GB2148211A

GB2148211A - Tyre building equipment

Info

Publication number: GB2148211A
Application number: GB08328446A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Samuel Benson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1983-10-25
Filing date: 1983-10-25
Publication date: 1985-05-30
Also published as: GB2148211B; GB8328446D0

Abstract

Apparatus for transfering workpieces, e.g. unfinished tyre carcasses or tread strips, between work or storage stations includes a hoist (18) typically carried on a jib and having at its lower end vacuum suckers (20) for engaging surfaces of the workpiece (11). This enables the workpieces to be handled with minimum contact and possible contamination of rubber coated or other surfaces which are to be subjected to further processing, e.g. the application of tread strip. A tread strip may be handled by the vacuum device of Figure 6 which has multiple branches (31) and suckers (30). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Tyre building equipment This invention relates to equipment for use in building pneumatic tyres for vehicles. A number of processes are involved in the building of, for example, a tractor tyre and the process involves the transfer of workpieces from one station to another for various stages of manufacture to be carried out, or into or out of storage stations (which may be portable or vehicle mounted).

These workpieces, for example a tyre carcase or tread strip are often heavy and inconvenient to manhandle, moreover at some stages it is vital that they do not become contaminated by dirt or damaged e.g. by being dropped on or rolled across floors or other unciean surfaces.

The object of the invention is to provide tyre building equipment in which the handling of the workpieces (which term includes a finished tyre as well as its components and/or a tyre in unfinished condition) is greatly facilitated giving rise to substantially increased efficiency, better use of manpower, and more reliable operation.

According to the invention tyre building equipment includes at least first and second work or storage stations and transfer means for transporting a workpiece from one to the other of said stations, comprising one or more vacuum suckers for releasable engagement with an upwardly positioned surface or surfaces of the workpiece and traversing means on which said sucker or suckers are mounted selectively operable to shift the workpiece so engaged to or from each station while supported solely by said engagement.

The traversing means may ta-ke the form of a lift, hoist or conveyor whereby the vacuum sucker or suckers are suspended for example from a jib, or gantry.

The equipment may include a pump or other means for selectively exhausting air from the or each sucker, or the latter may be a cup-shaped elastomeric member from which the air is expelled by pressing it onto the surface of the workpiece, possibly with a lever or other operatng member distorting it to exclude the air therefrom on engagement and to admit air thereto for its release, no pump or ducting being required.

The transfer means may mount a plurality of suckers arranged for engagement with respective areas of the workpiece surface and/or the transfer means may be adapted to shift two or more workpieces at a time, each engaged by a respective sucker or set of suckers.

Some embodiments of the invention are now more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: Figure 1 is a general perspective view of transfer means of one section of tyre building equipment, Figure 2 is a detail underneath view of a sucker arrangement of said means, Figure 3 is an enlarged view of one said sucker, Figure 4 is a side elevation of said equipment in use, Figure 5 is a perspective view of another section of said equipment with another form of transfer means in use, and Figure 6 is a detail perspective view of an inverted sucker arrangement of the latter means.

The section of tyre building equipment illustrated in Figures 1 to 4 includes a generally cylindrical collapsible mandrel 10 (Figure 4) on which, in this example, a radial ply tractor tyre carcase 11 is constructed by winding the tread and sidewall ply automatically along with incorporation of the beading to form a generally cylindrical workpiece; what will eventually be the tread backing forming an axially central band 13 flanked by rubber coated sidewall portions 14 which at this stage of manufacture are co-cylindrical with band 13. The mandrel is collapsed to release this workpiece when construction thereof is completed and it has to be drawn axially off mandrel 10. It is important that its surfaces should not be damaged or contaminated by dirt as this would impair the proper bonding of the rubber tread etc in the subsequent processes.

Moreover other parts (not shown) of the machine used tq build the carcase prevent free access to the underneath and side areas of mandrel 10, only a limited upper zone of the perphery of the workpiece thereon being readily accessible. Engagement with the hollow centre of carcase 11 is prevented by the presence of mandrel 10.

Transfer means 15 comprises a horizontal arm or jib 16 cantilevered from a vertical supporting post 17 round which the jib may he swung. A downwardly depending telescopic hoist 18 runs on a longitudinal track on jib 16 so that its lower end can be raised and lowered and readily positioned as required.

Hoist 18 terminates in a pair of horizontal parallel spaced tubular arms 19, preferably of approximately the same length as the axial extent of carcase 11. Each arm mounts a pair of vacuum suckers 20 spaced to engage with the rubber coated sidewall portions 14 of said carcase andhaving openings connecting with the 4. interior of arms 19. The latter are connected by .rigid ducting forming part of hoist 18 and/or by flexible tubing to an air pump or the like (not shown) operable to exhaust air from suckers 20. Manual controls 22 for hoisting and traversing movements and actuation of the suckers are conveniently mounted on the lower end of hoist 18 accessible to a user.

