Patent Application
20170173903
This patent disclosure relates generally to systems and methods for retreading tires, and more particularly to systems and methods for automatically mounting and dismounting a tire casing on an expandable rim hub in a retreading operation.
Devices for removing the tread of worn tires, often called “buffers” or “raspers,” are well known. Tire buffing is part of a typical tire retreading operation.
Typically, the tire casing selected for retreading is buffed to remove excess rubber to provide a substantially evenly-textured crown for receiving a pre-cured tread strip and to provide a predetermined tire casing profile. Tire casings usually include a belt package (a package of steel belts or cables) underlying the road-engaging surface (e.g., the original tread) of the tire. The casing is buffed, generally to a predetermined characteristic crown radius corresponding to the upper contour of the belt package. The shoulder of the casing also can be buffed (trimmed) to eliminate or reduce voids or patterns in the shoulder created by the original tread and to provide a desired profile between the casing side walls and the crown.
Typically, an operator buffs a tire casing by directing a buffer over a multiplicity of tread removal passes, substantially in a sideways, pass-after-pass method. Known manual devices that require an operator to physically direct the buffing machine's removal direction and speed produce time periods between tread removal passes where the rate of tread rubber removal are less than optimal.
Furthermore, known automated devices rely on an operator to manually assist in the mounting of a worn tire casing to the automated buffer and the unloading of the buffed casing from the buffer. Accordingly, an operator is typically assigned to the buffing station (and other stations in the retreading process in which the tire casing is mounted to a tire hub assembly) and is limited in his ability to move from that area to work in other processing areas of a retreading facility.
Thus, there exists a need for a tire buffing machine which is easy to use and which improves tire buffing efficiency. As a related matter, there is a need for tire buffing systems and methods for tire buffing with enhanced automated capabilities. In addition, there exists a need for means for facilitating the mounting and dismounting of a tire casing on an expandable rim hub in other retreading operations, such as, at a skiving station. The present disclosure is directed to addressing these and other needs in the tire industry.
It will be appreciated that this background description is intended to aid the reader, and is not to be taken as an indication that any of the indicated problems were themselves appreciated in the art. While the described principles can, in some respects and embodiments, alleviate the problems inherent in other systems, it will be appreciated that the scope of the protected innovation is defined by the attached claims, and not by the ability of any disclosed feature to solve any specific problem noted herein.
The present disclosure provides embodiments of systems and methods for automatically mounting and dismounting a tire casing on an expandable rim hub employed in a retreading operation, such as, at a buffing station or at a skiving station, for example. Embodiments of systems and methods following principles of the present disclosure can help reduce operator time at a retreading station. Using such embodiments, an operator is able to pre-stage a number of tire casings for loading at the particular retreading station, begin the automated process, and move to another area to complete a different task. Dead time at the retreading station waiting to change out the tire casing after it has been processed can be reduced.
In one embodiment, a loader device for use with the mounting of a tire casing on an expandable rim hub is provided. The loader device includes a support pedestal, a support carriage movably mounted to the support pedestal, and a loader actuator mounted to at least one of the support pedestal and the support carriage.
The support pedestal is movable over a range of longitudinal travel along a longitudinal axis. The support carriage is movable over a range of vertical travel along a normal axis. The normal axis is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. The support carriage has a support arm adapted to support a tire casing. The loader actuator is adapted to selectively move, relative to the support arm, at least a portion of a tire casing supported upon the support arm in a loading direction off of the support arm.
In another embodiment, a tire retreading system includes a tire hub assembly adapted to support and selectively rotate a tire casing about a rotational axis and a loader device arranged with respect to the tire hub assembly to selectively load a tire casing upon the tire hub assembly. The tire hub assembly has a tire chuck with an expandable rim hub adapted to selectively expand to retentively engage a tire casing mounted on the tire chuck. The expandable rim hub is movable between a contracted position and a range of expanded positions. The diameter of the expandable rim hub is greater in the expanded positions than in the contracted position.
The loader device includes a support pedestal, a support carriage movably mounted to the support pedestal, and a loader actuator mounted to at least one of the support pedestal and the support carriage. The support pedestal is movable over a range of longitudinal travel along a longitudinal axis. The support carriage is movable over a range of vertical travel along a normal axis. The normal axis is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. The support carriage has a support arm adapted to support a tire casing. The loader actuator is adapted to selectively move, relative to the support arm, at least a portion of a tire casing supported upon the support arm in a loading direction off of the support arm onto the expandable rim hub.
