TIRE BUILDING MACHINE AND METHOD FOR OPERATING A TIRE BUILDING MACHINE

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a tire building machine for use in the first building stage of a two-stage tire building process, comprising a receiving shaft for receiving a tire building drum, a first tire building drum which is configured to be used in the production of a tire carcass according to a first building method, and a second tire building drum which is configured to be used in the production of a tire carcass according to a second building method. Furthermore, the invention relates to a method for operating a tire building machine, comprising the steps of: producing a tire carcass according to a first building method using a first tire building drum of the tire building machine and dismounting the first tire building drum from a receiving shaft of the tire building machine.

[0002] In the two-stage tire construction technology, a tire carcass is typically produced in the first stage. The tire carcass typically comprises an inner layer, for example, made of an airtight rubber, an insert arranged over the inner layer, and sidewalls. The insert can, for example, be a rubber layer containing tensile members or tensile threads.

[0003] After the tire carcass has been manufactured in the first building stage, the tire's belt package can then be applied using another tire building machine.

[0004] In the first stage of the two-stage tire building process, two manufacturing processes have become particularly established: the shoulder-type tire building (SUB) and the flat-drum-type tire building (SOT). However, producing a tire carcass using one of these building processes has previously required the use of a process-specific tire building machine.

[0005] Tire manufacturers who want to produce tire carcasses using both the shoulder method and the flat drum method currently need two separate tire building machines.

[0006] WO2013093818A1 discloses a method and a plant for building tires for vehicle wheels, wherein in an operating position of a carcass structure building line, a forming drum is connected to a pair of support elements comprising a first support element and a second support element, wherein the forming drum, connected to the pair of support elements, is moved in a laying line included in the carcass structure building line and the forming drum is transferred from the laying line to a subsequent work station of the carcass structure building line.

[0007] Furthermore, WO2016097905A1 discloses a plant and a method for building tire carcass structures, wherein the plant comprises a carcass structure building line provided with a plurality of stations, including an unloading station and building stations.

[0008] DE102008037535A1 discloses a device for building a tire carcass for a vehicle tire, with a device that allows the core centering devices to be variably expanded in diameter and can be used for the production of small tire dimensions, while simultaneously allowing the diameter of the bellows supports to be adjusted by motor. The object underlying the invention is therefore to expand the possible applications of a tire building machine.

[0009] The object is achieved by a tire building machine of the type mentioned at the outset, wherein the first tire building drum and the second tire building drum of the tire building machine according to the invention can be mounted individually and without the other tire building drum on the receiving shaft, so that the tire building machine can be used to produce a tire carcass according to the first building method and to produce a tire carcass according to the second building method.

[0010] Due to the interchangeability of the tire building drums, tire carcasses can be produced using different building methods using the tire building machine according to the invention. In addition to changing the tire building drum of the tire building machine, it may be necessary to assemble or disassemble other components of the tire building machine, such as bellows supports, so that the tire carcass can be manufactured using a different building method using the tire building machine.

[0011] In a preferred embodiment of the tire building machine according to the invention, the first tire building drum is designed as an expansion drum, which comprises bellows supports and is configured to be used in the production of a tire carcass according to the shoulder method. The shoulder method can in this case also be referred to as the expansion drum method. In this method, first the inner liner and then the carcass ply are placed and spliced onto the outer circumference of the expansion drum. After splicing, the expansion drum is expanded, resulting in an increase in the drum diameter. With the drum expanded, the bead cores are then placed together with the core profiles. This is followed by the wrapping of the carcass ply projecting beyond the expansion drum around the bead cores and the core profiles, which is carried out with the aid of inflatable bellows. After the application of anyAfter further tire components and the application and rolling of sidewall profiles, the tire carcass is then completed and removed from the expansion drum.

