Apparatus for building a foam inflated tire

Abstract

Abstract AN APPRATUS FOR AT LEAST PARTIALLY FILLING A MOLDED AND VULCANIZED TIRE WITH FOAMABLE, ELASTOMERIC MATERIAL. THE APPARATUS HAS A PAIR OF PARALLEL, UPPER AND LOWER BEAD SEATS ON WHICH A VULCANIZED TIRE IS MOUNTED. AN INFLATABLE RING IS MOVED INTO POSITION FOR ANNULARLY ENGAGING AND CONSTRICTING THE TIER TO MAINTAIN THE BEADS OF THE TIRE IN FIRM SEATED RELATION AGAINST THE BEAD SEATS. AN EXTERNALLY, ACCESSIBLE CHAMBER IS MOVABLE INTO COMMUNICATING RELATION WITH THE ANNULAR CAVITY OF THE TIRE MOUNTED ON THE BEAD SEATS. UNFOAMED, ELASTOMERIC MATERIAL IS THEN PLACED IN THE CHAMBER AND A RAM IS USED TO FORCE THE MATERIAL FROM THE CHAMBER INTO THE TIRTE CAVITY. THE RAM CARRIES A BLADDER WHICH IS CENTERED IN THE SPACE BETWEEN THE BEAD SEATS AND INFLATED TO COMPRESS THE MATERIAL WITHIN THE TIRE CAVITY AGAINST THE INNER CROWN OF THE TIRE. THE VARIOUS COMPONENTS ARE THEN MOVED OUT OF INTERFERING RELATION WITH REMOVAL OF THE FILLED TIRE FROM THE MACHINE. THE FILLED TIRE IS THEN MOUNTED ON A WHEEL RIM AND HEATED TO FOAM AND CURE THE ELASTOMERIC MATERIAL IN THE TIRE CAVITY.

Inventors

• 👤 Christopher E Christie
• 👤 Eugene Earl Martin

Bibliographic Details