Patent GB-982032-A (GB)
Title: Tyre building apparatus
IPC: B29D30/26
Filed: 1963-05-24
Abstract: 982,032. Tyre-building machines. NATIONAL-STANDARD CO. May 24, 1963 [May 24, 1962], No. 20887/63. Heading B7C.  Apparatus for use in a tyre building machine (Fig. 1) comprises an expandable tyre building drum 46 for expanding a fabric band to form a tyre, a band applier 34 including an expandable drum-like member 36 on which a cylindrical band of tyre ply fabric can be mounted, and a transport mechanism for moving the applier 34 with its fabric band axially to telescope over the drum 46 and for withdrawing the applier leaving the band on the drum. Fig. 1 shows a complete tyre building machine in which a cylindrical band 32 is first built on fins 36 of the applier 34, apparatus 38 is used to apply bead rings 44 to the band and seal them thereto, and subsequently the applier 34 is pivoted to face the drum 46, as shown in dotted lines. Band applier.-The band applier 34 (Figs. 3, 20) comprises a series of circumferentially spaced and radially movable steel fins 36. Fig. 20 shows how each fin has a base 104 mounted on a sliding rod 106 in a support attached to the end of a cylinder 54. Each base 104 has a radially extending cam surface 110 which is radially moved when a collar 112 with engaging rollers 114 is rotated manually by a handle 118 (Fig. 19, not shown.) The band applier is suspended by a rotatable shaft 35 (Fig. 3) from a carriage 64 which contains a cylinder 90 used to rotate the applier (Fig. 2, not shown), and the carriage moves axially on rollers 69, 70 along a rail 68. The axial movement is effected by the cylinder 54 which moves along its own pistonrod 72. When the band applier 34 is rotated into line with the drum 46, the end of rod 72 couples with end of a rod 77 which forms part of the drum 46 (Figs. 8, 9, not shown), and thereafter the rods remain locked together against axial separation. Building drum.-The building drum comprises an inflatable tyre building bag 46 having and end plate 85 at one end of piston-rod 77, and when the bag is inflated to form a tyre the cylinder 80 retracts its rod 77 to axially contract the bag. The supporting structure 83 of the cylinder 80 incorporates band positioning hooks 188 on pivoted arms 190 and a fixed pusher ring 230 which forms half 52a of the pusher ring assembly. Pusher ring assembly.-The pusher ring assembly serves to fold end portions of the band 32 around the bead rings during inflation of the bag 46 (Fig. 6), and comprises the fixed ring 230 and the assembly 52b. The latter is carried intermittently on the band applier (Fig. 3) and on the end-plate 85 of the building bag (Fig. 6). Tread ring carrier.-Fig. 3 shows a tread ring carrier 48 which carries a preformed tread band in a retainer 162 suspended from a movable carriage 176. The tread band is held in a splitring 154 (Fig. 24), spring mounted (Fig. 22, not shown) in the retainer 162. The carriage is biased by a weight device (Fig. 25, not shown) towards its Fig. 3 position, where a stop on the rail 68 holds it. The carriage also comprises two racks 218, 220 engaging a pinion 216 (Figs. 10, 11, not shown).  Operation.-Initially the applier 34, its fins 36 expanded and carrying a band 32 and bead rings 44, is pivoted into line with the bag 46 (Fig. 3) and rods 72, 77 locked together. Fluid is conducted into the cylinder 54 to move the cylinder and applier leftwards, the fins 36 telescoping over the bag 46 and the bead ring 44a pushing under hooks 188 (Fig. 4). The fins 36 are radially retracted and the applier withdrawn (Fig. 5, not shown), leaving the band correctly placed on the bag 46 and the assembly 52b attached to the end plate 85 of the bag. Fig. 20 shows a pusher ring 136 mounted on arms 134 which carry levers 138, 139, pivoted and carrying hooks 142, 148 and pins 144, 149. When the fins 36 are retracted the garter spring 120 contracts and allows the pins 144, 149 to engage behind the end plate 85 (Fig. 21, not shown). The tread ring retainer is advanced to the correct position (Fig. 4) when the applier moves leftwards. The bag 46 is inflated and axially contracted (Fig. 6), forming the band 32 into a tyre, while the end portions of the band are folded round the bead rings as pusher rings 136, 230 engage the ends of the bag. The inflating bag engages paddles 234 of arms 190 and pushes the hooks 188 outwards, as shown. Fig. 4 shows the rack 220 of the tread retainer carriage 176 engaged by a rack catcher 222. As the bag 46 is axially contracted the applier 34 on its carriage 64 is drawn leftwards, and a rod 200 axially spaced from carriage 64 bears on a plate 226 at the end of rack 218. The resulting movement of the rack 218 moves the carriage 176 leftwards at half the speed of the carriage 64, maintaining the tread around the centre plane of the formed band 32, to which the tread is thus attached. The bag 46 is deflated and elongated (Fig. 7, not shown). The band applier is moved leftwards by cylinder 54, fins 36 engaging under the completed tyre, the fins are expanded to grip the tyre and disconnect the pusher ring assembly 52b from the end-plate 85 of the bag 46. Finally the applier is moved rightwards, pulling the tyre and the split ring which held the tread out of the retainer 162. The applier is pivoted to the Fig. 1 position for removal of the tyre, the pivoting actuating the rack catcher 222 to release the rack 220, and the tread carriage 176 returns to its Fig. 3 position. Specifications 854,266, 982,031 and 982,033 are referred to.