Device and method for butt-splicing strip members

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9849644-B2
Application number	US-201515507138-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 30, 2015
Priority date	Aug 29, 2014
Publication date	Dec 26, 2017
Grant date	Dec 26, 2017

Abstract

Provided is a device and method for butt-splicing strip members for tire components, having a first clamp and a second clamp arranged for clamping a first end of a first strip member and a second end of a second strip member, respectively, wherein at least one of the first clamp and the second clamp is movable along a butt-splice direction into a butt-splicing position opposite to the other of the first clamp and the second clamp for butt-splicing the ends, wherein the first clamp includes a first upper clamp member and a first lower clamp member, wherein the second clamp includes a second upper clamp member and a second lower clamp member, wherein the first lower clamp member projects beyond the first upper clamp member over a first overlap distance and wherein the second upper clamp member projects beyond the second lower clamp member over a second overlap distance.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A device for butt-splicing strip members for tire components, comprising a first clamp and a second clamp arranged for clamping a first end of a first strip member and a second end of a second strip member, respectively, wherein at least one of the first clamp and the second clamp is movable along a butt-splice direction into a butt-splicing position in which the first clamp and the second clamp are arranged to be opposite to each other in said butt-splice direction for butt-splicing the first end of the first strip member and the second end of the second strip member in the butt-splice direction, wherein the first clamp comprises a first upper clamp member and a first lower clamp member for in cooperation clamping the first end, wherein the second clamp comprises a second upper clamp member and a second lower clamp member for in cooperation clamping the second end, wherein the first lower clamp member projects beyond the first upper clamp member in the butt-splice direction towards the second clamp over a first overlap distance and wherein the second upper clamp member projects beyond the second lower clamp member in the butt-splice direction towards the first clamp over a second overlap distance.

2. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the first lower clamp member and the second upper clamp member, in the butt-splicing position, are in mutual overlap in the butt-splice direction.

3. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the smallest of the first overlap distance and the second overlap distance is at least one millimeter.

4. The device according to claim 3 , wherein the smallest of the first overlap distance and the second overlap distance is at least three millimeters.

5. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the first lower clamp member is arranged for fully supporting the first end of the first strip member.

6. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the first lower clamp member is provided with a lower cutting edge, wherein the device further comprises a first knife that is arranged for cutting the first end of the first strip member along and in cooperation with the lower cutting edge.

7. The device according to claim 6 , wherein the first knife is an upper knife that is movable in a first cutting direction transverse or perpendicular to the butt-splice direction along the lower cutting edge.

8. The device according to claim 6 , wherein the lower cutting edge projects beyond the first upper clamp member in the butt-splice direction towards the second clamp over the first overlap distance.

9. The device according to claim 8 , wherein the entire lower cutting edge projects beyond the first upper clamp member in the butt-splice direction towards the second clamp over the first overlap distance.

10. The device according to claim 6 , wherein the first knife is arranged to be retracted into a first waiting position in which the first knife out of the way of the first clamp when moving in the butt-splice direction.

11. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the second upper clamp member is provided with an upper cutting edge, wherein the device further comprises a second knife that is arranged for cutting the second end of the second strip member along and in cooperation with the upper cutting edge.

12. The device according to claim 11 , wherein the second knife is a lower knife that is movable in a second cutting direction transverse or perpendicular to the butt-splice direction along the upper cutting edge.

13. The device according to claim 11 , wherein the upper cutting edge projects beyond the second lower clamp member in the butt-splice direction towards the first clamp over the second overlap distance.

14. The device according to claim 13 , wherein the entire upper cutting edge projects beyond the second lower clamp member in the butt-splice direction towards the first clamp over the second overlap distance.

15. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the device is provided with a first drive for driving the first clamp towards the second clamp.

16. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the device is provided with a second drive for driving the second clamp towards the first clamp.

17. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the first end is the leading end of the first strip member and the second end is the trailing end of the second strip member.

18. The device according to claim 17 , wherein the first strip member and the second strip member are arranged to be transported in a transport direction, wherein the first clamp is located upstream of the second clamp in the transport direction.

19. The device according to claim 17 , wherein the first strip member and the second strip member are provided with a first liner and a second liner, respectively, wherein the first liner is arranged to be peeled off from the first end prior to butt-splicing and to be applied on top the second liner at the second strip member after butt-splicing, wherein the device further comprises a sealer for welding the first liner to the second liner at the second strip member at or near the butt-spliced ends thereof after butt-splicing.

20. A method for butt-splicing strip members for tire components with the use of the device according to claim 1 , wherein the method comprises the step of moving the first clamp and/or the second clamp into the butt-splicing position such that the first lower clamp member and the second upper clamp member, respectively, are in mutual overlap in the butt-splice direction.

21. The method according to claim 20 , wherein the first strip member and the second strip member are provided with a first liner and a second liner, respectively, wherein the first end is the leading end of the first strip member and the second end is the trailing end of the second strip member, wherein the method further comprises the steps of peeling of the first liner from the first end prior to butt-splicing, applying the first liner on top of the second liner after butt-splicing and welding the first liner to the second liner at a first welding position at or near the butt-splicing position after butt-splicing.

Assignees

• Vmi Holland Bv

Inventors

• Nijland Gerrit Roy

Classifications

• B29C66/834

  moving with the parts to be joined · CPC title

• B29C66/02241

  Cutting, e.g. by using waterjets, or sawing (using heat B29C66/0246; cutting-off or cutting-out a part of a strip-like or sheet-like material, transferring that part and fixing it to an article B29C69/005) · CPC title

• B29C66/81431

  comprising a single cavity, e.g. a groove · CPC title

• B29D2030/426

  the joining devices being longitudinally adjustable · CPC title

• B29C66/723

  being multi-layered (B29C66/7292, B29C66/72941 take precedence) · CPC title