    Inventor: Raimo K. Karhu
  • Patent number: 4947637
    Abstract: Improved multistrand Rutherford-type superconducting cable (42) is produced in a flattened form with two layers of helically wound strands (33) and in which the strands are alternately twisted about their lengths equally and in opposite directions to provide a flat cable with improved stability. In particular, the cable (42) is made by guiding multifilament wire strands (33) from spools (32) on a rotating turret (11) to a fixed tapered forming mandrel (22) where they are wound diagonally around the mandrel and then rolled into a flattened shape. The spools (32) are located around the periphery of the turret and are rotatable about axes in a plane parallel to the turret (11) to unroll the wire. Sprocket assemblies (48 and 49) are driven by drive chains (68 and 76) to rotate alternate spools (32) equally and in opposite directions relative to the forming mandrel (22) so that the wire strands (33) are twisted prior to being wound on the mandrel (22).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 1989
    Date of Patent: August 14, 1990
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the United States Department of Energy
    Inventors: John M. Royet, Rollin A. Armer
  • Patent number: 4821501
    Abstract: A suspension cable is encased in a metal pipe formed from a metal strip wound in a series of adjacent helical windings on the cable. The longitudinal edges of adjacent windings are connected by a continuous tight fold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 1987
    Date of Patent: April 18, 1989
    Inventor: Xaver Lipp
  • Patent number: 4802328
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing wire ropes, in which a translational motion is imparted to wires (2) fed from reels and before the twisting of these wires around the core member (11) they are given a residual deformation by way of subjecting each wire (2) to a flat bending on one support (3) and to a helical bending in the direction revolved relative to the direction of the flat bending. A wire rope twisting machine in which a device for imparting a residual deformation to the wires (2) is secured on an output portion of a hollow shaft (14) coaxially therewith includes a body (23) on which are installed for each wire (2) two supports (26, 27) arranged in succession. The first support (26) is installed for free rotation about its geometrical axis (28a) and the second support (27) is installed for free rotation relative to its geometrical axis (31a) and for a setting turn about an axis (33a) disposed perpendicularly to the geometrical axis (31a) of the second support (27).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 1987
    Date of Patent: February 7, 1989
    Assignee: Nauchno-Issledovatelsky Proektno-Konstruktorsky I Tekhnologichesky Kabelny Institut Niki Po "Sredazkabel"
    Inventors: Georgy V. Senyagin, Anatoly V. Kazakov
  • Patent number: 4765130
    Abstract: In a method and apparatus for making a cable core, cable core units are stranded together while drawing the cable core units along a passline through a closing die and while vibrating the closing die. Vibration of the closing die facilitates movement of insulated conductors of the cable core units over one another to provide a greater and more uniform packing density of conductors in the resulting cable core.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 1987
    Date of Patent: August 23, 1988
    Assignee: Northern Telecom Limited
    Inventor: Joseph G. C. C. De Varennes
  • Patent number: 4663926
    Abstract: A head (10) for laying optical fibers (2) in alternating lay grooves (1A) in a cylindrical core (1), the head comprising a die-holder (11) interconnecting three dies: an inlet die (12); an indexing die (13) including indexing combs; and an insertion die (14); each optical fiber being guided through an orifice (12A) in the inlet die, then through an orifice (13A) in the indexing die, and finally being laid in a groove of the core by the insertion die, said head further including, upstream from the inlet die, a fixed mandrel (20) through which the core passes, said mandrel being constituted by a tube (21) having a front guide (22) disposed at its upstream end with the optical fibers passing through said front guide, said mandrel further including a series of rotating disks (23) located between said front guide and said inlet die.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 1986
    Date of Patent: May 12, 1987
    Assignee: Les Cables de Lyon
    Inventors: Noel Girardon, Jack Delbar
  • Patent number: 4641492
    Abstract: A rope-twisting machine for making ropes includes arranged on a base in succession a rotor carrying rope elements, a mandrel rigidly connected to the rotor and having shaping grooves, pressure rollers mounted in a casing, the axes of the pressure rollers being arranged in planes passing through the axis of rotation of the rotor. The casing is disposed concentrically relative to the mandrel, the casing and the rotor being capable of relative rotation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 1984
    Date of Patent: February 10, 1987
    Assignee: Odessky Nauchno-Issledovatelsky Otdel Stalnykh
    Inventors: Mikhail F. Glushko, Viktor K. Skalatsky, Anatoly D. Zakhryamin
  • Patent number: 4607483
    Abstract: This invention relates to a conveyor means for simultaneously advancing and twisting a plurality of strands into a rope and the process for utilizing these means. The conveyor includes an elongated trough with two walls which are joined to define the linear path. The first wall includes the plurality of aligned rollers having access of rotating with a predetermined angular relationship relative to horizontal and vertical planes as well as a power means for driving the rollers in unison and means for feeding the strands into the trough and in frictional contact with the rollers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 1985
    Date of Patent: August 26, 1986
    Assignee: Warner-Lambert Company
    Inventors: Albert E. Siecke, Edward Janos
  • Patent number: 4604860
    Abstract: A method of stranding profiled strands comprises the steps of stranding a plurality of profiled strands (7) together around an optical fiber conductor or cable (2) which serves as a central core while imparting twist to each profiled strand by the use of a rigid type stranding machine, and then heat-treating the strands (7) along with the optical fiber conductor or cable (2) so as to remove strains or stress from the heat treated strands.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 1984
    Date of Patent: August 12, 1986
    Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takayuki Matsuura, Kenji Miyazaki
  • Patent number: 4604861
    Abstract: A plurality of strands (7) of sectorial cross-section is stranded around a central core such as an optical fiber conductor. First, a rigid type stranding machine is used to impart a spiral twist to each strand (7). Then, the twisted strand (7) is heat-treated or otherwise treated to remove any stress caused by the twisting. These strands are then fed to a planetary type stranding machine which provides a planetary motion in which the strands perform an orbital rotation around the optical fiber core of an optical conductor or conductors without rotation about its own axis, whereby the strands are stranded together on the optical fiber core.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 1984
    Date of Patent: August 12, 1986
    Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takayuki Matsuura, Kenji Miyazaki