Shaping detector for tire mold

Claim 2

A shaping detector mechanism for a tire mold comprising at least one mold cavity having an inflatable bladder over which a green tire is placed, means supplying a shaping media to said bladder, a fluidic proximity sensor mounted for movement selectively to an outer position outwardly of the mold cavity and to an inner position located fixedly within said cavity so as to generate a signal only during the presence of an inflated bladder located in predetermined spaced relation from said sensor, a control valve for said means supplying shaping media to said bladder and movable selectively to a first position to supply shaping media and to a second position to interrupt the supply of shaping media, means to move said sensor to said inner position approximately at the time of introduction of final shaping media to said bladder, control means operatively connecting said sensor to said control valve to move said control valve immediately to said second position upon generation of said signal by said sensor to thus prevent both undershaping and overshaping of the tire, and means operatively connected to said sensor to move said sensor to said outer position upon generation of said signal by said sensor.

Claim 3

A shaping detector as defined in claim 1 in which position indicating means is provided to prevent closure of said mold until said sensor has moved to said outer position.

Claim 4

A shaping detector as defined in claim 2 in which said means to prevent closure of said mold until said sensor has moved to said outer position comprises a fluidic sensor mounted outward of said mold cavity.

Claim 5

A shaping detector as defined in claim 1 in which said control means operatively connecting said sensor to said control valve is a fluidic control system.

Claim 6

A shaping detector as defined in claim 1 in which a timer is energized in response to movemeNt of said sensor to said inner position and is deenergized upon movement of said sensor to said outer position and said timer is operatively connected to a warning device which produces a signal in the event said sensor is not moved to said outer position within a predetermined time interval.

Claim 7

A shaping detector as defined in claim 1 in which said tire mold has at least two mold cavities with a bladder, a fluidic sensor and a control valve for each said mold cavity and actuating means is operatively connected to said means for moving the sensors to said outer position and operable only upon movement of both said control valves to said second position.

Claim 8

A shaping detector as defined in claim 6 in which means is provided to operate said detector selectively on all of the mold cavities of said mold and on a lesser member of mold cavities.

Claim 9

A shaping detector as defined in claim 1 in which said tire mold has at least two mold cavities and means is provided for storing the first signal received from a fluidic sensor in a memory bank and means is provided to send a subsequent signal received from at least one other fluidic sensor through the same memory bank to satisfy the conditions for movement of the fluidic sensors to said outer position.

Claim 10

A shaping detector mechanism for a tire mold comprising first and second mold cavities having respective inflatable bladders over which a green tire is placed, means supplying a shaping media to said bladders, first and second fluidic proximity sensors respectively mounted for movement relative to said first and second mold cavities and selectively between respective outer positions outwardly of said mold cavities and inner positions located fixedly within said mold cavities so as to generate respective first and second signals only during the presence of respective inflated bladders located in predetermined spaced relation from said first and second sensors, first and second valves controlling said means supplying shaping media to said bladders, said control valves each being movable selectively to a first position to supply shaping media and to a second position to interrupt the supply of shaping media, means for moving said sensors to said inner positions approximately at the time of introduction of final shaping media to said bladder, control means respectively operatively connecting said first and second sensors to said first and second control valves for respectively moving said control valves immediately to said second positions during respective generation of said signals by said sensors and for immediately and simultaneously moving said first and second sensors to said outer positions in response to initial generation of said signal by one of said sensors after the occurrence of the initial generation of said signal by the other of said sensors and regardless of whether said other sensor is still generating said signal.

Claim 11

A shaping detector mechanism for a tire mold comprising first and second mold cavities having respective inflatable bladders over which a green tire is placed, means supplying a shaping media to said bladders, first and second fluidic proximity sensors respectively mounted for movement relative to said first and second mold cavities and selectively between respective outer positions outwardly of said mold cavities and inner positions located fixedly within said mold cavities so as to generate respective first and second signals only during the presence of respective inflated bladders located in predetermined spaced relation from said first and second sensors, first and second valves controlling said means supplying shaping media to said bladders, said control valves each being movable selectively to a first position to supply shaping media and to a second position to interrupt the supply of shaping media, means for moving said sensors to said inner positions approximately at the time of introduction of final shaping media to said bladder, control means respectively operatively connecting said first and second sensors to said first and second control valves for respectively moving said control valves immediately to said second positions during respective generation of said signals by said sensors and for immediately and simultaneously moving said first and second sensors to said outer positions in response to initial generation of said signal by one of said sensors after the occurrence of the initial generation of said signal by the other of said sensors and regardless of whether said other sensor is still generating said signal.