Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
The present invention relates to conveying9 and
par-ticularly to conveying a running length of tire
making material in web or strip form while steering
the same to a predetermlned lateral alignment with
respect to a given reference llne.
Broadly~ the in~ention comprises~ in an apparatus
for conveying a t~re building component ln a desired
direction which apparatus includes a longitudinal
frame~ a plurality of rotatable carrylng elements
supported on the frame and cooperable to form a com-
ponent carrying surface~ the improvement wherein the
elements comprise brushes of cylindrical form rotatable
about axes~ said axes being parallel to each other and
disposed ang~larly with respect to the desired direction.
The invention is found to be particularly useful
- in the delivery to a tire building machine of components
such as chafer stock and/or shoulder pad stock for building
a tire These components are formed~ normally~ of ~ -
- uncured rubber~ being of natural and/or synthetic rubber
and compounds thereof without filamentary;reinforcement
materials. The in~ention~ however~ can flnd application
as well in web materials ~or building tires which in-
clude filamentar~ rein~orcement materials.
A preferred embodiment of the invention illustrating
the best mode now contemplated for the practice thereof
will be described hereinbelow with reference to the
attached drawings forming a part of the present specifica-
tion and in which drawings:
.~ ~
' ` ' ' ' . . ' . .
~5~7~i~3
Fig. l is a plan ~iew of an apparatus according
to the lnvention;
Fig. 2 is a partial cross-section in elevation
taken as indicated by the line 2-2 in Fig l;
Fig. 3 is a vièw of a conveying ~nd guidlng element
of the apparatus of Fig. 1 oriented as indicated by
the line 2-2 in Fig. l;
Figs~ ~ and 5 illustrate alternative embodiments
of the element illustrated in Fig. 3.
Making reference to Figo l~ a rw~ning length strip S
of tire building material is illustrated as baing
conveyed by the apparatus lO from its receiving end 12
to its delivery end l~o
It will be appreciated that the apparatus 10
illustrated in Fig. 1 pre~erably is one of a pair of
conveyors arranged symmetrically with respect to a
.:
plane 15 coincident with or parallel to the mid-
circumferential plane o~ a tire building drum (not
. .
- shown) me conveyors~ being identical except as to
hand~ are represented and described by the apparatus lO.
As the strip is moved forward by the apparatus lO
it is progressively displaced laterally from its path
upon entering the apparatus at 12 to a new alignment
with respect to a given reference line 16 before the
strip leaves the apparatus at 14 as may be seen in the
figure. The preferred alignment of the strip S as it
leaves the apparatus 10 ~s de~ined by a gentle abutment
~ -2-
.
i ~ S7 ~ ~ 3
of the edge S' with a flxed guide 18 forming a part
of the apparatus 10. ~:.
me reference line 16, and in the apparatus 10,
the guide 18~ can be positioned to suit the requirements
of the succeeding operation on the strip. For example~
the guide 18 can be located in a plane normal to the
axis of the tire building drum and at a selected distance
from the mid-circumferential plane of such drum whereby
the strip is delivered to the building drum at its
intended location~ axially of the tire being built~
Making reference also to Fig. 2~ the strip is
- conveyed forYard, in the direction of its own length~
as well as urged gently toward the alignment guide 18.
by a plurality of rotatable carrying elements 20 which ~ .
are rotatably supported in the frame 22 and cooperate
to form a supporting surface. m e conveying elements
comprise brushes of cylindrical form each rotatable about
its own cylindrical axis 2~. The axes 24 of the several
~ rotatable elements 20 are parallel to each other These
: ~ 20 axes are angularly adjustable with respect to the guide ;~
member 18. me apparatus 10 provides for ad~ustment of
the angles of the respective axes from about 89 degrees
to about 80 degrees with respect to the guide member.
` The degree o~ angularity of the axes controls the rate
of lateral mo~ement of the strip. In building tires~
it is particularly important that the strip materials
not be distorted and it is thus desirable that the strip
S not be urged laterally so forcefully as to crowd it
.:
: against the guide.
-3- :
:
In accordance with the lnvention~ therefore~ the :
rota-table carrying elements 20 comprise brushes of
cylindrical form in which a nmltiplicity of bunches
of fiber bristles 21 are fixed in and extend radially
5 from a central core 23 which is mounted on a shaft 25
for rotation about the axis 24, In this way the
carrying elements are provided with a soft elastically
resilient surface which satisfactorily supports the
running length strip S~ tends to carry the strip in a
direction normal to the axis 2~ of the carrying element
and yet is so yieldable as to prevent the exertlon of an
~ndue lateral thrust on the strip being carried thereon~
The apparatus illustrated in Fig, 1 comprises the
rigid rectangular frame 22 comprising a pair of spaced .
parallel structural angles 31 and a parallel pair of
end bars 33 connecting the respective ends of the
structural angles, : .
