Transfer tooling for changing tire belt size

Abstract

The present invention relates to a conveying system configured to move a portion of a strip within a belt forming system. The conveying system comprises a first segment (130) comprising a main body (140) applied to engage with the strip. A plurality of slots (152, 154) may be provided on one side of the main body. Fluid communication is provided from a fluid supply unit (125) to the plurality of slots, so that fluid communication with the plurality of slots allows the strip to be held against the main body (140) or blown out of the main body. The plurality of slots are arranged in a series of rows (152, 154), wherein the first slot in the first row is located directly adjacent to the second slot in the first row. First and second strips of different dimensions can be conveyed without any mechanical adjustment to the main body.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] The present invention claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 62 / 895,740, titled “Transfer Tooling for Varing Tire Belt Sizes,” filed September 4, 2019, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] The present embodiments generally relate to a transfer system and method for handling a portion of a tire belt. Background Technology

[0003] Tire belt forming technology may involve the process of pulling multiple cords through an extrusion die. The extruder heats an elastomer material, such as rubber, and coats the cords as they pass through the die. A cooling drum adjacent to the extruder serves to cool the reinforced material before the cutting and joining stages of production, after the cords have been pulled through the die. After passing through the cooling drum, the fiber reinforcement may be allowed to hang slightly loosely to remove some residual force. The fiber reinforcement can then be transferred to a cutting station. In most current systems, the cutting station includes a strip vacuum feeder, a cutter, and an outfeed belt conveyor. The strip vacuum feeder advances the fiber reinforcement strip and positions it on the outfeed belt conveyor so that the cutter can cut the material. The outfeed belt conveyor then indexes a predetermined distance. The strip vacuum feeder advances the strip back onto the conveyor so that the cutter can cut it again. This process generally produces a continuous belt of fiber-reinforced material having reinforcing cords positioned at a specific angle not parallel to the central axis of the belt. The angle of the cords relative to the longitudinal direction of the belt is known in the art as the bias angle.

[0004] The cut sections of these materials overlap each other by a predetermined distance on the outfeed belt conveyor. This overlap is generally known in the industry as splicing. Uniform splicing is required to maintain appropriate material strength and quality. The outfeed belt conveyor is typically aligned at a predetermined angle with respect to the fiber-reinforced material entering the cutting station, so that after the splicing process, a continuous strip of material is placed on the conveyor and consists of fibers or cords oriented at a predetermined bias angle.

[0005] Depending on the belt width being manufactured, different amounts of strip material come into contact with a vacuum transfer tool and are pulled through a cutter. Conventional transfer tooling utilizes an internal slide that selectively closes a vacuum chamber channel to provide vacuum pressure or positive pressure to the tooling area in contact with the strip, where vacuum pressure holds the strip against the transfer tooling and positive pressure peels the strip off the transfer tooling, respectively.

[0006] One disadvantage of this transfer tooling is that user intervention is required to operate the slide, particularly whenever strips of different widths are selected for use. In each case, the user must physically adjust the slide position to accommodate strip segments of different widths.

[0007] An additional disadvantage arises when the slide is not properly adjusted, as there may be insufficient vacuum pressure to allow the strip to be picked up and positioned by the transfer tooling. For example, if the channel is adjusted to open more than the desired strip length, it does not allow sufficient vacuum pressure to create an open contact area adjacent to the strip that does not touch it, and the strip will not be picked up. Conversely, if the channel is adjusted to be narrower than the strip length, there is insufficient vacuum pressure at the front edge of the material to pick it up, and the material will roll up when the transfer tooling attempts to move it.

[0008] In each of these cases, additional adjustments are required for the transfer tooling to operate properly. This necessitates additional machine downtime, and extra scrap is generated whenever a strip feeding error occurs.

