Method of and apparatus for building an air spring bellows

Claim 1

THE HEREIN DESCRIBED METHOD OF BUILDING A LAMINATED RUBBER AND FABRIC ANNULUS WITH END OPENINGS SURROUNDED BY INEXTENSIBLE BEADS WHICH COMPRISES BUILDING A LAMINATED RUBBER AND FABRIC TUBE AND SUPPORTING THE SAME ON A SUBSTANTIALLY CYLINDRICAL FORM, SUPPORTING A BEAD RING OF AN INTERNAL DIAMETER GREATER THAN THE EXTERNAL DIAMETER OF SAID TUBE INDEPENDENTLY OF THE FORM AND TUBE AND MOVING THE SAME AXIALLY OVER A TUBE ON SAID FORM TO A POSITION SURROUNDING SAID FROM AND AN END PORTION OF SAID TUBE ON SAID FORM, APPLYING A RADIAL OUTWARD PRESSURE TO THE INTERIOR OF SAID END PORTION OF THE TUBE THROUGHOUT ITS CIRCUMFERENCE TO EXPAND THE SAME SAID END PORTION TO A DIAMETER GREATER THAN THAT OF THE REMAINDER OF THE TUBE AND AGAINST THE INTERIOR OF SAID RING, EXPANDING THE TUBE END TO A DIAMETER GREATER THAN THAT OF SAID RING, HOLDING SAID RING AND TUBE AGAINST ENDWISE MOVEMENT WITH RESPECT TO SAID FORM, APPLYING AN AXIAL THRUST TO THE EXPANDED TUBE END TO CUFF THE SAME OVER SAID BEAD RING, APPLYING A RADIAL INWARD PRESSURE SIMULTANEOUSLY THROUGHOUT THE CIRCUMFERENCE TO THE TURNED BACK PORTION OF THE TUBE END WHILE THE RING IS HELD AGAINST AXIAL MOVEMENT TO CONTRACT THE SAME TO AN INTERNAL DIAMETER LESS THAN THE EXTERNAL DIAMETER OF THE RING AND INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH THE EXTERIOR FACE OF THE TUBE BY RADIAL INWARD PRESSURE.