The frame 22 includes a bar 35 of rectangular cross~
section fixed to and extending along one of the i:
structural angles 31 to accommodate a plurality of
bearings 37 siaced therealong, ~: :
The frame 22 is carried on a parallel pair of cross
rails 40 affixed to a suitable support structure l~2 so
that the frame and a strip carried thereon can be disposed : .
in suitable alignment with a tire building drum ~not ~ :
shown). To provide lateral movement of the frame 22 in a
direetion parallel to the axis of the tire building -
~ ' .
~ 6 ~ 3
drum~ a parallel pair of traverse screws 44 are
rotatably supported on the support structure tu co-
operate with the threaded bushings 46 which are non-
rotatably fixed to the frame so that the frame is moved
laterally in response to rotation of the screws. The
two traverse screws are corotatab7y connected by a
chain 48 drivingly engaging the sprockets 49 co-
rotatably fixed on the respective screws. The lateral
adjustment of the position of the frame i5 e*fected by
a crank 51 or the like engaged with the crank stub 53
on one of the traverse scre~s.
Rotation of the rotatable elements 20 is effected
by a plurality of stub shafts 54 mounted rotatably in
the bearings 37 and connected by the flexible couplings
56 to the shafts 25 of the respective elements. The
stub shafts ~4 are corotatably connected by an endless
chain 58 engaging each of the respective sprockets 60
corotatably mounted on the stub shafts 54, The stub
shaft 54'~also aarries a sprocket 62 which is connected
by a chain 64 to a sprocket 66 mounted corotatably
on and laterally slidable along a drive shaft 68 which
is mounted rotatably in a bearing 70 fixed to the
support structure~ The drive sprocket 72 corotatably
fixed on the shaft 68 is connected to drive means (not
shown) which is drivable in timed relation with a tire
bul}ding drum to which the strip is carried,
'
: :
... : , . . . ,. .............. . :
~ ~7 ~ 3
To provide rOr adjustment of the angle o~ ~he
axes 2'~ with respect to the guide 18, the ends o~ the
shafts 25 are supported in the bushlngs 76. me
plurality o~ bushings 76 are supported~ respecti~ly~
in sockets 78 in a slide bar 80. me bar 80 can be
adjusted in the direction of the arrow 81 so that the
angle between each of the axes 24 and the guide 18 Carl
be adjusted ~rom 89 degrees to 80 degrees or less. ~lus,
the rate at which the moving strip is steered toward and
into contact with the guide can be adjusted to suit the
particular strip being carried as well as the particular
characteristics of the brush elements 20.
Referring to Fig. 3~ the preferred form o~ the
rotatable conveying elemen-t 20 is a cylindrical brush
comprising a multiplicity o~ ~iber bristles 21 disposed
in bunches each of whlch is pressed into a hole 23a
formed in the cylindrical core 23 and which core is
mounted on the shaft 25. In the present embodiment a
cylindrical brush 80 mm. in outside aiameter has a core
~0 of 50 mm. in diameter and is filled with nylon bristles ;~
the individual ~ibers of which are 0.5 mm. and disposed
.
in bundlas of approximately 60 bristles each. me depth
of the brush radially o~ the core is thus approximately
15 mm. at which dimensions the brushes have been ~ound
to be su~iciently flexible to limit satis~actorily
the lateral force on the strip ~ d t~ s inhlbit the
~. ~ . . : .~ :
~L~357~93 ~
distortion of the edge of the strip as the same is
urged toward the guide 18, Similarly~ the stiffness
of the bristles is sufficient adequately to support the
strip being con~eyed and to provide tangential ~orce '
sufficient to move the strip forward, ~ , :
With reference to Figs~ 4 and 5, the conveying
elements 20 can be provided in al~ernate forms such as
the element 90 of Fig, ~, or the element 95 of Fig. 5.
The conveying element 90 comprises a core 91 oylindrical
in form of any suitable material arranged ~or mounting
on a shaft such as the shaft 25, A sheet 92 of preformed
' material such a's rubber:~or a suitable plasti~c having ~ ,
atta`ched or integrally molded fingers 93 is~wrapped
, about and secured to the core 91 by a suitable adhesive~
The fingers 93 are spaced axially and circumferentially
of the core and project radially therefrom a sufficient
distance to provide the desired~elastic resilience
.
comparable to that described with respect to the bristles ~ . '
21 of Fig, :3:0 : : .
20 ~ m e~conveying element 95 provides a multiplicity o~
radially proaecting fingers 96 spaced axially and circum~
ferentially of the element so as to pro~ide a suita'ble `~
degree of elastic resilience compara'ble to that descri'bed
ln connection with Fig, 3. The .fingers 96 can 'be formed
of a soft rubber or plastic sheet comparable in sti~ness : :'
to the bristles 21~ integrally with:discs 97 a plurality
o~ which c~n be stacked coaxially and mounted on the
shaft 98,
.
7 ~ :~
,
`. . . .. ` .. .. . . . - . . .. -` .. `` . - .. .. .. . . .
~hile certain representative embodiments and
details have been shown for the purpose of illustrating ~;
the invention, it wlll be apparent to those s~illed in
the art that various changes and modifications may be
made therein without departin~ from the spirit or scope
of the invention,
~.
,
.
--8--
. . - - . .
~ ,. . ~.- .. . . ,: .. . ' ,.
