Strip applying device

Claim 1

IN A DEVICE ADAPTED FOR ADHESIVELY APPLYING LENGTHS OF ELASTIC REFLEX-REFLECTIVE STRIP MATERIAL TO TIRE CASINGS FROM A SUPPLY OF THE STRIP MATERIAL HAVING A PROTECTIVE LINER APPLIED THERETO, SAID DEVICE COMPRISING MEANS ADAPTED FOR DRIVING A SAID TIE ASING PAST AN APPLYING STATION, AN APPLYING HEAD INCLUDING A FRAME, AN APPLYING WHEEL ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON SAID FRAME, AND MEANS FOR DEFINING A PATH FOR SAID STRIP MATERIAL ALONG SAID FRAME INCLUDING A PREDETERMINED ARCUATE PATH PORTION REATIVE TO SAID FRAME DEFINED PARTIALLY AROUND SAID APPLYING WHEEL, LINER STRIPPING MEANS FOR STRIPPING THE LINER FROM THE STRIP MATERIAL ALONG SAID PATH IN ADVANCE OF SAID APPLYING WHEEL, AND MEANS FOR MOUNTING SAID APPLYING HEAD AT AN APPLYING POSITION WITH SAID WHEEL PRESSING TAPE ALONG SAID PATH PORTION AGAINST THE TIRE CASING AT SAID APPLYING STATION TO APPLY STRIP MATERIAL AS THE TIRE CASING IS DRIVEN PAST THE APPLYING STATION, THE IMPROVEMENT WHEREIN SAID DEVICE INCLUDES: A VACUUM COLUMN DEFINING A PORTION OF SAID PATH ADJACENT SAID APPLYING WHEEL, SAID VACUUM COLUMN HAVING A CHAMBER WITH OPEN AND CLOSED ENDS ADAPTED FOR RECEIVING A U-SHAPED SUPPLY LENGTH OF SAID STRIP MATERIAL THROUGH SAID OPEN END TO FORM A LOOSE FITTING AIR SEAL BETWEEN SAID OPEN AND CLOSED ENDS, MEANS FOR PROVIDING AIR UNDER LESS THAN ATOMSPHERIC PRESSURE AT THE CLOSED END IN SAID CHAMBER TO SUPPORT THE U-SHAPED LENGTH THEREIN, SENSING MEANS ALONG SAID CHAMBER FOR SENSING THE POSITION OF SAID U-SHAPED LENGTH OF STRIP MATERIAL WITHIN SAID CHAMBER, STRIP DRIVE MEANS ALONG SAID PATH AND IN DRIVING ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID STRIP MATERIAL PRIOR TO SAID VACUUM COLUMN FOR DRIVING SAID STRP ALONG SAID PATH, AND CONTROL MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID SENSING AND STRIP DRIVE MEANS AND RESPONSIVE TO THE POSITION OF SAID U-SHAPED LENGTH OF STRIP MATERIAL IN SAID VACUUM COLUMN FOR OPERATING SAID STRIP DRIVE MEANS TO MAINTAIN A U-SHAPED SUPPLY LENGTH OF MATERIAL IN SAID CHAMBER AS STRIP MATERIAL IS APPLIED AROUND A TIRE CASING, SAID LINER STRIPPING MEANS AND SAID STRIP DRIVE MEANS COMPRISING: A FIRST ROLLER HAVING A CYLINDIRCAL PERIPHERAL SURFACE ABOUT AN AXIS, A SECOND ROLLER HAVING CYLINDRICAL PERIPHERAL SURFACE PORTIONS ABOUT AN AXIS AND AT LEAST TWO FLATTED PERIPHERAL SURFACE PORTIONS, SAID FIRST AND SECOND ROLLERS BEING IN AN AXIALLY PARALLEL RELATIONSHIP WITH A NIP THEREBETWEEN DEFINING A PORTION OF SAID PATH WITH THE LINR ON THE STRIP MATERIAL ADJACENT THE SECOND ROLLER, AND BEING SPCED TO PROVIDE DRIVING ENGAGEMENT ON OPPOSITE SURFACES OF SAID LINED STRIP MATERIAL POSITIONED IN SAID NIP WHEN ONE OF SAID CIRCULAR PERIPHERAL SURFACE PORTIONS IS AT SAID NIP, SAID FLATTED PERIPHERAL SURFACE PORTIONS AFFORDING MOVEMENT OF THE STRIP MATERIAL RELATVE TO THE PERIPHERY OF THE ROLLERS WHEN ONE OF SAID FLATTED PERIPHERAL SURFACE PORTIONS IS AT SAID NIP, MEANS FOR INDIVIDUALLY DIRIVING SAID FIRST AND SECOND ROLLERS IN OPPOSITE ROTATION AL DIRECTIONS TO PROPEL STRIO MATERIAL IN SID NIP TOWARD SID VACUUM COLUMN WHEN ONE OF SAID CYLINDRICAL PERIPHERAL SURFACE PORTIONS IS AT SAID NIP, MEANS FOR PRESSING THE SEPARATED STRIP MATERIAL INTO CONTINUOUS DRIVING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE PERIPHERY OF SAID FIRST ROLLER AT A POSITION SPACED AROUND THE PERIPHERY THEREOF FROM SAID NIP, AND AN IDLER ROLLER SPACED AROUND THE PERIPHERY OF SAID SECOND ROLLR FROM SAID NIP AND SPACED FROM SAID SECOND ROLLER TO PROVIDE DRIVING ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID LINER THEREBETWEEN WHEN ONE OF SAID CIRCULAR PERIPHRAL SURFACE PORTIONS IS ADJACENT SAID ISLER ROLLER AND TO AFFORD MOVEMENT OF THE LINER RELATIVE TO SAID SECOND ROLLER WHEN ONE OF SAID FLATTED PERIPHERAL SURFACE PORTIONS IS OPPOSITE SAID IDLER ROLLER, SAID FLATTED PERIPHERAL SURFACE PORTIONS ON SAID SECOND ROLLER BEING SPACED SO THAT AT AN ADJUST POSITION OF SAID SECOND ROLLER DURING EACH REVOLUTION THEREOF, ONE FLATTED PERIPHERAL SURFACE PORTION IS AT THE NIP BETWEEN SAID FIRST AND SECOND ROLLERS, WHILE THE OTHER FLATTED PERIPHERAL SURFACE PORTION IS OPPOSITE SAID IDLER ROLLER SO THAT THE DRIVE MEANS WILL PROVIDE SAID MEANS FOR STRIPPING THE LINER FROM THE STRIP MATERIAL WHEN THE LINED STRIP MATERIAL IS FED THROUGH THE NIP BETWEEN THE DRIVEN FIRST AND SECOND ROLLERS WITH THE STRIP MATERIAL THEN EXTENDING ALONG THE PERIPHERY OF THE FIRST ROLLER RO SAID PRESSING MEANS AND TH LINER EXTENDING ALONG THE PERIPHERY OF THE SECOND ROLLER TO THE IDLER ROLLER, AND ANY SLACK ACCUMULATED IN THE STRIP MATERIAL AND LINER ON THE PERIPHERIES OF THE FIRST AND SECOND ROLLRS WILL BE REMOVED BY SLIPPAGE CAUSED FROM TENSION IN THE SUPPLY LENGTH WHEN SAID SECOND ROLLER ROTATES THROUGH SAID ADJUST POSITION.