CN101148096A - Method and apparatus for manufacturing pneumatic tires - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a device suitable for feeding semi-finished products made of elastic material towards a packaging and/or assembly station of rubber goods. In particular, said assembly station is an assembly station for tyres. The semi-finished product is associated with a traction-inextensible protective layer. The assembly formed by the semi-finished product and the protective layer is wound around a storage and supply reel associated with the braking device. The device according to the invention is provided with separating means, at least one of which is motor-driven and adapted to separate the semi-finished product from the protective layer, which is rewound around a collection reel turned by a motor.

Description

Method and apparatus for manufacturing pneumatic tires

The patent application for the present invention is a divisional application of the patent application for invention with the application number 01821565.3 and the name "Method and Equipment for Manufacturing Pneumatic Tires".

technical field

The invention relates to a method of supplying semi-finished products made of elastic material for the manufacture of rubber goods.

In particular, the invention relates to a method of supplying semi-finished products on the surface of a forming drum for the manufacture of rubber articles.

The invention relates in particular to a method of supplying semi-finished products for use in the tire manufacturing process.

In addition, the invention relates to a device for supplying said semi-finished products.

In this specification and in the following claims, the term "semi-finished product" refers to an elongated element made of elastic material, i.e. having one main dimension (length) with respect to the other two dimensions (width and thickness) , and has a constant thickness or variable thickness in the transverse direction relative to the same semi-finished product, and is used as a part of a rubber product in combination with other elements.

Such a semi-finished product may be a belt, ie an element comprising only elastic material, or a ribbon, ie an element comprising threads, ropes, fibers or other reinforcing elements at least partially embedded in said elastic material belt.

It should be noted that the term "elastomeric material" as used herein refers to a rubber compound as a whole, i.e. formed from at least one polymer base suitable for mixing with reinforcing fillers and/or treatment additives of various types mixture.

Background technique

In general, a tire comprises: a reinforced carcass formed in the form of a toric surface, the carcass comprising at least one carcass ply having bead wires associated with a pair of reinforcing structures for forming beads the end of the joint, the bead, that is, the part where the tire joins the rim; a pair of sidewalls made of elastic material and superimposed on said carcass at laterally opposite positions; surrounding said carcass are arranged a raised tread; and a reinforcing structure, referred to as a belt structure, disposed between the aforementioned carcass ply and the tread.

In tire manufacturing methods known in the art, such elastic materials are used, for example, to produce sidewalls, treads and innerliners (technically called liners, which internally cover the carcass of a tubeless tire, ie without the use of air-filled inner tube). In addition, the liner is usually joined with an additional layer of limited thickness, also made of elastic material, which has the function of facilitating the adhesion between the liner itself and the carcass ply.

An accessory element made entirely of elastic material and mainly used in the manufacture of jumbo tires (i.e. tires for use on heavy motor vehicles etc.) is the so-called underbelt filler, which consists of an elastic belt of considerable thickness, The underbelt filler is located between the carcass ply and the end of the belt structure after assembly.

In a jumbo tire, on the other hand, the bead reinforcing edge, the carcass ply and the belt structure comprise reinforcing structures embedded in the elastic material, said reinforcing structures being arranged according to a suitable angle with respect to the circumferential direction of the tyre. Made of multiple fabrics or wires or ropes.

All these semi-finished products are usually manufactured as continuous strips and stored in reels before their subsequent use.

In the tire manufacturing process, according to a specific sequence of steps, the above-mentioned semi-finished products are fed to an assembly machine, usually comprising at least one assembly drum, on which the semi-finished products are arranged and assembled with another semi-finished product to form the final tires.

Said assembly machine is provided by a plurality of auxiliary equipment (feeders) adapted to supply to the assembly drum all the various types of semi-finished products required for the assembly process.

Generally speaking, the semi-finished product is uncoiled by means of respective storage and supply reels and transported to the drum on which the first end of the semi-finished product is completed or after a plurality of material strips (such as side wall Manual or automatic arrangement of multiple first ends in the case of uncoiling at the same time as the belt underfill).

After said first end has been placed on the surface of the assembly drum, said drum is rotated until the partial winding of the semi-finished product on the cylindrical surface of the assembly drum is completed.

Said turning is performed incompletely so that the semi-finished product can be subjected to a cutting operation to size, which can then be made either manually or automatically by connecting the second end obtained by said cutting operation with the first end already engaged on the drum surface. to be engaged. Such engagement of the first and second ends may be in the form of a butt joint, or may include partial overlapping of the ends along a portion of the finite length.

