Method and apparatus for making blades

Claim 3

Apparatus for making blades for use in tire molds comprising means for positioning a cantilevered free end of an indefinite running length of blade strip stock including stock gripping first jaw means having opposed surfaces engageable with said cantilevered end, a bending device movable between an inoperative remote position spaced from said jaw means and a working position proximate said jaw means, means for moving said device between said working and said remote position, said device having a stock engaging cantileverly supported finger engageable with the free end of said stocK adjacent to and outwardly of said first jaw means and rotatable about a rotation axis substantially parallel to the strip engaging surfaces of said jaw means, and drive means connected to said device to effect rotation of said finger to a predetermined angle to bend a portion of said free end into angular relation with respect to another portion of said stock engaged within said jaw means.

Claim 4

Apparatus for making blades for use in tire molds comprising means for positioning a cantilevered free end of an indefinite running length of blade strip stock including stock gripping first jaw means having opposed surfaces engageable with said cantilevered end, a bending device movable between an inoperative remote position spaced from said jaw means and a working position proximate said jaw means, means for moving said device between said working and said remote position, said device having a stock engaging cantileverly supported finger engageable with the free end of said stocK adjacent to and outwardly of said first jaw means and rotatable about a rotation axis substantially parallel to the strip engaging surfaces of said jaw means, and drive means connected to said device to effect rotation of said finger to a predetermined angle to bend a portion of said free end into angular relation with respect to another portion of said stock engaged within said jaw means.

Claim 5

Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein said jaw means includes an upper and a lower bending nose portion each of particylindrical form and each disposed respectively about a cylinder axis parallel to said stock engaging surfaces, and further comprising means for selectively placing said rotation axis and each said cylinder axis respectively in collinear relation.

Claim 6

Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said first means for positioning comprises carriage means movable along a path parallel to said axis, guide means for guiding said carriage means along said path, and driving means connected to said carriage means for moving said carriage means successively to a predetermined plurality of positions in response to said sequence of command signals.

Claim 7

Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said plurality of shaping tools includes a plurality of material removing tools and at least one bending device.

Claim 8

Apparatus as claimed in claim 5 wherein said bending device includes a bending finger cantileverly extended from said device and engageable with said free end, and further including bending jaw means adapted to engage said strip, said third means including means for rotating said finger and said free end through a predetermined angle with respect to said jaw means.

Claim 9

Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said second means comprises track means defining a track transverse to the first said axis, carrier means supporting said plurality of shaping tools and movable along said track in predetermined fixed spaced relation with respect to one another, and drive means connected to said carrier means for moving said carrier means into said predetermined relation with said free end in response to said sequence of command signals.

Claim 10

Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein at least one of said means for positioning comprises servo drive means including a feedback transducer capable of emitting a signal which is a function of the actual position of said means, and a feedback tachometer generator capable of emitting a signal which is a function of the rate of movement of said means.

Claim 11

Apparatus as claimed in claim 8 wherein said transducer is an encoder capable of emitting a signal which is uniquely representative of the said actual position.

Claim 12

Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said control means for storing and communicating signals comprises a memory device for storing a predetermined sequence of command signals, and including drive means connected respectively to each of said first and second means for positioning to provide positioning movement thereof, a plurality of control circuits connecting said drive means respectively with said control means for selectively communicating said command signals to said drive means.

Claim 13

Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said means for storing and communicating signals comprises a memory device for storing a predetermined sequence of command signals, a plurality of servo control circuits each communicating with a respective one of said means for positioning and with said memory device, and including drive means respectively connected to each of said first and second means to provide positioning movement thereof, and a transducer connected respectively to each of said drive means to provide signals to said circuits responsive to the respective positions of said means for positioning.

Claim 14

Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said second means comprises means for positioning a bending device including a bending finger to place said finger in engagement with one of the top and bottom surfaces of said strip, and said tHird means includes means for rotating said finger about an axis transverse to the first said axis in response to said sequence of signals, whereby a portion of said free end will be displaced angularly with respect to a next adjacent portion thereof by said finger.

Claim 15

Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 said second means further comprising a plurality of punch and die sets including a set adapted to remove material from said strip, at least one set adapted for rotation about an axis generally normal to the plane defined by the first said axis and the direction of movement of said second means, and a set comprising cutoff means for severing said free end from said strip.

