CA1045534A

CA1045534A - Tire building accessory

Info

Publication number: CA1045534A
Application number: CA236,201A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Robert S. Riggs
Original assignee: Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co
Current assignee: Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co
Priority date: 1974-10-21
Filing date: 1975-09-23
Publication date: 1979-01-02
Also published as: NL7512169A; BR7506765A; JPS5165182A; IT1043490B; AU8526675A; SE7511492L; DE2547507A1; JPS5637906B2; DE2547507C2; GB1495803A; FR2333639A1; NL183442C; BE834685A; SE420811B; FR2333639B1; NL183442B

Abstract

TIRE BUILDING ACCESSORY
Abstract of the Disclosure A spool with enhanced capacity for narrow strip components of tires for use in building tires is provided by winding such strip together with a cloth strip in successive alternating helical layers. A
method for preparing such spool and a method for dispensing strip therefrom to a tire building machine are also disclosed.

Description

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The present invention relates to building tires and particularly to delivery9 from the point o~ preparation to the point of use~of narrow strip components of a tire at the tire building machine on which the tire is con-structed.
In the m~nufacture of tires for motor vehicles and the like, a number o~ building components in the ~orm o~
narrow strips are~ ~or various known purposes9 incorporated in the body of the tire in addition to the usual carcass plies9 beads~ and treads. Such narrow strips are well known. Representative examples thereof are co~monly referred to as chippers~ chafers~ toe strips~ apex strips~
shoulder wedges~ and ~he like. For brevity in the following dsscrlption~ such narrow strip components are referred to generally as strips.
Commonly heretofore such strips ha~e been delivered ~rom the point at which they are prepared to a point convenient to the tire builder who then applies them manually to the tire being built on a~co~ventional building drum. Lengths of the strip are commonly delivered to the tire builder elther in small rolls or precut ~nd placed on trays. Such strips are commonly very tacky and dif~icult to handle.
A primary object of the invention is to improve the efficiency and economy in delivery of such strips.
Further objects and advantages will become apparent ~rom the following description.
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Briefly~ and in accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided a supply reel of tire building component str1p comprising a truck having bearings and track wheels, a cylinder mounted rotatably on said bearings, a continuous running length of tire building strip and a continuous running length of non-adherent separator cloth~ said strip and said cloth belng in face-to-~ace contact and convolutely wound about said cylinder in a plurality of layers~ the strîps of each layer being arranged helicall~ about the cylindar ~nd ~-;
reversed in helical lead in successive layers.
In a ~urther aspect~ the invention comprises a -~ method o~ supplying a running length strip to a tire building machine which lncludes the steps of,,~inding ! 15 such strip together ~lth a separator cloth about a rotatable cylinder~ and traversing-the cylinder to and ~ro ~, along its own axis while rotating the cylinder to wind the strlp in successive layers o~ opposite lead helices on the cylinder. ~
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Yet an additional aspect of the invention provides a method o~ supplying a r~ning length strip to a tire building machine from a supply reel comprising unwinding said strip while sensing lateral displacement of said strip with respeot to the tire building màchine~ and traversing the supply reel parallel to the ,~xis of the , tire~building~machine in response to said lateral dis-placement to correct such lateral displacement. :~