In general terms, in the case of jumbo tyres, the process places sidewalls, liner, edges, carcass ply and underfill in this order on a first drum (the so-called "primary" drum) on which a pair of bead wires are also placed, while the belt structure and tread are fed and Set on the carcass, the unvulcanized tire has been formed downstream of the second drum and is ready to undergo a vulcanization treatment, after which the final tire is obtained.

When the semi-finished product is only made of elastic material or the semi-finished product comprises a reinforcing structure, the manufacturing process of the semi-finished product includes a step of associating such a semi-finished product with at least one protective sheet in order to keep the surface of the semi-finished product as far as possible from the During conventional storage and/or transport steps such components may come into contact with contamination by dust or other impurities, thereby protecting the adhesion of the semi-finished products, which is important for subsequent mutual assembly.

In the methods referred to in the prior art, the protective sheet, commonly referred to as "loose fabric", mainly comprises a fabric material, such as Meraclon(R), and the protective sheet is usually joined to the semi-finished product, during the manufacturing step Downstream the protective sheet is manufactured in a continuous manner, eg extrusion, calendering or profiling.

In this way, the semi-finished products associated with the loose fabric are wound in concentric rolls on a cylindrical surface, such as the core of a storage reel; each of said storage reels carrying a specific semi-finished product is then loaded into the assembly On the machine, in particular on the assembly machine arranged in the equipment for feeding such semi-finished products onto the above-mentioned assembly drums.

During the assembly of the tire, each semi-finished product is unrolled from the corresponding storage reel and separated from the loose fabric that has previously been joined to the semi-finished product, so that only the semi-finished product continues to move towards the assembly drum, while the loose fabric is recovered to be reuse.

This description relates to a method of supplying semi-finished products made of elastic material and to a device enabling such operations as provided during the assembly of tyres. This description relates in particular to the step of separating the release fabric from the semi-finished product with which the release fabric has previously been joined. The techniques of operation of the above-mentioned drums and assembly machines in general are not described below as a whole, since these are techniques known in the art and not relevant for the purposes of the present invention.

As far as the applicant is aware, the prior art teaches that such a separation step of separating the loose fabric from the semi-finished product of elastic material is carried out by means of a separating device, such as an idler roller. In particular, the semi-finished product engaged with the release fabric is uncoiled from the corresponding storage reel and is fed onto the surface of said separating element, wherein a sudden change in the direction of the release fabric relative to the transport direction of the semi-finished product is determined to facilitate the release Separation of fabrics and semi-finished products. In this way, the loose fabric is conveyed towards a collecting device, usually a beam turned by a motor.

In such processes referred to in the prior art, the aforementioned motor-driven beam draws the semi-finished product from the storage roll by exerting a pulling action directly on the release fabric, separating the semi-finished product from the release fabric and pushing the semi-finished product towards the assembly drum .

In order to control this feeding process, the above-mentioned storage drums are interconnected with braking devices so that the drums are not subjected to great rotations during the unwinding of the semi-finished products wound on the drums and the resulting changes in the quantity and weight of the semi-finished products The change in speed, in particular without increasing it, thus causes the semi-finished product to accumulate upstream of said idler rollers, thereby at least partially counteracting the pulling effect exerted by the collecting beams, making the separation process described above more difficult.

In addition, the collecting beam of the loose fabric is properly controlled by means of a control device or a clutch, so that as the mass of the loose fabric wound on the surface of the beam increases, the speed of the collecting beam can be changed in time to ensure that the loose fabric is collected properly. The substantially constant drawing action of the , so that the above-mentioned semi-finished products are extracted as uniformly as possible.

In other words, the feed of semi-finished products on the assembly drum is controlled by the tension exerted on the loose fabric by the collecting beam driven by said motor.

The Applicant has realized that in order to preserve the dimensions and structural characteristics of semi-finished products which are in a plastic state and are therefore prone to deformation, said semi-finished products should be fed from corresponding storage rolls to avoid unwinding on the rolls, separation of loose fabrics and separation of all Stretching occurs on the semi-finished product during the step of conveying the semi-finished product to an assembly drum or to another semi-finished assembly and/or handling device.

The applicant has noticed that the feeding method according to the process referred to in the above-mentioned prior art produces, including controlled stretching, on the semi-finished product, which is particularly undesirable since semi-finished products made of unvulcanized elastic material are still plastic. It is desirable to subject it to permanent deformation.

In other words, the aforementioned stretching creates stresses within the semi-finished product that alter the dimensions and functional characteristics of the semi-finished product, which impairs the yield or, in some cases, makes the assembly process difficult, especially when it is performed with automatic equipment.

The applicant has actually realized that the release fabrics used in the prior art, such as Meraclon(R), are very extensible, and that the release fabric transmits a portion of the pulling action exerted by the beam on the release fabric to the On the semi-finished product joined with said fabric. In addition, the separating operation of the loose fabric and the conveying action on the drums cause stretching and deformation on the semi-finished product.