In still another embodiment, a method of retreading a tire casing is described. The tire casing is moved toward a tire hub assembly. The tire casing is supported by a support arm of a loader device such that an upper portion of an inner periphery of the tire casing is disposed above an upper portion of an expandable rim hub of the tire hub assembly. The expandable rim hub is in a contracted position. The expandable rim hub has a rim diameter when in the contracted position that is smaller than an inner casing diameter defined by the inner periphery of the tire casing.
The tire casing is loaded onto the expandable rim hub of the tire hub assembly by using a loader actuator of the loader device to move at least a portion of the tire casing relative to the support arm such that said portion moves off of the support arm and into engagement with the expandable rim hub. The expandable rim hub is expanded such that the rim engages the inner periphery of the tire casing.
Further and alternative aspects and features of the disclosed principles will be appreciated from the following detailed descriptions and the accompanying drawings. As will be appreciated, the principles relating to systems and methods disclosed herein for mounting and dismounting a tire casing on an expandable rim hub in retreading operations are capable of being carried out in other and different embodiments, and are capable of being modified in various respects. Accordingly, it is to be understood that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and do not restrict the scope of the appended claims.
The present disclosure is directed to embodiments of systems and methods for automatically mounting and dismounting a tire casing on an expandable rim hub in retreading operations. In embodiments, the expandable rim hub can be part of a tire hub assembly used at one or more retreading stations, such as at a buffing station and a skiving station, for example.
In embodiments, a tire retreading system according to principles of the present disclosure includes a tire hub assembly adapted to support and selectively rotate a tire casing about a rotational axis and a loader device arranged with respect to the tire hub assembly to selectively load a tire casing upon the tire hub assembly. The tire hub assembly has a tire chuck with an expandable rim hub adapted to selectively expand to retentively engage a tire casing mounted on the tire chuck. The expandable rim hub is movable between a contracted position and a range of expanded positions. The diameter of the expandable rim hub is greater in the expanded positions than in the contracted position.
The loader device includes a support pedestal, a support carriage movably mounted to the support pedestal, and a loader actuator mounted to at least one of the support pedestal and the support carriage. The support pedestal is movable over a range of longitudinal travel along a longitudinal axis. The support carriage is movable over a range of vertical travel along a normal axis, which is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. The support carriage has a support arm adapted to support a tire casing. The loader actuator is adapted to selectively move, relative to the support arm, at least a portion of a tire casing supported upon the support arm in a loading direction off of the support arm onto the expandable rim hub.
In embodiments, a method of retreading a tire casing following principles of the present disclosure includes moving the tire casing toward a tire hub assembly. The tire casing is supported by a support arm of a loader device such that an upper portion of an inner periphery of the tire casing is disposed above an upper portion of an expandable rim hub of the tire hub assembly. The expandable rim hub is in a contracted position. The expandable rim hub has a rim diameter when in the contracted position that is smaller than an inner casing diameter defined by the inner periphery of the tire casing.
The tire casing is loaded onto the expandable rim hub of the tire hub assembly by rotating the expandable rim hub and using a loader actuator of the loader device to move the leading edge portion of the tire casing relative to the support arm such that said portion moves off of the support arm and into engagement with the rotating expandable rim hub. The loader actuator continues to extend as the casing is rotated, walking the casing onto the hub until the bead of the casing nearer to the actuator is pushed past the raised edge of the expandable rim hub. Both beads are now between the raised edges of the expandable rim hub segments. The loader actuator retracts. The expandable rim hub is expanded such that the rim engages the inner periphery of the tire casing now mounted around the rotating rim hub, and the tire is inflated.
