Tire molding machine

Claim 2

The tire molding machine of claim 1 comprising biasing means associated with said drive means for biasing said one tire bead guide away from the other of said tire bead guides.

Claim 3

A tire molding machine for molding tire tread material to the outer periphery of an annular tire carcass having opposed annular tire beads lying radially inwardly of the periphery of the tire carcass and radially outwardly of the rotational axis of the carcass comprising opposed open ended cup-shaped tire molds mounted for relative movement of their open ends toward and away from each other to closed and opened positions, respectively, said molds having inner faces defining a tire receiving chamber in the closed position of said tire molds, tire tread matrices at the outer peripheries of said inner faces for displacement of tire tread material thereinto, first and second tire bead guides for engaging said tire beads associated with said tire molds for relative movement with respect thereto and for movement toward and away from each other, and motion transmitting means associated with said tire bead guides for effecting conjoint and uniform movement of said tire bead guides toward and away from each other when engaged with said tire beads, said motion transmitting means including centering means for guiding movement of said tire bead guides toward and away from each other on the rotational axis of said carcass, said tire molds having their open ends extending horizontally, mold positioning means comprising a first piston and a first cylinder for moving said tire molds toward and away from each other, first tire bead guide positioning means for one of said tire bead guides comprising a second piston and a second cylinder with said second cylinder being connected directly to said first piston, and second tire bead guide positioning means for the other of said tire bead guides comprising a third piston and a third cylinder in which said third piston is connected to said other of said tire bead guides.

Claim 4

A tire molding machine for molding tire tread material to the outer periphery of an annular tire carcass having opposed annular tire beads lying radially inwardly of the periphery of the tire carcass and radially outwardly of the rotational axis of the carcass comprising opposed open ended cup-shaped tire molds mounted for relative movement of their open ends toward and away from each other to closed and opened positions, respectively, said molds having inner faces defining a tire receiving chamber in the closed position of said tire molds, tire tread matrices at the outer peripheries of said inner faces for displacement of tire tread material thereinto, first and second tire bead guides for engaging said tire beads associated with said tire molds for relative movement with respect thereto and for movement toward and away from each other, and motion transmitting means associated with said tire bead guides for effecting conjoint and uniform movement of said tire bead guides toward and away from each other when engaged with said tire beads, said motion transmitting means including centering means for guiding movement of said tire bead guides toward and away from each other on the rotational axis of said carcass, said tire molds having their open ends extending horizontally, mold positioning means comprIsing a first piston and a first cylinder for moving said tire molds toward and away from each other, first tire bead guide positioning means for one of said tire bead guides comprising a second piston and a second cylinder with said second cylinder being connected directly to said first piston, and second tire bead guide positioning means for the other of said tire bead guides comprising a third piston and a third cylinder in which said third piston is connected to said other of said tire bead guides, said other tire bead guide being connected to said third piston by a hollow rod, said centering means comprising a centering rod mounted for movement within and relative to said hollow rod, centering socket means having a socket for the other of said tire bead guides for receiving one end of said centering rod, and said motion transmitting means comprising drive means connected with said hollow rod for maintaining one end of said centering rod in engagement with said centering socket in movement of said tire bead guides when engaged with said tire beads toward and away from each other.

Claim 5

The tire molding machine of claim 5 characterized by said drive means comprising a toothed rack, in which said centering rod is provided with a toothed portion, and a pinion mounted for rotation on a fixed axis and being engaged with the toothed portions of said rack and said centering rod.

Claim 6

The tire molding machine of claim 6 characterized by the provision of spring means anchored at one end and connected at its other end to said hollow rod for biasing said one tire bead guide away from said other tire bead guide.

Claim 7

A tire molding machine for molding tire tread material to the outer periphery of an annular tire carcass having opposed annular tire beads lying radially inwardly of the periphery of the tire carcass and radially outwardly of the rotational axis of the carcass comprising opposed open ended cup-shaped tire molds mounted for relative movement of their open ends toward and away from each other to closed and opened positions, respectively, said molds having inner faces defining a tire receiving chamber in the closed position of said tire molds, tire tread matrices at the outer peripheries of said inner faces for displacement of tire tread material thereinto, first and second tire bead guides for engaging said tire beads associated with said tire molds for relative movement with respect thereto and for movement toward and away from each other, motion transmitting means associated with said tire bead guides for effecting conjoint and uniform movement of said tire bead guides toward and away from each other when engaged with said tire beads, one of said cup-shaped tire molds fixedly mounted with its open end extending horizontally, the other of said cup-shaped tire molds disposed above said one cup-shaped tire mold with its open end extending horizontally, mold positioning means comprising a first piston and a first cylinder for moving said other tire mold toward and away from said one tire mold, first tire bead guide positioning means for one of said tire bead guides comprising a second piston and a second cylinder with said second cylinder being connected directly to said first piston, second tire bead guide positioning means for the other of said tire bead guides comprising a third piston and a third cylinder in which said third piston is connected to said other of said tire bead guides, said other tire bead guide being connected to said third piston by a hollow rod, said motion transmitting means including centering means for guiding movement of said tire bead guides toward and away from each other on the rotational axis of said carcass, said centering means comprising a centering rod mounted for movement within and relative to said hollow rod, centering socket means having a socket for the other of said tire bead guides for receiving one end of said centering rod, said motion transmitting means comprising drive means connected with said hollow rod for maintaining one end of said centering rod in engagement with said centering socket for movement of said tire bead guides toward and away from each other when engaged with said tire beads, said drive means comprising a toothed rack, said centering rod having a toothed portion, and a pinion mounted for rotation upon a fixed axis and being engaged with the toothed portions of said rack and said centering rod, and spring means anchored at one end and connected at its other end to said hollow rod for biasing said one tire bead guide away from said other tire bead guide.

Claim 8

A tire molding machine for molding tread material to the outer periphery of an annular tire carcass having opposed annular tire beads lying radially inwardly of the periphery of the tire carcass and radially outwardly of the rotational axis of the carcass comprising a lower cup-shaped tire mold fixedly mounted with its open end extending horizontally and opening upwardly, an upper cup-shaped tire mold disposed above said lower cup-shaped tire mold with its open end extending horizontally and opening downwardly and toward the open end of said lower cup-shaped tire mold, mold positioning means for said upper tire mold for moving the same toward and away from said lower tire mold to closed and opened positions, respectively, said lower and upper tire molds having inner faces defining a tire receiving chamber in the closed position of said tire molds, tire tread matrices at the outer peripheries of said inner faces for displacement of the tire tread material thereinto, tire bead guides for engaging said tire beads associated, respectively, with said lower and upper tire molds for relative movement with respect thereto and for movement toward and away from each other, tire bead guide positioning means associated with said lower mold for positioning the tire bead guide associated with said lower tire mold above the open end of said lower cup-shaped tire mold for supporting said tire carcass thereon in the opened position of said lower and upper cup-shaped tire molds, motion transmitting means associated with said tire bead guides for effecting for movement of the latter toward and away from each other, said motion transmitting means including centering means for guiding movement of said tire bead guides toward and away from each other on the rotational axis of said carcass, said centering means comprising a centering rod mounted for movement relative to and within said tire bead guide associated with said lower mold, centering socket means having a socket for said tire bead guide associated with said upper mold for receiving one end of said centering rod, and said motion transmitting means comprising drive means for maintaining said one end of said centering rod in engagement with said centering socket in movement of said tire bead guides toward and away from each other.

Claim 9

The tire molding machine of claim 9 comprising biasing means associated with said drive means for biasing said tire bead guide associated with said lower mold away from said tire bead guide associated with said upper mold.