Patent GB-1335231-A (GB)
Title: Tyre building machine
IPC: B29D30/26
Filed: 1971-01-17
Abstract: 1335231 Tyre building apparatus FIRESTONE TIRE & RUBBER CO 19 Jan 1971 [11 Feb 1970] 2689/71 Heading B7C The invention relates to a tyre building machine for the automatic production of green or unvulcanized carcases and consists of a plurality of interconnected and dependent assemblies together with collapsible tyre building drums movable between the assemblies for receiving carcass forming material, this material consisting, for two-ply tyres, of successive layers of unvulcanized inner-liner and chafer material (tubeless tyres only), first and second rubberized ply material with reinforcing cords, strips of tread cushion, and white side wall (if desired). The assemblies forming the machine 100, Fig. 3, comprise an inner-liner and chafer assembly hereinafter referred to as I.C. unit 101, first ply assembly hereinafter referred to 1-ply unit 102, second ply assembly hereinafter referred to as 2-ply unit 103 turret assembly for bead application hereinafter referred to as BA unit 104, turret assembly for tyre discharge hereinafter referred to as TD unit 105, drum transfer assembly hereinafter referred to as DT unit 106 and a material handling assembly hereinafter referred to as MH unit 107. The various assemblies 101-107 together with associated sub-assemblies will now be described individually. Inner-liner and chafer assembly 101.-IC unit 101 consists of a flat bed 111 for supporting the inner-liner and chafer in a horizontal plane, Fig. 5. The bed comprises a stationary bed 134 on which the chafer is supported and movable bed portions 115, 116 for tensioning the innerliner by stretching using rams 152. During stretching the inner-liner is held in position by suction by means of a vacuum being applied to holes 146 which the inner-liner covers. The bed can be adjusted in length for use in the manufacture of tyres of different diameters. Feed means, Figs. 8 and 9 (not shown) provide free loops of inner-liner and chafer which can be pulled on to the bed, the inner-liner and chafer being supplied from rollers thereof mounted on sub-assemblies Figs. 10 and 11 and Figs. 12 and 13 respectively. The sub-assembly of Figs. 10 and 11 may be rotated through 180 degrees to present a new roll of inner-liner to the feed means when a roll is exhausted and the sub-assembly also separates the inner-liner from a fabric wrapping. The sub-assembly of Figs. 12 and 13 presents the feed means with two lengths of chafer, one to be provided on each side of the inner-liner. The inner-liner and chafer are supplied from the free loops to a table 364 of a cutter assembly 114, Fig. 15, which table is movable on to and out of engagement with the bed portion 115 and on which the inner-liner and chafer are held by a vacuum manifold 370. A cutter 380 is provided with a circular blade 399 and is movable across the table by an air cylinder 395 connected therewith by cable 390. A transfer unit, Figs. 19-22 (not shown) moves the inner-liner and chafer from the cutting table on to the IC bed 111 by vacuum manifolds which pick up the leading edges of the inner-liner and chafer. A cement applicator, Figs. 23, 24 (not shown), on which a roll of adhesive tape is stored deposits the adhesive from the tape on to inner-liner and stores the used tape in a further roll. A chafer applicator, Figs. 25-26 (not shown), comprising vacuum manifolds on either side of the IC bed picks up the chafer strips and places them in overlapping relation with respect to the innerliner. A drum transport unit comprises a drum head 600, Fig. 27, which is raised and receives a tyre building drum 119 from DT unit 106, by engaging sockets 605 into the ends of drum shaft 607. The drum head is then lowered on to an air bag which when inflated adjusts the position of the drum such that only 100 lbs of its weight is exerted on the inner-liner and chafer as it rolls across the bed 111 causing the inner-liner and chafer to adhere to the drum. First ply assembly 102 and second ply assembly 103.-Both the ply assemblies are identical except for the angular disposition thereof to accommodate the differently orientated bias cut first and second ply material, and thus only the assembly 102 will be described. The ply table and the means by which its length is adjusted are similar to the bed of the IC unit 101. Also vacuum manifolds 142 on the movable bed sections 634 and 635 are used to retain the ply on the bed as mechanism 648 moves these sections apart to tension the ply. During the tensioning angle irons 665 engage the ply to prevent lateral displacement, the ply being located prior to tensioning by blasting air through the manifolds 142. The angular displacement of the movable bed sections 634, 635 relative to the stationary bed section 633 is adjustable to accommodate different bias cut ply material by pivoting of these sections about pivots 694, 695 using a parallelogram arrangement operated by motor 709. The