Method and apparatus for manufacturing a tyre tread and a tyre

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11420406-B2
Application number	US-201716334304-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 21, 2017
Priority date	Sep 26, 2016
Publication date	Aug 23, 2022
Grant date	Aug 23, 2022

Abstract

A method of manufacturing an agricultural tyre (1) with deep cross-lugs (6), comprising the steps of: (a) proving a tyre case (2) and tread belts (3); (b) applying rubber blocks (206) onto tread belts (3), each of such rubber blocks (206) being arranged to make a respective lug (6) of the final tread (4); (c) winding a rubber ribbon (200) above said rubber blocks (206) so as to completely enclose said rubber blocks (206); (d) curing the rubber blocks (206) together with the wound ribbon (200) in a curing mould (105) negatively reproducing a desired pattern of the tread (4).

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of making a tire tread on a tire casing, the tread comprising a tread base and a number of lugs, each of which projects upwards from the tread base and extends substantially crosswise to a travelling direction of the tire, the method comprising the steps of:
(a) providing a tire casing and tread belts;
(b) arranging a plurality of rubber blocks directly onto said tread belts, each of said rubber blocks being configured to make a respective lug of the final tread;
(c) winding a rubber ribbon about said rubber blocks and tread belts arranged onto a drum so as to shield said rubber blocks; and
(d) curing said rubber blocks together with said wound ribbon in a curing mould negatively reproducing a desired pattern of the tread.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein each of said blocks has an inner wall and an outer wall substantially parallel to one another.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said rubber blocks are made of a different rubber compound or mixture with respect to said ribbon.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said step (b) includes a step of heating to join the rubber blocks and the tread belts.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said step (b) provides assembling said rubber blocks onto said tread belts directly onto a construction drum.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein, in said step (b), each of said rubber blocks is arranged with an outer wall located at a shoulder of the tread to be formed and an inner wall opposite the outer wall and located in a central area of the tread to be formed.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein, before said step (b), there are provided further steps of:
extruding or calendering a continuous rubber strip having a cross-section corresponding to transversal section of said rubber blocks;
cutting rubber blocks off said continuous rubber strip, preferably by an inclined crosswise cut.

8. The method according to claim 1 , which is a method of regenerating used tire treads.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said tire is an agricultural tire.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein, in said step (c), each of said rubber blocks is arranged so as to extend from a shoulder portion to a portion at a distance from the tire centerline or from a shoulder portion to a portion beyond the tire centerline.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said step (c) is performed onto a TAM (Tire Assembly Machine) drum, onto a TAM server or offline.

12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said tire is an agricultural pneumatic tire.

13. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said step (c) includes winding the rubber ribbon directly onto a portion of the tread belts.

Assignees

• Bridgestone Europe Nv Sa

Inventors

• Mattocci Roberto

Classifications

• B29D30/66

  Moulding treads on to tyre casings, e.g. non-skid treads with spikes · CPC title

• B29D30/62 Primary

  by extrusion or injection of the tread on carcass · 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

• B29D30/60

  by winding narrow strips · CPC title

• B29D30/58

  Applying bands of rubber treads, i.e. applying camel backs · CPC title