Apparatus for Vulcanizing a Tire

This invention relates to apparatus for vulcanizing a green tire, such as an automobile tire.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,903,227, dated Sept. 2, 1975 discloses tire vulcanizing apparatus including a pair of split dies which form a closed space that receives the tire. The space is supplied with a pressure medium, and means for heating the medium.

Such an apparatus requires the tire beads to closely fit the parts of the apparatus when the dies are closed, in order to keep the pressure medium from leaking from the space through the gaps between the beads and the parts forming the dies. To achieve this, pressing mechanisms are required for mechanically pressing the tire beads against the inner surfaces of the die parts.

Such a pressing mechanism is also required, when the die apparatus is open, to be displaced so as not to obstruct the movement of a tire being placed into or removed from the dies. For this reason, the pressing mechanism as a whole should have a radius less than that of the tire beads, and when the dies are closed, it should extend to the radius of the beads for compression thereof.

The pressing mechanism should also be readily adjustable in order to accommodate tires of various widths.

It is a general object of this invention to provide vulcanizing apparatus including an improved pressing mechanism.

It is another object to provide such a pressing mechanism, which does not obstruct a tire being placed into or removed from the apparatus.

It is a further object to provide such a pressing mechanism, which accommodates various axial widths of tires.

Apparatus for vulcanizing a tire, embodying the present invention, includes a pair of generally annular split dies which are axially movable relative to each other, and a pair of generally circular supports surrounded by the dies. The supports are engagable with the outer sides of the tire beads so as to form a closed space between the supports and within the tire. The space is supplied with a pressure medium which is heated during vulcanization. The supports are axially movable relative to each other and to the dies. Each of the supports has a plurality of pivotal members supported thereby adjacent its axially inner end, the members being pivotal in an axial plane passing through the axis of the supports. Each of the pivotal members has at least one spring-urged plate supported at the free end thereof. The pivotal members are spring-urged to retract radially inwardly of the supports. Each of the supports has a drive mounted thereon for pivoting the pivotal members radially outwardly, whereby the spring-urged plates compressively force the tire beads against the supports. This pressing of the tire beads is not associated with the axial movements of the dies.

Preferred embodiments of this invention are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary sectional view, showing one form of this invention in a closed position;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1, but showing the apparatus in an open position;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view taken on line 3--3 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of a part of the apparatus, taken on the line 4--4 in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5--5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary view taken on the line 6--6 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view showing another form of the invention.

With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, the apparatus includes a pair of generally annular split dies 1 and 2 having an interior contour that fits the shape of a tire A to be vulcanized. The lower die 1 is fixed, and the upper die 2 is axially movable (by a conventional drive not shown) and engagable with the lower die, as shown in FIG. 1. The dies surround a pair of circular supports or bead plates 3 and 4, which are axially movable relative to the dies 1 and 2 and to each other by the above-mentioned drive. Each support 3 and 4 has an annular member 5 fixed to its periphery.

Each annular member 5 has a circular rim 5a fixed therearound adjacent its axially inner end, and each rim 5a has a peripheral seat or groove 5b that opens axially inwardly and radially outwardly. Each annular member 5 further has a number of pivotal members 6 supported on its axially inner side at regular circumferential intervals. Each member 6 is pivotable on a pin 6c (FIG. 2) in an axial plane passing through the axis of the annular member 5.

Each pivotal member 6 carries at least one shaft 8 which is movable along the axis of the shaft 8. The shaft 8 is supported on the free end of the member 6 and extends generally tangentially with respect to the pivotal movement of member 6. Each shaft 8 has a curved end plate 7 (FIGS. 4-6) fixed to its forward end, and each plate 7 is urged forwardly away from the free end of member 6 by a compression spring 9 (FIG. 3) provided between the plate 7 and the member 6.

Each pivotal member 6 has a recess 6a (FIG. 2) formed in its outer or forward side between its pivoted and free ends, and an oblique or recessed surface 6b in the other side adjacent the pivoted end. The members 6 on each annular member 5 are surrounded by an endless tension spring 10 which fits in the recesses 6a, and the spring 10 tends to pivot the members 6 into their retracted or normal positions shown in FIG. 2. The endless springs 10 may instead be separate tension springs for each of the members 6.

When the dies are closed, the members 6 on each annular member are forced to pivot forwardly and outwardly against the force of the spring 10 by a drive 11, which includes an axially movable ring 14 provided on the axially inner side of the annular member 5. Each ring 14 is connected by rods 12 to hydraulic cylinders 13 fixed to the support 3 or 4, for axial movement of the ring 14 relative to the annular member 5.

Each ring 14 has a flange 14a formed on its axially inner end for slidable and compressive engagement with the oblique sides 6b of the adjacent pivotal members 6, which are forced to pivot outwardly (see FIG. 1) when the rings 14 move axially toward each other, by means of hydraulic cylinders 13. When the rings 14 retract, they allow the members 6 to pivot into the normal position (FIG. 2), and disengage from them. Further, each member 14 has a groove in its outer periphery which engages a projection 18 on each member 6, and pulls the members 6 to the normal position.

