Patent Application
20220063225
The invention relates generally to a method for measuring radial force during the formation of a green tire and, more specifically, to a method for measuring and controlling the formation of a green tire during component by component tire build-up in order to attain desired finished tire geometry and uniformity.
It is a desired objective in tire manufacturing to carefully control the formation of a pre-cured or green tire so as to reduce tire imbalance and maximize tire uniformity. Prior art measurements of tire balance and uniformity are typically made after the tire has been cured to ensure the tire has met acceptable quality specifications and parameters. Tires that do not meet preset specifications relating to uniformity and geometry are typically scrapped, resulting in costly waste.
Thus, it is desired to have an improved way of measuring tire nonuniformity, such as radial force variation in order to improve the tire building process and to measure the nonuniformity during the tire building process in real time, and to avoid the scrapping of tires.
A method of determining the force variation on a green tire is described. The method includes the steps of: forming a green tire having a tread and belt assembly, stitching the outer surface of the tread using a pressure roller and measuring the radial force by a sensor mounted in the pressure roller.
An apparatus for building tires and measuring the force variation on a green tire is described. The apparatus includes a tire building drum, and a stitching device, wherein the stitching device includes a pressure roller rotatably mounted in a first and second bearing located on each end of the pressure roller, and a first and second axle sensor, each axle sensor having a spindle mounted within a respective bearing for measuring the forces on the pressure roller.
“Aspect Ratio” means the ratio of a tire's section height to its section width.
“Axial” and “axially” means the lines or directions that are parallel to the axis of rotation of the tire.
“Bead” or “Bead Core” means generally that part of the tire comprising an annular tensile member, the radially inner beads are associated with holding the tire to the rim being wrapped by ply cords and shaped, with or without other reinforcement elements such as flippers, chippers, apexes or fillers, toe guards and chafers.
“Belt Structure” or “Reinforcing Belts” means at least two annular layers or plies of parallel cords, woven or unwoven, underlying the tread, unanchored to the bead, and having both left and right cord angles in the range from 17° to 27° with respect to the equatorial plane of the tire.
“Bias Ply Tire” means that the reinforcing cords in the carcass ply extend diagonally across the tire from bead-to-bead at about 25-65° angle with respect to the equatorial plane of the tire, the ply cords running at opposite angles in alternate layers.
“Breakers” or “Tire Breakers” means the same as belt or belt structure or reinforcement belts.
“Carcass” means a laminate of tire ply material and other tire components cut to length suitable for splicing, or already spliced, into a cylindrical or toroidal shape. Additional components may be added to the carcass prior to its being vulcanized to create the molded tire.
“Circumferential” means lines or directions extending along the perimeter of the surface of the annular tread perpendicular to the axial direction; it can also refer to the direction of the sets of adjacent circular curves whose radii define the axial curvature of the tread as viewed in cross section.
“Cord” means one of the reinforcement strands, including fibers, which are used to reinforce the plies.
“Inner Liner” means the layer or layers of elastomer or other material that form the inside surface of a tubeless tire and that contain the inflating fluid within the tire.
“Inserts” means the reinforcement typically used to reinforce the sidewalls of runflat-type tires; it also refers to the elastomeric insert that underlies the tread.
“Ply” means a cord-reinforced layer of elastomer-coated, radially deployed or otherwise parallel cords.
“Radial” and “radially” mean directions radially toward or away from the axis of rotation of the tire.
“Radial Ply Structure” means the one or more carcass plies or which at least one ply has reinforcing cords oriented at an angle of between 65° and 90° with respect to the equatorial plane of the tire.
“Radial Ply Tire” means a belted or circumferentially-restricted pneumatic tire in which the ply cords which extend from bead to bead are laid at cord angles between 65° and 90° with respect to the equatorial plane of the tire.
“Sidewall” means a portion of a tire between the tread and the bead.
“Laminate structure” means an unvulcanized structure made of one or more layers of tire or elastomer components such as the innerliner, sidewalls, and optional ply layer.
The invention will be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
The manufacture of a pneumatic tire typically involves a tire building machine such as the one shown in
While the above described stitcher roll assembly was mounted in a transfer ring, the stitcher roll assembly may be mounted in other locations, and also be a stand alone unit located adjacent to a tire building drum.
Variations in the present inventions are possible in light of the description of it provided herein. While certain representative embodiments and details have been shown for the purpose of illustrating the subject invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in this art that various changes and modifications can be made therein without departing from the scope of the subject invention. It is, therefore, to be understood that changes can be made in the particular embodiments described which will be within the full intended scope of the invention as defined by the following appended claims.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63071658 | Aug 2020 | US |