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~045SIL~4 To acquaint those skilled in the art with the principles of the invention and enable them to practice the same, :certain preferred embodlment~ of the invention illustrating the be~t mode presently contemplated for putting the same into practice ara described in the specification and by the attached drawings in which:
Figure 1 is a synoptic plan view of the narrow strip supply reel according to the invention~ receiving strip from strip preparation apparatus;
Figure 2 is an elevation view of the arrangement - - of Figure l;
:; Figure 3 is a synoptic plan view o~ the narrow strip supply reel of Figure 1 arranged to deliver narrow strlp therefrom to a tire building machine;
Figure 4 is an elevatlon vlew of the arrangement of Flgure 3; and Figure 5 is an elevation vlew of a portion of the B reel as seen from line 5-5 of Flgure~0 In the drawing7 the narrow strip supply reel according to the invention ls illustrated at lOo In Figures 1 and 29 the reel 10 ls shown in the process of being filled~
. ~, . that iS9 belng wound with a strip being received from conventional apparatus 12 for preparing such strip~ In Figures 3 and L~ the reel 10 is illustrated in operative associatlon for delivering the strip therefrom to a tire : .
~ building machinè 14. Dhe apparatus 12 can be~ for example9 .
a calender~ an extruder~ or a bias cutter-splicer~ each of which ls adaptable for preparing strips of the character with which the invention is concerned. Since such apparatus 1~5S34 ~ ~ ~
is we.ll known and outside the scope of the claims herein7 ; further de~cription of such is deemed.unnecessary.
me supply reel 10 comprises a right circular cylinder 16 having a rigid surface and provided with con-ventional shaft means 18 which is carried in bearings : :
20 mounted on a truck 22. me truck .is provided with track wheels 24 engageable with a guide rail 26 which extends parallel to (the axis o~) the cylinder 16~ A
tongue 28 on the truck is releasably connected to a tra-10 .versing mechanism 30 by which the reel 10 is moved to :.
' ~ and fro transversely of the direction of travel of the strip being wound thereon. A windup drive unit is situated on a platform 31 of the traversing mechanism and includes : .
a splined coupling 33 releasably connectable to the shaft 15 means 18. me coupling includes a flexible element 35 f fixed on the end of the windup shaft 37 which is mounted . ln the bearings 39 seoured to the platformO A conventional i : gear motor 41 or equal is connected by a flexible drive ~` 43 to the shaft 37 to rotate the cylinder 16.
~ 20: ~ Referring also to Fig. 5~ the traversin~ unit 30 I includes a ~crew ~5, ~iarallel to the cylinder 16~ and : -.
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mounted rotatably in bearings fixed on the platform. m e screw is threaded.in a nu-t 47 fixed with respect to ; ~ the floor in such a manner that the platform 31~ and 25 ~ the truck 22~while connected to the platform~ move in response:to rotation of the sorew. me screw 45 ..
is connected:to~the shaft 37 by two flexible drives .:.:
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~ : : 50, 52 of the chain and sprocket type each of which is .:- ~:: : : , ~ : :
connected to or:disengaged from the shaft by a conven~
tional clutch ~56 thereby:providing a reversing ~ :
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drive to:the screw. me two clutches are operated in .:.

