Adhesive bonding and miscellaneous chemical manufacture – Surface bonding means and/or assembly means therefor – Longitudinally progressive helical winding means
Patent
1991-10-07
1993-03-09
Weston, Caleb
Adhesive bonding and miscellaneous chemical manufacture
Surface bonding means and/or assembly means therefor
Longitudinally progressive helical winding means
156117, 156124, 156174, 156184, 156429, 156494, B65H 8100
Patent
active
051923904
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention relates to a mandrel means and in particular, although not exclusively, to a mandrel means suitable for use in the manufacture of reinforced ply fabric material of a kind utilised in the manufacture of radial or cross ply pneumatic tires. The invention relates also to a mandrel means suitable for the production of a tubular article.
To produce tubular articles of a range of sizes by conventional techniques involving the use of a mandrel has the disadvantage that it is necessary to have available a range of mandrels of correspondingly-related sizes. Apart from the cost associated with the need to provide a number of mandrels there is the disadvantage of the not insignificant time needed for interchanging mandrels when it is decided to change the size of article being produced. Furthermore, the sizes of tubular article produced by the conventional technique is not infinitely variable but is restricted to a size related to that of one of the mandrels.
Particularly in the precision manufacture of certain types of flexible reinforced polymeric articles, such as pre-sized sheets of ply fabric material for use in automatic techniques for construction pneumatic tires, it is desirable to be able to control and also selectively vary the size of the article within close tolerances.
The present invention seeks to provide mandrel means which readily facilitates small changes in the size of an article produced with the aid of the mandrel means.
In accordance with one of its aspects the present invention provides a mandrel means comprising at least two support drums rotatably mounted for rotation about respective axes the relative spacing of which is selectively variable to vary the length of a peripheral path defined at least in part by said drums, an endless support belt which extends around said drums to define at least in part a mandrel support surface, and a belt guide means comprising a belt control device movable relative to said drums and in engagement with the belt whereby the effective peripheral length of said mandrel support surface is variable in response to change of relative spacings of said support drums.
The belt control device may be movable to maintain a tension, preferably a substantially constant tension, in the endless belt for any of a range of relative spacings of said support drums. The belt control device may be of a kind incorporating a spring-loaded member or like component which serves to maintain tension automatically without the need for adjustment upon change of relative spacing of said support drums.
Preferably the belt guide means is a belt guide means assembly of a kind arranged to guide the belt whereby it defines a peripherally discontinuous mandrel support surface.
More preferably the belt guide means is an assembly comprising a pair of guide rollers which divert the belt to follow an inwardly extending path between the support drums and a belt control device in the form of a tension roller for engaging a portion of belt between said guide rollers, the tension roller being movable relative to said guide rollers and support drums to maintain tension in the belt for any of a range of relative spacings of said support drums.
The endless belt may be of inextensible material and preferably is formed of reinforced polymeric material such as a rayon reinforced synthetic rubber material.
In mandrel means in which the endless belt defines a peripherally discontinuous mandrel support surface the region of the discontinuity in the mandrel support surface may be employed to locate cutter means if it is desired to cut into a sheet a tubular article constructed on the mandrel means. In such constructions the mandrel means may comprise a cutter control device operable to control movement of a cutter means. The cutter control device may, for example, cause the cutter means to operate only when the belt is not moving, or to move relative to the length of the mandrel means at a speed related to the speed of movement of the belt if it is desired to attain, for example, an obliquely exten
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Bridgestone/Firestone Inc.
Engel, Jr. James J.
Weston Caleb
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