Patent GB-770884-A (GB)
Title: Improvements relating to apparatus for stitching plies of flexible sheet material against the reaction of a rigid annular support
IPC: B29D30/32
Filed: 1955-05-18
Abstract: 770,884. Tyre-building machines. PIRELLI SOC. PER. AZIONI. May 18, 1955 [May 25, 1954], No. 14366/55. Class 144 (1), In a tyre-building machine, carcase plies are stitched together against an annular support, such as a building drum 1 or a bead core 3, by a stitching unit which comprises an annular coil spring 35 wound on a rigid ring 33 which is slidable coaxially with respect to the annular support, the spring 35 being freely rollable about its own axis on frictional contact with the plies and being so wound, either under compression or tension, as to be resiliently displaceable respectively either radially inwardly or radially outwardly, a limited amount c determined by the difference in diameters of the coil convolutions and rigid ring section respectively. As shown, the stitching unit 12 is arranged to effect axial out-turning and stitching of the radially in-turned ply ends 4, Fig. 8, against the inner periphery of a bead core 3, there being a unit at each end of the building drum 1 slidably mounted coaxially with a bead carrier ring 8 which is supported by a column 11 on a slidable base 9. The righthand unit 12 comprises an endless stitcher spring 35 coiled on a rigid ring 33 spoked to a hub which is rotatable on a sleeve 13 surrounding the drum shaft 6 and slidable within the hub 10, carried by column 11, on which the carrier ring 8 is rotatably mounted. The base 9 is connected to a piston-rod 20 which is actuated by a pressure-air cylinder and has an adjustable stop 26 screwed therein to project from the piston head 21. In operation, pressure air is supplied to a port 31 of the cylinder 22 to actuate the piston 21 and move the stitcher 12 and bead carrier 8 towards the drum 1. When the stitcher unit reaches its starting position within the drum shoulder, it is stopped by an adjustable collar 7 on the drum shaft 6, and at the same time the piston 21 is arrested by abutment of its stop 26 against a piston 27 which has been moved to a predetermined position within the cylinder 22 by pressure air admitted through a port 32. The desired plies are then wrapped around the drum and the ply ends radially inturned to receive the bead core 3. To position the bead core, the pressure air is exhausted from port 32 to permit continued travel of piston 21 to move the carrier 8 against the drum shoulders. The drum 1 is then rotated, carrying with it the carrier 8 and stitcher 12 and at a certain speed, pressure air is exhausted from port 31 and introduced through the bore 30 of piston 27 to effect retraction of piston 21 and thereby the carrier 8. When the carrier hub 10 abuts a stop 14 at the end of the stitcher sleeve 13 the stitcher 12 is drawn through the bead core 3 and the stitcher spring 35, centrifugally assisted by the drum rotation, stitches the ply ends 4 to the bead core to extend in the position 5, Fig. 8, the spring rolling in contact with the plies, and in this case, being resiliently displaced radially inwardly. Specification 756,986 is referred to.