[0012] The tire building machine underlying the invention is further advantageously developed in that the first tire building drum is designed as a folding drum and is configured to be used in the production of a tire carcass according to the shoulder method using bellows supports mounted on the receiving shaft and a displacement shaft. In this case, the shoulder method can also be referred to as the folding drum method. The inflatable bellows are not part of the drum in this case, but are arranged externally on the receiving shaft and the displacement shaft of the tire building machine.

[0013] A tire building machine according to the invention is also advantageous in which the second tire building drum is designed as a flat drum with a variable outer circumference and is configured to be used in the production of a tire carcass according to the flat drum method. In the flat drum method, either the sidewalls and then the inner layer, or alternatively a combined component comprising sidewalls and inner layer, can be placed on the tire building drum first. This is followed by the inserts, with one or two inserts being able to be placed on top. After the insert(s) have been placed on, two cores are positioned centrally above the tire building drum. The tire building drum then expands into the cores, bonding the insert to the cores. The structure comprising carcass plies and cores is then transferred to the crowning head.

[0014] Furthermore, a tire building machine according to the invention is preferred which has a displacement shaft. The displacement shaft preferably runs coaxially to the receiving shaft and comprises a shaft coupling for coupling the displacement shaft to the receiving shaft. The displacement shaft can be moved axially relative to the receiving shaft for changing the tire building drums and for removing the finished carcass. Thus, the distance between the displacement shaft and the receiving shaft can be increased by axially moving the displacement shaft in order to remove the disassembled tire building drum through the space thus created and to insert the tire building drum to be assembled. After the tire building drums have been changed, the distance between the displacement shaft and the receiving shaft can then be reduced again. For example, in this case the displacement shaft and the receiving shaft can be engaged with one another via the shaft coupling.

[0015] In a further embodiment of the invention, the flat drum has an adjustment mechanism with which the outer circumference of the flat drum can be adjusted, wherein the adjustment mechanism can be actuated via an axial movement of the displacement shaft. To adjust the diameter of the flat drum, the displacement shaft is moved axially against the adjustment mechanism of the flat drum. A change in diameter can be achieved via conically shaped drum segments, which are moved axially by the displacement shaft. The displacement shaft can be connected to a displacement box which has a displacement box drive. Different diameters, for example the winding diameter and the core clamping diameter, can thus be set during the manufacturing process via an axial movement of the displacement shaft. In this case, the core setting must be carried out by an external core setting and carcass support device.

[0016] The object underlying the invention is further achieved by a method of the type mentioned above, wherein, within the scope of the method according to the invention, a second tire building drum is mounted on the receiving shaft of the tire building machine, and a tire carcass is produced according to a second building method using the second tire building drum of the tire building machine. The method according to the invention is preferably used to operate a tire building machine according to one of the embodiments described above. With regard to the advantages and modifications of the method according to the invention, reference is therefore first made to the advantages and modifications of the tire building machine according to the invention.

[0017] In a preferred embodiment of the method according to the invention, the tire carcass is produced using the first tire building drum in the shoulder method. If an expansion drum is used, the shoulder method can also be referred to as the expansion drum method. If a folding drum is used, the shoulder method can also be referred to as the folding drum method. If the first tire building drum is designed as an expansion drum, it preferably comprises bellows supports with inflatable bellows. If the first tire building drum is designed as a folding drum, bellows supports with inflatable bellows are required on the take-up shaft and the displacement shaft.

[0018] The method according to the invention is further advantageously developed in that the tire carcass is produced using the second tire building drum in the flat drum method.

[0019] In a further preferred embodiment of the method according to the invention, an axial displacement of a displacement shaft of the tire building machine takes place for changing the tire building drums, wherein the displacement shaft runs coaxially to the receiving shaft and has a shaft coupling for coupling the displacement shaft to the receiving shaft. Alternatively or additionally, an adjustment mechanism of the second tire building drum, designed as a flat drum, is actuated via an axial movement of the displacement shaft, wherein the outer circumference of the flat drum can be adjusted by actuating the adjustment mechanism.