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The loader device 52 is adapted to mount and dismount a tire casing 65 on an expandable rim hub 68 of the tire hub assembly 56. In the illustrated embodiment, the loader device 52 is arranged with respect to the tire hub assembly 56 such that the loader device 52 can selectively load a tire casing 65 supported by the loader device onto the expandable rim hub 68 of the tire hub assembly 56 and selectively unload the tire casing 65 from the tire hub assembly 56 onto the loader device 52. The loader device 52 is electrically connected to the control unit 60, which is adapted to selectively control the operation of the loader device 52 to perform automated loading and unloading sequences for a plurality of tire casings. The loader device 52 includes a base 70, a support pedestal 72 movably mounted to the base 70, a support carriage 74 movably mounted to the support pedestal 72, a loader actuator 76 mounted to at least one of the support pedestal 72 and the support carriage 74, and a dismount actuator 78 mounted to at least one of the tire hub assembly 56, the support pedestal 72, and the support carriage 74.
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The illustrated loader actuator 76 is movably mounted to the support pedestal 72 such that the loader actuator 76 is movable over a range of travel along the normal axis 83 between the positions shown in
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The tire hub assembly 56 has a tire chuck 110 for mounting a tire casing thereto. The expandable rim hub 68 is mounted to the tire chuck 110 and is adapted to selectively expand to retentively engage a tire casing mounted on the tire chuck 110 for accepting tire casings of variable sizes. The expandable rim hub 68 is movable between a contracted position and a range of expanded positions to adjustably engage an inner periphery of tire casings of variable sizes. The diameter of the expandable rim hub 68 is greater in the expanded positions than in the contracted position.
The hub assembly 56 can include a tire drive motor 112 and a gear box 114 in operable arrangement with the tire drive motor 112 for rotating the tire chuck 110 about the hub axis 105. The hub assembly 56 is electrically connected to the control unit 60, which is adapted to selectively control the operation of the tire hub assembly 56 for buffing sequences and tire casing loading and unloading sequences. The control unit 60 is adapted to selectively operate the tire drive motor 112 to rotate a tire casing mounted to the expandable rim hub 68 about the hub axis 105.
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In embodiments, an inflation system for inflating a tire casing mounted to the tire chuck 110 can be provided. In embodiments, the tire hub assembly 56 includes a pneumatic enclosure 120, which can be mounted to the bottom base plate 92 and disposed adjacent the column assembly 116. The pneumatic enclosure 120 can be used to house a suitable pneumatic system for operating the inflation system and, in some embodiments, electro-pneumatically actuators and other pneumatic components, for example. The pneumatic system can be in electrical communication with the control unit 60, which is adapted to control its operation.
In addition to use in embodiments of a tire buffing station 50, it should be understood that embodiments of a loader device following principles of the present disclosure can be used to facilitate the loading and unloading of tire casings from a suitable tire hub assembly in other applications, as well. For example, in other embodiments, a loader device and tire hub assembly similar to those shown in
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The drive motor assembly 132 is adapted to selectively drive the rasp head assembly 130. The drive motor assembly 130 includes a suitable drive motor 142 operatively connected to the rasp head assembly 130 via a belt 144 which is in operative engagement with the rasp shaft. The drive motor 142 can be selectively operated by the control unit 60 to selectively rotate the rasp head 136 and the texturing device 138 during the buffing sequence. In embodiments, a suitable sensor can be associated with the drive motor 142 and the control unit 60 such that the sensor can send an operating parameter signal to the control unit 60 indicative of the value of the operating parameter, which information can be used by the control unit 60 to modify the operation of the rasp pedestal 58 during a buffing sequence to more closely follow a predetermined operation pattern.
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The rasp pedestal moving assembly 150 can include a pair of X- and Y-runner members 152, 153 and a corresponding pair of X- and Y-tables 154, 155 which are reciprocally movable along the respective runner members 152, 153. These components are operably arranged to selectively and independently move the rasp pedestal along the X- and Y-axes 101, 102.
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The rasp pedestal moving assembly 150 can include suitable drive components which are adapted to selectively translate the X- and Y-tables 154, 155 along the X- and Y-axes 101, 102 and to rotate the rasp pedestal 58 about the vertical axis 103 with respect to the Y-table 155 to provide the rasp pedestal 58 with three degrees of movement. The rasp pedestal 58 is movable along the X- and Y-axes 101, 102 and rotatable about the vertical axis 103 to follow a predetermined buffing path which can vary depending on the make and size of the tire casing to be buffed.