When the completed carcase is to be removed from mandrel 10 hoist 18 is positioned so that arms 19 lie across the readily accessible upper zone of the workpiece with suckers 20 aligned with and contacting the sidewall portions 14 as in Figure 4. The air is then exhausted so that the suckers engage with the impervious surface of the workpiece, the mandrel 10 is collapsed, arms 19 are traversed in the direction of arrow A to draw the carcase off the mandrel and it can then be lifted and/or swung to the next work station of the equipment (not shown). There is no rolling or other contact of the carcase periphery with the floor or any other possibly contaminated surfaces, there is no need for manual contact with it, and it is not engaged by any rigid metalor other elements which might cause damage.

Transfer means 15 is used to shift the carcase to another station, typically a machine where it is inflated to shape the sidewalls and for application of the tread strip.

Tread strips are handled by another form of transfer means as shown in Figures 5 and 6 A hoist 18a (part only shown) has, for example, three vacuum suckers 30 each connected to and mounted on the end of a respective branch pipe 31 and arranged in line in planar relationship. This hoist is used to engage and lift a flat oblong tread strip 32 from a first station in the form of a trolley or storage rack 33 and transfer it to a second station 34 for application onto a carcase. This transfer means can be raised and lowered both for loading the strips into the storage trolley or rack 33 and removing them therefrom when they are required for use. Again awkard manhandling, risk of damage or contamination, and problems of access to storage space and the loading and unloading of processing machines are substantially reduced or avoided by the use of the invention.

A similar transfer means may be applied to the handling of the finished tyres; or to the handling of cross ply tyres wholly built up in a single stage process with tread strips being applied while on the carcase forming mandrel.

The arms 19 of the transfer means 15 shown in Figures 1-4 may be telescopic to enable the spacing between the respective suckers 20 to be adjusted to suit tyre carcases of different axial lengths.

The movable traversing means may take various forms, instead of using an overhead jib or gantry it could be mounted on a trolley or forklift truck or be an attachment to or adaptation of an overhead or other conveyor system.

The equipment is simple and inexpensive to provide and easily maintained and its operating cost is minimal, it may be possible to utilise air pumps already used for other equipment to provide the necessary vacuum or, for some applications air pumping or other power driven exhausting means may be unnecessary and one or more elastomeric sucker cups, possibly engaged and released by a lever or the like for example as employed to secure some forms of car roof rack, could be used for simple manual operation.

Claims

1. Tyre building equipment including at least first and second work or storage stations and transfer means for transporting a workpiece (as hereinbefore defined) from one to the other of said stations, comprising one or more vacuum suckers for releasable engagement with an upwardly positioned surface or surfaces of the workpiece and traversing means on which said sucker or suckers are mounted selectively operable to shift the workpiece so engaged to or from each station while supported solely by said engagement.

2. Equipment as in Claim 1 wherein the traversing means is a lift, hoist or conveyor having a jib or gantry from which the vacuum sucker or suckers are suspended.

3. Equipment as in Claim 1 or 2 including a pump or other means for selectively exhausting air from the or each sucker.

4. Equipment as in Claim 1 or 2 wherein the or each sucker is a cup-shaped elastomeric member from which the air is expelled by pressing it onto the surface of the workpiece.

5. Equipment as in Claim 4 including a lever or other operating member actuable to distort the elastomeric member to exclude air therefrom on engagement and to admit air thereto for its release from the workpiece.

6. Equipment as in any preceding claim wherein the transfer means mounts a plurality of suckers arranged for engagement with respective areas of the workpiece surface.

7. Equipment as in any preceding claim wherein the transfer means is adapted to transport two or more workpieces at a time, each engaged by a respective sucker or set of suckers.

8. Equipment as in any preceding claim wherein the first station comprises a, mandrel on which a tyre carcass is constructed, the suckers being engageable with rubber coated portions of said carcass for transfer thereof from the mandrel without other handling or contact with any other surface.

9. Equipment as in Claim 8 wherein the second station is a work station for shaping the sidewall of the carcass and for application of tread strip thereto.

10. Equipment as in any one of Claims 1 to 7 wherein the first station is a trolley or storage rack for workpieces in the form of flat oblong tread strips and the second station is a location at which said strips are applied to a tyre carcass.

11. Tyre building equipment substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in Figures 1-4 and/or Figures 5 and 6 of the accompanying drawings.