The applicant has found that the stretching and deformation imparted to the semi-finished product can be substantially eliminated by using a web guiding and separating device comprising a plurality of rollers, at least one of which is motor driven and replaces the idler rollers of the prior art , the semi-finished product is preferably associated with a non-stretchable loose fabric.

Such a fabric guiding and separating device, referred to below as a pulling capstan, exerts a pulling action on the fabric at the same point where the fabric is separated from the semi-finished product.

During the step of uncoiling from the storage drum, the tractive forces generated by the collecting beam and said pulling winch are completely absorbed by the inextensible loose fabric and are not partially transferred to the semi-finished product.

The applicant has found that, by providing such a plurality of rollers and using a motor to drive at least one of said rollers, after the semi-finished product has been detached from the loose fabric, by using said at least one roller it is possible to use said at least one roller substantially in the same way as by being arranged upstream of the assembly drum and suitable for use. Such a semi-finished product is transmitted to the semi-finished product at a translational velocity equal to the translational velocity transmitted to the semi-finished product by the conveying means that transport such semi-finished product towards the drum.

In particular, the Applicant has found that by moving at a rotational speed equal to that of a plurality of additional rollers (referred to in the art as "rollers and stands") arranged downstream of the device and belonging to the above-mentioned conveying device At least one roller of the winch is pulled such that the speed of translation of the semi-finished product leaving the supply reel is equal to the speed of translation of the semi-finished product at said stand. In other words, the fabric guiding and separating device according to the invention ensures a constant and predetermined speed of conveying the semi-finished products, which are not pushed and dragged. This prevents stretching within the semi-finished product itself.

Contents of the invention

In its first aspect, the invention relates to a method for feeding a semi-finished product made of elastic material, supported in a loose on the fabric and stored in reels in the form of concentric rolls.

Such a method includes the following steps:

(a) brake uncoiling of said roll from said storage spool;

(b) separating such loose fabric from said semi-finished product by providing said fabric with a different direction of advancement;

(c) conveying said loose fabric towards a collecting beam, said beam being rotated about its axis by means of motor means;

(d) conveying said semi-finished product towards an assembly and/or processing station of said semi-finished product;

It is characterized in that the method also includes the following steps:

(e) associating a traction-non-stretchable release fabric with said semi-finished product prior to the storage step of storing such semi-finished product in said roll;

(f) exerting a tractive force on said loose fabric suitable for said braking unwinding, said force being applied at the midpoint of the path of said fabric between said drum and said beam place.

Preferably, the above method includes the step of applying said tractive force at the same point at which said different headings are provided.

In its second aspect, the invention relates to an apparatus for feeding a semi-finished product made of elastic material, supported in a loose on the fabric and stored in reels in the form of concentric rolls. Such devices include:

(a) braking means for regulating the unwinding speed of said roll from said storage spool;

(b) separating means for separating said loose fabric from said semi-finished product;

(c) a collection beam for collecting said loose fabric;

(d) first motor means for rotating said collection beam about its axis;

It is characterized in that the apparatus further comprises second motor means for the rotation of the separating means.

In a preferred embodiment, the above-mentioned apparatus comprises at least three fabric guides arranged at the midpoint of the path of said fabric between said drum and said beam, one of said fabric guides being also for Separating means for separating said fabric from said semi-finished product.

Preferably, such guiding means are arranged in the following manner relative to the unwinding direction of said fabric:

- first guiding means also constituting said separating means are arranged downstream of said storage reel;

- a third guiding device is arranged upstream of the collecting beam of the fabric and at a distance from the conveying path of the semi-finished product towards its assembly and/or processing station, for example an assembly drum;

- the second guiding means is arranged at an intermediate position between the first guiding means and the third guiding means and is positioned with respect to said first guiding means and third guiding means at a greater distance from the conveying path of said semi-finished product at the spaced position.

Other features and advantages will become more apparent from the following description of some preferred embodiments of the invention.

Description of drawings

The following description refers to the accompanying drawings, and the following description is an illustrative rather than a restrictive description. In the attached picture:

Fig. 1 shows a partial cross-sectional view of a medium/heavy vehicle tire manufactured by the method and equipment involved in the present invention;

Figure 2 shows a partial side view of a device according to the invention suitable for feeding semi-finished products to the tire assembly drum of Figure 1;

Fig. 3 schematically shows a partial side view of the specific structure of the second embodiment of the device involved in the present invention;

Fig. 4 schematically shows a partial side view of the specific structure of the third embodiment of the device involved in the present invention;

Fig. 5 schematically shows a perspective view of another embodiment of the device according to the invention, comprising a supply of semi-finished products mounted in a separate container detachably integrated with the device for fitting tyres.

