Abstract:
Disclosed is a method and apparatus for preforming a green tire into a shape that is equivalent to the shape of the green tire when placed in a closed mold. The method for preforming orients the beads of the green tire parallel and concentric to one another and also rotates the bead area components of the tire into the proper configuration prior to cure. The bead portions of the tire maintain the parallel position as the tire is loaded into a tire mold.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention is directed to tire manufacturing, and more particularly to processing of a green tire. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Tire uniformity is important to overall tire performance. One aspect of tire uniformity that may occur is when the opposed tire beads are not concentric and parallel to each other. This nonuniformity may occur during the tire building process, tire storage during loading of the tire into the tire press prior to cure, or during the press shaping cycle.  FIG. 1  illustrates a prior art tire loader loading a tire into a tire press. The tire loader  10  grasps the tire bead from the top of the tire, and seats the tire onto a bottom mold bead ring  12 . One problem with the prior art loader is that the lower tire bead region has not been rotated into engagement with the bottom bead ring. A second problem is that the green tire may not be centered onto the lower bead ring or the mold. Further, the top bead of the green tire may not be concentric and parallel with the bottom bead. 
         [0003]      FIG. 2   a  illustrates a tire having a bead seated in the bottom mold ring prior to shaping and with the mold in the open position. As shown, the lower bead region  14   a  is constrained by the lower bead ring  12 , while the upper bead region  14   b  is free.  FIG. 2   b  illustrates the green tire during shaping of the curing bladder.  FIG. 2   b  illustrates that the lower ply endings A near the bottom bead ring are trapped between the bladder and the bottom bead ring so that they cannot move. As the mold is not closed during bladder shaping, the upper ply endings B are pulled by the bladder to lengthen the Y dimension due to the unconstrained upper tire bead. In addition, the upper bead area may rotate in an undesired direction. The centerline C L ′ of the tire may also shift a lateral distance L from the desired centerline C L , resulting in conicity. As shown in  FIG. 2   b , tire nonuniformity occurs in the press as X and Y are not equal, and the tire centerline has moved laterally a distance L. When the press closes, the top bead ring engages the top bead, and forces the top bead area to rotate around the top bead. However, the closing of the press does not solve the issues described above, and a tire with uniformity issues may be formed. 
         [0004]    It is thus desired to provide an improved method for preforming the green tire prior to entry into the mold to ensure that the tire bead areas are concentric and parallel to each other. It is further desired to provide an improved method that ensures the top and bottom bead areas are rotated into the proper cured position prior to placement into the tire mold and when loaded into the mold. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    The invention provides in a first aspect a method for preforming a green tire to a predetermined position prior to insertion into a tire mold. The green tire has opposing first and second bead areas. The method includes the following steps: holding a first and second bead of the green tire in a concentric and parallel position, moving one of the first and second beads towards the other, rotating the first and second bead areas into a predetermined position, and then holding the first and second beads and bead areas in the predetermined position for a set period of time indexing the green tire and repeating the rotation several times. 
         [0006]    The invention provides in a second aspect a method for aligning the bead areas of green tire into alignment with each other. The method includes the following steps: providing a first bead support ring and mounting the lower bead of the green tire onto said first bead support ring, providing a second bead support ring and moving the second bead support ring into engagement with the upper bead of the tire until the tire is in a desired pre-mold position, and rotating the first and second bead areas of the tire into the desired pre-mold shape. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0007]    The invention will be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: 
           [0008]      FIG. 1  illustrates a prior art loader loading a green tire into a tire press. 
           [0009]      FIG. 2   a  is a cross sectional view of a green tire partially mounted on the bottom mold bead ring prior to engagement of the shaping bladder and mold closing; 
           [0010]      FIG. 2   b  is a cross sectional view of a green tire partially mounted and shaped on the bottom bead ring of the tire mold during bladder shaping; 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  is a cross sectional front view of a green tire pre-former of the present invention shown in the start position without a green tire; 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  is a cross sectional front view of a green tire pre-former of the present invention shown in the start position with a green tire and green tire loader; 
           [0013]      FIGS. 5 and 5   a  are cross sectional views of the bottom mold bead ring support with translating support ring; 
           [0014]      FIG. 6  is a cross sectional front view of a green tire pre-former of the present invention shown in the loaded and lowered position with a green tire and green tire loader; 
           [0015]      FIG. 7  is a cross sectional front view of a green tire pre-former of the present invention shown with the loader upper mold bead support ring engaging the top bead of the green tire prior to the material rotation around the beads; 
           [0016]      FIG. 8  is a cross sectional front view of a green tire pre-former of the present invention shown in the actuated/clamped position, after rotating the bead area material around both the top and bottom beads but prior to the loader grasping the outside diameter of the green tire; 
           [0017]      FIG. 9  is a cross sectional front view of a green tire pre-former of the present invention shown with both bead areas rotated and the green tire grasped in the loader for transport; 
           [0018]      FIG. 10   a  illustrates the green tire prior to shaping or lower bead area rotation; 
           [0019]      FIG. 10   b  illustrates the green tire after upper and lower bead area rotation, but prior to shaping. 