Claim 16

Apparatus as claimed in claim 13 further including a plurality of springs respectively operative to urge the die portion of each of said punch and die sets to an idle position elevated slightly with respect to its working position.

Claim 17

Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 said second means further comprising drive means including a lead screw, carrier means supporting said plurality of tools and connected to said screw, motor means connected to said screw, and means for controlling the driving movement of said motor means responsive to the displacement of said carrier from a predetermined position.

Claim 18

Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein at least one of said plurality of shaping tools is rotatable about a rotation axis oriented transversely with respect to the first said axis in response to said signals.

Claim 19

Apparatus as claimed in claim 16 further comprising connecting means communicating rotational movement from one of said bending device and said rotatable one of said tools to the other thereof whereby said device and said one tool are in positive timed rotational relation with each other.

Claim 20

Apparatus as claimed in claim 5 further including a carrier supporting said plurality of tools and connected to said bending device in fixed space relation thereto, and track means supporting said carrier and said device for collinear movement transverse to the first said axis.

Claim 21

Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 said first means further comprising drive means including a lead screw, carriage means adapted to engage said strip and connected to said lead screw, motor means connected to said lead screw, and means for controlling driving movement of said motor responsive to the displacement of said carriage from a predetermined position.

Claim 22

Apparatus as claimed in claim 4 wherein said first means for positioning said free end further comprises first jaw means engageable with a portion of said strip, second jaw means engageable with said strip and mounted on said carriage means for movement therewith, a strip straightening device mounted on said carriage means and adapted to receive an intermediate length of said strip therein, said driving means being adapted to move said second jaw means away from said first jaw means while said first jaw means engage said strip and while said second jaw means are disengaged from said stock strip, whereby said strip is straightened by movement of said device therealong and said second jaw means are repositioned with respect to said strip.

Claim 23

Apparatus as claimed in claim 20 including pivot means mounting said straightening device for limited pivotal movement with respect to said carriage.

Claim 24

Apparatus as claimed in claim 3 wherein said bending device includes a pair of stock engaging fingers alternatively extendable from and retractable into said device, a head rotatably mounted within said device having slide ways therein disposed at small equal and opposite angles with respect to said rotation axis receiving said fingers for movement along said ways, and finger drive means connected to said fingers and operable to extend one and retract the other of said fingers.

Claim 25

Apparatus as claimed in claim 22 further comprising means for storing and communicating command signals connected to each of said drive means and effective to control individually the driving movement thereof.

Claim 26

Apparatus as claimed in claim 3 including means for moving said finger toward and away from said rotation axis independently of the rotation of said device.

Claim 27

Apparatus as claimed in claim 3 including means for extending and retracting said finger with respect to said device independently of the rotation of said device.

Claim 28

Apparatus as claimed in claim 3 wherein said bending device includes a plurality of rotatable input shafts, a rotatable head mounted within said device and having slide ways therein, a pair of fingers including the first said finger each having a gear rack and being slidably received in said slide ways, a rack pinion mounted rotatably in said head and engaging at least one of the racks, said drive means including means connecting said head and one of said input shafts for positive rotational relation therebetween, a gear train connecting said pinion to an other of said input shafts and operative to prevent rotation of said pinion about its own axis during rotation of said one input shaft and to provide positive rotational relation between said rack pinion about its own axis and said other input shaft.

Claim 29

Apparatus as claimed in claim 26 wherein said gear train includes a planetary gear set having a first gear in geared engagement with said one shaft, a second gear in geared engagement with said other input shaft, and planet gears drivingly connected to said pinion and to said shafts.

Claim 30

Apparatus as claimed in claim 3 further comprising a base, track means fixedly mounted on said base, said bending device being supported for movement along said track means, said drive means including a shaft supported for rotation without axial movement on said base and slidably received in said bending device, and motor means carried by said base and drivingly connected to said shaft.

Claim 31

Apparatus as claimed in claim 3 further comprising means for adjusting the positions of said first jaw means with respect to said rotation axis, means for adjusting the spacing between said finger and said axis and means responsive to a command signal operative to actuate both said means for adjusting.

Claim 32

Apparatus as claimed in claim 29 the second said means for adjusting further comprising means for controlling the movement of said finger toward and away from said rotation axis and of said jaw means responsive to a preset thickness of said strip.

