PROCESS AND PLANT FOR BUILDING TYRES

Abstract

A plant for building tyres includes a plurality of working locations, at least one first working location being associated with at least two loading/unloading locations, a proximal one and a distal one, each of said working locations and loading/unloading locations being associable with a forming drum. The production cycle is controlled by the method of: (i) loading a first forming drum into the at least one first working location; (ii) loading a second forming drum into the loading/unloading location; (iii) at the end of the working provided in the at least one first working location, unloading the first forming drum into the proximal loading/unloading location.

Claims

1-38. (canceled)

39. A process for building a tyre comprising using a plurality of forming drums, each capable of carrying a tyre being processed and at least one work station capable of carrying out at least one respective process working on the tyre being processed, wherein transfer of at least one first and one second forming drum close to said at least one work station comprises: picking up the second forming drum from an entry location, which drum is to be submitted to one of said process workings in a first working location being part of the work station; picking up the first forming drum from the first working location, which drum has been submitted to said process working in the first working location; engaging the second forming drum in the first working location; and transferring the first forming drum to an exit location, wherein at least one of said second forming drum and first forming drum is transferred to an intermediate transfer location before being engaged in the first working location or transferred to the exit location, respectively.

40. The process as claimed in claim 39, wherein the second forming drum is picked up from the entry location before the first forming drum has been picked up from the first working location.

41. The process as claimed in claim 39, wherein the second forming drum is released in the first working location or in the intermediate transfer location before the first forming drum has been released in the exit location.

42. The process as claimed in claim 39, wherein the second forming drum is released in the first working location simultaneously with transfer of the first forming drum to the intermediate transfer location.

43. The process as claimed in claim 39, wherein transfer of said first forming drum to the intermediate transfer location comprises: picking up the first forming drum from the first working location by means of a grip member carried by a supporting structure, said supporting structure being alternately movable, relative to the first working location, between a first position and a second position, for translation of the first forming drum from the first working location to the intermediate transfer location.

44. The process as claimed in claim 39, wherein engagement of said second forming drum in the first working location comprises: picking up the second forming drum from the intermediate transfer location by means of a first grip member carried by a supporting structure, said supporting structure being alternately movable relative to the first working location between a first position and a second position, for translation of the second forming drum from the intermediate transfer location to the first working location.

45. The process as claimed in claim 39, wherein engagement of the second forming drum in the first working location comprises: transferring the second forming drum from the entry location to the intermediate transfer location; picking up the second forming drum from the intermediate transfer location by means of a first grip member interconnected to a second grip member by a movable supporting structure; translating the movable supporting structure to the first working location for picking up the first forming drum from the first working location by means of said second grip member; inverting mutual positioning of said first and second grip members for bringing the second forming drum to the first working location; and translating the movable supporting structure away from the first working location so as to transfer the first forming drum to the intermediate transfer position.

46. The process as claimed in claim 39, further comprising picking up a third forming drum from the entry location, which drum is to be submitted to one of said process workings in a second working location being part of said work station; picking up a fourth forming drum submitted to the process working in the working station, from the second working location; and engaging the third forming drum in said second working location simultaneously with transfer of the fourth forming drum to the intermediate transfer station.

47. The process is claimed in claim 46, wherein picking up of the third forming drum and the fourth forming drum are carried out by a first grip member and a second grip member, respectively.

48. The process as claimed in claim 47, wherein the third forming drum is picked up after the first forming drum has been released into the intermediate transfer location.

49. The process as claimed in claim 46, wherein the first forming drum and fourth forming drum are picked up from the first working location and the second working location, respectively, by a first grip member and a second grip member carried by a supporting structure, which supporting structure is alternately movable relative to working locations between a first position and a second position, to cause translation of the first forming drum and the fourth forming drum from a respective working location to the intermediate transfer location.

50. The process as claimed in claim 46, wherein the first forming drum and fourth forming drum are picked up from the first working location and the second working location, respectively, by a first grip member and a second grip member carried by a first supporting structure and a second supporting structure, respectively, each of said first and second supporting structures being alternately movable relative to working locations between a first position and a second position, for causing translation of the first forming drum and the fourth forming drum respectively, from a respective working location to the intermediate transfer location.

51. The process is claimed in claim 49, wherein the second grip member picks up the fourth forming drum when the first grip member is in the intermediate transfer location.

52. The process as claimed in claim 39, wherein each forming drum is transferred from each work station to a following work station.

Description

[0074] Further features and advantages will become more apparent from the detailed description of some preferred but not exclusive examples embodying the present invention. This description will be set out herein after with reference to the accompanying drawings, given by way of non-limiting example, in which:

[0075] FIG. 1 shows a top diagram of a work station being part of a plant for building tyres, made in accordance with the present invention;

[0076] FIG. 2 shows a top diagram of a second embodiment of a work station;

[0077] FIG. 3 shows a top diagram of a third variant of a work station;

[0078] FIG. 4 is a top diagram of a fourth variant of a work station;

[0079] FIG. 5 shows a top diagram of a fifth variant of a work station.

