US2455637A

US2455637A - Vulcanizing apparatus

Info

Publication number: US2455637A
Application number: US638602A
Authority: US
Inventors: William C Wright; Jr Daniel G Rowe; Roberts Elmer Ford
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1946-01-02
Filing date: 1946-01-02
Publication date: 1948-12-07
Anticipated expiration: 1965-12-07

Description

D 1948- w.'c. WRIGHT ET AL 2,455,637

VULCANIZING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 2, 1946 1 3 Sheets-Sheet l l I STEAM sauecs COMPRESSED DANIEL 6. ROWE JE.

1 E- WILLIAM c. fizz GMT Y Dec. 7, 1948. wy ET AL 2,455,63?

- VUL'CWANIZING APPARATUS V 7 Filed Jan. 2, 1946 5 Sheet-Sheet 2 WILL/AM c. WEIGHT DANIEL 6- zowz JE. H ELMEJZ FORD ROBE/ET? Dec. 1, 1948; 'wfc. WRIGHT Em 2,455, 1

VULCANIZING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 2, 1946 :5 Sheets-Sheet 5 II n I (Ill/[I1 awe/mm- WILLIAM c. WEIG DAN/EL G- ROVVE JE.

ELMEE FOQD 20,95 275 portion I8 and thus lock the closure 41 in position with relation to the annular member I0.

Normally resting on the top oi base I and slidably fitting within the inner cylinder I is a plate 60 which has secured thereto as by threading a piston rod BI which passes through .a

centrally disposed hole in base member I0 and through a suitable packing gland 62. This base member I0 has a downwardly projecting boss 63,

to which is secured a lower cylinder by means; of bolts 65 and into which the piston rod 5| pro This piston rod has onits lower end a.

jects. piston 66, and the lower end of lower cylinder 64 is closed by a suitable catch 61 secured thereto by any suitable means such as bolts 68.

Into the chamber disposed within the inner cylinder I5 there is adapted to be placed a plurality of molds comprising sections and II into which a suitable wheel I2 is adapted to be placed,

on which a rim or tire 13 of rubber'is disposed, to

be vulcanized onto'the wheel I2. These molds, such as '50 and II, have overlapping edges shown at I4.

The entire depth of thecylinder I5 can be filled with several of these molds of different shapesland sizes, and all can be processed at the same time after pressure is applied'to same;

Means for applying pressure to the molds within the cylinder I5 and for confining. the closure or lid 41 in position comprises a suitablesource ao 80 of compressed air having leading therefrom a pipe BI from which

branch pipes

82 and 83 lead to suitable four-

way valves

84 and 85.

Valve casing 84 has ports, 86, 81, 80, and 89, port 88 being an exhaust port. From port 81 a pipe 90 leads to the upper end of cylinder and from port 80a pipe 9| leads to the lower end of cylinder 30. Valve casing 84 I has rotatably mounted therein a suitable core'92 having passageways A and B passing ther'ethrough. j Valve casing 85 has

ports

93, 94', 95, and 96, 96 being an exhaust port.

The valve casing 85 has 'rotatably mounted therein a suitable core 9'! havin passageways C v 45 and D leading therethrough. Pipe 83 is"con-" nected to port 93 and extending from port 04 isa pipe 98 which leads to the upper end of lower cylinder 64. Port 95 has leadingther'efroma pipe 99 which leads to the lower end of cy1in-;

cylinders I5 and I6; but where the type of wheel is such as to permit live steam to bepresent in the vulcanizing chamber, then the steam can'be admitted not only to the space between the inner and outer cylinders I5 and I6 but'als'o to the interior of the inner cylinder I5 to thus hasten the vulcanizing operation as better heating will be accomplished by having steam inside the inner cylinder I5 as well as in the space surrounding the inner cylinder I5.

A suitable source of steam I00 is provided, such" as a suitable generator, and leading from this'is a pipe I0! which has branchpipes I 02'and I03 leading therefrom. Pipe I02 penetrates the outer I03 is connected to communicate with the space 2I between the inner and outer cylinders I5 and I6 These pipes I02 and I03 have suitable manuallyioperated valves I04 and I0 5 therein. In order toprovide for the passage of steam through the interior of cylinder I5 and through the space 2| and to allow condensate to drain therefrom, pipe I06 leads through the base I0 and communicates with the interior of cylinder I5 jwh ile'ipipe "I01 leads through the base I0 and communicates with the space 2I between inner andoutercylinders I5 and I6. These pipes have suitable valves I08 and I09 therein, and connect to a return line I I0 which has a suitable trap III therein. Pipe II2 leads from this trap and may exhaust into the atmosphere or, it may lead back and join to the source of steam I00 as at II2 to provide a'circulating system for thesteam to be passed through the interior of cylinder I5 and the space 2| between the cylinders I5 and I6.

f Method of operation With' the "valve core 92 in position shown in Figure '2 and with core 91 in Figure 3 turned about from the position shown in Figure 3 to cutoff all ports from communication with passageways D and C, compressed air willbe passed through pipe 9| to the bottom of cylinder 30 which will cause the piston 35 to be moved upwardly which will disengage the free ends of levers M from the-circular cavity 20 andunlock the'li'd dl, and the lid 41 will be raised upwardly until the'member 40 strikes thepacking gland nut which confines the packing gland 31, and in this position; any number of molds with wheels and tires therein are packed into the inner cylinder I-5.- Thenfcore 02 will be turned counter- '-clockwise a quarter revolution from the position shown in- Figure 2"which will cause channel Bto establish communication between ports 86' and 81. This will place compressed air into the upper *end of thecylinder 30 and will move the parts to theposition' shown in Figures 1 and '4. This will lock the closure 41 in position. This air pressure will be left in on position, and then valve core'91 in valve 85 will be rotated a quarter revo- --lution'in a clockwise manner in Figure 3, which cylinder I 6 by a steam pipe fitting and communicates with the interior of inner cylinder" I5. Pipe "will cause channel Cto establish communication between

ports

93 and 95.