[0009] In one embodiment, the transfer system is configured to move a portion of a strip within a belt forming system. The transfer system may include a first segment comprising a main body applied to engage with the strip, and a second segment coupled to a fluid supply. An elongate support may extend between the first segment and a portion of the second segment. A plurality of slots may be provided on one side of the main body. Fluid communication may be provided from the fluid supply to the plurality of slots, so that fluid communication with the plurality of slots may hold the strip against the main body or blow the strip away from the main body. The plurality of slots may be arranged in a series of rows, wherein the first slot in the first row is located directly adjacent to the second slot in the first row.

[0010] The main body includes a horizontal centerline provided at an equidistant distance between the first and second lateral boundaries of the main body, the first slot may be located between the horizontal centerline and the first lateral boundary, and the second slot may be located between the horizontal centerline and the second lateral boundary. In one example, the inner boundary of the first slot may be located less than 0.5 inches from the adjacent inner boundary of the second slot.

[0011] The above transfer system may further include a plurality of holes, wherein the first hole provides fluid communication between the fluid supply unit and the first slot, and at least one additional hole provides fluid communication between the fluid supply unit and the first slot and another slot. In one example, a single hole may be provided in each of the plurality of slots, so that a one-to-one correspondence between the hole and the slot exists. Each hole may be limited within the perimeter of each of these slots. In one example, the diameter of the first hole is in the range of about 25-50% of the width of the first slot.

[0012] The first row may be closer to the front end of the main body, and the subsequent row of slots may be closer to the rear end of the main body. The first hole in the first row may have a larger diameter than the subsequent hole included in the slot of the subsequent row. In one example, the first row always engages with the strip regardless of the dimension of the strip, whereas the subsequent row engages with a strip of a larger dimension but not with a strip of a smaller dimension.

[0013] In one embodiment, the first and second tubes extend along at least a portion of the extended support. The first and second tubes facilitate fluid communication between the fluid supply portion and the plurality of slots. In one example, the first tube has a downstream endpoint that terminates at a location upstream of the downstream endpoint of the second tube.

[0014] The above transfer system may further include a chamber provided adjacent to the main body, wherein the chamber enables fluid communication between the first and second tubes and the plurality of slots.

[0015] The present embodiments also provide a method for transporting a portion of a strip within a belt forming system. In one example, the method comprises the step of providing a transport system having a first segment comprising a body applied to engage with a strip, and a rear segment coupled to a fluid supply unit, wherein a plurality of slots are provided on one side of the body. Fluid communication from the fluid supply unit may be provided to the plurality of slots so that fluid communication with the plurality of slots can hold the strip against the body or blow the strip away from the body. A first strip of a first dimension is transported by engaging with the body. Subsequently, a second strip of a second dimension is transported by engaging with the body. The second dimension is different from the first dimension. The second strip may be transported after the first strip without any mechanical adjustment to the body. In one example, the first row of the plurality of slots engages with the first and second strips, respectively, while the subsequent row of the plurality of slots engages only with the first strip and not with the second strip.

[0016] Other systems, methods, features, and advantages of the present invention are or will become apparent to those skilled in the art by reviewing the following drawings and detailed description. All such additional systems, methods, features, and advantages are within the scope of the present invention and are intended to be included in the following claims. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0017] The present invention may be better understood by referring to the following drawings and description. In the drawings, the components are not required to maintain a constant proportion; instead, the focus is on illustrating the principles of the invention. Furthermore, in the drawings, the same reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout different drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a belt forming system having first and second conveyors. FIGS. 2a to 2c are a top perspective view, a partially cut plan view, and a side view, respectively, of a transfer tooling according to a first embodiment. Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view obtained along the line A--A of Figure 2c. Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view obtained along the line B--B of Figure 2c. Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view obtained along the line C--C of Figure 2b. FIG. 6a is a bottom view of the main body of the transfer tooling of FIG. 2a to 2c. FIGS. 6b to 6c are bottom views illustrating strips of different dimensions positioned relative to the body of the transfer tooling of FIGS. 2a to 2c. FIG. 7a is a bottom view of the main body of a transfer tooling according to an alternative embodiment. FIGS. 7b to 7c are bottom views illustrating strips of different dimensions positioned relative to the body of the transfer tooling of FIG. 7a. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0018] Referring to FIG. 1, an exemplary belt forming system is applied to form a portion of a tire belt, as illustrated by a bias belt (72) formed after the cutting and positioning steps described below. The bias belt (72) is generally formed of an elastomer material such as rubber and comprises a plurality of parallel cords, wherein the cords are oriented at an angle to the longitudinal direction of the belt equal to the bias angle (α). The belt forming system may include at least a first conveyor (31) and a second conveyor (32). In various embodiments, the conveyors may include a belt conveyor, a strip vacuum conveyor, or any other device applied to move a rubber strip along an exemplary path, as illustrated by conveyors (31 and 32). In the illustrated embodiment, a belt cutting system (40) is located at least partially between the first conveyor (31) and the second conveyor (32).

