Machine for building pneumatic tires

Claim 1

A MACHINE FOR BUILDING PNEUMATIC TIRES COMPRISING A DRUM ASSEMBLY INCLUDING TWO CIRCULAR END PLATES AND A FLEXIBLE CYLINDRICAL BLADDER WITH THE SAID BLADDER CONNECTED TO SAID END PLATES TO FORM THEREWITH AN AIR-IMPERVIOUS INCLOSURE, THE SAID DRUM ASSEMBLY BEING SELECTIVELY MOVABLE FROM A GENERALLY CYLINDRICAL TO A GENERALLY OBLATE SPHEROIDAL CONFIGURATION BY RELATIVE MOVEMENT OF SAID END PLATES AND CHANGE OF AIR PRESSURE IN THE ENCLOSURE, A TUBULAR SLEEVE CONNECTED AT ONE END TO ONE OF SAID END PLATES, A SHAFTE EXTENDING THROUGH SAID SLEEVE AND CONNECTED AT ONE END TO THE OTHER OF SAID END PLATES, MEANS SUPPORTING SAID SHAFT AND SLEEVE FOR ROTATION AS A UNIT AND FOR RELATIVE AXIAL MOVEMENT WITH THE ENDS OF SAID SHAFT AND SLEEVE REMOTE FROM SAID DRUM ASSEMBLY ADJACENT TO EACH OTHER, AND MEANS FOR EFFECTING THE SAID RELATIVE AXIAL MOVEMENT COMPRISING A MEMBER ROTATABLY SUPPORTED COAXIALLY WITH SAID SHAFTE AND SLEEVE AT A LOCATION ADJACENT TO THOSE ENDS THEREOF REMOTE FROM SAID DRUM ASEMBLY, THE SAID MEMBER BEING RESTRAINED FROM AXIAL MOVEMENT AND INCLUDING TWO OPPOSITELY THREADED PORTIONS ADJACENT EACH OTHER AND ENGAGED RESPECTIVELY WITH CORRESPONDINGLY THREADED ADJACENT PORTIONS ON SAID SLEEVE AND SHAFT, MEANS TO SELECTIVELY ROTATE SAID MEMBER IN ONE DIRECTION TO THEREBY MOVE SAID END PLATES AWAY FROM EACH OTHER TO DISPOSE THE DRUM IN ITS GENERALLY CYLINDRICAL CONFIGURATIONAND IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION TO MOVE SAID END PLATES TOWARD EACH OTHER FOR DISPOSING SAID DRUM IN ITS OBLATE SPHEROIDAL CONFIGURATION AND MEANS TO SELECTIVELY INTRODUCE AIR UNDER PRESSURE INTO AND EXHAUST IF FROM SAID DRUM.