Claims
- 1. A method for positioning each of three or more movable tire building drums at each of three or more work stations of an automated tire building system as the tire building drums move longitudinally forward along a working axis extending through the three or more work stations, the method comprising the steps of:
providing a work station longitudinal reference point at each of the three or more work stations; providing a drum reference point upon each of the three or more movable tire building drums; moving each of the tire building drums longitudinally forward into one of the three or more work stations; stopping each of the tire building drums within its respective work station after the drum reference point moves longitudinally forward past the work station longitudinal reference point; and moving each tire building drum longitudinally rearward until the drum reference point abuts against the work station longitudinal reference point to precisely position each of the tire building drums longitudinally within its respective work station.
- 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:
providing the work station longitudinal reference point of each of the three or more work stations upon a surface of an intake server located at each of the three or more work stations for operating the tire building drums; and providing the drum reference point of each of the three or more movable tire building drums upon a surface of each of the three or more movable tire building drums.
- 3. The method of claim 2, further comprising the steps of:
moving the three or more intake servers at each of the work stations from a normally retracted position outward across the working axis into a position to couple the intake servers to the tire building drums located at the work stations; and using the intake servers for moving the tire building drums longitudinally rearward until the drum reference point abuts against the work station longitudinal reference point.
- 4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:
independently moving each tire building drum with a self-propelled vehicle; and flexibly connecting each tire building drum to one of the vehicles with a coupling which can be uncoupled.
- 5. The method of claim 4, wherein each tire building drum is moved longitudinally rearward by the steps of:
coupling the work station to the tire building drum; uncoupling the tire building drum from the vehicle; and longitudinally moving the tire building drum relative to the vehicle.
- 6. The method of claim 4, further comprising the step of:
using the rearward moving means to hold the drum reference point against the work station longitudinal reference point.
- 7. The method of claim 4, further comprising the step of:
coupling tire building drums to vehicles with a flexible connecting means which allows controlled lateral and vertical movement of the tire building drum relative to the vehicle while the vehicle is moving the tire building drum.
- 8. Apparatus for positioning each of three or more movable tire building drums at each of three or more work stations of an automated tire building system as the tire building drums move longitudinally forward along a working axis extending through the three or more work stations, the apparatus comprising:
a work station longitudinal reference point at each of the three or more work stations; a drum reference point upon each of the three or more movable tire building drums; means for moving each of the tire building drums longitudinally forward into one of the three or more work stations; means for stopping each of the tire building drums within its respective work station after the drum reference point moves longitudinally forward past the work station longitudinal reference point; and means for moving each tire building drum longitudinally rearward until the drum reference point abuts against the work station longitudinal reference point to precisely position each of the tire building drums longitudinally within its respective work station.
- 9. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising:
an intake server means located at each of the three or more work stations for operating the tire building drums; a surface of the intake server means having thereupon the work station longitudinal reference point of each of the three or more work stations; and a surface of each of the three or more movable tire building drums having thereupon the drum reference point of each of the three or more movable tire building drums.
- 10. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising:
means for moving the three or more intake server means at each of the work stations from a normally retracted position outward across the working axis into a position to couple the intake server means to the tire building drums located at the work stations; and means for using the intake server means for moving the tire building drums longitudinally rearward until the drum reference point abuts against the work station longitudinal reference point.
- 11. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising:
means for independently moving forward each tire building drum; and means for flexibly connecting each tire building drum to a respective one of the forward moving means with a coupling which can be uncoupled.
- 12. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising:
means for coupling the work station to the tire building drum; means for uncoupling the tire building drum from the respective one of the forward moving means; and means for longitudinally moving the tire building drum relative to the respective one of the forward moving means.
- 13. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising:
means for holding the drum reference point against the work station longitudinal reference point.
- 14. The apparatus of claim 11, characterized in that:
the flexible connecting means allows controlled lateral and vertical movement of the tire building drum relative to the respective one of the forward moving means.
- 15. Apparatus for longitudinal registration of a movable tire building drum to an automated tire building system work station, wherein the automated tire building system comprises one or more work stations, and a plurality of tire building drums wherein each tire building drum is independently moved longitudinally forward into and out of each work station, the apparatus comprising:
an intake server located at the work station for meshing with and operating the movable tire building drum; a work station longitudinal reference point upon a forward facing surface of the intake server; a drum reference point upon a rearward-facing surface of the movable tire building drum; means for laterally extending the intake server rearward of the tire building drum; a flexible connection flexibly attached to the tire building drum, having a cam follower on a free end of the flexible connection; an intake actuator arm rotatably attached to the intake server; a box cam slot in the intake actuator arm for coupling with the cam follower; and means for rotating the intake actuator arm after coupling with the cam follower for moving the tire building drum longitudinally rearward to abut the drum reference point against the work station longitudinal reference point.
- 16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the flexible connection further comprises:
a coupling arm rotatably connected between the tire building drum and the cam follower; a crank arm rotatably connected between the coupling arm and the independent forward moving means such that the crank arm rotatably connects to a portion of the coupling arm located between the cam follower and the tire building drum connection.
- 17. The apparatus of claim 16, characterized in that:
a self-propelled vehicle provides the independent forward moving means for the tire building drum; and the flexible connection is attached to the vehicle such that it has a closed position which couples the tire building drum to the vehicle for independently moving the tire building drum forward, and has an open position which uncouples the tire building drum from the vehicle to allow the tire building drum to be longitudinally moved relative to the vehicle.
- 18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the flexible connection further comprises:
a stop arm and height adjustment screw positioned to counteract a vertical force component of a forward moving force imposed by the vehicle when the flexible connection is closed; and dimensions and angles such that forward moving force imposed on the flexible connection when it is closed also causes the flexible connection to remain closed.
- 19. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising:
length for the box cam slot to allow coupling with the cam follower when the vehicle halts at a specified range of different longitudinal positions within the work station.
- 20. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising:
clearance between the crank arm and a bracket rotatably connecting the crank arm to the vehicle to allow controlled lateral movement of the tire building drum relative to the vehicle.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application relates to U.S. Patent application entitled METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING TIRES ON A FLEXIBLE MANUFACURING SYSTEM, Attorney's Docket No. DN2001166USA and filed on an even date herewith.
[0002] This application relates to U.S. Patent application entitled PRECISION ALIGNMENT OF TIRE BUILDING DRUM TO AUTOMATED TIRE BUILDING SYSTEM WORKING AXIS, Attorney's Docket No. DN2001165USA and filed on an even date herewith.
[0003] This application relates to U.S. Patent application entitled BEAD LOADING METHOD AND APPARATUS, Attorney's Docket No. DN2001167USA and filed on an even date herewith.