Claim 33

Apparatus for making blades for use in molds for tires comprising a base, a press having a ram reciprocable along a vertical axis mounted on said base, ram drive means for actuating said press in response to a command signal, first means mounted on said base for positioning a free end of an indefinite running length of blade making stock along a generally horizontal axis, said first means including horizontal rock shaft means mounted on said base, a bed member having guide means thereon lying generally parallel to said horizontal axis and mounted for pivotal movement about said rock shaft means, first stock gripping jaw means fixed to said member and spaced therealong from said rock shaft means, carriage means supported on said guide means for movement therealong and carrying stock gripping second jaw means, clamp drive means operative to clamp and to unclamp said first jaw means in response to a command signal, clamp drive means operative to clamp and to unclamp said second jaw means in response to command signals, an elevation control device interposed between said base and said bed member and spaced from said rock shaft means, adjusting drive means for adjusting the elevation of said first jaw means, carriage drive means connected to said carriage means for moving said carriage means along said guide means toward and away from said first jaw means and said vertical axis in response to command signals, second means for positioning a selected one of a plurality of shaping tools into predetermined proximate relation to said free end and to said press, said second means including tool guIde means providing a horizontal track transverse to said vertical and said horizontal axis, carrier means carrying said plurality of tools and a bending device movable along said track, and carrier drive means connected to said carrier means and said device for moving said carrier and said device in response to a command signal, said bending device including a bender finger engageable with said free end, bend driving means connected to move said finger to bend said free end, and means for storing and communicating a predetermined sequence of command signals including a memory device and a plurality of control circuits connected respectively to each of said drive means to communicate said command signals thereto.

Claim 34

Apparatus for making blades for use in molds for tires comprising a base, a press having a ram reciprocable along a vertical axis mounted on said base, ram drive means for actuating said press in response to a command signal, first means mounted on said base for positioning a free end of an indefinite running length of blade making stock along a generally horizontal axis, said first means including horizontal rock shaft means mounted on said base, a bed member having guide means thereon lying generally parallel to said horizontal axis and mounted for pivotal movement about said rock shaft means, first stock gripping jaw means fixed to said member and spaced therealong from said rock shaft means, carriage means supported on said guide means for movement therealong and carrying stock gripping second jaw means, clamp drive means operative to clamp and to unclamp said first jaw means in response to a command signal, clamp drive means operative to clamp and to unclamp said second jaw means in response to command signals, an elevation control device interposed between said base and said bed member and spaced from said rock shaft means, adjusting drive means for adjusting the elevation of said first jaw means, carriage drive means connected to said carriage means for moving said carriage means along said guide means toward and away from said first jaw means and said vertical axis in response to command signals, second means for positioning a selected one of a plurality of shaping tools into predetermined proximate relation to said free end and to said press, said second means including tool guIde means providing a horizontal track transverse to said vertical and said horizontal axis, carrier means carrying said plurality of tools and a bending device movable along said track, and carrier drive means connected to said carrier means and said device for moving said carrier and said device in response to a command signal, said bending device including a bender finger engageable with said free end, bend driving means connected to move said finger to bend said free end, and means for storing and communicating a predetermined sequence of command signals including a memory device and a plurality of control circuits connected respectively to each of said drive means to communicate said command signals thereto.

Claim 37

The method claimed in claim 32 wherein at least one of said moving steps includes moving a first plurality of material removing tools successively individually individually into predetermined sequences of material moving engagements with each said free end, moving at least one bending tool into surface engagement with at least one said free end and bending a portion of such free end successively in each of two opposite directions to angled relationship with respect to an adjacent portion of such free end.

Claim 38

Apparatus as claimed in claim 11, at least one of said plurality of servocontrol circuits including means for controlling the rate of movement of the respectively associated one of said means for positioning as such means approaches the commanded position thereof.

Claim 39

Apparatus as claimed in claim 34 further comprising servo valve means for regulating fluid flow to and from said drive means connected to a respective one of said means for positioning and responsive to the respectively associated servocontrol circuit to stall such drive means by applying a locked-in column of fluid at substantially the maximum available pressure at both inlet and outlet of such drive means when the commanded position is reached by said drive means.