ply cutter assembly consists of a cutter 725 mounted for movement about a pivot 751, Fig. 37, and above a conveyer 727 over which the ply moves to the bed 633. The cutter blade, Figs. 39, 42-43 (not shown), consists of a circular knife edge and a blunted fabric tearing edge. The angular disposition of the cutter assembly is adjusted with the movable bed sections 634, 635 by butting engagement therewith when a change is made. The cutter is moved laterally across the ply for cutting by a rack and pinion mechanism. A ply transfer unit, Figs. 44-46 (not shown), transfers the ply material from ply feed means, Figs. 50- 51 (not shown) on to the bed 633 and consists of a vacuum manifold which picks up the material and transfers it on to the bed. A drum transport unit, Figs. 47-49 (not shown) and similar to the IC drum transport unit 118 engages the ply material on the bed to pick it up, the unit being provided with limit stops for 1311, 14<SP>11</SP> and 15<SP>11</SP> bead size drums, and also with cushion rollers mounted on levers on either side of the drum to pick up tyre building material extending beyond the ends of the drum. Material handling assembly 107, Figs. 52, 53.-The assembly comprises a store for rolls of ply material and a conveyer 934, to carry the material to a cutter 935 for bias cutting predetermined lengths which are then supplied to the units 102, 103 via shoots 936, 937. Light cells 939, 940 detect ply material on the shoots and an operator splices the lengths of material into a continuous sheet of first and second ply material with properly oriented cords. No splice must fall within the light lines projected by projectors 941, 942 since the cutter 636 must only cut one layer of ply material and it is predetermined that the line of the cut will be between the projectors. The ply material slides down the shoots on a cushion of air. Means are provided for alternatively deflecting the ply material down one or the other shoots. Turret assembly 104.-The BA unit 104 comprises a pair of turret frames between which building drums are supported at a station A where a strip of tread cushion is applied and a station B where the beads are set, Fig. 54. Each frame has a drum mover 974, 975 of which the latter will be described. The drum mover 975 has a frame with a plurality of arms spaced arcuately thereabout corresponding to the arcuate spacing between stations. Each arm is provided with fingers for grasping the shaft of a building drum. As the frame is rotated a drum is transferred from a drum rest to station A, from station A to station B, and from station B to a pick-up. At station A the drum located thereat is rotated and a strip of tread cushion applied from an applicator drum. A pair of stitch rollers 1026, 1027 are then moved by air cylinders into engagement with the material on the drum. The tread cushion is fed on to the applicator drum from a continuous roll of the material by a vacuum manifold, Fig. 59 (not shown), and a cutter assembly cuts the roll after a predetermined length has been wrapped on the drum. A tread cushion let off, Figs. 60- 61 (not shown), comprises a conveyer which leads the cushion material to the applicator. A fabric wrapping is stored on the let off. At station B a bead working unit 1142, Fig. 62, is movable into engagement with each end of a building drum 119, and consists of an assembly 1144 which turns down ply material extending beyond the drum edge and after application of a bead the material is reversely folded back in engaging relation with the outer ply material to set the bead in position. The assembly 1144 is movable towards and away from the drum 119 on rails by means of an air cylinder. The ply is turned down by fingers 1165 and an iris 1171 moves a bead 1172 over the turned down material on to the tyre carcass. The fingers are then withdrawn and a bladder 1151 inflated folding back the ply material over the bead. The iris, Figs. 63-64 (not shown), is expansible and consists of a plurality of fingers which are movable towards and away from the iris centre to disengage or engage a bead. Bead transfer means, Figs. 65-67 (not shown), are provided for transfering beads from a storage rack to the iris, the means consisting of a plurality of fingers arranged at the end of an arm, which fingers are movable to engage and disengage the beads in the different positions of the arms. The bead storage racks, Figs. 69-70 (not shown), consist of a platform mounted on castors and on each of which four stacks of beads may be stored, there being sensors provided to sense when a bead is in a pick-up position. Means are provided, Fig 65 (not shown), for replacing a depleted bead rack with a fully stocked rack. Turret assembly 106.-The DT unit 106 consists of a pair of turret frames which are similar to those of assembly 104 and are provided with drum movers which transfer drums to a station D where the beads are stitched and white sidewall spun on to the carcass and also then to a station E where th