[0019] The rubber strip (70) is generally reinforced and may be reinforced with multiple cords or fibers. It may have multiple steel cords running parallel to the longitudinal direction of the rubber strip (70). The rubber strip (70) is generally formed by a process in which uncured rubber is extruded around multiple steel cords, but any process may be used. After its formation, the rubber strip (70) can be fed onto the first conveyor (31). When the rubber strip (70) is fed onto the first conveyor (31), it is often sticky and relatively soft.

[0020] The first conveyor (31) can serve as an infeed conveyor applied to feed the rubber strip (70) to the belt cutting system (40) or otherwise move the rubber strip (70) to communicate with the belt cutting system (40). The belt cutting system (40) is applied to cut the rubber strip (70). The cutting section is preferably a straight cutting section oriented at a desired angle corresponding to the bias angle (α) and separates the strip section (71) from the rubber strip (70). The strip section (71) is then moved onto the second conveyor (32).

[0021] The bias belt (72) comprises a plurality of strip sections (71), wherein the steel cords of each strip section (71) may be substantially parallel. The strip sections (71) overlap each other by a predetermined distance on the second conveyor (32) to form a uniform joint. After each joint is formed, additional strip sections (71) become part of the bias belt (72).

[0022] The belt cutting system (40) preferably includes a belt cutter (42) comprising a knife or blade for cutting through a rubber strip (70). As illustrated in FIG. 1, the belt cutter (42) may be implemented as a guillotine-style cutter, wherein a sharp knife or blade approaches the rubber strip (70) from above and a downward force is sustained to cut the rubber strip (70), thereby separating the rubber strip (70) into at least two parts. Any other device for cutting reinforced rubber strips may be used. Referring to FIG. 1, the belt cutter (42) is preferably applied to cut the rubber strip (70) at an angle corresponding to the longitudinal direction of the rubber strip (70), preferably a preferred bias angle (α).

[0023] According to one embodiment, a transfer tooling (120) having a body (140) is applied to lift a strip from a first conveyor (31) and position the strip on a second conveyor (32). As further described below, a fluid supply unit (125) may optionally provide a vacuum force to the body (140) to engage with the rubber strip (70) before cutting to help advance the rubber strip (70) for proper engagement with a belt cutter (42) (e.g., advancing the rubber strip (70) under a guillotine-style knife or blade). After cutting occurs in a predetermined indexed amount, the fluid supply unit (125) may provide positive pressure to the body (140) blowing the strip out of the tooling, as further described in embodiments of FIGS. 2 through 6c.

[0024] In one embodiment, the transfer tooling (120) has two axes of movement. A servo drive motor may be connected to the transfer tooling (120) by a timing belt and may provide horizontal axial movement through a belt cutter (42) as guided by an extended support (180). A pneumatic cylinder may provide a vertical axis of movement that allows the transfer tooling (120) to pick up and drop off strip material (70 and 71).

[0025] It is desirable that the strip section (71) be positioned so that the edge of the strip section (71) parallel to the cord slightly overlaps the second strip section (71), thereby ensuring that the two strip sections (71) are preferably joined. If necessary, a sensor or other technology can actively correct positional errors. The sequence of using a transfer tooling (120) to advance the rubber strip (70), having a belt cutter (42) cut the strip (70), and having the strip sections (71) overlap each other is repeated until the desired dimensions of the bias belt (72) are formed.