In embodiments, a tire location mechanism can be mounted to the rasp pedestal for detecting a tire casing mounted to the tire hub assembly when the rasp pedestal is within a predetermined distance of the tire casing. A tire measurement mechanism can be mounted to the pedestal for measuring the size of the tire casing mounted to the hub assembly. In embodiments, the rasp pedestal can have any other suitable construction and/or features of rasp pedestals known to those skilled in the art. For example, in embodiments, the rasp pedestal can be similar in construction and operation to that shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,745,809, entitled, “Tire Buffing Apparatus,” which is incorporated herein by reference.
The rasp pedestal 58 can move along the predetermined the buffing path to define a predetermined tire casing profile. The control unit 60 can control the rasp pedestal 58 through the moving assembly 150 to move along a selected buffing path depending upon the type of tire casing to be buffed. In embodiments, the control unit 60 can be in operable arrangement with a database of buffing paths each associated with at least one type and/or size of tire casing. In embodiments, information sufficient to select a particular buffing path for a give tire casing can be input to the control unit 60 via any suitable technique. For example, in embodiments an operator station with a user interface can be provided to transmit appropriate information to the control unit 60 and to display operating information from the control unit 60 regarding the operation of the tire buffing station 50.
In other embodiments, a machine reader in operable, electrical communication with the control unit 60 can be positioned to read a suitable machine-readable tire casing identifier device (e.g., a RFID tag or a bar code label) associated with the tire casing, such as either as it is being loaded on to the tire hub assembly 56 or once it is mounted to the tire hub assembly 56. The machine reader can be adapted to transmit a tire casing identification data signal to the control unit 60 upon reading the machine-readable tire casing identifier device. The control unit 60 can execute computer-executable instructions stored on a tangible, computer-readable medium to use the tire casing identification data signal to select the buffing path for the particular tire casing from a database of buffing paths and to control the rasp head assembly 130 to move along the selected buffing path. In embodiments, the buffing path selected by the control unit 60 can be configured to operate and move rasp pedestal 58 to perform predetermined shoulder trimming with the rasp head 136 and/or a shoulder texturizing operation with the texturing device 138.
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In embodiments, the tire casing conveyor 64 can include an upstream carrier hook stop 174 positioned at a predetermined location along the monorail 170. The upstream carrier hook stop 174 can be adapted to selectively prevent the downstream movement (i.e., along the retreading machine direction) of the carrier hooks that are upstream of the carrier hook stop 174 at the designated position to facilitate the automatic processing of the tire casing at a given retreading station. In embodiments, the upstream carrier hook stop 174 can include a stopping element reciprocally movable over a range of travel between a retracted position in which a carrier hook 172 can travel past the stop and an engagement position in which the upstream stop 174 is disposed to retentively engage the carrier hook 172 to prevent the carrier hook 172 from traveling further downstream to the location aligned with the loader device. The control unit 60 can be in electrical connection with the upstream carrier hook stop 174 and adapted to selectively operate the stop to sequentially feed tire casings 65 transported by the conveyor 64 to the loader device 52 for processing at the tire buffing station 50. In embodiments, a solenoid-operated actuator and a proximity sensor can be in electrical communication with the control unit 60 to selectively move the stop from the retracted position to the engagement position upon sensing the presence of a tire casing in a designated upstream range from the upstream stop 174. The upstream stop member 174 can be electro-pneumatically operated in other embodiments.
Between retreading stations, the conveyor 64 is adapted to transport the tire casings 65 such that the circumferential tread portion 67 of each tire casing 65 is substantially aligned with the longitudinal axis 81. Each carrier hook 172 is pivotally movable with respect to the monorail 170 to selectively rotate the supported tire casing 65 about the normal axis 83 such that the circumferential tread 67 of the tire casing is substantially aligned with the transverse axis 82 to facilitate the movement of the tire casing 65 into operative position at the retreading station.
