Transfer Ring Block-and-Rail Cam Follower Prevents Tire Component Twisting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing transfer rings used in tire manufacturing often impart undesirable twisting forces to tire components during transfer, which can compromise structural integrity and uniform shape.
Innovation Solution
A transfer ring design featuring a circular frame with driven linkages that allow radial movement of shoes while inhibiting circumferential travel, utilizing a block-and-rail cam follower to ensure linear movement and maintain shoe alignment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If shoes are allowed to move along an arced path both radially inwardly and circumferentially around the central axis (iris motion pattern), then the transfer ring can grasp and transfer tire components, but the shoes impart twisting forces to the tire component that compromise structural integrity and uniform shape
Solution Approach 1:
The transfer ring is divided into multiple independent shoe segments that can move radially but are constrained from circumferential motion. Each shoe is a separate unit with its own linkage system, allowing localized radial adjustment while maintaining overall structural stability through the segmented architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
A rail-guided linkage system acts as an intermediary mechanism between the drive member and the shoes. This intermediary constrains the shoes to linear radial movement along guided paths, preventing the circumferential travel that would cause twisting while still enabling the radial expansion and contraction needed for transfer operations.
2Stability of the object's composition
If shoes are constrained to linear radial movement only, then twisting forces are prevented and structural integrity is maintained, but the complexity of the linkage system increases due to block-and-rail cam follower mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The linkage system transitions from a static rigid structure to a dynamic mechanism with controlled degrees of freedom. The block-and-rail cam followers provide dynamic constraint that allows radial motion while preventing circumferential motion, creating a dynamically constrained system that adapts during the transfer cycle.
Solution Approach 2:
The complex multi-degree-of-freedom iris motion mechanism is replaced with a simpler constrained linear motion system using block-and-rail cam followers. This substitution reduces the mechanical complexity by eliminating the need for circumferential adjustment mechanisms while maintaining the essential radial expansion and contraction functionality.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the circumference of the belt and tread drum is made adjustable, then a single drum can form packages of alternative diameters, but the structural complexity of the drum increases
Solution Approach 1:
The drum circumference is divided into adjustable segments or zones that can be independently positioned. This segmentation allows the effective circumference to be modified by reconfiguring the segments, enabling the formation of packages with different diameters while using a single drum structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The drum structure incorporates dynamic adjustment mechanisms that allow the circumference to be changed during operation. This dynamic capability enables the drum to adapt to different package diameters without requiring multiple fixed-diameter drums, achieving versatility through controlled structural modification.
Data Source
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AI summary
A transfer ring for use in the manufacture of vehicle tires, the transfer ring including a radially expandable and collapsible segmented cylindrical gripping surface defined by a plurality of inwardly facing arcuate surfaces mounted for radial movement toward and away from a central axis of the cylindrical gripping surface, wherein each arcuate surface is mounted to a corresponding set of driven linkages comprising first, second, and third members, each set of driven linkages further including a block-and-rail cam follower secured to at least one of the first, second, and third members and configured to cooperate with the first, second, and third members to limit movement of the arcuate surface to linear movement radially toward and away from the central axis of the cylindrical gripping surface.