[0026] Now, referring to FIGS. 2a through 6c, a first embodiment of a transfer tooling (120) that can be used to move the strip (70) of FIG. 1 from the first conveyor (31) through the cutter (42) toward the second conveyor (32) is illustrated and described. As illustrated in FIG. 2a, the transfer tooling (120) generally comprises a first segment (130) and a second segment (170). As best shown and described in connection with the bottom views of FIGS. 6a through 6c, the first segment (130) comprises a body (140) having a series of slots and holes. The series of slots and holes of the body (140) of the first segment (130) may allow a range of strip sections (71a and 71b) to optionally engage with the body (140), as further described below. In contrast, the second segment (170) of the transfer tooling (120) is missing from the main body (140) and does not engage directly with the strip section.

[0027] The extended support (180) extends along most of the axial length of the first segment (130) and the second segment (170). The front region (181) of the extended support (180) terminates adjacent to the frontal segment (141) of the main body (140) of the first segment (130), and the rear region (182) of the extended support (180) terminates adjacent to the rear region (172) of the second segment (170), as shown in FIG. 2a.

[0028] The extended support (180) comprises a housing (184) and at least one fluid communication chamber, as best illustrated in FIGS. 3 through 5 and further described below. In this example, the housing (184) comprises at least three wall segments (184a, 184b, and 184c), as shown in the cross-sectional view of FIGS. 3 through 5, and at least one fluid communication chamber is at least partially contained within the three wall segments (184a-184c). The side of the housing (184) adjacent to the main body (140) may omit a continuous wall segment. As illustrated in FIG. 4, the flange (188) of the wall segment (184a) can be firmly engaged with the complementary flange (148) of the main body (140), thereby allowing the main body (140) to slide on the extended support (180) so that the side of the housing (184) without the wall segment remains adjacent to the main body (140). Means such as bolts, solder, welding, mechanical clips, etc., can be used to stabilize the extended support (180) relative to the main body (140). In this way, the chamber (198) is generally bounded by the three wall segments (184a-184c) of the housing (184) and the outside of the main body (140).

[0029] A fluid supply connection (125) is provided near the rear region (182) of the extended support (180). The fluid supply connection (125) is coupled to a vacuum source and a compressed fluid source, respectively, which provide vacuum pressure or positive compressed fluid pressure that travels along the length of the extended support (180) toward the main body (140). The vacuum pressure is applied to lift the strip material (70) from the first conveyor (31) and advance it onto the second conveyor (32) through the cutting area, while the positive compressed fluid pressure blows the strip segment (71) out of the tooling after it is cut by the cutter (42), as described further below.

[0030] In a currently preferred embodiment, as illustrated in FIGS. 2b, 3 and 4, the first and second tubes (190, 195) extend across the second segment (170) of the transfer tooling (120) and additionally extend across at least a portion of the first segment (130) including the main body (140). In this example, as best illustrated in FIG. 2b, the first tube (190) includes a downstream end (191), and the second tube (195) includes a downstream end (196). Additionally, the first and second tubes (190, 195) each include channels (192 and 197), as best seen in the cross-sectional views of FIGS. 3 and 4.

[0031] In this example, the first and second tubes (190, 195) are completely contained within the wall segments (184a-184c) of the housing (184) as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. However, in alternative embodiments, the first and second tubes (190, 195) may be partially contained within the wall segments (184a-184c) or provided outside the wall segments (184a-184c) along the length of the transfer tooling (120). Although the elements (190 and 195) are described as tubes for ease of reference, it will be noted that these conduits do not need to have a tubular or cylindrical cross-sectional shape, and other channels and shapes may be provided without departing from the intent of the embodiments.

