Patent GB-1441077-A (GB)
Title: Splicing parallelogrammatic pieces of rubberised fabric  without overlap
IPC: B29D30/00
Filed: 1974-09-10
Abstract: 1441077 Seaming non-metallic sheet material YOKOHAMA RUBBER CO Ltd 10 Sept 1974 [13 Sept 1973] 39630/74 Heading B5K Apparatus for butt splicing together pieces 16, 16a of rubberized fabric, e.g. tyre cord fabric, comprises a forward vibratable conveyer 15 to supply successive pieces to a butt splicer 17 and having means for reorientating the successive pieces travelling thereon, a backward vibratable conveyer 18 for feeding the precedingly spliced piece 16a backwardly to the splicer 17 by vibration and having means for reorientating the piece 16a travelling backwardy thereon, and take-up means 19 for carrying the spliced pieces away from the splicer 17 via the conveyer 18 by indexed movement. The conveyer 15, Figs. 3 and 6, comprises a plate 20 having an enclosed space 31 thereunder and a guide plate 22 along one edge thereof. The plate 20 is coupled through springs 23 to a vibratable plate 24 on which is mounted a vibrator 25 and which is mounted on a base 26 through springs 27. The plates 20, 23 and the top surface of the base 26 are inclined towards the splicer 17 and the plate 22. Perforations 28, 29 are formed in the plates 20, 22, respectively, to allow escape of air tending to be trapped under each piece 16. The space 21 is maintained at atmospheric or slightly negative  pressure. The conveyer 18 is of similar construction. The splicer 17, Figs. 7-9, comprises a pair of fixed parallel plates 31 each having two arcuate cam slots (32), (33), Fig. 10 (not shown), in which engage follower pins 34, 35, Figs. 8 and 9, on slide plates 36. Columns 37, Fig. 9 fixed to the plates 36 support a front table 38 and have portions 37a retatably and slidably supporting a clamping platen 40 movable vertically by a pneumatic or hydraulic cylinder 42 on a beam 41 supported by the portions 37a. A pair of carriages 45, Fig. 9, are slidable on rails 44 fixed to the plates 36 and support a rear table 47 via columns 46 having portions 46a rotatable and slidably supporting a clamping platen 49 movable vertically by a cylinder 51 on a beam 50 supported by the portions 46a. The tables 38, 47 are angularly displaceable simultaneously relative to the plates 31 by a handwheel 54, Fig. 8, coupled via a worm gearing 55 to a rotatable shaft 53 extending downwardly from the table 38 to effect spicing by a cylinder 58 acting on a shaft 56 extending downwardly from the table 47. Stops 59, 60 are pivotally mounted on pins 61 on the tables 38, 41 and are retractable by rotary actuators 62, 63, Fig. 2. Light emitting diodes 64, 66 are embedded in the tables 38, 47 and coact with photoelectric elements 65, 67 in the platens 40, 49. The take-up conveyer 19, Figs. 1 and 2, comprises an intermittently driven endless belt 68. A dancer roll 72 is mounted at the end of the conver 19 and is pivotable up and down by a cylinder 73. In operation, tables 37, 47 are adjusted by the handwheel 5 so that their working angle #, Fig. 2, corresponds to the angle # at which the pieces have been cut. In the manufacture of radial-ply tyres, this angle is 90 degrees. The table 47 is moved away from the table 38, the stops 59, 60 are pivoted upwardly and the platens 40, 49 are raised. The conveyer 15 is set in high speed operation and the roll 72 is pivoted downwardly. The conveyer 18 is maintained in low speed operation throughout the splicing operation. The piece 16 is deposited on the conveyer 15 and becomes reorientated with its edge bc against the plate 22 before its leading edge ab reaches the stop 60. Preferably, when the leading edge of the piece 16 passes a prescribed position adjacent the stop 60, the conveyer 15 is switched to low speed operation. As the roll 72 is pivoted downwardly, the conveyer 17 takes-up the slack of the already spliced pieces so that the piece 16a is fed backwardly until its trailing edge abuts the stop 59. When the pieces 16, 16a reach prescribed positions, the photoelements 67, 65 cause the platens 49, 40 to be lowered. The cylinder 58 is actuated so that the table 47 moves toward the table 38 to butt splice the pieces 16, 16a. The platens 40, 49 are raised, the table 47 is retracted, the roll 72 is pivoted upwardly, the conveyer 19 is operated until the trailing edge of the piece 16 passes the diode 64 and the photoelement 65, and the stops 59, 60 are pivoted upwardly.