Molded article extractor and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10427369-B2
Application number	US-201916247952-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 15, 2019
Priority date	Oct 26, 2011
Publication date	Oct 1, 2019
Grant date	Oct 1, 2019

Abstract

A tire tread extractor used in the manufacture of treads includes a frame, a first nip roller rotatably associated with the frame, and a second nip roller rotatably associated with the frame. The first and second nip rollers are adapted to engage a tire tread at least partially resident in a mold. A driving mechanism associated with the first and/or second nip rollers operates to impart rotational motion thereto. The frame is configured for longitudinal movement along a substantial portion of a longitudinal length of the mold while maintaining the first and second nip rollers in a spaced relation to the mold.

First claim

We claim:

1. A manufacturing assembly capable of manufacturing tire treads, comprising:
a molding press;
a mold apparatus disposed within the molding press, the mold apparatus including a mold having a molding cavity and a platen disposed in opposed relationship to the molding cavity, wherein the mold apparatus is configured to be capable of holding a tread preform within the molding cavity in the forming of a tire tread and wherein the platen and the mold are separable to provide an opening therebetween;
a tread extractor longitudinally traversing the mold in spaced relation, the tread extractor comprising:
a frame;
a pair of nip rollers rotatably associated with the frame, wherein the pair of nip rollers comprises a first nip roller and the second nip roller that are configured to be capable of engaging the tire tread while at least a portion of the tire tread remains in the molding cavity, wherein driving the rotation of at least one of the nip rollers such that the rotational motion of the at least one of the nip rollers engages the tire tread in a rotational direction, wherein the rotational direction is in a direction substantially opposite to the longitudinal movement of the frame along the longitudinal length of the mold.

2. The manufacturing assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a track extending at least along substantially an entire length of the mold, wherein the tread extractor slidably engages the track while traversing the mold.

3. The manufacturing assembly of claim 1 , wherein the tread extractor further comprises a driving mechanism associated with the nip rollers, the driving mechanism operating to provide powered rotation to at least one of the pair of nip rollers.

4. The manufacturing assembly of claim 3 , further comprising a mold engagement mechanism adapted to provide a rolling contact between the frame and at least one of a surface of the mold and a surface of the tire tread disposed in the mold.

5. The manufacturing assembly of claim 1 , wherein the pair of nip rollers includes first and second nip rollers disposed at an offset vertical distance relative to one another such that the tire tread is placed under tensile force at an extraction angle relative to the mold.

6. The manufacturing assembly of claim 5 , wherein the extraction angle is an acute angle.

7. The manufacturing assembly of claim 5 , wherein the extraction angle is an obtuse angle.

8. The manufacturing assembly of claim 4 , wherein the mold engagement mechanism comprises at least three wheels adapted to engage at least one of a surface of the mold and a surface of the tire tread.

9. The manufacturing assembly of claim 8 , wherein two of the at least three wheels engage a track on either side of the mold and are rotatably driven in association with an axle extending along a centerline of one of the pair of nip rollers.

10. The manufacturing assembly of claim 9 , wherein a third of the at least three wheels is connected to an end of an inclination arm cantilevered away from the frame at an inclination angle, and wherein the third of the at least three wheels is adapted to engage an inner surface of the tire tread.

11. The manufacturing assembly of claim 1 , wherein the tread extractor further comprises:
a mold engagement mechanism adapted to provide a rolling contact between the frame and at least one track associated with the mold; and
a driving mechanism associated with the mold engagement mechanism, the driving mechanism contacting at least one track associated with the mold and being capable of imparting longitudinal movement to the frame along the at least one track.

12. The manufacturing assembly of claim 1 , wherein the tread extractor is adapted to stretch at least a freed portion of the tire tread away from the mold, the freed portion of the tire tread extending between a portion of the tire tread engaged with the mold and a nip point between the pair of nip rollers, such that a remaining portion of the tire tread that has already passed through the nip rollers is substantially unstretched.

13. The manufacturing assembly of claim 12 , further comprising a grapple arm configured to engage and retain a freed end of the tire tread such that a portion of the tire tread that has been removed from the mold can be withdrawn from the opening between the mold and the platen after the tread extractor has completed a pass over substantially an entire length of the mold.

14. The manufacturing assembly of claim 3 , wherein the driving mechanism is further configured to provide a powered reverse rotation to at least one of the pair of nip rollers such that the tire tread can be withdrawn from the opening between the mold and the platen after the tire tread has been removed from the mold.

15. The manufacturing assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a robot arm connected to the frame and slidably associated with the molding press such that the frame, carried by the robot arm, traverses, in spaced relation, the substantial portion of the longitudinal length of the mold.

Assignees

• Bridgestone Bandag Llc

Inventors

• Gridley Jason Len
• Kost Troy Allen

Classifications

• B29D30/0681

  Parts of pneumatic tyres; accessories, auxiliary operations · CPC title

• B29D30/0016 Primary

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

• B29C37/0007

  using means operable from outside the mould for moving between mould parts, e.g. robots · CPC title

• B29D30/52

  Unvulcanised treads, e.g. on used tyres; Retreading (apparatus for forming {treads by extrusion B29C48/00; apparatus for} vulcanising treads B29C35/02; apparatus characterised by the means for holding wheels or parts thereof B60B30/00) · CPC title

• B29C35/02 Primary

  Heating or curing, e.g. crosslinking or vulcanizing {during moulding, e.g. in a mould}(cold vulcanisation B29C35/18 {; vulcanising tyres, presses therefor B29D30/0601}) · CPC title