Apparatus for manufacturing power transmission belting

Claim 1

An apparatus for making power transmission belting from an uncured body comprising: a cylindrical mold member having generally parallel open ends; a generally cylindrically shaped bladder with inwardly curved end portions, the bladder disposed in the mold with the curved end portions generally juxtaposed the open ends of the mold member; two disk members, each having a smoothly curved circumferential concave portion on one side that extends to near it rim, the disk members disposed near each end of the mold member with their concave portions facing each other, the concave portions defining a generally smooth transition between the mold member and disk members; closure plates disposed over the ends of the mold; press means for selectively holding the closure plates in position over the ends of the mold; and means for admitting and rejecting pressurized fluid to and from the bladder.

Claim 2

An apparatus for making power transmission belting from an uncured body comprising: a cylindrical mold member having generally parallel open ends; a generally cylindrically shaped bladder with inwardly curved end portions, the bladder disposed in the mold with the curved end portions generally juxtaposed the open ends of the mold member; two disk members, each having a smoothly curved circumferential concave portion on one side that extends to near it rim, the disk members disposed near each end of the mold member with their concave portions facing each other, the concave portions defining a generally smooth transition between the mold member and disk members; closure plates disposed over the ends of the mold; press means for selectively holding the closure plates in position over the ends of the mold; and means for admitting and rejecting pressurized fluid to and from the bladder.

Claim 3

An apparatus for making power transmission belting from an uncured body comprising: a generally flat lower base plate; a selectively removable cylindrical mold member having generally parallel open ends with one end removably attached to the base plate; a generally cylindrical vessel member having generally parallel open ends and a length generally equal that of the mold member, the vessel member spaced outwardly of the mold member with one end substantially fixedly attached to the base plate; a generally flat and removable upper cover plate disposed over the other end of the mold and vessel members; sealing means disposed at the ends of the mold and vessel members for effecting a pressure seal with the base and cover plates, the mold member, vessel member, base plate, cover plate and sealing means defining a sealed heat chamber; a generally cylindrically shaped bladder with inwardly curved end portions, the bladder disposed in the mold with the curved end portions near the open ends of the mold member, the mold member and bladder defining a mold concavity for receiving the uncured body; two facing disk members disposed in each end of the mold and having smoothly curved circumferential concave portions defining a generally smooth transition between the mold and disk members; means for venting the mold concavity; means for admitting and rejecting pressurized fluid to and from the bladder and heat chamber; and press means for selectively clamping the cover and base plates relatively toward each other.

Claim 4

An apparatus for making power transmission belting from an uncured body comprising: a generally flat lower base plate; a selectively removable cylindrical mold member having generally parallel open ends with one end removably attached to the base plate; a generally cylindrical vessel member having generally parallel open ends and a length generally equal that of the mold member, the vessel member spaced outwardly of the mold member with one end substantially fixedly attached to the base plate; a generally flat and removable upper cover plate disposed over the other end of the mold and vessel members; sealing means disposed at the ends of the mold and vessel members for effecting a pressure seal with the base and cover plates, the mold member, vessel member, base plate, cover plate and sealing means defining a sealed heat chamber; a generally cylindrically shaped bladder with inwardly curved end portions, the bladder disposed in the mold with the curved end portions near the open ends of the mold member, the mold member and bladder defining a mold concavity for receiving the uncured body; two facing disk members disposed in each end of the mold and having smoothly curved circumferential concave portions defining a generally smooth transition between the mold and disk members; means for venting the mold concavity; means for admitting and rejecting pressurized fluid to and from the bladder and heat chamber; and press means for selectively clamping the cover and base plates relatively toward each other.

Claim 5

An apparatus for making power transmission belting from an uncured body comprising: a generally flat lower base plate; a selectively removable cylindrical mold member having generally parallel open ends with one end removably attached to the base plate over the base plate opening; a generally cylindrical vessel member having generally parallel open ends and a length generally equal that of the mold member, the vessel member spaced outwardly of the mold member with one end substantially fixedly attached to the base plate; a generally flat and removable upper cover plate disposed over the other end of the mold and vessel members; sealing means disposed at the ends of the mold and vessel members for effecting a pressure seal with the base and cover plates, the mold member, vessel member, base plate, cover plate and sealing means defining a sealed heat chamber; a bladder support member extending through and movable upwardly reciprocally from the base plate opening; means for reciprocating the bladder support member to be at least partially extensible from the mold member; a generally cylindrically shaped bladder with inwardly curved end portions operatively connected to the bladder support member, the bladder disposed in the mold with the curved end portions near the opened end of the mold member when the reciprocating means is in the retracted position, the mold concavity for receiving the uncured body defines between the mold member and bladder; upper and lower disk members having diameters less than and disposed in each end of the mold, the disk members having smoothly curved circumferential concave portions which extend to a rim of the disk members that is substantially normal to the surface of the mold member, the lower disk member operatively connected to and reciprocal with the bladder support member and the upper disk member supported by and selectively removable from the bladder support member, the concave portions defining a generally smooth surface transition between an uncured body disposed in the mold concavity and the disk members, and the rim portion of the disk members defining a mold surface; means for venting the mold concavity; means for admitting and rejecting pressurized fluid to and from the bladder and heat chamber; and press means for selectively clamping the cover and base plates relatively toward each other.

Claim 6

An apparatus for making power transmission belting from an uncured body comprising: a generally flat lower base plate; a selectively removable cylindrical mold member having generally parallel open ends with one end removably attached to the base plate over the base plate opening; a generally cylindrical vessel member having generally parallel open ends and a length generally equal that of the mold member, the vessel member spaced outwardly of the mold member with one end substantially fixedly attached to the base plate; a generally flat and removable upper cover plate disposed over the other end of the mold and vessel members; sealing means disposed at the ends of the mold and vessel members for effecting a pressure seal with the base and cover plates, the mold member, vessel member, base plate, cover plate and sealing means defining a sealed heat chamber; a bladder support member extending through and movable upwardly reciprocally from the base plate opening; means for reciprocating the bladder support member to be at least partially extensible from the mold member; a generally cylindrically shaped bladder with inwardly curved end portions operatively connected to the bladder support member, the bladder disposed in the mold with the curved end portions near the opened end of the mold member when the reciprocating means is in the retracted position, the mold concavity for receiving the uncured body defines between the mold member and bladder; upper and lower disk members having diameters less than and disposed in each end of the mold, the disk members having smoothly curved circumferential concave portions which extend to a rim of the disk members that is substantially normal to the surface of the mold member, the lower disk member operatively connected to and reciprocal with the bladder support member and the upper disk member supported by and selectively removable from the bladder support member, the concave portions defining a generally smooth surface transition between an uncured body disposed in the mold concavity and the disk members, and the rim portion of the disk members defining a mold surface; means for venting the mold concavity; means for admitting and rejecting pressurized fluid to and from the bladder and heat chamber; and press means for selectively clamping the cover and base plates relatively toward each other.