Detailed ways

The following description relates to a method and a device for feeding semi-finished products made of elastic material in the process of assembling tires, such as jumbo tires 100 shown in FIG. 1 . However, the method and apparatus to which the present invention relates are not limited to tire assembly processes, but they may also be used in any process requiring the supply of a semi-finished product made of a plastically deformable material, such as an elastic material.

The tire 100 comprises a carcass formed in the form of a toric surface, said carcass comprising at least one carcass ply 101 preferably arranged in a radial plane (i.e. containing the axis of rotation of the tire) Metallic reinforcing wires in the radial plane of ). The ends 101a of the carcass ply are turned up axially outwards from the inside around two metallic annular wires 102 (commonly called bead wires, forming the reinforcing structure of the bead, ie the radially inner end of the tyre). As mentioned above, the beads ensure that the tire can be assembled onto the corresponding mounting rim C. In FIG. 1 , a tire 100 is supported on a so-called "grooved" rim, wherein the support base for the tire beads tapers outwards according to an angle w of approximately 15 degrees.

A tread 103 supported by an elastic material, in which a concavo-convex pattern is formed to ensure the contact of the tire 100 with the ground, is provided in the form of bumps around the carcass. The tread 103 has a predetermined thickness and is delimited between an outer surface that can come into contact with the ground and an inner surface covered with a thin sheet 103' made of a material specially adapted to facilitate the necessary gap between the tread 103 and the underlying belt structure 104. of bonding.

The belt structure described above is an annular reinforcing structure that is hardly stretchable in the circumferential direction and is provided between the carcass 101 and the tread 103 . Typically, the belt comprises at least two radially superimposed layers 104a, 104b made of rubberized fabric and internally provided with metal reinforcing wires. Such reinforcing threads are arranged parallel to each other in each layer 104a, 104b and are inclined with respect to the reinforcing threads of the adjacent layer; preferably, such reinforcing threads are arranged symmetrically with respect to the equatorial plane of said tyre. Preferably, the belt structure described above further comprises a third additional layer 104c of highly ductile metal wires wound circumferentially around the underlying belt layer over its entire width or only at its axially outward position The fact that the third additional layer 104c is only circumferentially wound around the underlying tape layer at its axially outward position can only close off the ends of said underlying tape layer. Such an additional layer, in cooperation with the underlying layer, makes it possible to improve the belt's ability to withstand the stresses exerted on the tire during operation and related to inflation pressure and centrifugal force and to ensure high drivability, especially during cornering.

FIG. 2 shows a device 10 according to the invention, which is suitable for supplying semi-finished products 2 made of elastic material, such as treads or sidewalls, stored in storage reels 6 from which they are removed. Pulled out and conveyed towards the assembly drum 3 , which is rotated by the motor 4 , the loose fabric 5 is recovered by the collecting device 20 after the semi-finished product is separated from the loose fabric 5 .

As mentioned above, the semi-finished product 2 is associated with a protective sheet or release fabric 5, which according to the invention is made of a material that is substantially inextensible and has properties that enable the adhesiveness of the semi-finished product 2 to remain unchanged But it is a characteristic that the adhesion to the semi-finished product is so weak that the step of separating it from the semi-finished product is not difficult.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the applicants have found it advantageous to use a sheet of material commercially available under the name Mylar(R).

The semi-finished product 2 is produced in a special device, such as an extruder, directly associated with the release fabric 5; it is then wound in the form of a concentric roll around a storage reel 2, ready for later use. When the semi-finished product 2 needs to be used, the reel 6 is loaded on an assembly device, in particular a semi-finished product supply device, and the free end of the loose fabric is sent to a collecting device 20 . The above-mentioned device is rotated to unwind the roll from the drum 6 and recover the fabric. The rotation of the reel is regulated by means of the braking device 7, as described above, when the reel has a maximum diameter since the uncoiling has started and the semi-finished product is fully loaded on the reel, and since the uncoiling is substantially complete and the reel is substantially The braking device 7 makes it possible to keep the circumferential tangential velocity of the storage roll constant at any moment during the unwinding step when the roll has a minimum diameter when the top is empty.

According to the embodiment shown in Figure 2, the device 10 comprises a reel 6, braking means 7 for said reel, a beam 20 for collecting said loose fabric 5, adapted to transmit a suitable rotational speed To the above-mentioned beam motor 21 and three fabric guides, preferably three rollers 17, 18, 19 on the way from the reel 6 to the beam 20, on which the loose fabric 5 is wound. The rollers 17, 18, 19 are preferably of the same diameter and guide the release fabric 5 along a corrugated path as will be described later in this description.

It should be noted that the terms "storage reel" and "collection beam" are non-limiting, and are used for ease of description as they refer to any type of device for storing semi-finished products and collecting loose fabric, respectively, such as A collection reel for storing beams and fabric can be used as an alternative to said reel and beams.

Furthermore, in FIG. 2 a roller table 22 and a frame 8 are shown, which are also provided with a series of rollers for conveying the semi-finished product 2 onto the cylindrical surface of said drum 3 . Since a partial schematic view of the feeding device to which the invention is concerned is shown in FIG. 2 , this figure does not take into account the actual distance existing between the reel 6 and the assembly drum 3 and does not fall within the scope of the invention. Several additional known elements within the scope of protection. For example, Fig. 2 does not show the conveyor belt system(s) for supporting the semi-finished product in its path from the separating device of the fabric to the roller table. In particular, FIG. 2 does not show the hemming system, arranged between the supply reel 6 and the roller table 22, required to separate the supply area of the semi-finished product from its processing area; Change the reel, ie ensure a continuous supply to the assembly drum 3 .

The axes of the reel 6 , the beam 20 and the rollers 17 , 18 , 19 and the rollers 22 of the table and the frame 8 are parallel to each other and perpendicular to the common support frame of the semi-finished product feeding plant represented by the plane of FIG. 2 .

According to the invention, the rollers 17, 18, 19 are arranged in such a way that the release fabric 5 can be guided along a corrugated path adapted to facilitate the non-stretching feed of the semi-finished product. At least one of the rollers constitutes a separating device between the semi-finished product 2 and the release fabric 5, since it provides different advancing directions for the web and the semi-finished product. In particular, at the output of said rollers, the advance directions of the semi-finished product and the fabric diverge at an angle of not less than 60°, preferably close to 90°, relative to each other.

In addition, at least one of the above-mentioned rollers is motor-driven so as to exert traction on said loose fabric in addition to or instead of the force exerted by the beam to achieve the above-mentioned semi-finished product from the storage roll Braked unwinding of the roll, so that, as mentioned above, the semi-finished product 2 can be conveyed from the reel 6 to the assembly drum 3 at a constant speed and without stretching on the semi-finished product. Preferably, as shown in the embodiment of FIG. 2 , said first roller 17 is driven by a motor 23 .

The motor driven roller or rollers rotate at a constant speed which is a function of the diameter of the roller, such diameter being preferably between 40 mm and 80 mm. In addition, the outer surface of the roller is preferably covered with a high-hardness elastic material (for example, between 60 and 70 Shore hardness) to increase the friction between the roller and the release fabric, thereby facilitating the release process. Pulling effect on fabric.

According to the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, said guiding means are three and arranged in such a way that their axes substantially coincide with the vertices of an inverted triangle, one side of which faces after the release fabric 5 has been separated. Semi-finished product 2 moving towards the assembly drum.

In particular, said sides form a small angle with the conveying direction A of the semifinished product 2 so that only the separating means (rollers 17 ) are in contact with the release fabric.

The spatial shape of the above-mentioned rollers 17, 18, 19 is such that the release fabric 5 follows a corrugated path defined by the two sides of the triangle which do not face the semi-finished product, i.e. the connecting rollers 17-18 and the 18-19 axis lines represent the corrugated paths.

In particular, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 , it should be noted that the rollers 19 are kept at a distance from the semi-finished product 2 so as not to interfere with the movement of said semi-finished product.

Referring to the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 2 , the method for feeding the assembly drum 3 with the semifinished product 2 thus consists of uncoiling the semifinished product from the storage reel 6 engaged with the loose fabric. The drawing action exerted on the fabric by means of the collecting beam 20 and/or the rollers 17 moves the semi-finished product 2 and the loose fabric 5 engaged therewith towards the first roller 17 (arrow B of FIG. 2 ). The release fabric is separated from the semi-finished product 2 at the first roller 17 and is forced to follow a corrugated path (arrows C, E, F) around the subsequent rollers 18 , 19 until it is collected on the beam 20 . On the other hand, the semi-finished product 2 advances towards the assembly drum 3 after having been separated from the release fabric 5 (arrow A).

Referring to the arrangement shown in Figure 2, along the path, the release fabric 5 is in contact with the curved portion of the rollers 17 and 19 at its first surface and with the curved portion of the roller 18 at the opposite surface.

Preferably, such a curved portion corresponds to a surface arc of the roller in the range between 90° and 180° (preferably not less than 135°).