As shown in FIG. 3, the shafts 8 on the pivotal members 6 are arranged on the same circle but they have alternately different lengths. In the normal position, without pressure, as shown in FIG. 2, the levels of the plates 7 are axially staggered by an amount approximating the thickness of the plates 7 between adjacent pivotal members, so that the adjacent plates do not interfere with each other. This enables the plates 7 to be wider than if they were not staggered, in order to substantially eliminate gaps between the plates when pressing the tire beads B (FIG. 1).

The plate 7 on each shorter shaft 8 has blocks or tabs 7a (FIGS. 3-6) on both radially extending sides, which extend over and engage the adjacent plates 7 when they are pressing the tire beads, in order to align the plates 7 together on a circle for uniform pressure on the beads B.

In FIGS. 1 and 2, conventional heating means 15 is supported on the lower support 3 between the supports 3 and 4, and includes a plurality of heaters 15a mounted around a central fan 15b, which can be driven by a motor (not shown) connected to the lower end of the fan shaft. The heater 15a may take the form of conventional ring plate heaters which are axially spaced for the passage of air.

Upwardly from the top of the heaters 15a extend stops 16 which limit the downward movement of upper support 4, to prevent the upper and lower pivotal members 6 from colliding.

The apparatus operates as described below.

In the open position (not shown) the dies 1 and 2 and the supports 3 and 4 are spaced apart wider than the positions shown in FIG. 2, and each drive ring 14 is retracted or withdrawn on the associated annular member 5 away from the pivotal members 6. The members 6 are urged into the retracted positions (FIG. 2) by the springs 10, where they have an outer diameter that is smaller than the inner diameter of a green tire A. The plates 7 of the pivotal members are alternately offset as shown in FIG. 3 so that adjacent members do not interfere.

A green tire A is then placed on the lower support 3 with the lower tire bead B resting in the seat 5b associated with the support 3. Subsequently, the upper support 4 is lowered until its bead seat 5b engages the upper bead B (FIG. 2).

The drive rings 14 are then moved axially toward each other and the pivotal members 6, and the members 6 are forced to pivot outwardly against the force of springs 10, until the plates 7 engage the inner sides of tire beads B (see FIG. 1). The springs 9 are compressed and apply the compressive pressure on the tire beads to form a seal between the beads and the bead seats 5b. This forms a tightly closed space C that includes the inside of tire A and the space between the supports 3 and 4. The drive rings 14 are moved by applying a pressurized fluid, such as air, in the cylinders 13 behind the pistons.

The supports 3 and 4, the members 5 and the tire A, while spaced as in FIG. 2, are lowered until the lower annulus 5 and the tire A engage the lower die 1. The upper die 2 is then lowered into engagement with the lower die 1 and the tire. This forces the upper support 4 to further lower into the position in FIG. 1, where the whole apparatus is closed, because bolt heads 19 on the dies 1 and 2 engage ledges 20 on the members 5 and press them further together.

The space C is then supplied with a pressure medium such as air through a passage (not shown) in the lower support 3, which is heated by the heating means 15 for vulcanization of the tire.

When the vulcanized and formed tire A is removed from the apparatus, it is necessary to retract the pivotal members 6 before the upper support 4 is moved away from the lower support 3. This is done by removing the pressure behind the pistons of the cylinders 13 which enables the tension springs 10 to contract and pivot the members 6 inwardly. If desired, the cylinders 13 and the pressure may be arranged to apply an outward force on the pistons and thereby forcibly pivot the members 6 by the groove 17 and projection 18 arrangement.

FIG. 7 shows another embodiment (only some of the lower parts being shown), wherein each support 3' has an annular rim 3a fixed therearound. An annulus 5' is movably supported in the support 3', and connected through rods 12' to hydraulic cylinders 13', for axially slidable movement relative to the support. The support 3' further has an axially inner, peripheral edge or ring 14' located radially within the annulus 5'. The slide annulus 5' carries a number of pivotal members 6' substantially the same as the members 6.

When the annulus 5' is retracted axially outwardly (downwardly) into the support 3', the edge 14' of support 3' compressively slides on the rear sloped edges 6b' of members 6', which are pivoted outwardly against the force of an endless tension spring 10', as shown by solid lines in FIG. 7. When the annulus 5' moves upwardly from the retracted position, the members 6' are retracted as shown by dash-dot lines in FIG. 7.

The other parts of the apparatus are substantially the same as in the embodiment of FIGS. 1-6.

Thus, according to this invention, tires having the same inner diameter but different axial widths can be vulcanized by adjusting the space between the supports 3 and 4. For different inner diameters of tire beads, the pivotal members 6 can be readily replaced with others of appropriate size for the bead diameter. The dies 1 and 2 are also replaceable to meet various tire sizes. The parts operate smoothly without localized overstresses.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 6, the radially extending side edges 21 of the plates 7 that have the blocks 7a are slanted in one direction while the side edges of the other plates 7 have slants in the other direction. These slants enable the plates 7 that do not have the blocks to shift upwardly and smoothly engage the slanted edges of the other plates when the plates are pressed against the axially inner sides of the tire beads. Of course, differences in thicknesses of the beads are adjusted to by the springs 9 and the movable mounting of the plates 7.