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response to limit switches 58,60 by which the extremities of the -traversing movement are determined in a con-ventional manner.
An optional but preferred speed ratio selector 62 - is connected between the sha~t 37 and the flexible drives to provide for convenient change of speed ratio of the screw 45 relative to the cylinder 16. By selecting a higher gear ratio in the selector 62~ the screw ~5 is made to rotate ~aster, relative to the cylinder, thus inc~easing the axial movement of the cylinder for each revolution of the cylinder and thereby increase the helical lead to accom~odate a wider strip, for example~
a sidewall strip. By selecting a lower ratio in the selector 62~ the revolut~ons o~ the screw for each re~olution of the cyllnder are decreased~ so as to provide a short lead accommodating a more narrow strip such as a chafer or chipper.
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To load the cylinder~ the strip S is delivered from ;, .
the preparing appara-tus 12 by way of a conventional ; 20 tensioning and guiding device illustrated by the dance roll 63 and the two fixed support rolls 65~67 and thence led over a com~ining roll 70.
At the combining roll 70~ the strip S is placed face-to-~ace with a separator cloth C to prevent successive ~; ~ 25 turns of the~strip S on the reel 10 from sticking to ; each other. The cloth C is supplied from a conventional let-o~ spool 72 as a r~nning length and ~rom one to two or more times as wide as the strip S.
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The strip S and the cloth C are led from the combining roll to the supply reel cylinder and are wound thereabout by rotation of the cylinder while the cylinder is~ in timed relation with the rotation thereof9 traversed to and fro in a direction parallel to the axis of the cylinder ; and normal to the direc-tion of movement of the two stripsO
me strip supply is wound on the surface of the cylinder in a series of helical turns from its initial point of contact first to a location approximately at the end of the cylinder where~ in response to the action of the limit switches and the appropriate clutch, the traversing motion is stopped and then reversed in direction while the rotation of the cylinder continues.
e strip continues to be wound in a second layer in whlch the hand or lead of the helix is rever~ed and the strip . .:
forms a next layer extending approximately to the opposite end of the c~llnder whereat the associated limit switches :~
and the other clutch are actuated to reverse again the direction of traverse, This se~uence is repeated to :
20 load the supply reel w~th the requisite length of the strip S, Having been filled as described~ the truck 22 is disconnacted both at the coupling 33 and at the tongue` .
28 from the traversing mechanism 30, me supply reel ; ~ 25 is then moved into assoc~ation with the tire building :~
~: machine 14 as illustrated in Figures 3 and 4, The tongue 28 is then connected to the platform 78 of a second tra- ;
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~45534 versing mechanism 80 and the shaft means 18 connected by the coupllng 82 of -the unwinding shaft 84. me sha~t 84 is mounted on suitable bearings 86 fi~ed on the platform 78. A conventional brake 88 cooperates with a brake disc 91 fixed on the shaft 8~ to provide a suitable back tension in the strip.S as the s~e is delivered to the tire building machine 1~.
The second traversing mechanism 80 includes a hydraulic cylinder 93 extending parallel to the unwind . 10 shaft and to ~the axis of) the cylinder 16 and is fixed with respect to the operating floor. m e piston 9It and rod 95 of the hydraulic cylinder 93 are connected to a suitable bracke-t 96 on the plat~orm 78, Hydraulic fluid ;
from a conventional hydraulic power package (not shown) 1~ operates under the control of a conventional control valve 97 to move the traversing mechanism 80 and the .
supply reel 10 transversely with respect to the direction of movement of the strip S to the tlre building machine 14, me strip S together with the cloth C is led through a con~entional lateral displacement sensing :`
means 100 to the turning roll 102 whereat the cloth C
diverges from the strip S and is led to a windlng core 10~.
The winding core is rotated by driving means so as to pull the cloth from the reel 10. From the roll 102 the strip S is led by way of conventional tenslon and guide ;.
means 10~ to the tire on the tire building machine 14. ~ -In operation~ as the cloth C and strip S are pulled from the supply reel 10~ the lateral displacement ` ~ of the strlp S resulting ~rom the helical angle thereof ` ~ -7-:. .

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~L0~5S34 on the supply reel causes the strip to be gradually displaced laterally; that is -transversely of the desired alignment with the tire. me lateral displacement sensing means 100 thereupon generates a signal which is communicated to the control valve 97. The control valve thereupon adjusts the ef~ective pressure at one side or the other of the piston 9~ in the hydraulic cylinder 93 sufficiently to cause the traversing mechanism to move the supply reel 10 to correct the alignment of the strip with the tire building machine. The correct:Lon ef*ected is~ practically~ continuous~ thus keeping the reel 10 in appropriate alignment as the strip is delivered to the drum.
It will be apparent to persons skilled in the art tha-t numerous traversing mechanisms available in the art could be substituted for those described herein. Moreover~ the , applicant acknowledges that the helical winding of elongate material is well known. However, despite ad- `
~ vantages now found in the practice of the invention~
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helical winding~ sometimes called level winding~ has not . .
been applied as has been described herein~ due to the .
nature and the shape of the strip components peouliar to tire making. ~hese are uniformly tacky~ readily sub~ect to plastic deformation~ and difficult to handle and contrary to the commonly~known level winding of yarn~ cable, thread~ and the like do not have cross-sections of uniform equal dimensions~but must be wound or unwound without twisting about their length.
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The present invention provides grea-tly increased capacity in each cylinder of the strip supply reels, allowing more tires to be built from a single supply reel with significantly less interruption of the buildlng operation for resupply and less interruption o~ the operation of preparation of the strip. A ~urther advan-tage is a significant reduction in floor space required for material in process inventories and a significant reduction in the time and cost in transporting such material. me strip is much less subject to damage, first because the supply is more stable than any supply roll wound straight on~ that is~ in a plane normal to the axis of the roll.
While certain repre~entative emboaiments and details have been shown for the purpose of illustrating the invention~ it will be apparent to those skilled in the ~ art that various changes and modifications may be made ; therein without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.
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Claims