[0020] Preferred embodiments of the invention are explained and described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Fig. 1 is a schematic representation of the tire building machine according to the invention with a first tire building drum for producing a tire carcass according to a first building method; and Fig. 2 is the Fig. 1 illustrated tire building machine with a second tire building drum for producing a tire carcass according to a second building method.

[0021] The Fig. 1 and 2 show a tire building machine 10 that can be used in the first stage of a two-stage tire building process. Using the tire building machine 10, a tire carcass can be produced using two different building methods. The tire building machine 10 is suitable for producing a tire carcass using the shoulder method as well as for producing a tire carcass using the flat drum method.

[0022] In the Fig. 1 the tire building machine 10 is shown in a configuration in which a tire carcass can be produced using the shoulder method.

[0023] The tire building machine 10 has a receiving shaft 12 on which a tire building drum 26, designed as an expansion drum or folding drum, is mounted. Furthermore, reference numeral 28 indicates that tire building drums suitable for the shoulder method can also have a different width, in this case a larger width.

[0024] The tire building machine 10 further comprises a displacement shaft 14 arranged coaxially with the receiving shaft 12. The displacement shaft 14 has a shaft coupling 16 on the end face facing the receiving shaft 12. The receiving shaft 12 and the displacement shaft 14 can be engaged with one another by means of the shaft coupling 16. The displacement shaft 14 can be moved axially relative to the receiving shaft 12 for changing the tire building drums 26, 28, 38.

[0025] The end of the receiving shaft 12 facing away from the displacement shaft 14 extends into a spindle box 18, which is mounted on a machine base 24. Located in or on the spindle box 18 is a drive M5, with which the receiving shaft 12 and thus also the tire building drum 26, 28 mounted on the receiving shaft 12 can be set in rotation.

[0026] To move the displacement shaft 14, it is connected to an axially movable displacement box 20. The displacement box 20 can be moved in the axial direction x via a spindle 22. To initiate an axial movement of the spindle box 18 together with the displacement shaft 14, a drive M1 is arranged on the spindle 22.

[0027] To produce the tire carcass using the shoulder method, inflatable bellows are required, which are supported by bellows supports 30, 32. The bellows support 30 is mounted on the receiving shaft 12 and can be moved in the axial direction via the drive M 3. The diameter of the bellows support 30 can be adjusted using the drive M 4. The bellows support 32 is mounted on the displacement shaft 14. The diameter of the bellows support 32 can be changed using the drive M 2.

[0028] The tire building drum 26 (or the tire building drum 28) is designed for use in the production of a tire carcass according to the shoulder method. For the production of the tire carcass using the shoulder method, in addition to the bellows supports 30, 32, core centering devices 34 are required, which serve to center the cores 36.

[0029] The Fig. 2 shows the tire building machine 10 in a configuration suitable for the production of tire carcasses using the flat drum method. Fig. 1In the machine state shown, to achieve this configuration, only disassembly of the tire building drum 26 (or the tire building drum 28) and the bellows supports 30, 32 is required. After disassembly, the tire building drum 38 is to be mounted on the receiving shaft 12. The tire building drum 38 is designed to be used in the production of a tire carcass using the flat drum process. The tire building drum 38, designed as a flat drum, has an adjustment mechanism with which the outer circumference of the flat drum can be adjusted. The adjustment mechanism of the tire building drum 38 can be actuated via an axial movement of the displacement shaft 14. Thus, the drive M 1 can be used to adjust the diameter of the tire building drum 38. In order to adjust the diameter of the flat drum, the displacement shaft 14 is moved axially against the adjustment mechanism of the flat drum by means of the drive M 1.A change in diameter is achieved via conically shaped drum segments, which are moved axially by the displacement shaft 14. Thus, different diameters, such as the winding diameter and the core clamping diameter, can be adjusted during the manufacturing process via an axial movement of the displacement shaft 14. In this case, core setting must be performed by an external core setting and carcass support device.

