US4564737A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Automatic layout machine for tire tread patterns
Assignee: FMP ENTERPRISE Inc A CORP OF OH
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Filing: 1983-07-11
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Granted: 1986-01-14
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Expires: 2003-07-11
Abstract
Abstract A machine for automatically marking a tire tread pattern on a model block or blank prototype tire having a cylindrical-curved surface of a progressively decreasing radius. A plurality of model blocks or a blank tire is mounted on a turntable which rotates at a predetermined constant speed. A laser beam emanating from a laser in a predetermined series of pulses following a raster approach is directed by optic assemblies against the slowly rotating curved surface to form a series of dots which define the tire tread pattern. The laser is pulsed by a computer which stores the tire tread pattern and interprets the pulses from a rotary encoder. One of the optic assemblies moves vertically to have the laser beam scan the curved surface and another optic assembly moves horizontally to keep the laser beam in focus by following the crown or surface curvature. A raster is traced by the laser beam on the curved surface with a raster line denoting one cycle or convolution of the helix. The tread pattern stored in the memory of the computer is correlated with angular position of the rotating curved surface. Along each raster line the transition is made between the laser writing spots or skipping spots to form the tread pattern.
Inventors
- 👤 Victor B. Burke
- 👤 Charles R. Burkholder
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 17:19
CPC Classifications
B; B23; B23K; B23K26/00; B23K26/08; B23K26/0823; B29; B29D; B29D30/00; B29D30/06; B29D30/52; B29D30/68; B29C; B29C2791/00; B29C2791/004; B29C2791/009
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 18
Claim 1
Independent Claim
276 words
An automatic layout machine for marking a tire tread pattern on an object such as a model block or blank tire, said machine including: (a) turntable means for rotatably mounting an object to be marked; (b) laser means for producing a laser pulse; (c) optic means for directing the laser pulse from the laser means against the object to mark said object; (d) means for positioning the optic means in relationship to the rotation of the turntable means to control the contact point of the laser pulse on the object; and (e) means for firing the laser means in a raster scan at predetermined position intervals of the rotating object to mark the object at predetermined points as the object is rotated by the turntable means, to define a tire tread pattern on the object upon a predetermined number of revolution of said turntable means; and in which the fire means includes rotary encoder means for generating a predetermined number of counts per revolution of the turntable means, certain of said counts causing the laser means to produce the laser pulse; and computer means containing the tire tread pattern communicating with the rotary encoder to specify intervals during which the laser pulse is produced in response to said certain counts from the rotary encoder means to mark the object; and in which the counts of the rotary encoder means are applied to a gate; in which a signal is applied to said gate from the computer means, said signal being derived in relationship to the tire tread pattern contained in said computer means; and in which an output signal from said gate fires the laser means.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
276 words
An automatic layout machine for marking a tire tread pattern on an object such as a model block or blank tire, said machine including: (a) turntable means for rotatably mounting an object to be marked; (b) laser means for producing a laser pulse; (c) optic means for directing the laser pulse from the laser means against the object to mark said object; (d) means for positioning the optic means in relationship to the rotation of the turntable means to control the contact point of the laser pulse on the object; and (e) means for firing the laser means in a raster scan at predetermined position intervals of the rotating object to mark the object at predetermined points as the object is rotated by the turntable means, to define a tire tread pattern on the object upon a predetermined number of revolution of said turntable means; and in which the fire means includes rotary encoder means for generating a predetermined number of counts per revolution of the turntable means, certain of said counts causing the laser means to produce the laser pulse; and computer means containing the tire tread pattern communicating with the rotary encoder to specify intervals during which the laser pulse is produced in response to said certain counts from the rotary encoder means to mark the object; and in which the counts of the rotary encoder means are applied to a gate; in which a signal is applied to said gate from the computer means, said signal being derived in relationship to the tire tread pattern contained in said computer means; and in which an output signal from said gate fires the laser means.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
15 words
The layout machine defined in claim 1 in which the gate is an AND gate.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
18 words
The layout machine defined in claim 1 in which the rotary encoder is mounted on the turntable means.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
22 words
The layout machine defined in claim 1 in which the rotary encoder means generates 40,000 counts per revolution of the turntable means.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
31 words
The layout machine defined in claim 1 in which the object being marked has a cylindrical curved surface of a progressively decreasing radius on which the tire tread pattern is marked.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
42 words
The layout machine defined in claim 1 in which the turntable means rotatably mounts the object being marked in a horizontal plane about a vertical axis; and in which the optic means directs the laser pulse horizontally against the object being marked.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
19 words
The layout machine defined in claim 1 in which the turntable means is rotated at a predetermined constant speed.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
79 words
The layout machine defined in claim 1 in which the optic means includes a pair of 90° prisms and a focusing lens; in which both of said prisms and focusing lens are movable in unison in a horizontal direction to maintain the focus of the laser beam on the object being marked; and in which the focusing lens and one of the prisms is movable vertically to have the path of the laser beam scan the object being marked.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
75 words
The layout machine defined in claim 8 in which the positioning means includes a horizontally movable positioning table and a vertically movable positioning table operatively mounted on said horizontal table; in which one of the prisms and focusing lens are mounted on the vertical positioning table with the other one of the prisms being mounted on the horizontal positioning table; and in which the vertical positioning table is movably mounted on the horizontal positioning table.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
33 words
The layout machine defined in claim 9 in which the movement of the vertical positioning table is at a constant predetermined speed throughout the marking of the tire tread pattern on the object.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
28 words
The layout machine defined in claim 9 in which the movement of the horizontal positioning table is updated after a predetermined number of revolutions of the turntable means.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
62 words
The layout machine defined in claim 1 in which the object being marked has a cylindrical curved surface of progressively decreasing radius; in which the turntable means is rotated at a uniform speed and the optic means is controlled by the positioning means whereby the laser pulses follow a finely-pitched tapered helical path on the curved surface of the object being marked.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
33 words
The layout machine defined in claim 12 in which the positioning means, optic means, laser means and firing means provides a raster approach for marking a tire tread pattern on the curved surface.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
25 words
The layout machine defined in claim 13 in which one cycle of the tapered helix traced by the laser beam denotes a single raster line.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
27 words
The layout machine defined in claim 14 in which there are approximately 1,600 raster lines uniformily spaced on 0.0025 inch centers on the curved surface being marked.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
46 words
The layout machine defined in claim 1 in which the object being marked has a cylindrical curved surface of progressively decreasing radius; in which the laser beam follows a path defined by a plurality of concentric rings on the curved surface of the object being marked.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
34 words
The layout machine defined in claim 16 in which the positioning means repositions the optic means after each revolution of the turntable means in forming a raster consisting of the plurality of concentric rings.
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JPS57126647A
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1989-01-13 | 1989-07-15 | 1990-01-14 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1993-01-13 | 1993-07-15 | 1994-01-14 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1997-01-13 | 1997-07-15 | 1998-01-14 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |