Cutting – Means to drive or to guide tool – With simple rectilinear reciprocating motion only
Reexamination Certificate
1996-06-18
2001-07-10
Ashley, Boyer (Department: 3724)
Cutting
Means to drive or to guide tool
With simple rectilinear reciprocating motion only
C083S951000, C083S923000, C083S639100, C083S648000, C083S694000, C083S202000, C083S468100, C083S829000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06257113
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to an apparatus for manufacturing tire sectors from a tire, in particular from used tires where the tire is cut in such a way that the sectors remain connected at the area of the tire tread, whereby the sectors are made by producing at least one cut extending from the tire opening in both side walls in direction towards the tire tread and terminating just shy of the surface of the tire tread. If desired, the tire sectors may be provided with holes in the side walls.
Such connected tire sectors are used for the production of structures where greenery is desired, in particular for use as borders of roadways, parking lots, but also for front parts of already existing walls for use as sound barriers. To this end, the slotted tires are cut entirely through at one point, so that the tire sectors which are connected at the tread are extended and ready for mounting in a strip like manner on a supporting stand. Greenery is able to grow through the spaces remaining between the individual extended tires and is protected by the tire material against water splashes and wind, but can be reached by rain and by an additional sprinkling as desired, so that the greenery can grow quickly and permanently. Such structures have been proven to be very good and are used more and more in a variety of applications. Up to now, however, it was comparatively troublesome to process the tires in the above described manner, because the tire material is of high resistance and, in addition, as a rule is provided with inserts in the area of the beaded edge of the side walls. Until now, these materials had to be sawed by hand in order to obtain the said cuts. This work was troublesome and time consuming, resulting in the desire to automate such cuts.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved apparatus for manufacturing tire sections, obviating the afore-stated drawbacks.
The present invention meets this demand and solves this object by using a stand designed for the tire, providing a support for mounting the tire and which is provided with at least two abutments for supporting the side walls during the cutting operation. The abutments are disposed laterally in relation to the side walls in the working position of the tire, and that the stand has a guide mechanism for at least one cutting knife, the cutting knife or the cutting knives being provided with cutting edges for effecting the cuts in the two side walls, each cutting knife being connected to a drive system for movement along the guide mechanism. Each cutting knife is moved by the drive system along the guide mechanism in direction towards an abutment; a side wall of the tire to be provided with the cuts being disposed between the cutting edge of the cutting knife and the abutment. The cutting knife cuts this side wall from the area of the bead up to the area of the tread, but does not however reach the surface thereof, so that this cutting does not completely cut the tire into two pieces at this location. Optionally, a cutting knife for cutting the other side wall is provided, or one single cutting knife may cut the two side walls.
A preferred embodiment of the invention provides that one cutting knife is provided for one cut respectively in each of the two side walls, which cutting knife at two opposing edges carries opposed cutting blades. This cutting knife in its starting position is disposed between the two side walls, whereby one abutment respectively is disposed laterally at the outside of each side wall. The cutting knife first cuts one side wall by movement in one direction, is then retracted, and then moved beyond the starting position to such an extent that the other side wall is also cut. The two cuts of the tire are in a common plane, but not necessarily so, as the described manner of operation can also be done by using two separate knives, whereby the cutting edges are not located in a common plane, but are staggered with respect to each other when seen from the perspective of the peripheral direction of the tire, particularly preferred is also that in addition to the said cuts, other openings are cut in the area of the side wall, since it has been shown that such openings favor the growth of greenery through these openings. Heretofore, such openings had to be punched by hand or by means of punch presses which proved to be troublesome and time consuming.
In a preferred development of the invention, for cutting at least one opening in the area of the side wall, guide means for at least one punching die is also provided in the stand, which punching die can be activated by a drive means along the guide mechanism. Such a punching die, as discussed above with respect to the cutting edges, is common in that, a single punching die may work on both side walls for the cutting of openings. As a rule, however, one opening in one of the two side walls are sufficient, and one single opening per tire sector is enough. Numerous embodiments are possible, in which a plurality of openings per tire sector are cut, and these openings can be distributed over the two side walls in any desired manner. For example, in cases, where noise absorption is especially desired, it is particularly favorable to provide those side walls in the position of the cut tire mounted on the structure and facing the noise source, with a plurality of small openings forming hollow spaces for the absorption of sound waves.
Number, size and cross sectional shape of the openings can be selected according to choice. Of course, the circular shape is the simplest and most frequently used one, however, any desired special shape can be obtained by choosing the suitable cross sectional shapes of the punching dies and, respectively, or by multiple cuts of the punching dies per opening.
It is not critical whether the punching die or the cutting knife acts on the respective side wall for cutting the opening or the sector from the inner side, that is, starting from the area between the two side walls, or from the outside. For constructional reasons, it is substantially easier to make the punching die acting from the outside. In this case, according to a preferred embodiment, at least one abutment must be so located that in the operation of the tire, i.e. the position in which it is worked, the abutment is located between the two side walls.
As already mentioned, the material which must be pierced during the cutting operation is tough or hard and offers substantial resistance to the cutting operation. The same holds for cutting the additional openings. Accordingly, a considerable load of the drive at peak intervals are to be expected, for example, if a cut is made simultaneously with a further cut or, respectively, cutting an opening. These load peaks can be lowered if the cuts do not occur simultaneously, but at least partially sequentially that is, shifted in time. This is achieved by another embodiment of the invention where one cut in each side wall is made by means of one cutting knife which carries a cutting edge on each of two opposing sides or in a variation of the embodiment, wherein at least two punching dies are provided which are staggered with respect to each other as to its direction of motion, so that they operate sequentially, one after the other.
The abutments cooperating with the cutting knives or the punching dies may basically be flat; the cut being finished when the cutting knife with its leading edge meets the abutment. In this case, the punching die must have a sharp edge at its leading edge to take up the portion which has been punched out of the tire opening, at its front face. It is preferable however, to provide the abutments with slots or openings entered by the cutting knives or the punching dies. This substantially increases the edge life of the cutting knives or the punching dies. Preferably, the support and the abutments are replaceable and/or height adjustable thereby, making the apparatus easily adaptable to different tire sizes. To closely fit the tire on the support s
Ashley Boyer
Day Ursula B.
Feiereisen Henry M.
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