[0032] In this example, the first and second tubes (190, 195) can each transmit vacuum pressure or positive compressed fluid pressure from the fluid supply connection (125) toward the body (140) of the transfer tooling (120). For example, a single hose connected to the fluid supply connection (125) can be equally divided into the first and second tubes (190, 195) so that the first and second tubes (190 and 195) effectively supply the same positive or negative pressure side by side.

[0033] The first and second channels (192, 197) may be positioned to be fluidly connected to the chamber (198) at a downstream location, as shown in the cut section of FIG. 2b and the cross-sectional view of FIG. 5. A control valve, such as a pneumatic valve, can control whether vacuum pressure or a positive amount of compressed fluid is selectively supplied to the channels (192, 197), and in turn supplied to the chamber (198) and the main body (140).

[0034] As further described below, according to one embodiment, the downstream end point (191) of the first tube (190) terminates at an upstream position relative to the downstream end point (196) of the second tube (192) as shown in the cut section of FIG. 2b. After extensive experimental testing, performance characteristics for maintaining a wide array of strips (71) relative to the body (140) were improved by staggering the downstream ends (191 and 196) of the first and second tubes (190 and 195), as opposed to two tubes that terminate at the same upstream or downstream position.

[0035] Referring to FIGS. 6a through 6c, additional features of the body (140) of the transfer tooling (120) are illustrated and described. In addition to the front and rear segments (141 and 142), the body (140) includes two axial boundaries (143 and 144) spaced apart from each other. An axial centerline (149) is provided at an equidistant distance between the axial boundaries (143, 144), as shown in FIG. 6a.

[0036] In this example, as illustrated in FIG. 6, the end (141a) of the front segment (141) terminates upstream of the opposing end (141b), so the front segment (141) of the main body (140) has an angle (α) with respect to the main longitudinal axis (L). The angle (α) may correspond to the bias angle of the belt being formed. In contrast, the two axial boundaries (143, 144) are generally parallel to the main longitudinal axis (L), whereas the rear segment (142) is generally perpendicular to the main longitudinal axis (L), as illustrated in FIG. 2a to 2b and FIG. 6a.

[0037] The main body (140) further includes a plurality of slots (150). In this case, the plurality of slots (150) are angled with respect to the main longitudinal axis (L). The angle of the slots (150) may be the same angle (α) that the front segment (141) has with respect to the main longitudinal axis (L), or it may be a different angle.

[0038] A series of first slots (152) are provided between the axial centerline (149) and the axial boundary (143), and for example, the slot (152) closest to the front segment (141) is labeled 152a and the slot closest to the rear segment (142) is labeled 152n (regardless of the actual number of slots in this series). Similarly, a series of second slots (154) are provided between the axial centerline (149) and the axial boundary (144), and for example, the slot (154) closest to the front segment (141) is labeled 154a and the slot closest to the rear segment (142) is labeled 154n.

[0039] The main body (140) further includes a plurality of openings (160). In this example, one opening (160) is positioned to be in fluid communication with each slot (150), as shown in FIG. 6a.

[0040] As can be best understood by referring again to the cross-sectional view of FIG. 4, the slot (150) extends a depth (159) into the lower surface (147) of the main body (140). As can be seen in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, each opening (160) extends between its respective slot (150) and the chamber (198). As previously described, the first and second channels (192, 197) are positioned to be in fluid communication with the chamber (198) and their downstream locations, and thus the vacuum or positive pressure provided through the first and second channels (192, 197) is ultimately diverted to the slot (150) through the chamber (198) and the opening (160) as an intermediate path.

[0041] In this way, the strip (71) is maintained adjacent to the lower surface (147) of the main body (140) when vacuum force is provided to the slot (150), and conversely, the strip (71) will blow off from the lower surface (147) of the main body when positive pressure is provided to the slot (150).

[0042] According to one embodiment, the unique arrangement and size of the slots (150) and holes (160) were determined through an extensive amount of experimental testing to accommodate a wide range of strip dimensions without arbitrary adjustment by the user. For example, FIG. 6b illustrates a first strip (71a) spanning a relatively long length, and is actually shown spanning slots (152a to 152n) and additional slots (154a to 154n), respectively. In FIG. 6c, an alternative strip (71b) spans a shorter length than strip (71a), that is, strip (71b) starts at slots (152a and 154a) but ends before slots (152n and 154n).

[0043] In previous designs, an internal slide was provided that required user intervention to adjust whenever a strip of different dimensions was selected for use, for example, between strip (71a) and strip (71b). If the internal slide is not properly adjusted, there may be insufficient vacuum pressure for the strip to be picked up and positioned by the transfer tooling. In particular, if the internal slide is adjusted so that more slots are opened than the desired strip length, the open slot areas that do not reach the strip do not allow sufficient vacuum pressure to be generated adjacent to the strip, and the strip will not be picked up. On the other hand, if the internal slide is adjusted to be narrower than the strip length, the guiding edges of the material will not have sufficient vacuum pressure to pick up the material, and the material will roll up when the transfer tooling attempts to move the material.

[0044] In the present embodiments, the positioning and sizing of the slot (150) and hole (160) provide sufficient pressure to hold and blow strips of various dimensions, such as strips (71a and 71b), without the need for an internal slide or any adjustment to the transfer tooling (120). In other words, a simple selection of the positioning and sizing of the slot (150) and hole (160) is optimized to provide sufficient pressure to handle an increased number of strips. Additionally, the pressure level provided to the chamber (198) and the slot (150) accordingly does not need to be changed for strip (71a) versus strip (71b).

[0045] As one important feature of the embodiments, each hole (160) is provided to communicate with each slot (150). That is, each hole (160) is limited to a location between the inner boundary (157) of a specific slot (150) and the outer boundary (158) of the same slot (150), as shown in FIG. 6a. In contrast, in the previous design, a single hole was located in the center between adjacent slots but not in the slot itself, and as mentioned above, an inner slide was adjusted according to the strip size to supply positive or negative pressure to the slot.

[0046] According to another embodiment, by omitting the centrally located hole of the conventional design that is not present within the slot, the slot of the present invention extends a longer length (D1) in the direction of the axial centerline (149) of the body (140). Accordingly, the distance (D2) between slots in adjacent rows is significantly reduced compared to previously known designs. In the example of FIG. 6a, the distance (D2) is less than 1 inch, preferably less than 0.5 inches. In this particular embodiment, the distance (D2) is about 0.375 inches. In short, extensive testing has revealed that by moving the slots in adjacent rows significantly closer to each other, the body (140) is optimized to handle an increased number of strips (71) without the need to adjust the internal slide.

[0047] In particular, the two axial boundaries (143, 144) of the main body (140) are spaced apart from each other by a distance (D3). In one example, when the distance (D3) is about 7.75 inches, the distance (D1) is about 5.1 to 5.2 inches and the distance (D2) is about 0.375 inches.

[0048] In practice, the distance (D3) may vary depending on the width of the incoming strip being manufactured, and in turn, the length of the slot (D1) may change along the distance (D3) based on the width of the strip being processed. However, the distance (D2) between slots in adjacent rows may be a fixed dimension for different sizes of the transfer tooling (120) regardless of the strip width or bias angle. Tests by the applicant have demonstrated that a constant distance (D2) works well for various strip widths and bias angles, while the distances (D1 and D3) are adjusted to be longer for wider strips and smaller for narrower strips.

[0049] According to another embodiment, the diameter (d) of the hole (160) (best illustrated in FIG. 4) is in the range of about 15-60% of the width (w1) of the slot (150) (best illustrated in FIG. 6a and labeled as slot (154a)). In one embodiment, the diameter (d) of the hole (160) versus the width (w1) of each of these slots is approximately 25-50%. Tests have shown that this range is advantageous for handling an increased number of strips (71) without the need to adjust the internal slide.

[0050] According to another embodiment, at least one hole (160) closer to the front segment (141) of the main body (140) has a different diameter than the hole closer to the rear segment (142). In particular, in FIG. 6a, the diameter (d1) of the hole (160) in the slot (152a, 154a) may be larger than the diameter (d2) of the alternative hole (160') in the slot (152n, 154n). In one non-limiting embodiment, the diameter (d1) of the hole (160) may be approximately 0.125 inches, thereby making the ratio of the hole diameter to the slot width in the slot (152a, 154a) approximately 50%. In contrast, in the same example, the diameter (d2) of the hole (160') may be approximately 0.0625 inches, and thus, considering the width of the slots (152a and 154a) remaining equal to the slots (152n and 154n), the ratio of the hole diameter to the slot width in the slots (152n and 154n) becomes approximately 25%. Advantageously, this variable hole diameter ensures that the front row is a wider percentage relative to the slot to provide sufficient pressure, taking into account that the strip (71, 71b) will always be in the front segment (141) of the body (140) regardless of size. On the other hand, since smaller strips such as strip (71b) may not cover the rear slot, the design limits the amount of open space where pressure is lost when the strip is absent. In some embodiments, some of the front rows of slots (e.g., 2-8 rows following slots (152a, 154a)) may have larger hole diameters, while the remaining rows of slots may have smaller hole diameters.

[0051] As mentioned above, the downstream end point (191) of the first tube (190) terminates at an upstream position relative to the downstream end point (196) of the second tube (195), as shown in the cut section of FIG. 2B. In relation to the hole and slot configuration described above, after extensive experimental testing of the tube arrangement, it was determined that the performance characteristics for maintaining a wide array of strips (71) relative to the body (140) were improved by staggering the downstream ends (191 and 196) of the first and second tubes (190 and 195), as contrasted with two tubes that terminate at the same upstream or downstream position.

[0052] Referring to FIGS. 7a through 7c, an alternative body (240) is illustrated and described. The main difference between the embodiments is that in FIGS. 6a through 6c, the front region (141) and the slot (150) of the body (140) are angled with respect to the main longitudinal axis (L), while in FIGS. 7a through 7c, the front region (241) and the slot (250) of the body (240) are substantially perpendicular to the main longitudinal axis (L). Similar reference numerals in FIGS. 6a through 6c correspond to the slot (250) in FIGS. 7a through 7c, and for example, the slot (150) in FIGS. 6a through 6c corresponds to the slot (250) in FIGS. 7a through 7c. In particular, the operation and benefits of the transfer tooling for the design of FIGS. 7a through 7c are generally the same as those discussed in detail with respect to FIGS. 6a through 6c.

[0053] Although various embodiments of the present invention have been described, the present invention is not limited to the appended claims and their equivalents. Furthermore, the advantages described in the present invention are not necessarily the only advantages of the present invention, and it is not expected that all embodiments of the present invention will achieve all the advantages described.

