Apparatus for simultaneously recapping a plurality of tires with precured tread rubber

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR SIMULTANEOUSLY RECAPPING A PLURALITY OF TIRES ARRANGED ASAXIALLY ALIGNEDTIRE ASSEMBLIES, EACH SAID ASSEMBLY INCLUDING ATIRE CASING, ASTRIP OF PRECURED TREAD RUBBER ABOUT THE CASING, A RIM DEVICE CONTACTING THE BEADS OF THE TIRE AND A FLEXIBLE ENVELOPE COVERING THE PRECURED TREAD RUBBER WITH MEANS FOR VENTING AIR FROM UNDER THEENVELOPE, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING: A TUBULAR BODY MEMBER WITH AFIXED END WALL FORMING A CAVITY AND ADAPTED TO SURROUND THE AXIALLY ALIGNED TIRE ASSEMBLIES; A REMOVABLE END COVER MEMBER FORMING A FLUID TIGHT CONNECTION WITH ONE END OF SAID BODY MEMBER; A FIRST ANNULAR END SEALING MEMBER SUPPORTED BY AND EXTENDING AXIALLY FROM THE INNER SURFACE OF SAID END WALL TO ENGAGE THE ENVELOPE OF THE LOWERMOST TIRE ASSEMBLY OF SAID PLURALITY OF TIRE ASSEMBLIES; A SECOND ANNULAR END SEALING MEANS FOR ENGAGING THE ENVELOPE OF THE UPPERMOST TIRE ASSEMBLY OF SAID PLURALITY OF TIRE ASSEMBLIES AND FOR FORMING A FLUID TIGHT SEAL BETWEEN IT AND THE INNER SURFACE OF SAID END COVER MEMBER; ANNULAR INTERMEDIATE SEALING MEMBERS LOCATED BETWEEN PAIRS OF ADJACENT TIRE ASSEMBLIES AND BEARING AGAINST THEIR RESPECTIVE ENVELOPES; A FLUID PRESSURE MANIFOLD MEANS EXTENDING AXIALLY THROUGH SAID TUBULAR BODY MEMBER AND SIAD END COVER MEANS; RTAINING MAENA ATTACHED TO SAID MANIFOLD MEANS NEAR ONE END THEREOF AND ADAPTED TO SUPPORT A PLURALITY OF STACKED TIRE ASSEMBLIES SO THAT THEY CAN BE INSTALLED ON SAID RETAINING MEANS OUTSIDE OF SAID BODY MEMBER; CENTERING MEANS ATTACHED TO AND EXTENDING AXIALLY FROM SAID MANIFOLD MEANS BELOW SAID RETAINING MEANS; GUIDE MEANS IN SAID FIXED END WALL FOR REMOVABLY RECIEVING SAID CENTERING MEANS FOR THEREBY HOLDING THE STACKED TIRE ASSEMBLIES ON SAID MANIFOLD MEANS IN SUBSTANTIALLY AXIAL ALIGMENT WITHIN SAID TUBULAR BOODY MEMBER; CONNECTOR MEANS SPACED APART ALONG SAID MANIFOLD MEANS ADAPTED TO BE COUPLED TO EACH TIRE ASSEMBLY FOR MAINTAINING APREDETERMINED INTERNAL PRESSURE WITHIN EACH SAID TIRE; AND MEANS FOR MAINTAINING SAID END COVER MEMBER LOCKED TO SAID BODY MEMBER WHILE MAINTAINING INTERNAL PRESSURE WITHIN THE TIRES TO CAUSE SAID SEALING MEMBERS TO ASSUME A FLUID TIGHT SEALING ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID ENVELOPES, THEREBY FORMING A SEALED TOROIDAL CHAMBER AROUND SAID TIRE ASSEMBLIES FOR RETAINING FLUID PRESSURE AT A LEVEL SLIGHTLY LESS THAN SAID INTERNAL PRESSURE.

Claim 12

A method of simultaneously recapping a plurality of tires comprising the steps of: preparing each tire as an assembly for recapping by buffing its surface, applying a strip of precured tread rubber around the tire with a layer of uncured bonding material between the buffed tire surface and the precured tread rubber, installing a temporary air venting means on the tread rubber, mounting the tire on a rim device and covering the tire with an annular flexible envelope having a U-shaped cross-section which covers the tread rubber and extends inwardly along the opposite sidewalls of the tire; placing a first tire assembly on an elongated member; placing a first annular intermediate sealing member on said first tire assembly so that it engages its envelope and presses it against some portion of the tire assembly; placing alternatively additional tire assemblies and intermediate sealing members on said first annular sealing member to form a stack of tire assemblies around said elongated member; placing said stack of tire assemblies around said elongated member within a body member having a fixed end wall and a diameter substantially larger than the largest tire of said stack engaging said centering one end of said elongated member on said fixed end wall so that a toroidal space is formed around said stack within said body member, and sealing said end wall against the envelope of the lowermost tire assembly of the stack when it is lowered into it; selecting an upper sealing member and placing it on the uppermost tire assembly of said stack; securing a cover member to said body member; introducing an inner fluid under pressure to the interior of said tires to produce an axial expansion of said stack which causes all of said sealing members to form a fluid tight seal with their adjacent tire assemblies and therefore a fluid-tight toroidal chamber around the stack; and introducing an outer fluid under pressure to said toroidal chamber at a predetermined pressure level.

Claim 13

A method of simultaneously recapping a plurality of tires comprising the steps of: preparing each tire as an assembly for recapping by buffing its surface, applying a strip of precured tread rubber around the tire with a layer of uncured bonding material between the buffed tire surface and the precured tread rubber, installing a temporary air venting means on the tread rubber, mounting the tire on a rim device and covering the tire with an annular flexible envelope having a U-shaped cross-section which covers the tread rubber and extends inwardly along the opposite sidewalls of the tire; placing a first tire assembly on an elongated member; placing a first annular intermediate sealing member on said first tire assembly so that it engages its envelope and presses it against some portion of the tire assembly; placing alternatively additional tire assemblies and intermediate sealing members on said first annular sealing member to form a stack of tire assemblies around said elongated member; placing said stack of tire assemblies around said elongated member within a body member having a fixed end wall and a diameter substantially larger than the largest tire of said stack engaging said centering one end of said elongated member on said fixed end wall so that a toroidal space is formed around said stack within said body member, and sealing said end wall against the envelope of the lowermost tire assembly of the stack when it is lowered into it; selecting an upper sealing member and placing it on the uppermost tire assembly of said stack; securing a cover member to said body member; introducing an inner fluid under pressure to the interior of said tires to produce an axial expansion of said stack which causes all of said sealing members to form a fluid tight seal with their adjacent tire assemblies and therefore a fluid-tight toroidal chamber around the stack; and introducing an outer fluid under pressure to said toroidal chamber at a predetermined pressure level.