In the illustrated embodiment, each carrier hook 172 includes a pair of guide pins 176, 177 in offset, spaced relationship to each other along a generally L-shaped member 179 of the carrier hook 172 such that a guide pin 176, 177 projects upwardly from a respective leg 180, 181 of the L-shaped member 179. An upstream guide channel 184 is mounted to the monorail 170 at a position slightly upstream of the particular retreading station, in this case, the tire buffing station 50. The upstream guide channel 184 is configured to engage one of the upright guide pins 176 on the carrier hook 172 to rotate the carrier hook 172 (and the tire casing 65 it supports) about the normal axis 83 in a first hook rotating direction 186 such that the circumferential tread surface 67 of the tire casing 65 becomes substantially aligned with the monorail 170 along the transverse axis 82 (see
A downstream guide channel 188 can be disposed a distance downstream of the retreading station and adapted to return the carrier hook to its original position as shown upstream of the upstream guide channel 184. In the illustrated embodiment, the downstream guide channel 188 is configured to engage the other upright pin 177 of the carrier hook to rotate the carrier hook 172 (and the tire casing 65 it supports) about the normal axis 83 in a second hook rotating direction 190, which is in opposing relationship to the first hook rotating direction 186, to a position wherein the circumferential tread surface 67 of the tire casing 65 is substantially perpendicular to the line of movement of the monorail 170, namely substantially aligned with the longitudinal axis 81.
A station hook stop 194 can be located between the upstream guide channel 184 and the downstream guide channel 188 (see
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The loader base 70 is adapted to support the other components of the loader device 52. The loader base 70 is connected to the bottom base plate 92. In embodiments, the loader base 70 can be an integral part of the bottom base plate 92.
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In embodiments, the moving assembly 208 can include a servo motor 210 and a ball screw 212 arranged to selectively move the support pedestal 72 along the slide rails 204, 205. The servo motor 210 can be in electrical communication with the control unit 60 which is adapted to selectively operate the servo motor 210 to reciprocally move the support pedestal 72 along the slide rails 204, 205 to selectively perform a tire casing loading sequence and/or a tire casing unloading sequence. In embodiments, a suitable position sensor arrangement can be provided which is in electrical communication with the control unit 60 to provide a pedestal position signal indicative of the position of the support pedestal 72 along the slide rails 204, 205 to facilitate the precise movement of the support pedestal 72 during loading and unloading sequences.
The support pedestal 72 is movably mounted to the base 70 via the slide rails 204, 205 such that the support pedestal 72 is movable over a range of longitudinal travel along the longitudinal axis 81. The support pedestal includes a mounting plate 220 and a pair of upright support members 222, 223 in spaced relationship to each other. Each support member 222, 223 has a brace structure 225, 226 associated therewith, extending between the uprights 222, 223 and the mounting plate 220. In embodiments, the support pedestal 72 can include additional or other cross-bracing structures to increase the rigidity of the uprights 222, 223.
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The illustrated frame 238 has a pair of upper distal legs 242, 243 in spaced relationship to each other, thereby providing a generally Y-shape. Each distal leg 242, 243 of the frame 238 supports one of the support arms 234, 235, respectively. The illustrated support arms 85, 86 are rotatably mounted to the frame 238 such that the support arms 234, 235 are rotatable about their longitudinal shaft in either direction, as indicated by rotational arrows 245, 246 in
The frame 238 of the support carriage 74 can be retentively engaged with the slide rails 230, 231 connected to the uprights 222, 223 of the support pedestal 72 such that the support carriage 74 is reciprocally movable over a range of vertical travel along the normal axis 83. A support carriage moving assembly similar to the support pedestal moving assembly 208 can be provided to selectively move the support carriage 74 over the range of vertical travel along the normal axis 83. In embodiments, the support carriage moving assembly can include a servo motor with an associated ball screw mechanism. The frame 238 of the support carriage 74 can be mounted to the ball screw, and the servo motor can be mounted to the support pedestal 72. The motor can be operated in first and second directions to respectively raise and lower the support carriage 74 along the normal axis 83 relative to the uprights 222, 223 of the support pedestal 72. In embodiments, a suitable position sensor arrangement can be provided which is in electrical communication with the control unit 60 to provide a support carriage position signal indicative of the vertical position of the support carriage 74 along the slide rails 230, 231 to facilitate the precise movement of the support carriage 74 during loading and unloading sequences.
The illustrated frame 238 of the support carriage 74 is configured such that a carrier hook 172 disposed in the station position on the monorail 170 is allowed to pass between the pair of upper distal legs 242, 243 of the frame 238. The uprights 222, 223 of the support pedestal 72 are similarly configured to allow the carrier hook 172 disposed at the station position to pass between the uprights 222, 223 of the support pedestal 72, thereby allowing the support pedestal 72 to move along the longitudinal axis 81 from a home position to a loading position without interferingly engaging the carrier hook 172 disposed at the station position.
