US4013499A — Apparatus for supporting a tire while a strip of …

Claim 1

Independent Claim 346 words

An improved apparatus for supporting a tire whilst a strip of premolded tread is being applied thereto in order to reconstruct the tread on the said tire, the apparatus comprising a rim which circumferentially supports the said tire, the outside surface of which, suitably prepared, has wound around it a strip of premolded tread, with special bonding means being interposed between said strip of tread and the surface of the tire facing it and including a protective casing which closely externally enshrouds the strip of tread and the side walls of tire, extending up to the vicinity of the beading on the tire, said rim being constituted by two coaxial tubular members, a first member of which is inserted axially in the second member, said first and second members having around their circumference parts that can be connected to one another in a free and complementary fashion at the time said first member is inserted in said second member, said parts having a plurality of grooves aligned in batches along planes perpendicular to the axis of said first and second member, it being possible to lock said first member to said second member and to unlock it therefrom by partially rotating in one direction or the other, a disk housed in one of the aforementioned batches of grooves, said first and second tubular members being provided externally with a rim portion extending symmetrically with respect to a plane perpendicular to the axis of the tire supporting rim wherein the surface pointing towards the inside of the said tire supporting rim is shaped to externally enshroud both the bead on the tire and part of the side walls thereof at the time said members are locked one to the other, and at least two further grooves provided on said surface and extending in a direction parallel to the plane of symmetry, said further grooves housing integrally the same number of sealing rings as there are grooves, these serving to lock the said protective casing up against the side walls of the tire in an air tight fashion.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 346 words

An improved apparatus for supporting a tire whilst a strip of premolded tread is being applied thereto in order to reconstruct the tread on the said tire, the apparatus comprising a rim which circumferentially supports the said tire, the outside surface of which, suitably prepared, has wound around it a strip of premolded tread, with special bonding means being interposed between said strip of tread and the surface of the tire facing it and including a protective casing which closely externally enshrouds the strip of tread and the side walls of tire, extending up to the vicinity of the beading on the tire, said rim being constituted by two coaxial tubular members, a first member of which is inserted axially in the second member, said first and second members having around their circumference parts that can be connected to one another in a free and complementary fashion at the time said first member is inserted in said second member, said parts having a plurality of grooves aligned in batches along planes perpendicular to the axis of said first and second member, it being possible to lock said first member to said second member and to unlock it therefrom by partially rotating in one direction or the other, a disk housed in one of the aforementioned batches of grooves, said first and second tubular members being provided externally with a rim portion extending symmetrically with respect to a plane perpendicular to the axis of the tire supporting rim wherein the surface pointing towards the inside of the said tire supporting rim is shaped to externally enshroud both the bead on the tire and part of the side walls thereof at the time said members are locked one to the other, and at least two further grooves provided on said surface and extending in a direction parallel to the plane of symmetry, said further grooves housing integrally the same number of sealing rings as there are grooves, these serving to lock the said protective casing up against the side walls of the tire in an air tight fashion.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 139 words

An improved apparatus according to claim 1, wherein on the first tubular member there are female parts, angularly spaced one from the other, each consisting of two identical parts side by side and interspaced in such a way as to allow a complementary male part with which the second tubular member is provided to be freely coupled between them; the said male parts belonging to the second tubular member being numerically multiple to the number of female parts with which the first member is provided; the said male parts having fixed to them stops against which the end of at least one female part belonging to the first member knocks during the coupling operation with the corresponding male part of the second member, this stop determining the insertion depth of the first tubular member in the second tubular member.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 79 words

An improved apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the said stops for determining the insertion depth of the first tubular member in the second tubular member are connected to the latter at various heights in groups of a number identical to the female parts of the first tubular member, the male parts in each group being angularly interspaced by an angle which is the same as that at which the female parts of the first tubular member are spaced.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 104 words

An improved apparatus according to claim 2, wherein corresponding to where its female parts are located, the first tubular member is provided with a number of stops to limit the rotation in both directions of the disk which enables the first tubular member to be locked into and unlocked from the second tubular member; the stops provided to limit the rotation of the said disk at the time the first tubular member is being unlocked from the second tubular member being arranged in such a way as to prevent the said disk from being fully withdrawn from the grooves in the said female parts.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 37 words

An improved apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the said disk has at least two gripping members for its rotation and for inserting and disconnecting the first tubular member, into and from, respectively, the second tubular member.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 16 words

An improved apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the said sealing rings are made of rubber.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 17 words

An improved apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the said sealing rings are made of synthetic resin.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 36 words

An improved apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the said disk has at least two gripping members for its rotation for inserting and disconnecting the first tubular member, into and from, respectively, the second tubular member.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1980-03-21	1980-09-20	1981-03-22	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1984-03-21	1984-09-20	1985-03-22	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1988-03-21	1988-09-20	1989-03-22	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Apparatus for supporting a tire while a strip of premolded tread is being applied thereto in order to reconstruct the tread on the said tire

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