Apparatus for supplying ply fabric to a tire building drum

Claim 1

IN A TIRE BUILDING MACHINE, AN EXTERNALLY CYLINDRICAL TIRE BUILDING DRUM MOUNTED FOR ROTATION ABOUT A HORIZONTAL AXIS, A SERICER MOUNTED NEAR SAID DRUM HAVING A FRAME SPACED FROM SAID FRUM, A SUPPLY ROLL HAVING A SHEET OF LINER MATERIAL AND A SHEET OF RUBBERIZED TIRE FABRIC SPIRALLY WOUND THEREON, MEANS MOUNTING SAID SUPPLY ROLL FOR ROTATION ABOUT AN AXIS PARALLEL TO THE DRUM AXIS, MEANS FOR PULLING SAID SHEET FROM SAID SUPPLY ROLL AND FOR SEPARATING SAID SHEETS INCLUDING A PULL ROLL AND MOTOR MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID PULL ROLL, MEANS CARRIED BY SAID FRAME MOUNTING SAID PULL FOR ROTATION ABOUT AN AXIS ABOVE AND SUPPORTING TABLE MOUNTED ON SAID FRAME TO SWING ABOUT AN AXIS PARALLEL TO THE DRUM AXIS FROM A GENERALLY HORIZONTAL FEEDING POSITION OVER THE TIRE BUILDING DRUM TO AN UPRIGHT RETRACTED POSITION SPACED A SUBSTANTIAL DISTANCE FROM SAID DRUM, SAID TABLE HAVING A CARRIAGE MOUNTED FOR MOVEMENT TRANSERSELY IN A DIRECTION PARALLEL TO THE DRUM AXIS, A SERIES OF CYLINDRICAL FABRIC-ENGAGING ROLLS MOUNTED ON SAID CARRIAGE PARALLEL TO THE DRUM AXIS, MEANS FOR GUIDING THE RUBBERIZED FABRIC SHEET FROM SAID SUPPLY ROLL OVER SAID PULL ROLL TO SAID ATABLE AND FOR FORMING A FABRIC FESTOON BETWEEN SAID ROLLS AND SAID TABLE, MEANS FOR BIASING THE CARRIAGE IN A TRANSVERSE DIRECTION AND FOR CONTROLLING THE TRASVERSE MOVEMENT OF SAID CARRIAGE TO LOCATE THE CARRIAGE IN A SERIES OF PREDETERMINED POSITIONS, GUIDE MEANS FOR PREVENTING REATIVE TRANSVERSE MOVEMENT BETWEEN SAID CARRIAGE AND THE FABRIC SHEET SUPPORTED BY SAID CARRIAGE SO THAT THE FABRIC MAY BE ACCURATELY POSITIONED AS IT IS APPLIED TO THE TIRE BUILDING DRUM, MEANS FOR PRODUCING A SIGNAL WHEN THE AMOUNT OF FABRIC IN SAID FESTOON IS BELOW A PREDETERMINED AMOUNT, AND MEANS FOR PRODUCING A SIGNAL TROLLING SAID MOTOR MEANS IN RESPONSE TO SAID SIGNAL TO MAINTAIN A SUPPLY OF FABRIC ON SAID TABLE AND IN SAID FESTOON AT ALL TIMES.