           [0020]      FIG. 11  illustrates a green tire being loaded onto the tire preforming apparatus. 
           [0021]      FIG. 12  illustrates a green tire loaded onto the tire preforming apparatus. 
           [0022]      FIG. 13   a  illustrates a green tire after the upper and lower bead support rings have positioned the tire beads to the cured bead height,  FIG. 13   b  illustrates the bead clamps after rotation around the bead against both bead support rings. 
           [0023]      FIG. 14  illustrates the tire in the loader; with tire held on outside diameter. 
           [0024]      FIG. 15  illustrates the green tire being placed on the bottom mold bead ring. 
           [0025]      FIGS. 16-21  illustrate the various stages of the modified tire curing process. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0026]      FIG. 3  illustrates a green tire pre-former apparatus  200  of the present invention. The green tire pre-former apparatus  200  is useful for pre-forming a green tire so that the overall tire shape matches the cured tire shape, and the tire beads are concentric and parallel with respect to each other prior to entry into the mold. The tire pre-former apparatus  200  comprises a support frame  202  that has three or more support legs  204  joined together by a stationary lower support plate  206 . An annular center support outer column  220  extends vertically upwards from the support plate  206  guiding center support inner column  222 . A lower spider ring  208  is slidably mounted on center support outer column  220 . Support frame  202  further comprises a stationary upper support plate  210  that is connected to the lower support plate via a plurality of support frame columns  209 . 
         [0027]    The green tire pre-former apparatus  200  further comprises a lower bead support ring  230 . The lower bead support ring  230  is shown in  FIG. 3  in a raised position suitable for loading the green tire onto the pre-former apparatus. As best shown in  FIG. 5   a , the lower bead support ring  230  has a lower surface mounted to an upper ring  231 . The upper ring may be optionally connected to a rotatable bearing  237  so that the upper ring is free to rotate. The rotatable bearing  237  is connected to a bearing support plate  239 . The lower surface of the bearing support plate  239  is mounted to a distal end  232  of a translating rod  235 . Thus the lower bead support ring may be raised and lowered via translating rods  235 , and may also be rotated radially around the center column via rotatable bearing ring  237 . A gear rack  243  is positioned for engagement with the rotatable bearing ring  237  in order to precisely position the lower bead support ring  230 . A programmable rotation-positioning device  244  may optionally be used to position the rotatable bearing ring  237 . 
         [0028]    The lower bead support ring  230  as shown in  FIG. 5A  has a bead support  232  extending radially outward from the support ring  230 . The bead support  232  has an annular lip  234  located axially inward of the bead support. The annular lip is straight and has no taper. The bead support has a flat portion  236  located axially outward on the support ring. The bead support  232  further comprises an angled seat  238  that joins the annual lip  234  to the flat portion  236 . The angled seat  238  helps cam over the bead area material into the proper cured alignment position. The green tire pre-former apparatus  200  further comprises a top hat  245  which facilitates the proper centering of the green tire bead and tire onto the lower bead support ring of the green tire pre-former apparatus.  FIG. 4  illustrates a green tire loaded onto the green tire pre-former apparatus with support ring  231  in the raised position with the lower sidewall bead area of the green tire in mating engagement with the lower bead support ring  230 . 
         [0029]    After the green tire has been lowered on the green tire pre-former apparatus  200  as shown in  FIG. 6 , the green tire loader  100  is lowered into the support/grasp position around the green tire as shown in  FIG. 7 . The green tire loader  100  includes an upper support ring  102  for engaging and supporting the upper bead of the green tire. The upper support ring  102  may optionally be rotatable, as described in more detail, below. The loader  100  with a rotatably mounted upper support ring  102  is lowered until the inner radial lip  106  of the upper bead support ring  102  engages the top bead of the green tire. The green tire loader further includes a plurality of tire engaging paddles or chucks  110 . Each tire chuck is independently radially movable on a rail support  112  connected to a pneumatically driven piston  114 . Each chuck is lockable at its own unique tread radius position thus holding and maintaining the concentricity of the top tire bead to the top bead lip ring  102 .  FIG. 6  shows the rotatable upper bead support ring  102  mounted on a support structure  116  in order to stabilize the support ring, facilitate bead size, provide for ring size changes, and position the support ring  102  adjacent to the tire engaging chucks  110 . 