[0030] The drives M 1 - M 5 can, for example, be electric motor drives. Alternatively, the drives M 1 - M 5 can also be pneumatic or hydraulic drives. List of reference symbols

[0031] 10Tire building machine 12Take-up shaft 14Sliding shaft 16Shaft coupling 18Headstock 20Sliding box 22Spindle 24Machine base 26Tire building drum 28Tire building drum 30Bellows carrier 32Bellows carrier 34Core centering device 36Cores 38Tire building drum M 1 -M 5 drives x direction of movement

Claims

1. Tyre-building machine (10) for use in the first building stage of a two-stage tyre-building process, having - a receiving shaft (12) for receiving a tyre-building drum (26, 28, 38), - a first tyre-building drum (26, 28) which is configured to be used in the production of a tyre carcass according to a first building method, wherein the production of the tyre carcass using the first tyre-building drum (26, 28) is realized in the shoulder method, and - a second tyre-building drum (38) which is configured to be used in the production of a tyre carcass according to a second building method, wherein the production of the tyre carcass using the second tyre-building drum (38) is realized in the flat-drum method; characterized in that the first tyre-building drum (26, 28) and the second tyre-building drum (38) are mountable on the receiving shaft (12) individually and without the in each case other tyre-building drum (26, 28, 38), so that the tyre-building machine (10) is able to be used for producing a tyre carcass according to the first building method and for producing a tyre carcass according to the second building method.

2. Tyre-building machine (10) according to Claim 1, characterized in that the first tyre-building drum (26, 28) is in the form of an expansion drum which comprises bellows carriers and which is configured to be used in the production of a tyre carcass according to the shoulder method.

3. Tyre-building machine (10) according to Claim 1, characterized in that the first tyre-building drum (26, 28) is in the form of a collapsible drum and is configured to be used in the production of a tyre carcass according to the shoulder method using bellows carriers (30, 32) mounted on the receiving shaft (12) and on a displacement shaft (14).

4. Tyre-building machine (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the second tyre-building drum (38) is in the form of a flat drum with a variable outer circumference and is configured to be used in the production of a tyre carcass according to the flat-drum method.

5. Tyre-building machine (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by a displacement shaft (14) which extends coaxially with respect to the receiving shaft (12) and has a shaft coupling (16) for coupling the displacement shaft (14) to the receiving shaft (12), wherein the displacement shaft (14) is axially displaceable to the receiving shaft (12) for the purpose of changing the tyre-building drums (26, 28, 38).

6. Tyre-building machine (10) according to Claim 5, characterized in that the flat drum has an adjustment mechanism by way of which the outer circumference of the flat drum is settable, wherein the adjustment mechanism is actuatable via an axial movement of the displacement shaft (14).

7. Method for operating a tyre-building machine (10), in particular a tyre-building machine (10) according to one of the preceding claims, comprising the steps of: - producing a tyre carcass according to a first building method using a first tyre-building drum (26, 28) of the tyre-building machine (10), wherein the production of the tyre carcass using the first tyre-building drum (26, 28) is realized in the shoulder method, and - dismounting the first tyre-building drum (26, 28) from a receiving shaft (12) of the tyre-building machine (10); characterized by the steps of: - mounting a second tyre-building drum (38) on the receiving shaft (12) of the tyre-building machine (10); and - producing a tyre carcass according to a second building method using the second tyre-building drum (38) of the tyre-building machine (10), wherein the production of the tyre carcass using the second tyre-building drum (38) is realized in the flat-drum method.

8. Method according to Claim 7, characterized by at least one of the following steps: - axially displacing a displacement shaft (14) of the tyre-building machine (10) for the purpose of changing the tyre-building drums (26, 28, 38), wherein the displacement shaft (14) extends coaxially with respect to the receiving shaft (12) and has a shaft coupling (16) for coupling the displacement shaft (14) to the receiving shaft (12), - actuating an adjustment mechanism of the second tyre-building drum (38), in the form of a flat drum, via an axial movement of the displacement shaft (14), wherein the outer circumference of the flat drum is settable by the actuation of the adjustment mechanism.