Gripper and method for gripping a tire bead ring

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12576604-B2
Application number	US-202318858095-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 12, 2023
Priority date	May 18, 2022
Publication date	Mar 17, 2026
Grant date	Mar 17, 2026

Abstract

Disclosed a gripper for gripping a tire bead ring to be transferred from a pick-up position to a placement position. The gripper includes two or more engagement jaws that are arranged at equal angular distance in a circumferential direction on the gripper, wherein each of the two or more engagement jaws is provided with an engaging finger for engaging the tire bead ring to be gripped, wherein the engagement jaws are configured to radially move between a remote position, in which the engaging fingers are remote from the tire bead ring to be gripped, and an engaging position, in which the engaging fingers engage the tire bead ring to be gripped, wherein the gripper is provided with an ejecting finger configured for ejecting a tire bead ring gripped by the gripper from the gripper.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A gripper for gripping a tire bead ring to be transferred from a pick-up position to a placement position, the gripper comprising:
two or more engagement jaws that are arranged at equal angular distance in a circumferential direction on the gripper, wherein each of the two or more engagement jaws is provided with an engaging finger for engaging the tire bead ring to be gripped, wherein the engagement jaws are configured to radially move in a movement direction between a remote position, in which the engaging fingers are remote from the tire bead ring to be gripped, and an engaging position, in which the engaging fingers engage the tire bead ring to be gripped, wherein the gripper comprises a drive configured for moving one or more of the engagement jaws between the remote position and the engaging position, and wherein the gripper is provided with an ejecting finger configured for ejecting the tire bead ring gripped by the gripper from the gripper.

2 . The gripper according to claim 1 , wherein the ejecting finger is configured for ejecting the tire bead ring gripped by the gripper from the gripper in an ejection direction that is directed transverse to the movement direction and away from the gripper.

3 . The gripper according to claim 1 , comprising two or more ejecting fingers, wherein each of the two or more engagement jaws comprises an ejecting finger.

4 . The gripper according to claim 1 , wherein the ejecting finger is configured to be moved between an idle position, in which the ejecting finger is spaced from the tire bead ring, an ejecting position, in which the ejecting finger abuts against the tire bead ring, thereby applying an ejecting force onto the tire bead ring, and an ejected position in which the ejecting finger is at least partially positioned at the location where the tire bead ring was located.

5 . The gripper according to claim 4 , wherein the ejecting finger is configured to move into the ejecting position when the associated engaging finger is in the engaging position.

6 . The gripper according to claim 4 , wherein the ejecting finger is configured to move into the ejecting position when movement of the associated engaging finger from the engaging position into the remote position is initiated.

7 . The gripper according to claim 1 , wherein the engaging finger is configured to be moved from the remote position to the engaging position at a first speed, and from the engaging position to the remote position at a second speed, wherein the second speed is higher than the first speed.

8 . The gripper according to claim 1 , wherein each engagement jaw comprises a separating finger configured for separating the tire bead ring to be gripped from a surface onto which the tire bead ring is located, and for moving between the remote position and the engaging position.

9 . The gripper according to claim 8 , wherein each separating finger is provided with a tapered tip arranged at such manner, that the tapered tip radially extends beyond the associated engaging finger when the separating finger and the associated engaging finger are at the engaging position.

10 . The gripper according to claim 8 , wherein the engaging finger and the separating finger of each engagement jaw are operatively connected to each other, such that movement of the separating finger from the remote position to the engaging position results in movement of the engaging finger from the remote position to the engaging position, and such that the separating finger is enabled to move away from the engaging position towards the remote position independently from the engaging finger.

11 . The gripper according to claim 10 , comprising a drive configured for moving one or more of the engagement jaws between the remote position and the engaging position, wherein the drive is operatively connected to the respective separating finger(s) of the one or more of the engagement jaws.

12 . The gripper according to claim 11 , wherein the engaging finger of each engagement jaw includes a brake that is moveable between an idle position, in which the engaging finger is enabled to move between the remote position and the engaging position, and a braking position, in which the engaging finger is prevented from moving between the remote position and the engaging position.

13 . The gripper according to claim 12 , wherein a spring is operatively connected to and provided between the engaging finger and the separating finger of each engagement jaw.

14 . The gripper according to claim 8 , wherein the ejecting finger of each engagement jaw is arranged at the separating finger such that the ejecting finger extends in a direction parallel to the movement direction.

15 . The gripper according to claim 14 , comprising two or more ejecting fingers, wherein each of the two or more engagement jaws comprises an ejecting finger, wherein the ejecting finger is arranged at the separating finger of said engagement jaw rotatable about a rotation axis that is transverse to the movement direction.

16 . A method for gripping a tire bead ring to be transferred from a pick-up position to a placement position using a gripper according to claim 1 , wherein the method comprises the steps of:
moving the gripper towards the pick-up position, while the engaging fingers are in the remote position; radially moving the engaging fingers into the engaging position, thereby engaging the tire bead ring; moving the gripper towards the placement position; and releasing the gripped tire bead ring by moving the engaging fingers towards the remote position, wherein the method further comprises the step of ejecting the tire bead ring from the gripper by means of using the ejecting finger.

17 . The method according to claim 16 , wherein the ejecting finger is configured to be moved between an idle position, in which the ejecting finger is spaced from the tire bead ring, an ejecting position, in which the ejecting finger abuts against the tire bead ring, thereby applying an ejecting force onto the tire bead ring, and, after ejection of the tire bead ring, an ejected position in which the ejecting finger is at least partially positioned at the location where the tire bead ring was located, wherein the step of ejecting the tire bead ring comprises moving the ejecting finger from the idle position to the ejecting position and allowing the ejecting finger to move into the ejected position.

18 . The method according to claim 17 , wherein the step of moving the ejecting finger from the idle position to the ejection position is performed prior to the step of releasing the gripped tire bead ring.

19 . The method according to claim 18 , wherein the step of moving the ejecting finger from the idle position to the ejection position is performed simultaneously with the step of releasing the gripped tire bead ring.

20 . The method according to claim 16 , the engaging finger of each engagement jaw includes a brake that is moveable between an idle position, in which the engaging finger is enabled to move between the remote position and the engaging position, and a braking position, in which the engaging finger is prevented from moving between the remote position and the engaging position, and wherein the step of moving the engaging fingers into the engaging position comprises, for each engagement jaw, moving a separating finger into the engaging position, thereby moving the associated engaging finger into the engaging position, and moving a brake into the br

Assignees

• Vmi Holland Bv

Inventors

• Van Beek Willem Marinus
• Van Werven Timen Anton

Classifications

• B29D2030/0044

  Handling tyre beads, e.g., storing, transporting, transferring and supplying to the toroidal support or to the drum · 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