This triangular arrangement with corresponding corrugated paths takes advantage of abrupt changes in direction imposed on the loosening fabric 5 to change the roller assembly in the drawing capstan, which exerts a constant and greater pulling action on the fabric, the drawing capstan The pulling action applied can be combined with or instead of the pulling action applied by the beam 20 .

As mentioned above, according to the invention, the semi-finished product 2 is associated with a loose fabric 5 made of inextensible material, which is able to withstand the pulling action provided by said winches or said beams and does not experience any stretching . Preferably, said release fabric 5 is made of Mylar(R) and has a thickness between 0.1 mm and 0.5 mm.

FIG. 3 shows another embodiment of the device 10 according to the invention, which is particularly suitable when the semi-finished product 2 (arrow B) is provided with a pair of release fabrics respectively arranged on the two surfaces of the semi-finished product. In particular, the semi-finished product 2 (for example, a sidewall or metal fabric belt used in the process of manufacturing giant tires) is provided with a first loose fabric 5 as shown in FIG. 5 is a second release fabric 5' made of polyethylene film. The second release fabric 5' and the first release fabric 5 perform the above-mentioned protective function on the two opposite surfaces of the semi-finished product 2.

As can be seen in Fig. 3, the first release fabric 5 is separated by means of the device 10 according to the invention and is fed (arrow C) to a collecting beam (not shown). On the other hand, the second release fabric 5' is separated by means of a so-called knife-type separating device 9 fixed relative to the supporting frame and is conveyed to a different collection beam 11 (arrow D).

In this alternative embodiment ( FIG. 3 ), the roller 19 is arranged at the same horizontal position as the roller 17 relative to the surface of the semi-finished product so that the roller 19 is also in contact with the semi-finished product 2 .

Said embodiment is particularly suitable if the rollers 19 are also of the motor-driven type, which facilitates the delivery of the semi-finished product 2 towards the assembly drum 3 at a predetermined and constant speed (arrow A).

In FIG. 3 , the apparatus 10 to which the invention relates also includes a roller, placed between rollers 17 and 19 and adapted to provide a support plane parallel to the semi-finished product 2 moving (arrow A) towards the assembly drum (not shown). Support elements 12 (eg roller tables or conveyor belts). Such a support element 12 performs the function of supporting the semi-finished product 2 especially when the semi-finished product is made of only one elastic material and without any reinforcing structure.

Said element 12 thus makes it possible to prevent undulations or bending that the semi-finished product 2 may undergo, which could stretch and/or deform the material in the gap between the rollers 17 and 19 .

FIG. 4 shows another embodiment of the feeding device 10 according to the invention, in which the path followed by the release fabric 5 is different from that shown in FIG. 2 . In fact, according to said other embodiment, the release fabric 5 is not separated from the semi-finished product 2 at the first roll 17 , but at the second roll 18 . This means, therefore, that the semi-finished product still engaged with the release fabric 5 moves along one surface portion of the two rollers 17 and 18 and, as mentioned above, is at the second roller 18 rather than at the roller 17 with the loose fabric. The de-fabric 5 is separated.

In addition, another difference between the embodiment shown in FIG. 4 and the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 is that all rollers 17, 18, 19 are motor driven, and as shown in FIG. The path of the common chain 14 drives the aforementioned rollers and collection beam 20 .

In another embodiment of the invention (not shown), the supply spool 6 is driven together with the rollers 17 , 18 , 19 and the beam 20 .

In addition, FIG. 4 also partially shows the overhang formed by the semi-finished product 2 (for example a belt) arranged downstream of the feeding device 10 . In particular, Fig. 4 shows a maximum width overhang 2' and a maximum width overhang 2", the length of the overhang is controlled by a pair of photocells 50; the photocell 50 reads the curvature formed by the overhang According to such readings, the above-mentioned photocells adjust the length of the overhang, start or stop the feeding equipment in order to maintain the necessary amount of semi-finished products upstream of the assembly drum, so that when the supply reel is replaced or the production line fails To ensure the continuity of the manufacturing process under the circumstances.

In another embodiment (shown in FIG. 5 ), the various devices of the supply device according to the invention are arranged in a housing 24 which is connected to the assembly device in a detachable manner, in particular with a detachable The way is connected to the frame of each feeding device for feeding a specific semi-finished product to the assembly drum.

The housing 24 enables a quick exchange of the entire feeding device 10 , for example when maintenance operations are required, or when an assembly machine engaged with such a device 10 has to change its product and meet the dimensions and/or When shape changes are required.

In a feeding plant according to the prior art, in order to meet different product requirements, storage rolls containing semi-finished products have to be loaded onto the plant before starting production. We deduce that on the plant there are storage rolls still partially filled with the semi-finished products used in the previous production; in this case it is necessary to unwind the loose fabrics on the collection beam and rewind them onto the storage rolls, That is, on the semi-finished product still stored on the storage reel connected with the shown loose fabric.

Afterwards, said storage reel must be withdrawn and replaced by a storage reel containing semi-finished products corresponding to the new product, after which a new operating cycle begins.

We deduce that the assembly drum must be provided with semi-finished products of the type that have been used in the previous cycle and at the end of said previous cycle they are wound on reels that have been started and unloaded from the device; here In this case, it is necessary to load the storage reel on the said feeding device, to unwind the loose fabrics which have been separated from the previously used previous semi-finished products from the storage reel and to wind them onto the collecting beam until after the storage reel Components formed from semi-finished products joined to loose fabrics are reused. At this point, a new production cycle can begin.

The device referred to in the present invention eliminates the above-mentioned several operations and the resulting technical time required to change semi-finished products. In fact, in order to switch immediately from one operating cycle to a different subsequent cycle, it is only necessary to remove the casing 24 and replace it with a new casing 24 containing the new type of semi-finished product required, regardless of whether the old casing has ended the reel 6 Or if the new housing is provided with a new reel 6 .

As shown in Figure 5, the housing 24 comprises a frame 25, the shafts of the storage rolls 6 and the corresponding rolls, the shafts of the collection beam 20 and the corresponding beams, the shafts of the rollers 17, 18, 19 and these rollers, for The shafts of the idler rollers supporting the semi-finished product from the housing to the output are all mounted on the frame 25 .

According to a particular embodiment of the invention, at least the shafts of the drum 6, the beam 20 and the roller 17 are integrally connected in rotation with corresponding actuating pins mounted on the frame 25 of the feeding device upstream of the assembly drum, except for driving the In addition to the motor for the pins, the feeding device also includes braking means 7 for the reels 6 and a computer control system for the synchronous control of said means.

Housing 24 is mounted on said frame 25 by associating said shafts with corresponding pins protruding perpendicularly from said frame: in this way, the feeding process of the semi-finished product is carried out substantially without differences with respect to the preceding ones. When the reel 6 is empty, it is replaced with a housing provided with another new storage reel.

If the supply of semi-finished products has to be interrupted when the reel is partially loaded, e.g. due to a product change or for other reasons, the housing can be removed without rewinding the loose fabric onto the reel 6; Or re-use the same housing on another assembly facility, without delay because the housing has previously been removed from the supply facility.

Table 1 below shows the main operating parameters of the plant 10 for separately supplying the sidewall and liner of a tire to which the invention relates.

Table 1

Measurements product product side wall Lining Roller pulling speed 15-20m/min 10-15m/min Pulling torque 75Nm 170Nm Tensile force = pulling torque/roller diameter (=30mm) 2500N 5500N Supply the braking torque of the reel 50Nm 250Nm Friction torque of collection reel 12.5Nm 30Nm Weight of fully loaded supply reel 300Kg 1000Kg

According to the present invention, a computer control system controls the operation of the apparatus 10 according to a predetermined production method.

In a first position, the system regulates the rotational speed of the storage reel 6 as a function of the amount of uncoiled semi-finished product by means of the braking device 7 .

In fact, said computer control system acts on the braking device 7 by keeping the loose fabric permanently under tension but at the same time varying the speed of rotation of the drum 6, preferably according to a predetermined law, with the amount of semi-finished product supplied. , thus ensuring a constant and predetermined flow of semi-finished products to the assembly drum.

In fact, one purpose of the feeding device 10 is to be able to feed the semi-finished product at a constant speed equal to the speed that the semi-finished product has at the assembly drum, the speed in the last part of said path being transmitted to the on semi-finished products.

Regulation of the rotational speed of the mandrel 6 can be obtained, for example, by providing the braking device 7 with a plurality of photocells arranged in front of one face of the mandrel and an illumination source arranged in front of the other face of the mandrel. During the unwinding of the semi-finished product, when the reel 6 is empty, the photocell is gradually illuminated with an illumination source and the measurement of the current diameter of the reel still containing the semi-finished product is transmitted to the computer control system. In this way, the computer control system adjusts the drum rotation speed according to the degree of emptying achieved.

Similarly, the computer control system controls the motor 21, and the motor 21 controls the speed of the collecting beam 20 using a clutch arrangement so that the pulling action exerted on the loose fabric 5 is always constant and is not affected by the collection of the loose fabric. The increase of the amount makes the beam 20 suffer from the influence of the mass change. The adjustment of the rotational speed of the beam 20, i.e. the reduction of its value when the release fabric is wound, allows the semi-finished product 2 to be conveyed at a constant and predetermined speed, and since the release fabric involved in the present invention is not stretchable No undesired stretching in the material occurs.

As mentioned above, a constant conveying speed of the semi-finished product is also obtained thanks to the motorized drive of at least one roller of the device 10 to which the invention relates. In fact, such a motor drive makes it possible to compensate the pulling action exerted by the beams 20 on the loose fabric 5 engaged with the semi-finished product 2 , thus facilitating the transport of the semi-finished product towards the assembly drum 3 without undesired stretching.

In the steps of the assembly process, the computer control system receives real data of the parameters of interest (speed, position and tension mentioned above); in the case of possible deviations from predetermined thresholds, the computer control system compares the stored data with the real data Make necessary adjustments to restore equipment operation to programmed conditions.

The method and the device according to the invention enable the feeding of the semi-finished product along the path between the storage reel 6 and the assembly drum 3 without stretching in the semi-finished product and without causing changes in the dimensions of the semi-finished product.

This result is particularly desirable in order to provide semi-finished products for assembly drums without deformations and structural changes, which would negatively affect the quality of the final product.

For example, when the semi-finished product is a carcass ply, no longitudinal expansion can ensure the placement of the wires forming the ply, in the step of forming the carcass, using a calculated predetermined density to obtain a predetermined density of the carcass under the operating conditions of the tire. impedance.

In addition, it has to be noted that the use of a substantially inextensible fabric makes it possible to increase the tensioning properties of the release fabric 5 , greatly facilitating the uniform and stretch-free uncoiling of the semi-finished product 2 from the storage reel 6 .

The present invention is not limited to the above, because the present invention also includes all alternative solutions and means that, although not described, can be easily deduced by those skilled in the art from this specification.

For example, the apparatus 10 may include a different number of rollers than shown, only two rollers, or more than three rollers, provided at least one is motor driven and the overall arrangement of the rollers enables the rollers to be moved without stretching. Semi-finished product 2 produces tension on the loose fabric that is conveyed toward assembly drum 3 and gets final product.

Claims (9)

1. the semi-finished product that will be made by elastomeric material are towards half-finished assembling and/or handle the equipment that station is supplied with, and described semi-finished product are supported on the fabric that gets loose and are stored in reel with the form of concentric volume, and described equipment comprises:

(a) be used to regulate the brake apparatus of the uncoiling speed that comes from the described described volume of depositing reel;

(b) be used to separator that the described fabric that gets loose is separated with described semi-finished product;

(c) be used to collect the collection beam of the described fabric that gets loose;

(d) be used to make first motor apparatus of described collection beam around its axis rotation;

It is characterized in that described equipment also comprises second motor apparatus that is used for described separator rotation.

2. equipment as claimed in claim 1 is characterized in that, described equipment is provided with a plurality of guiding devices that are used to guide described fabric, and at least one in the described guiding device is that motor drives.

3. equipment as claimed in claim 2 is characterized in that described separator is a roller.

4. equipment as claimed in claim 2, it is characterized in that, described equipment comprise at least first guiding device and with described first guiding device second guiding device in succession, described first guiding device is that motor drives and is set at and leaves described downstream of depositing the export of goods in process of manufacture of reel, and described second guiding device is set at respect to position of departing from of described first guiding device and between described first guiding device and described collection beam.

5. equipment as claimed in claim 4, it is characterized in that, the axle of described first and second guiding devices is parallel to the axis of described collection beam, and the described fabric that gets loose is wound onto around the circular arc portion of described first guiding device with its first surface and is wound on around the described circular arc portion that has with second guiding device of described first surface facing surfaces.

6. equipment as claimed in claim 2, it is characterized in that, described equipment comprises at least three guiding devices, described first guiding device is arranged on the downstream of depositing reel, and the 3rd guiding device is arranged on the upstream of described collection beam and is in a lower position with respect to described semi-finished product towards the direction of described half-finished assembling and/or the conveying of processing station; Second guiding device is arranged between first guiding device and the 3rd guiding device and with respect to described first guiding device and the 3rd guiding device and is in a lower position, and the axis of described first, second, third guiding device is parallel to each other and is parallel with the axis of described collection beam.

7. equipment as claimed in claim 2, it is characterized in that, described equipment comprises that one can and/or be handled the dismountable housing of station with respect to the described assembling of rubber, described housing is provided with substrate, and the pivot center on the cylindrical supply of described resolution element and collection surface is supported in the described substrate idly.

8. equipment as claimed in claim 2 is characterized in that, the described fabric that gets loose is a kind of fabric of not extensible type.

9. equipment as claimed in claim 1 is characterized in that, the described fabric that gets loose is made by Mylar .

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