Process for casting reinforced tires

Claim 1

A method of molding a toroidal shaped pneumatic tire in a mold having lower and upper mold sections and a tread ring in the lower mold section comprised of a radially outer tread portion, a tire casing underlying said tread portion and a reinforcing cord belt having at least one layer of fabric positioned between said tread portion and said tire casing, said method comprising the steps of: (a) forming said tread portion by introducing and centrifugally casting a predetermined quantity of elastomer-forming material into a space at the radially outer portion of said mold in communication with an opening between inner edges of said lower and upper mold sections and molding, reacting and at least partially curing said material to form said tread portion with an inside surface in communication with said opening prior to forming said tire casing; (b) centrifugally casting a skim coat of an adhesive on the inside surface of said tread portion in said mold to retain said cord belt on said inside surface during rotational casting of said tire casing; (c) positioning said cord belt on the inside surface of said tread portion in said mold with the edges equidistant from a centerplane of said tire after said tread portion is formed in said mold and fastening said cord belt to said tread portion by pressing said cord belt against said tread portion; (d) assembling and inserting a core in said mold; (e) forming said casing by introducing and rotationally casting a predetermined quantity of liquid reaction mixture of elastomer-forming material into the space between said core, said mold and said tread portion, reacting and at least partially curing said mixture to form said casing overlapping and integrally adhered to said reinforcing cord belt and said tread portion; and (f) removing said formed tire and core from said mold and removing said core from said tire.

Claim 2

A method of molding a toroidal shaped pneumatic tire in a mold having lower and upper mold sections and a tread ring in the lower mold section comprised of a radially outer tread portion, a tire casing underlying said tread portion and a reinforcing cord belt having at least one layer of fabric positioned between said tread portion and said tire casing, said method comprising the steps of: (a) forming said tread portion by introducing and centrifugally casting a predetermined quantity of elastomer-forming material into a space at the radially outer portion of said mold in communication with an opening between inner edges of said lower and upper mold sections and molding, reacting and at least partially curing said material to form said tread portion with an inside surface in communication with said opening prior to forming said tire casing; (b) centrifugally casting a skim coat of an adhesive on the inside surface of said tread portion in said mold to retain said cord belt on said inside surface during rotational casting of said tire casing; (c) positioning said cord belt on the inside surface of said tread portion in said mold with the edges equidistant from a centerplane of said tire after said tread portion is formed in said mold and fastening said cord belt to said tread portion by pressing said cord belt against said tread portion; (d) assembling and inserting a core in said mold; (e) forming said casing by introducing and rotationally casting a predetermined quantity of liquid reaction mixture of elastomer-forming material into the space between said core, said mold and said tread portion, reacting and at least partially curing said mixture to form said casing overlapping and integrally adhered to said reinforcing cord belt and said tread portion; and (f) removing said formed tire and core from said mold and removing said core from said tire.