Center deck assembly for tire building drum

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10245796-B2
Application number	US-201615218164-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 25, 2016
Priority date	Jul 25, 2016
Publication date	Apr 2, 2019
Grant date	Apr 2, 2019

Abstract

The invention is directed to a center deck assembly for a tire building drum. The tire building drum is rotatably mounted on a central drive shaft and includes a center section. The center deck assembly is disposed in the center section of the drum and includes a hub that seats on and is secured to the central drive shaft. At least one piston extends circumferentially in the tire building drum about the hub and a plurality of segment bars are disposed about the circumference of the center deck assembly. The at least one piston is operably connected to the segment bars by a plurality of linkages, in which each of the linkages includes a scissor-lever mechanism.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A center deck assembly for a tire building drum, the tire building drum being rotatably mounted on a central drive shaft and including a center section, the center deck assembly being disposed in the center section of the drum, the center deck assembly comprising:
a hub seating on and being secured to the central drive shaft, the hub cooperating with a frame to form a cylinder;
a piston extending circumferentially in the tire building drum about the hub, the piston seating in the cylinder and being contained in the cylinder;
a plurality of segment bars being disposed about the circumference of the center deck assembly;
the piston being operably connected to the segment bars by a plurality of linkages, wherein each of the linkages comprises a scissor-lever mechanism, each of the linkages including a radially inward link and a radially outward link that are pivotally interconnected; and
a roller disposed on each linkage at the pivotal interconnection between the radially inward link and the radially outward link, wherein the roller engages a bearing surface formed on an axially outward surface of the piston, in which the bearing surface is formed with a conical shape that angles axially inwardly as it extends radially outwardly.

2. The center deck assembly of claim 1 , wherein the central drive shaft is formed with at least one axially-extending port, the port being in fluid communication with the piston.

3. The center deck assembly of claim 1 , wherein a cavity is formed between the piston and the cylinder adjacent a portion of the frame, whereby when compressed air flows into the cavity the piston is urged axially outwardly.

4. The center deck assembly of claim 1 , wherein the linkages are disposed axially outwardly of the piston.

5. The center deck assembly of claim 1 , wherein:
an axially outward end of the radially inward link is pivotally attached to a thrust block;
an axially inward end of the radially inward link is formed with aligned openings;
a shaft is received in the openings; and
the radially outward link includes a pair of parallel link segments, each one of which includes a radially inward end that is pivotally attached to the shaft.

6. The center deck assembly of claim 5 , wherein each link segment includes a radially outward end that is pivotally connected to a portion of one of the segment bars.

7. The center deck assembly of claim 1 , wherein the piston is a first piston, further comprising a second piston spaced apart from the first piston.

8. The center deck assembly of claim 7 , wherein a guide post is disposed between the pistons.

9. The center deck assembly of claim 8 , wherein the guide post is pivotally connected to a center of one of the segment bars.

10. The center deck assembly of claim 1 , wherein each segment bar includes opposing axially outward ends, and a pair of springs are operably connected to each of the segment bar axially outward ends and to a selected linkage.

11. The center deck assembly of claim 1 , wherein a mechanical stop is rigidly secured to an axially outward end of the hub, wherein the mechanical stop sets a crown height of the center deck.

12. The center deck assembly of claim 1 , wherein a plurality of the linkages is disposed at least partially axially and radially within the cylinder formed by the hub and the frame when the center deck assembly is in a retracted state.

13. The center deck assembly of claim 12 , wherein the radially outward link of each linkage is formed with a curved shape.

Assignees

• Goodyear Tire & Rubber

Inventors

• Lundell Dennis Alan
• Weaver Douglas Raymond
• Montgomery Mark John
• Conger Kenneth Dean
• Johnson Kristian Daniel

Classifications

• B29D30/245

  Drums for the single stage building process, i.e. the building-up of the cylindrical carcass and the toroidal expansion of it are realised on the same drum (expansion to a toroidal shape B29D30/36) · CPC title

• B29D30/0016

  Handling tyres or parts thereof, e.g. supplying, storing, conveying (B29D30/2607 takes precedence; loading and unloading vulcanizing presses B29D30/0603) · CPC title

• B29D2030/0631

  Means for forcing adjacent mould sectors away one from another, e.g. using springs or the like, to create repulsive forces · CPC title

• B29D30/24

  Drums · CPC title

• B29D30/26 Primary

  Accessories or details, e.g. membranes, transfer rings · CPC title