Automatic system and method for mounting and dismounting tire casing on expandable rim hub in retreading operations

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10213975-B2
Application number	US-201515300482-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 13, 2015
Priority date	Apr 3, 2014
Publication date	Feb 26, 2019
Grant date	Feb 26, 2019

Abstract

A loader device includes a support pedestal movable over a range of longitudinal travel along a longitudinal axis, a support carriage movably mounted to the support pedestal, a loader actuator, and a dismount actuator. The support carriage is movable over a range of vertical travel along a normal axis, which is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. The support carriage has a support arm adapted to support a tire casing. The loader actuator and dismount actuator are respectively adapted to selectively move: (1) at least a portion of a tire casing supported upon the support carriage in a loading direction along the longitudinal axis off of the support arm onto the expandable rim hub and (2) at least a portion of a tire casing supported upon the expandable rim hub in an opposing unloading direction off of the expandable rim hub and onto the support arm of the loader device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A loader device for use with the mounting of a tire casing on an expandable rim hub, the device comprising:
a support pedestal, the support pedestal movable over a range of longitudinal travel along a longitudinal axis;
a support carriage movably mounted to the support pedestal, the support carriage movable over a range of vertical travel along a normal axis, the normal axis being substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, the support carriage having a support arm adapted to engage an inner periphery of the tire casing and support the tire casing independently of the expandable rim hub;
a loader actuator mounted to at least one of the support pedestal and the support carriage, the loader actuator adapted to selectively move, relative to the support arm, at least a portion of the tire casing supported upon the support arm in a loading direction along the longitudinal axis off of the support arm,
wherein the expandable rim hub is adapted to support and selectively rotate the tire casing about a hub axis, the hub axis being substantially parallel with the longitudinal axis.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the support carriage includes a frame and a pair of support arms mounted to the frame, the support arms being in spaced relationship to each other and extending from the frame along the longitudinal axis.

3. The device of claim 2 , wherein the support arms are rotatably mounted to the frame.

4. The device of claim 2 , wherein at least one of the support arms has a generally spherical distal end.

5. The device of claim 2 , wherein the support carriage includes a roller journaled on the frame for rotation, the roller being disposed in spaced relationship to the support arms along the normal axis and positioned to support the tire casing borne on the support arms.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein the loader actuator is movably mounted to the support pedestal.

7. The device of claim 1 , wherein the loader actuator comprises a cylinder actuator having a body and a piston, the piston housed within the body such that a distal end of the piston extends from the body, the piston reciprocally movable with respect to the body.

8. The device of claim 7 , wherein the cylinder actuator includes a tire casing engagement member rotatably mounted to the distal end of the piston.

9. The device of claim 8 , wherein the engagement member has an exterior convex surface.

10. The device of claim 1 , further comprising:
an unloader actuator adapted for mounting to a tire hub assembly for supporting and rotating the tire casing, the tire hub assembly including the expandable rim hub, the unloader actuator adapted to selectively move, relative to the support arm, at least a portion of the tire casing supported upon the expandable rim hub in an unloading direction along the longitudinal axis off of the expandable rim hub when the rim hub is contracted to a size that is less than an inner casing diameter defined by an inner periphery of the tire casing supported upon the expandable rim hub.

11. A tire retreading system comprising:
a tire hub assembly adapted to support and selectively rotate a tire casing about a rotational axis, the tire hub assembly having a tire chuck with an expandable rim hub adapted to selectively expand to retentively engage the tire casing mounted on the tire chuck, the expandable rim hub movable between a contracted position and a range of expanded positions wherein the diameter of the expandable rim hub is greater in the expanded positions than in the contracted position;
a loader device arranged with respect to the tire hub assembly to selectively load the tire casing upon the tire hub assembly, the loader device including:
a support pedestal, the support pedestal movable over a range of longitudinal travel along a longitudinal axis, the longitudinal axis being substantially parallel with the rotational axis,
a support carriage movably mounted to the support pedestal, the support carriage movable over a range of vertical travel along a normal axis, the normal axis being substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, the support carriage having a support arm adapted to engage an inner periphery of the tire casing and support the tire casing independently of the expandable rim hub,
a loader actuator mounted to at least one of the support pedestal and the support carriage, the loader actuator is adapted to selectively move, relative to the support arm, at least a portion of the tire casing supported upon the support arm in a loading direction along the longitudinal axis off of the support arm onto the expandable rim hub.

12. The tire retreading system of claim 11 , wherein the tire hub assembly and the loader comprise portions of a tire buffing station, the tire buffing station including a rasp pedestal adapted to be selectively movable relative to the tire hub assembly, the rasp pedestal having a rasp head, the rasp pedestal being adapted to be selectively moved into engagement with the tire casing mounted to the tire hub assembly such that the rasp head contacts the tire casing to buff the tire casing to impart a predetermined tire casing profile.

13. The tire retreading system of claim 11 , wherein the support carriage includes a frame, a pair of support arms, and a roller, the support arms rotatably mounted to the frame, the support arms being in spaced relationship to each other and extending from the frame along the longitudinal axis, the roller journaled on the frame for rotation, and the roller being disposed in spaced relationship to the support arms along the normal axis and positioned to support the tire casing borne on the support arms.

14. The tire retreading system of claim 13 , wherein the support arms are rotatably mounted to the frame, the loader actuator comprises a cylinder actuator having a body and a piston, the piston housed within the body such that a distal end of the piston extends from the body, the piston reciprocally movable with respect to the body and having the tire casing engagement member rotatably mounted to the distal end of the piston.

15. The tire retreading system of claim 11 , further comprising:
an unloader actuator mounted to the tire hub assembly, the unloader actuator adapted to selectively move, relative to the support arm, at least a portion of the tire casing supported upon the expandable rim hub in an unloading direction along the longitudinal axis off of the expandable rim hub and onto the support arm of the loader device when the rim hub is contracted to a size that is less than an inner casing diameter defined by an inner periphery of the tire casing supported upon the expandable rim hub.

16. A method of retreading a tire casing comprising:
moving the tire casing toward a tire hub assembly along a longitudinal axis, an inner periphery of the tire casing supported by the support arm of the loader device independently of an expandable rim hub such that an upper portion of the inner periphery of the tire casing is disposed above an upper portion of the expandable rim hub of the tire hub assembly, the expandable rim hub being in a contracted position, the expandable rim hub having a rim diameter when in the contracted position that is smaller than an inner casing diameter defined by the inner periphery of the tire casing;
loading the tire casing onto the expandable rim hub of the tire hub assembly by using a loader actuator of the loader device to move at least a portion of the tire casing relative to the support arm such that said portion moves in a loading direction along the longitudinal axis off of the suppor

Assignees

• Bridgestone Bandag Llc

Inventors

• Lindsay John S
• White John R

Classifications

• B60C25/14

  Apparatus or tools for spreading {or locating} tyre beads · CPC title

• B29D30/54

  Retreading · CPC title

• B29D2030/0033

  Rotating tyres or their components, e.g. carcasses, belt-tread packages, beads and the like, around their axis, i.e. for preventing deformation · CPC title

• B29D2030/541

  Abrading the tyre, e.g. buffing, to remove tread and/or sidewalls rubber, to prepare it for retreading · CPC title

• B29D2030/0027

  Handling cured tyres, e.g. transferring or storing after vulcanizing · CPC title