Patent ID: 8691034
Filing Date: 2014-04-08
Classification: B29D

Abstract:
1. A method of forming a tire component upon an axially tapered building surface, the method comprising the steps of: providing a mechanical system, the system including a plurality of cutting members and an axially tapered application surface for transferring material to the axially tapered building surface, each of the axially tapered application surface and the axially tapered building surface comprising a surface of revolution that varies radially along a rotational axis of each surface; translating a sheet of material along a translation path through the mechanical system, the translation path comprising a closed-loop path extending from a sheet generator and returning to the sheet generator for reusing at least a portion of the sheet as input material; cutting a strip of material from the sheet with one or more of the plurality of cutting members during the step of translating by forming at least one or more cuts to define a width of the strip, the strip of material being cut from the sheet along the axially tapered application surface; and, transferring mechanically the strip of material from the axially tapered application surface to the axially tapered building surface, each of the axially tapered application surface and the axially tapered building surface rotating during the step of transferring, where the step of translating includes transferring a remaining portion of the sheet of material to a recovery assembly after cutting the strip from the sheet, wherein said recovery assembly transfers the remaining portion from the axially tapered application surface and to the sheet generator for use as input material for continuous formation of the sheet of material, said recovery assembly comprising a variable surface speed conveyor configured to variably translate the remaining portion along the translation path, where the speed of the conveyor varies laterally across a width of the conveyor.