Patent GB-1370444-A (GB)
Title: Tyre-building machines having a building drum and stitching apparatus
IPC: B29D30/28
Filed: 1971-09-15
Abstract: 1370444 Tyre building machines INDUSTRIE PIRELLI SpA 15 Sept 1971 [18 Sept 1970] 42923/71 Heading B7C  A tyre-building machine has a building drum 4 and stitching apparatus; which apparatus comprises a horizontal base 5, two carriages, e.g. 7, 8, movable along the base in directions parallel to the longitudinal axis of the drum by a first reversible actuator and in directions perpendicular to said directions by a second reversible actuator, two vertical columns, e.g. 9, 10, each connected at one end to a respective one of the carriages and each supporting at its other end at least one stitching disc, e.g. 11-14, the axes of rotation of the discs always lying in a plane containing the axis of rotation of the drum and driving means which comprise fluid pressure means and are operable to turn the axis of rotation of each disc selectively to each of two angularly spaced positions spaced by an angle greater than 180 degrees and smaller than 360 degrees, the actuators and driving means being controlled by a programmer 15, e.g. of the numerical control type, so that their operations may take place according to a pre-established sequence.  In the embodiment shown in Figs. 1, 3 and 4 the carriages 7, 8 are mounted on a frame 6 slidable on the base 5, the first actuator comprising a motor 34 connected to a shaft 30 having oppositely screw-threaded portions 28, 29 on which are mounted nuts 26, 27 secured to the carriages, and the second actuator comprising a motor 22 which drives a screw-threaded shaft on the frame 6 through a nut on the base, the motors 22, 34 each having three forward and three reverse speeds. Each carriage 7, 8 contains a vertical shaft 45 having a gear 44 secured thereto and rotatably carrying a cylinder 56 in which there are two pistons connected by a rack 52 meshing with a further gear 51 on the shaft 45, the cylinder 56 having fixed thereto a further cylinder 58 to which the associated column 9, 10 is rigidly attached and which contains a single piston whose rod is a rack engaging a gear 62 on a shaft 66 within the column, the shaft 66 and the column 9 or 10 each carrying a stitching disc. In operation, rotation of the gear 44, by means of a motor 38 connected to a shaft 43 carrying worm gears 48, causes rotation of the shaft 66 and the column 9 or 10. When the rack 52 is held fixed to the gear 51 by appropriate admission of pressurized fluid to the cylinder 56; and, when the gear 44 is stationary, admission of pressurized fluid to the cylinder 56 causes the rack to rotate about the gear 51 and thereby rotate both the shaft 66 and the column 9 or 10 and admission of pressurized fluid to the cylinder 58 causes the shaft 66 only to be rotated. An alternative embodiment (Figs. 8-12, not shown) is identical to the above described embodiment except that there is only one stitching disc at the upper end of each column and the sole means provided for turning the axis of rotation of the disc is a fluid pressure device located in the associated carriage and comprising two pistons joined by a rack connected through a system of gears to a gear on the column.