In the embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. An apparatus for building tires comprising supply reel means for receiving a tacky uncured strip of tire building component having a width materially greater than thickness therearound and for delivering said strip to a tire building machine, said means including a cylinder mounted for rotation on a wheeled truck, drive means for rotating said cylinder in a first rotational sense for receiving said strip for winding therearound, means for continuously placing a separator cloth in face-to-face contact across said width of said strip as the strip is wound about the cylinder such that the width of the strip lies parallel to the cylinder, first traversing means drivingly connected with said drive means for traversing said cylinder axially to and fro for causing said strip and said cloth together free of twist therein to wrap said cylinder in a succession of continuous helical layers extending from near one end to near the other end of said cylinder in alternating axial directions, and track means for guiding said reel means for movement axially of said cylinder, second traversing means operably associated with a tire building machine for delivering said strip from said reel means, sensing means associated with said building machine for sensing lateral displacement of said strip relatively of said building machine, and control means responsive to said displacement of said strip relative to said tire building machine while said strip is being delivered to said machine and operable to control said second traversing means to minimize said displacement.

2. A method of building a tire comprising winding a running length of a strip of tacky tire building material of materially greater width than thickness about a supply reel, and while maintaining said strip free of twist traversing said reel axially to and fro to form a successive plurality of helical layers of alternating lead extending axially substantially from end to end of said reel, com-bining in face-to-face contact with said strip a separator cloth while winding said strip so as to wind said strip and said cloth convolutely together on said supply reel, and then delivering said strip from said supply reel to a tire building machine for winding said strip therearound and while delivering said strip to said tire machine traversing said reel axially parallel to the axis of said machine to deliver said strip free of twist in a plane normal to the axis of said machine to incorporate said strip in said tire.

3. The method of making tires comprising attaching the leading end of a running length of a tacky narrow strip of a tire building component to a tire building drum or to a tacky tire component previously wound about said drum, rotating said drum to wind said strip there-around while concurrently pulling said strip and a cloth together in continuous face-to-face contact free of twist from a supply reel said reel having a continuous plurality of helical convolutions of said strip and said cloth in untwisted face-to-face contact and in successive layers of alternating opposite helical lead, separating said cloth from said strip after the cloth and the strip leave said reel and before said strip reaches said drum, and traversing said reel to and fro parallel to its own rotation axis through successive axial distances cor-responding respectively to the axial lengths of the respective layers on said reel as said strip and said cloth are pulled from said reel so as to deliver said component to said drum in appropriate alignment therewith.

4. A tire building apparatus comprising rotatable tire building drum means for winding tire building com-ponents therearound to build a tire, supply means for receiving and dispensing to said drum means an untwisted running length of a narrow, tacky, tire building strip including an elongated cylinder having said strip wound thereon in a plurality of helical convolutions in suc-cessive layers of alternating opposite helical lead, means for preventing the tacky surfaces of said strip from sticking to each other and for separating said con-volutions and said layers, said means for preventing comprising a running length of narrow cloth of width corresponding to the width of the strip in continuous twist-free, face-to-face contact with said strip, means for pulling said strip and said cloth from said cylinder in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the cylinder including rotatably driven core means for winding said cloth thereon, a plurality of traversing means for reciprocally traversing said cylinder parallelits own length to and fro successive distances corresponding respectively to the axial lengths of the respective said layers, said supply means including means for re-ceiving said strip and said cloth together without twist helically about said cylinder in successive layers of alternately opposite helical lead, including means guiding said strip approaching said cylinder in a plane normal to the axis of said cylinder, one of said traversing means being fixed relative to said tire building drum means for winding said strip thereon to reciprocate said cylinder parallel to the rotation axis of said drum means.

5. A tire building apparatus as claimed in Claim 4, said means for receiving said strip further comprising drive means for rotating said cylinder in timed relation with said one of said traversing means, and speed ratio means operable to change said timed relation between said drive means and said one of said traversing means whereby the respective leads of said helical convolutions can be changed to suit the width of said narrow strip.