Claims

Claim 1 A conveying system configured to move a portion of a strip within a belt forming system, comprising: a first segment including a body applied to engage with the strip; a second segment coupled to a fluid supply unit; a plurality of slots provided on one side of the body, wherein fluid communication is provided from the fluid supply unit to the plurality of slots, so that fluid communication with the plurality of slots allows the strip to be held against the body or blown out of the body, wherein the plurality of slots are arranged in a series of rows, and a first slot in the first row is located directly adjacent to a second slot in the first row, wherein the conveying system further comprises a plurality of holes, wherein the first hole provides fluid communication between the fluid supply unit and the first slot, and at least one additional hole provides fluid communication between the fluid supply unit and the first slot and another slot, wherein the first row is closer to the front end of the body, and the subsequent row of slots is closer to the rear end of the body, and the first hole in the first row has a larger diameter than the subsequent hole included in the slot of the subsequent row. Claim 2 A transfer system according to claim 1, wherein the main body includes a horizontal centerline provided at an equal distance between the first and second side boundaries of the main body, the first slot is located between the horizontal centerline and the first side boundary, and the second slot is located between the horizontal centerline and the second side boundary. Claim 3 A transfer system according to claim 1, characterized in that the inner boundary of the first slot is located less than 0.5 inches from the adjacent inner boundary of the second slot. Claim 4 A transfer system according to claim 1, characterized in that a single hole is provided in each of the plurality of slots, so that the holes correspond one-to-one with the slots. Claim 5 A transfer system characterized in that, in paragraph 4, each hole is limited within the circumference of each of their respective slots. Claim 6 A transfer system according to claim 1, characterized in that the diameter of the first hole is in the range between 25-50% of the width of the first slot. Claim 7 A conveying system according to claim 1, wherein the first row always engages with the strip regardless of the dimensions of the strip, and the subsequent row engages with the strip of a larger dimension but not with the strip of a smaller dimension. Claim 8 A transfer system according to claim 1, wherein the main body comprises a first side boundary, a second side boundary, a front end, and a rear segment, and each slot included in each of the series of rows extends laterally from the first side boundary toward the second side boundary with respect to the main body, and each of the series of rows extends from the front end toward the rear segment. Claim 9 A transfer system according to claim 1, wherein an extended support extends between a portion of the first and second segments, the extended support includes a housing, the first and second tubes are provided within at least a portion of the housing, and the first and second tubes facilitate fluid communication between the fluid supply portion and the plurality of slots. Claim 10 A transfer system according to claim 9, characterized in that the first tube has a downstream end point that terminates at an upstream position relative to the downstream end point of the second tube. Claim 11 A transfer system according to claim 9, further comprising a chamber provided adjacent to the main body, wherein the chamber enables fluid communication between the first and second tubes and the plurality of slots. Claim 12 A conveying system configured to move a portion of a strip within a belt forming system, comprising: a first segment including a body applied to engage with the strip; a second segment coupled to a fluid supply unit; an extended support extending between a portion of the first and second segments; a plurality of slots provided on one side of the body; - fluid communication is provided from the fluid supply unit to the plurality of slots, so that fluid communication with the plurality of slots can hold the strip against the body or blow the strip out of the body -; and a first and second tube extending along at least a portion of the extended support, wherein the first and second tubes facilitate fluid communication between the fluid supply unit and the plurality of slots, and the first tube has a downstream end point that terminates at an upstream position relative to the downstream end point of the second tube. Claim 13 A transfer system according to claim 12, further comprising a chamber provided adjacent to the main body, wherein the chamber enables fluid communication between the first and second tubes and the plurality of slots. Claim 14 A transfer system according to claim 12, wherein the plurality of slots are arranged in a series of rows, and the first slot in the first row is located directly adjacent to the second slot in the first row. Claim 15 A transfer system according to claim 14, characterized in that the inner boundary of the first slot is located less than 0.5 inches from the adjacent inner boundary of the second slot. Claim 16 A transfer system according to claim 12, further comprising a plurality of holes, wherein the first hole provides fluid communication between the fluid supply unit and the first slot, and at least one additional hole provides fluid communication between the fluid supply unit and the first slot and another slot. Claim 17 A method for conveying a portion of a strip within a belt forming system, comprising the steps of: providing a conveying system having a first segment including a body applied to engage with the strip, and a second segment coupled to a fluid supply unit, wherein a plurality of slots are provided on one side of the body; providing fluid communication from the fluid supply unit to the plurality of slots such that the fluid communication with the plurality of slots can hold the strip with respect to the body or blow the strip from the body; conveying a first strip of a first dimension by engaging with the body; and subsequently conveying a second strip of a second dimension by engaging with the body, wherein the second dimension is different from the first dimension, wherein the second strip is conveyed after the first strip without any mechanical adjustment to the body. Claim 18 A method according to claim 17, wherein the first row of the plurality of slots engages with each of the first and second strips, while the subsequent row of the plurality of slots engages only with the first strip and not with the second strip. Claim 19 A method according to claim 17, further comprising the step of providing a first hole fluidly communicating between the fluid supply unit and the first slot, and at least one additional hole fluidly communicating between the fluid supply unit and the first slot and another slot. Claim 20 delete

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