System and method with azimuth control, for sorting tire bead cores

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12036758-B2
Application number	US-201917053452-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 13, 2019
Priority date	May 14, 2018
Publication date	Jul 16, 2024
Grant date	Jul 16, 2024

Abstract

The method includes procuring an annular core 3 of main axis Z3. The core is closed on itself by a core join 6 which occupies, in azimuth about said main axis Z3, a first angular sector S6. Then, a braiding is performed by helically winding, about the core 3, a braid wire 4 that is held closed by a braid join 8, of sleeve 9 type, which occupies a second angular sector S8. A method during which a registration element 16, with respect to which the position of the first angular sector S6 is known, is sought and detected on the core 3, and the azimuthal orientation of the core 3 is adapted during the braiding, with reference to said registration element 16, so that the second angular sector S8 occupied by the braid join 8 does not overlap the first angular sector S6 occupied by the core join 6.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for producing a bead wire intended for the reinforcement of a tire, such as a pneumatic tire, said method comprising:
a step (a) of procurement of a core during which a core is procured which forms a ring having a main axis, said core being in f act held closed on itself at a core junction which occupies, in azimuth about said main axis, a first angular sector,
a braiding step (d) during which at least one braid wire is helically wound about the core, over at least one turn about the main axis,
a step (e) of production of a braid junction, during which a first end section of the braid wire and a second end section of the braid wire are joined together by crimping a braid sleeve about the first end section of the braid wire or by welding the first end section of the braid wire and the second end section of the braid wire together in order to keep said braid wire closed on itself about said main axis, said braid junction occupying, in azimuth about the main axis, a second angular sector,
a detection step (b) during which a registration element, with respect to which the position of the first angular sector is known, is sought and detected on the core,
a positioning step (c) during which said registration element is taken into consideration to adapt the azimuthal orientation of said core, with reference to said registration element, upon the implementation of the braiding step (d), so that, at the end of the steps (d) of braiding and then (e) of production of the braid junction, the second angular sector occupied by the braid junction does not overlap the first angular sector occupied by the core junction.

2. An installation for preparing bead wires intended for the reinforcement of a tire said installation comprising:
a fetching station, arranged to fetch a core of a plurality of cores, the core forming a ring having a main axis, said core being kept closed on itself at a core junction which occupies, in azimuth about said main axis, a first angular sector,
a braiding station including a driving carousel that is adapted to drive the core in azimuth rotation about said main axis and a rotary reel that rotates about a tangent of the core to interleave at least one braid wire helically about the core over at least one turn about the main axis by providing, in azimuth about the main axis, a second angular sector which is intended to accommodate a braid junction between a first end section of the at least one braid wire and a second end section of the at least one braid wire in order to keep said at least one braid wire closed on itself about said main axis,

said installation comprising an azimuth checking system which comprises:
at least one of an offset sensor, a magnetic sensor, and an optical sensor arranged to detect on the core a registration element with respect to which the position of the first angular sector is known,
and a positioning device that includes at least one drive roller that rotates the core to adapt an azimuthal orientation of said core, with reference to said registration element, for the implementation of said core on the braiding station, so that the second angular sector occupied by the braid junction does not overlap the first angular sector occupied by the core junction.

3. The installation according to claim 2 , wherein the azimuth checking system is arranged to reproducibly place the second angular sector occupied by the braid junction at a minimal azimuthal separation distance from the first angular sector occupied by the core junction, the minimal azimuthal separation distance being is equal to or greater than 10 degrees.

4. The installation according to claim 2 , wherein the at least one of the offset sensor, the magnetic sensor, and the optical sensor includes the offset sensor which is arranged to scan a surface of the core in order to detect an offset which is formed on the surface of the core and which constitutes the registration element.

5. The installation according to claim 2 , wherein the at least one of the offset sensor, the magnetic sensor, and the optical sensor includes the a magnetic sensor arranged to detect on the core a registration element formed by a magnetic marking.

6. The installation according to claim 2 , wherein the fetching station comprises a screw conveyor with worm screw, comprising a rotary threaded supporting rod which is arranged so as to be able to i) receive the plurality of cores, threaded onto said threaded supporting rod, ii) distribute said cores along said threaded supporting rod at one core at most per screw pitch, and iii) convey said cores in translation along said threaded supporting rod when said supporting rod is rotated.

7. The installation according to claim 2 , further comprising a sleeve-coupling station, arranged to join and fix to one another the first end section of the braid wire and the second end section of the braid wire by means of a braid sleeve which is crimped in the second angular sector.

8. The installation according to claim 7 , further comprising a transfer device with multiple booms, comprising a common mast which is movable in rotation about a vertically extending yaw axis and in vertical translation along said yaw axis, and which is provided with at least a first arm and a second arm, the first arm and the second arm being fixed to said mast and arranged in such a way that, in one and the same movement of the common mast, the first arm carries out the transfer of a first core surrounded by its at least one braid wire from the braiding station to the sleeve-coupling station or to a storage station which precedes the sleeve-coupling station, while, simultaneously, the second arm carries out the transfer of a second core from the fetching station, after detection of the registration element and positioning of the core in azimuth, to the braiding station.

9. Installation according to claim 2 , wherein the positioning device includes a guiding and driving mechanism that includes the at least one drive roller and at least one counter-roller that are arranged to guide and drive the core in azimuthal rotation along a core path that extends around the main axis so as to be able to rotate the core until the detection device detects the registration element, then adjust the azimuthal position of said core with respect to said registration element.

10. The installation according to claim 9 , wherein the at least one drive roller has a vertical axis of rotation and comes to bear against the core to drive said core by friction, the at least one drive roller and the at least one counter-roller defining an interstice through which the core path passes, said counter-roller being movable, by translation or by swivelling, in a direction of retraction that is transverse to the core path, and returned against the core by a return member such that said counter-roller forms a mechanical feeler of the offset sensor that is capable of detecting the offset of the core.

11. The installation according to claim 9 , wherein the guiding and driving mechanism is arranged so that the core path is substantially contained in a vertical plane, said guiding and driving mechanism comprising one or more supporting members arranged to vertically support the core.

12. The installation according to claim 11 , wherein the guiding and driving mechanism is borne by a support that can be adjusted in height such that an altitude of said guiding and driving mechanism can be adjusted within a predefined altitude range to accommodate cores of different annular diameters.

13. The installation according to claim 9 , wherein the fetching station comprises a sorting device which includes

Assignees

• Michelin & Cie
• Cie Generale Des Etablissements

Inventors

• Berlioux Loic
• Faure Yann

Classifications

• B29D2030/487

  Forming devices for manufacturing the beads · CPC title

• D04C3/12

  with means for introducing core threads · CPC title

• B29D30/48 Primary

  Bead-rings or bead-cores (from wire B21F37/00); Treatment thereof prior to building the tyre · CPC title