This will force compressed air into the lower end of cylinder 64 and will move piston 60 upwardly to where the molds will be pressed against the lower surface of closure member 41 and the required amount of pressure will thus be exerted andthis valve will be left in on position. With the parts in this position then, steam can be admitted to the inner chamber I5 as well as 'to the outer chamber 2| until thevulcanizing operation has been completed. If it is not desired to admit steam to the inner cylinder I5, then steam can; be admitted only to the space 2| to give the'proper amount of "heat for the ,proper length of time to the object being vulcanized y when the operation is completed, 'valves I04 and I 05 will be'moved to closed position and then J valve core 92 willbe turned to the position it 00- cupies in-Figure 2 which will allow compressed air to enter the lower end of cylinder 30 and, at the same time, pipe'90 will vent. through channel A fto the exhaust port 88 and,'thus, the piston 35 will move upwardly to disengage and finally lift the closure 41 into upmost position. In this, posi- "tion, the molds containing thewheels can be removed from the inner cylinder IS and then valve core 9] can be turned to the'pos'ition occupied in Figure 3 which W111 force compressed air through pipe 98 and air will vent out of pipe 99 through exhaust port 96, and the piston 60 will be moved to lowered position as shown in Figure 4 ready for refilling the inner cylinder l5 with another set of molds and wheels for another vulcanizing operation.

In the drawings and specification, there has been set forth a preferred embodiment of the inverition, and although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only, and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being defined in the claims.

We claim:

l. Vulcanizing apparatus comprising a base member, inner and outer cylinders of different dimensions having their lower ends welded to the upper surface of the base member and forming an annular space therebetween, an annular memher having its lower surface welded to the upper ends of the two cylinders and having a groove extending around its inside surface and having an annular recess in the lower wall of said groove, a gasket disposed in said annular recess, a plate slidably mounted in the lower portion of the inner cylinder and having a piston rod extending downwardly therefrom through the base member, a cylinder secured to the lower surface of the base member and into which the piston rod projects, a piston on the lower end of the piston rod, a closure member adapted to fit into the annular member secured on the upper ends of the two cylinders and to rest on the gasket, the closure member having a plurality of radially disposed levers slidably and pivotally mounted therein intermediate their ends, a second piston rod and means for pivotally securing the other ends of the levers to the second piston rod, a frame secured to the annular member and extending upwardly, an up-- per cylinder mounted on the frame and having a second piston slidably mounted therein and connected to the second piston rod projecting upwardly from the closure member, a pin secured to and rising upwardly from the closure member, and the last named piston rod having a bore therein slidably fitting over the pin, a plurality of molds being adapted to rest on the plate associated with the lower cylinder, means for admitting compressed air into the upper end of the upper cylinder to force the closure member downwardly and to force the pivoted ends of the levers downwardly to cause their free ends to slide outwardly and upwardly into the groove in the annular member, to lock the closure member in position, means for forcing compressed air into the lower end of the lower cylinder for forcing the plate associated therewith upwardly in the inner cylinder to compress the molds with suitable objects to be vulcanized therein against the closure member, means for admitting steam into the inner cylinder and other means for admitting steam into the space between the inner and outer cylinders, means for returning the steam from the lower portions of the inner cylinder and space between the inner and outer cylinders and back to the source of steam, means for forcing compressed air into the lower end of the upper cylinder and venting air from the upper end of the upper cylinder to raise the piston in the upper cylinder to withdraw the pivoted levers from the groove in the annular member and to raise the closure member, and means for forcing compressed air into the upper end of the lower cylinder and exhausting the air from the lower end thereof to lower the plate in the lower portion of the inner cylinder.

2. Vulcanizing apparatus comprising an inner cylinder forming a compartment into which objects to be vulcanized can be placed, an outer cylinder of larger dimensions than the inner cylinder and providing a space therebetween, a base member to which the lower ends of the cylinders are secured, an annular member secured to the upper ends of the two cylinders, a closure member fitting into the annular member, a plurality of sliding levers mounted on the closure member, the annular member having a cavity extending around the inner surfaces thereof into which the free ends of the sliding levers are adapted to fit, a piston rod on which the inner ends of thelevers are pivotally mounted, an upper cylinder disposed above and supported by the annular member into which the piston rod projects and having a piston disposed within said cylinder, means for admitting a compressed fluid to the upper end of the upper cylinder for forcing the closure member into the annular memher and for forcing the inner ends of the levers downwardly to project their free ends into the groove in the annular member to thus lock the closure member in position, a plate mounted in the lower portion of the inner cylinder and on which molds containing objects to be vulcanized are, adapted to rest, a piston rod extending downwardly from the plate and having a piston on its lower end, a lower cylinder surrounding th last named piston and means for admitting a compressed fluid into the lower end of the lower cylinder for forcing the plate in the lower end of the inner cylinder upwardly to force the molds against the closure member, means for admitting steam into the inner cylinder, means for admitting steam into the space between the inner and outer cylinders, means for admitting a compressed fluid to the lower end of the upper cylinder for releasing the levers from the annular member and lifting the closure member upwardly, means for forcing a compressed fluid into the upper end of the lower cylinder for lowering the plate in the inner cylinder, the means for admitting the compressed fluid into the two ends of the upper and lower cylinders comprising means for venting the compressed fluid from one end of the cylinders at the same time the compressed fluid is admitted into the other end of the upper and lower cylinders.

WILLIAM C. WRIGHT.

DANIEL G. ROWE, JR. ELMER FORD ROBERTS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS