Machine and method of forming a bead-apex assembly for tires.

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2015083307-A1
Application number	US-201314398216-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 19, 2013
Priority date	Dec 10, 2012
Publication date	Mar 26, 2015
Grant date	—

Abstract

A tyre building machine for applying an apex to a bead to form a bead-apex assembly for a green tyre, including a bead holder for holding the bead, wherein the tyre building machine includes a first gripper and a second gripper for engaging and moving the apex in a direction of conveyance towards the bead, wherein the first gripper is moveable between a first start position and a first end position and the second gripper is moveable between a second start position and a second end position, wherein the tyre building machine is provided with wedges, wherein the grippers are biased to a closed state in which the grippers are arranged to engage the apex, and wherein the wedges are arranged for countering the bias of the grippers when the grippers are at one of the start positions or the end positions.

First claim

1 - 37 . (canceled)

38 . Tyre building machine for applying apex strips to beads to form a bead-apex assembly for a green tyre, comprising a bead holder for holding the beads, wherein the tyre building machine comprises a first gripper and a second gripper for engaging and moving the apex strips in a direction of conveyance towards the bead, wherein the first gripper is moveable between a first start position and a first end position and the second gripper is moveable between a second start position and a second end position, wherein the tyre building machine is provided with a first wedge, a second wedge, a third wedge and a fourth wedge, wherein the first gripper and the second gripper are biased to a closed state in which the grippers are arranged to engage the apex strips, and wherein the wedges are arranged for countering the bias of the grippers when the grippers are at one of the start positions or the end positions.

39 . Tyre building machine according to claim 38 , wherein the tyre building machine is arranged for conveying the apex strips in a first plane, wherein the first gripper and the second gripper are moveable between the first plane and a second plane in the background with respect to the first plane, wherein the grippers are arranged to be moved from their respective start positions to their respective end positions in the first plane and wherein the grippers are arranged to be returned from their respective end positions to their respective start positions in the second plane.

40 . Tyre building machine according to claim 39 , wherein the grippers are arranged to be moved from the first plane to the second plane and vice versa only when the grippers are in their respective start positions or end positions or when the grippers are in a stationary position with respect to the apex strips.

41 . Tyre building machine according to claim 38 , wherein the grippers each comprise a first gripping member and a second gripping member, wherein at least one of the gripping members is biased by a biasing element to move towards the other of the gripping members for in cooperation with the other of the gripping members clamping the apex strips from two opposite sides, wherein the wedges are each provided with a protrusion which is arranged to counteract the bias of the biasing element.

42 . Tyre building machine according to claim 41 , wherein the protrusion comprises a first run-on surface for displacing the one biased gripping member in a direction opposite to its bias.

43 . Tyre building machine according to claim 42 , wherein both of the gripping members are biased by biasing elements, wherein the protrusion is provided with a second run-on surface for displacing the other of the biased gripping members in a direction opposite to the bias of its biasing element.

44 . Tyre building machine according to claim 43 , wherein the gripping members are each provided with a wheel for contacting and running over the respective run-on surfaces of the wedge.

45 . Tyre building machine according to claim 38 , wherein the first wedge, the second wedge, the third wedge and the fourth wedge are positioned at or near the first start position, the first end position, the second start position and the second end position, respectively.

46 . Tyre building machine according to claim 38 , wherein the tyre building machine is provided with drives which are coupled to the wedges for moving the wedges towards or retracting the wedges away from the grippers.

47 . Tyre building machine according to claim 41 , wherein one of the gripping members is provided with a platform for supporting the apex strips and the other of the gripping members comprises a pressing element, wherein the pressing element comprises an array of pressure pins which face towards the platform, wherein the pressure pins are arranged for contacting the platform and the apex supported thereon.

48 . Tyre building machine according to claim 47 , wherein the pressure pins are biased to move towards the platform, wherein, when the gripping members are moved towards each other to engage the apex strips, at least some of the pressure pins are arranged for contacting the apex strips and are arranged to be pushed back against their bias as a result of said contact.

49 . Tyre building machine according to claim 47 , wherein the pressing element is provided with a plurality of cylindrical bores for receiving the pressure pins, wherein each pressure pin has a shaft which is arranged to slide within the cylindrical bore, wherein the shaft has a partly non-circular, multi-planar or flattened circumference which, in combination with the bore, creates a clearance between the shaft and the cylindrical bore, which clearance is in open communication with the outside environment at the side of the pressing element facing the platform.

50 . Tyre building machine according to claim 49 , wherein the shaft has at least three parts of its circumference which are arranged to be placed in sliding contact with the cylindrical bore and at least three substantially flattened faces for, in the placed condition, creating at least three clearances between the shaft and the cylindrical bore.

51 . Tyre building machine according to claim 50 , wherein the at least three substantially flattened faces are equally distributed along the circumference.

52 . Tyre building machine according to claim 49 , wherein the shaft has a substantially square cross section.

53 . Tyre building machine according to claim 49 , wherein the shaft is arranged to be rotatable within the cylindrical bore, wherein the parts of the circumference of the shaft that are arranged to be in sliding contact with the cylindrical bore are parts of the same circle.

54 . Tyre building machine according to claim 38 , further comprising a cutting device for cutting a substantially continuous length of apex into the subsequent apex strips having a leading end and/or a trailing end with respect to the bead, wherein the first gripper and the second gripper are arranged for engaging the leading end and the trailing end, respectively, of the apex strips.

55 . Tyre building machine according claim 54 , wherein the cutting device is positioned upstream of the bead with respect to the direction of conveyance, wherein the first start position is located upstream of the cutting device and/or the second start position is located downstream of the cutting device.

56 . Tyre building machine according to claim 54 , further comprising an applicator clamp for transferring the leading end of one of the strips onto the bead at the bead holder, wherein the first end position is located at the applicator clamp and/or wherein the second end position is located at the bead holder.

57 . Pressure pin for use in a cylindrical bore of a pressing element of a gripper for gripping an apex strip for a green tyre, wherein the pressure pin has a shaft which is arranged to be slidably placed in the cylindrical bore, wherein the shaft has a partly circular circumference which is arranged to be in sliding contact with the cylindrical bore and a partly non-circular, multi-planar or flattened circumference which, in combination with the bore, is arranged for creating a clearance between the shaft and the cylindrical bore, which clearance is in open communication with the outside environment at the side of the pressing element that faces the apex strip during use.

58 . Pressure pin according to claim 57 , wherein the shaft has at least

Assignees

• Vmi Holland Bv

Inventors

• Slot Marco
• Van Laar Gerard Johannes

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

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

• Y10T156/17

  Surface bonding means and/or assemblymeans with work feeding or handling means · CPC title

• B29D30/48 Primary

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

• B29D2030/482

  Applying fillers or apexes to bead cores · CPC title