         [0030]    As shown in  FIG. 7 , the green tire pre-former device further comprises upper and lower bead clamps,  300  and  400 , which rotate and engage the inner tire bead area  302  and  402 , thus causing the green tire bead area components  302  and  402  to rotate around the upper and lower bead support rings  230 ,  102  (including their angled seats  238 , and their straight, non-tapered annular lips  234 ,  106 ) until the inner tire bead areas  302 ,  402  are held securely against the flat areas  236 . The bead area components are able to rotate around the bead ring because the support rings  102 ,  230  have no tapered lips which prevent the rotation. The bead area components  302 ,  402  are the tire components that are rotated around the bead ring, which include the rim strip, inner liner, apex, the ply, and typically the lower sidewall below the turnup. Depending on tire design, other components around the bead area will also be rotated. 
         [0031]    A plurality of upper and lower bead clamps  300 ,  400  are arranged in an annular fashion and are positionable to engage the tire bead area components  302 ,  402 . The bead clamps  300 ,  400  include curved or L shaped fingers that are adjustable in length, and function to grip the tire bead area components  302 ,  402  into engagement with the support rings  102 ,  230 . The bead clamps  300 ,  400  are pneumatically actuated in multiple partial steps, performed sequentially that ultimately result in the complete uniform rotation of the tire bead area components  302 ,  402  into engagement with the flat areas  236  of the bead support rings  102 ,  230 . The bead clamps are pivotally mounted to support flanges  304  and  404 . The lower bead clamps  400  are positioned in an annular arrangement adjacent to the lower bead ring  230 . The lower bead clamps rotate about pin  408  of flange  404 . Flanges  404  are mounted to the support plate  210  of the tire pre-former. The lower bead clamps include a bead clamp pivot  410  having an outer end rigidly connected to the bead finger  403  and an inner end pinned to the support flange  404 , so that rotation of the bead clamp pivot  410  rotates the bead finger  403  about pin  408 . Bead clamp pivot  410  has a distal end connected to arm  430 . Arm  430  is pin connected to lower spider ring  208 , which slides on center support outer column  220 . Thus rotation of the lower bead area into the desired shape occurs during actuation of the arms  430  via sliding spider ring  208  pushed by pneumatic actuator  415 . 
         [0032]      FIG. 8  illustrates the upper and lower bead clamps after being rotated into position so that the bead area components  302 ,  402  engage with the upper and lower bead rings  102 ,  230 . This position is held for a period of time sufficient for the green tire to retain its shape, typically in the range of about 2 to about 10 minutes. The time may vary depending upon the particular tire size and components used. Next, the upper and lower bead clamps are unclamped, and the upper and lower bead support rings are rotationally indexed, and then the clamps are actuated. The above steps are repeated until the green tire has rotated a complete circle. 
         [0033]      FIG. 9  illustrates the green tire loaded in the loader  100  after removal from the pre-former  200 . The loader  100  grips the outer radial surface of the tread region of the green tire. The upper bead area of the green tire is still in engagement with the rotatable upper bead ring support  102  to ensure the bead area  302  remains concentric to the bead center and supported during entry of the curing bladder at shaping. 
         [0034]    The green tire loader  100  has been designed to engage the tire without negatively affecting lower bead area rotation or bead concentricity and parallelism. The tire loader  100  has several features built in to enhance uniformity. First when grasping the green tire for transport to the press, the loader  100  tire chucks grip only the crown of the outside of the tread area. Prior art loaders grasp the inside of the top bead that would cause a negative rotation of the material around the top bead. Typical prior art loader fingers do not address concentricity of either the top or bottom bead, so as a result parallelism of the two beads is also at risk. The loader  100  maintains the centering of the bottom bead by using multiple independently lockable cylinders to grasp the tread crown without distorting the upper and lower bead center to tread relationship. Finally the loader  100  contains the top bead ring support that maintains rotation, concentricity, and parallelism, during curing bladder shaping, and the transfer of the green tire to the curing press. 
