Claims
- 1. A tire building drum having an axis and a centerplane intersecting the axis, comprising:
a plurality of axially extending, circumferentially spaced-apart expanding segments, each of said expanding segments being expandable from a first radius in a collapsed condition of said drum to a second radius in an expanded condition of said drum; a pair of flanges centered about the axis at a fixed distance from one another; a plurality of ramp elements, each supporting an expanding segment, disposed between the flanges and radially moveable between the flanges; at least one conical element disposed coaxially between the pair of flanges, axially moveable therebetween, and having a tapered face; wherein the tapered face of the at least one conical element engages an inner surface of the ramp elements for forcing the expanding segments radially outward from the axis; characterized in that: there are two conical elements, each frustroconical, disposed coaxially with their bases facing each other; and the inner surfaces of the ramp elements are V-shaped.
- 2. Tire building drum, according to claim 1, wherein when the conical elements move farther apart from one another, they urge the ramp elements radially outward from the axis.
- 3. Tire building drum, according to claim 1, further comprising:
in each flange, a first plurality of grooves disposed on an inner surface thereof and extending radially from the axis, for radially guiding the plurality of ramp elements.
- 4. Tire building drum, according to claim 1, further comprising:
a plurality of base members supporting a plurality of fixed segments; in each flange, a second plurality of grooves for receiving opposite side edges of a the plurality of base members.
- 5. Tire building drum, according to claim 1, wherein:
the conical elements have notches at circumferential positions about the outer surface of their respective bases for receiving a bottom edge of the base member.
- 6. Tire building drum, according to claim 1, wherein:
the expanding segments, ramp elements, flange and conical elements are all located in a center section of the drum.
- 7. Tire building drum, according to claim 1, wherein:
both of the two conical elements exerts a force on each of the ramp elements.
- 8. Tire building drum, according to claim 7, wherein:
the forces exerted by each of the two conical elements are symmetrical about the centerplane.
- 9. Tire building drum, according to claim 1, further comprising:
a plurality of fixed segments disposed between the plurality of expanding segments.
- 10. Tire building drum, according to claim 1, wherein:
end portions of the expanding segments are contoured to have pockets for receiving components of a tire carcass being laid up on the drum.
- 11. Tire building drum, according to claim 1, further comprising:
biasing members exerting a collapsing radial force on the ramp elements.
- 12. (canceled)
- 13. (canceled)
- 14. (canceled)
- 15. (canceled)
- 16. (canceled)
- 17. (canceled)
- 18. (canceled)
- 19. (canceled)
- 20. (canceled)
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This is a Divisional application of U.S. application Ser. No. 09/960,215 having a filing date of Sep. 21, 2001 and a common assignee with present application.
[0002] This application relates to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/960,211 entitled TIRE BUILDING DRUM HAVING EXPANDABLE CENTER SECTION AND INDEPENDENTLY EXPANDABLE BEAD LOCK ASSEMBLIES IN THE END SECTIONS, filed on Sep. 21, 2001.
Divisions (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09960215 |
Sep 2001 |
US |
Child |
10828362 |
Apr 2004 |
US |