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In embodiments, at least one of the support arms 85, 86 has a generally-spherical distal end 248. In the illustrated embodiment, each support arm 85, 86 of the support carriage includes a generally-spherical distal end 248. The distal ends 248 can be configured to help retentively engage an inner periphery 250 of the tire casing 65 mounted to the support arms 85, 86. The illustrated distal ends 248 project radially outwardly from the generally cylindrical shafts of the support arms 85, 86.
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The illustrated dismount actuator 78 comprises a cylinder actuator having a body 275 and a reciprocally movable piston 277. The piston 277 includes a piston head disposed within the body and a rod having at least a distal end portion 279 extending from the body 275. The piston 277 is reciprocally movable with respect to the body 275 over a range of travel between a retracted position (
In embodiments, the tire buffing station 50 can include an operator interface situated such that an operator located at the operator interface is positioned to allow for convenient observation of the rasp pedestal 112, the hub assembly 116, and the loader device. The operator interface can include a suitable display and interface mechanism, such as a touch screen for example, operably connected to the control unit 60 to transmit, receive and display information concerning the characteristics and parameters related to the tire casing to be buffed and operating parameters and characteristics of the rasp, for example. The operator interface can include a power switch and an emergency-stop switch. In embodiments, an operator interface in the form of a touch screen, for example, can act as an interface between the user and the control unit 60 housed in the electrical enclosure 160 for controlling the operation of the tire buffing station 50.
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In embodiments, to facilitate the loading of the tire casing 65 onto the tire chuck 110, the expandable rim hub 68 and tire chuck 110 are rotated about the hub axis 105. The longitudinal axis 81 is substantially parallel to the casing rotation or hub axis 105 defined by the rotatable tire chuck 110 of the tire hub assembly 56. The tire casing engagement member 264 of the loader actuator 76 and the roller 240 of the support carriage 74 can rotate in response to the rotation of the tire casing 65 to further facilitate the engaging support of the tire casing 65 as it moves onto the rotating tire chuck 110 of the tire hub assembly 56.
In the illustrated loading sequence, the tire casing 65 is loaded onto the expandable rim hub 68 by moving a leading edge portion 252 of the tire casing 65 relative to the support arms 85, 86 such that the leading edge 252 of the tire casing 65 engages the rotating rim hub 68. The piston 257 of the loader actuator 76 is operably arranged with the tire casing 65 borne by the support carriage 74 such that moving the piston 257 of the loader actuator 76 moves at least a portion of the tire casing 65 into overlying relationship with the rim hub 68. As shown in
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A processing operation can be performed upon the tire casing 65 mounted on the tire hub assembly 56. In the illustrated embodiment, a tire buffing process can be performed upon the tire casing 65 mounted to the tire hub assembly 56. In other embodiments, a loader device constructed according to principles of the present disclosure can be used at other stations of the retreading operation to perform other processing operations. For example, in other embodiments, the loader device 52 can be used with a tire hub assembly of a skiving station.
At the illustrated tire buffing station 50, the tire casing 65 loaded on the expandable rim hub 68 can be rotated about the casing rotation or hub axis 105. The rasp pedestal 58 can be moved relative to the tire hub assembly 56 toward the tire hub assembly 56. The rasp head 136 of the rasp pedestal 58 can be engaged with the rotating tire casing 65. The rasp head 136 can be moved along a buffing path to impart a predetermined tire casing profile upon an outer circumferential surface of the buffed tire casing 65. In embodiments, the tire buffing station 50 can include other suitable components of a tire buffer, such as, for example, those shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,745,809, which is incorporated herein by reference.
In embodiments, a machine reader in operable, electrical communication with the control unit can be used to read a machine-readable tire casing identifier device associated with the tire casing 65. A tire casing identification data signal can be transmitted to the control unit 60 upon reading the machine-readable tire casing identifier device. The control unit 60 can execute computer-executable instructions stored on a tangible, computer-readable medium to use the tire casing identification data signal to select the buffing path from a database of buffing paths and to control the rasp head 136 to move along the selected buffing path.