         [0035]      FIG. 10   a  illustrates a typical green tire prior to being shaped. The bead areas of the green tire have a reverse curvature as compared to the green tire of  FIG. 10   b . In  FIG. 10   b , the beads are located axially inward of the tread shoulders, as compared to  FIG. 10   a  in which the beads are located axially outward of the tread shoulders. The lower sidewall of  FIG. 10   a  has angle of about 120 degrees with the axis of rotation, while the lower sidewall of  FIG. 10   b , which is more consistent to the cured tire position, has an angle of about 60 degrees. 
         [0036]      FIGS. 11-21  illustrate the process for rotational alignment of the bead areas of the green tire as well as the modified shaping cycle of the green tire in the tire curing press.  FIG. 11  illustrates a green tire G being loaded by an operator (or alternatively, a machine (not shown) onto the tire preformer apparatus  200 . The top hat  239  facilitates the proper centering of the tire bead and tire onto the lower bead ring  230  of the tire preforming apparatus  200  as shown in  FIG. 12 . The lower bead support ring  230  is then lowered into position via the translating support plate  231  using hydraulic cylinders. 
         [0037]    After the tire is loaded onto the tire preformer apparatus  200 , the tire loader is lowered onto the green tire until the upper bead support ring  102  mounted on the loader is registered with the upper bead of the tire. The tire loader is further lowered until the green tire beads are placed at the curing height of the beads in the closed mold.  FIG. 13   a  illustrates that the tire loader is lowered until the upper bead support ring  102  mounted on the loader is in engagement with the upper bead of the green tire. Likewise, as the loader is lowered the lower bead of the tire is kept registered with the lower bead support ring  230  of the performer apparatus  200 . Next, the tire bead clamps are rotated into position as shown in  FIG. 13   b , resulting in rotation of the bead area components  302 ,  402  of the tire into engagement with the upper and lower bead rings wherein the bead clamps function to clamp or hold the bead area components into mating engagement with the respective bead support rings. At this time, the green tire shape is equivalent to the molded tire shape. The green tire is held in this position for at least 1-2 minutes. The green tire is then rotationally indexed and actuation of the clamps is repeated until the green tire has rotated a full circle. The rotational indexing of the green tire ensures uniform shaping of the bead component areas by the bead clamps. 
         [0038]      FIG. 14  illustrates the tire being removed from the preformer machine  200  by the loader  100 . The loader grips the outer crown portion or outer diameter of the tire by a plurality of radially spaced paddles  110  while maintaining the shape of the upper bead area  302  of the tire by the upper bead support ring  102 . The tire loader  100  has been modified to include an upper bead support ring which maintains the shape of the upper bead area of the tire. The tire loader has also been modified to utilize the outer radial paddles in order to maintain the rotation and alignment of the beads. The tire loader lifts the tire off of the preformer machine and lowers the green tire bottom bead onto the bottom bead ring  502  of the mold  500  as shown in  FIG. 15 . 
         [0039]      FIG. 15  illustrates the green tire in the tire mold, while the outer surface of the tire is still in engagement with the paddles of the loader. The internal shaping process is initiated while the upper bead area of the tire is in engagement with the upper bead support ring  102  of the loader, and while the paddles grip the outer perimeter of the tire. The upper bead support ring  102  prevents the shaping bladder  506  from reverse rotating the top bead area of the tire as shown in  FIG. 2   b . The center post  510  and top bladder clamp ring  520  are raised until they are both located inside the green tire. The curing bladder  530  is inflated with low pressure fluid. The loader paddles  110  are released from gripping the green tire after the bladder is about 70% to about 80% inflated. The loader is then moved out of the way so that the top part  550  of the mold can be closed. Low pressure is used to continue to shape the bladder as shown in  FIG. 17 . After the mold is closed, the curing bladder is deflated and the center post and bladder ring is lowered into its home position as shown in  FIG. 18 . 
         [0040]      FIG. 19  illustrates the continuation of the shaping process. The center post and curing bladder ring are raised a second time in line with the upper bead of the tire or cured height. As shown in  FIG. 20 , the top and bottom curing bladder rings and the outside bladder sleeve are each raised in order to roll the curing bladder back inside the green tire in order to reshape the tire a second time at low pressure. 
         [0041]      FIG. 21  illustrates the mold in the closed position, with the bladder shaped and centered in the green tire. The cure cycle is then completed and the green tire is removed. 
         [0042]    While certain representative embodiments and details have been shown for the purpose of illustrating the invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in this art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.