The main rasp 136, upon completion of the buffing step, can be positioned with respect to the tire casing 65 to trim the shoulders thereof. The desired shoulder geometry can vary depending on the tire tread being used in the retreading process.
In embodiments, the control unit 60 can be used to operate the rasp pedestal 58 to perform an automated shoulder texturing feature carried out by the texturing device 138. In the automated shoulder texturing operation, the texturing device 138 can be moved with respect to the tire casing 65 with the texturing device 138 being aligned with one of the shoulders. The rasp pedestal 58 is moved with respect to the tire casing 65 such that the texturing device 138 is aligned with the other shoulder, and the same process is repeated for that shoulder.
Referring to
In the unloading sequence, the tire casing 65 loaded on the expandable rim hub 68 can be rotated about the hub axis 105. The tire casing 65 is unloaded from the expandable rim hub 68 in response to moving the piston 277 of the dismount actuator 78 from a retracted position to an intermediate position. The dismount actuator 78 moves the leading edge portion 252 of the rotating tire casing 65 relative to the support arms 85, 86 such that the leading edge 252 of the tire casing 65 engages at least one of the support arms 85, 86. The engagement member 284 can rotate in response to the rotating processed tire casing 65 with which it is in engaging contact.
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The support pedestal 72 can be moved further in the unloading direction 89 along the longitudinal axis 81 to the home position, such as shown in
After being buffed, the tire casing 65 may then be examined for damaged areas at a skiving station, which are skived and filled with a repair gum. After completion of the skiving process, the buffed surface may be sprayed with tire cement that provides a tacky surface for application of a suitable layer of bonding material, such as cushion gum. Conventionally, the cushion gum is a layer of uncured rubber material, which optionally includes a low temperature vulcanizing agent and accelerator. The cushion gum can be placed over the crown. In some retreading operations, the spray cement can be omitted.
Then a cured tread strip, typically of a width corresponding to the width of the crown of the casing is cut to the length corresponding to the casing circumference and is disposed over the casing crown. Alternatively, continuous replacement treads in the shape of a ring (i.e., ring treads) have also been used to retread the buffed casing. A roller pressing process, commonly referred to as stitching, is next performed on the assembly to force air from between the tread strip and casing.
After stitching the tire assembly, which comprises the tire casing, the cushion gum and the tread, the assembly can be placed within a flexible rubber envelope. An airtight seal can be created between the envelope and the bead of the tire casing. The entire envelope, with the tire assembly disposed therein, can be placed within a curing chamber and subjected to elevated pressure and temperature for a predetermined period of time. The combination of exposure to elevated pressure and temperature for a duration of time binds the cushion gum to both the tire casing and the new tire tread.
All references, including publications, patent applications, and patents, cited herein are hereby incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each reference were individually and specifically indicated to be incorporated by reference and were set forth in its entirety herein.
The use of the terms “a” and “an” and “the” and similar referents in the context of describing the invention (especially in the context of the following claims) are to be construed to cover both the singular and the plural, unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted by context. The terms “comprising,” “having,” “including,” and “containing” are to be construed as open-ended terms (i.e., meaning “including, but not limited to,”) unless otherwise noted. Recitation of ranges of values herein are merely intended to serve as a shorthand method of referring individually to each separate value falling within the range, unless otherwise indicated herein, and each separate value is incorporated into the specification as if it were individually recited herein. All methods described herein can be performed in any suitable order unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context. The use of any and all examples, or exemplary language (e.g., “such as”) provided herein, is intended merely to better illuminate the invention and does not pose a limitation on the scope of the invention unless otherwise claimed. No language in the specification should be construed as indicating any non-claimed element as essential to the practice of the invention.
Preferred embodiments of this invention are described herein, including the best mode known to the inventors for carrying out the invention. Variations of those preferred embodiments may become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading the foregoing description. The inventors expect skilled artisans to employ such variations as appropriate, and the inventors intend for the invention to be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein. Accordingly, this invention includes all modifications and equivalents of the subject matter recited in the claims appended hereto as permitted by applicable law. Moreover, any combination of the above-described elements in all possible variations thereof is encompassed by the invention unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context.
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/US2015/015785 | 2/13/2015 | WO | 00 |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61974755 | Apr 2014 | US |