[0080] With reference to the accompanying drawings, a work station being part of a plant for building tyres, not shown on the whole as not of importance to the aims of the present invention has been generally denoted by 1. In said plant at least two forming drums 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d are moved following a predetermined path through one or more of said work stations 1, intended for carrying out respective process workings.

[0081] Each forming drum 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d is adapted to support a tyre being processed, directly formed on the forming drum by deposition and/or handling of different components, such as one or more carcass plies, annular reinforcing structures to the beads, one or more belt layers, tread band, sidewalls and/or others.

[0082] Each component is preferably directly formed on the forming drum 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d in addition to the previously laid components, and/or suitably handled in accordance with a predetermined process working carried out in the respective work station 1, until obtaining a finished green tyre to be submitted to a curing treatment.

[0083] To the aims of the present specification and the following claims, by tyre being processed it is also intended a forming drum 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d that is empty and is about to receive a first tyre component concurrently with a first process working.

[0084] Transfer devices carry out transfer of each building drum from each work station 1 to the following work station.

[0085] At least one of the work stations 1 is preferably provided with at least one entry location 3, designed to sequentially receive the forming drums 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d that may come from a preceding process working. Integrated into the work station 1 is at least one first working location 4a for example comprising a chuck 5 and a tailstock 6 sequentially associable, at each work cycle, with a single forming drum 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d coming from the entry location 3 so as to submit it to the process working. At least one exit location 7 is further associated with the work station 1 for sequentially receiving the forming drums 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d previously submitted to the process working carried out by the same work station. The individual forming drums 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d received in the exit location 7 can be then transferred to a following work station 1.

[0086] At least one of said entry locations 3 and exit location 7 can be represented by the working location of an adjacent work station.

[0087] Movement of each forming drum 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d between said entry location 3, working location 4a and exit location 7 relies on at least one intermediate handling device 8, preferably cooperating with at least one primary handling device 9a, 9b consisting of a robotized arm, for example.

[0088] Referring particularly to FIG. 1, the intermediate handling device 8 is adapted to transfer a first forming drum 2a from the first working location 4a to an intermediate transfer location 10. The intermediate handling device 8 is also adapted to transfer a second forming drum 2b from the intermediate transfer location 10 to the first working location 4a.

[0089] In a possible alternative variant not shown, the intermediate handling device 8 can be entrusted with the only task of transferring the second forming drum 2b from the intermediate transfer location 10 to the first working location 4a.

[0090] Still referring in particular to FIG. 1, the primary handling device 9a is entrusted with the task of transferring the second forming drum 2b from the entry location 3 to the intermediate transfer location 10. In addition or as an alternative, the primary handling device 9a can be intended for transferring the first forming drum 2a from the intermediate transfer location 10 to the exit location 7.

[0091] Preferably, the intermediate handling device 8 comprises at least one grip member 11a, 11b defining at least two loading/unloading locations, a proximal one and a distal one relative to the first working location 4a, each associable with a forming drum 2a, 2b. In greater detail, in the example shown in FIG. 1 a first grip member 11a and a symmetrically opposite second grip member 11b are provided, each of them corresponding to one of the proximal and distal loading/unloading locations. The grip members 11a, 11b are mounted on at least one supporting structure 12 which is alternately movable relative to the first working location 4a between a first position and a second position, to move the grip members 11a, 11b preferably by translation between the intermediate transfer location 10 and the first work location 4a.

[0092] In greater detail, when the supporting structure 12 is in the first position, the distal loading/unloading location represented by the second grip member 11b in FIG. 1 is coincident with the intermediate transfer location 10. When the supporting structure 12 is in the second position, the proximal loading/unloading location represented by the first grip member 11a in FIG. 1 is coincident with the first working location 4a.

[0093] The grip members 11a, 11b are carried by a rotating structure 13 hinged on the supporting structure 12 according to a first rotation axis X, which is preferably horizontal and/or centrally disposed relative to said grip members 11a, 11b.

[0094] Upon command of actuators made in known manner, the rotating structure 13 is movable through angular rotations of 180 so as to mutually invert the position of the grip members 11a, 11b and therefore the proximal and distal loading/unloading locations.

[0095] The production cycle of plant 1 is controlled following a method according to which the first forming drum 2a is loaded in the first working location 4a and the second forming drum 2b is loaded in the distal loading/unloading location. At the end of the working provided in the first working location 4a the first forming drum 2a is unloaded in the proximal loading/unloading location.

[0096] In greater detail, for transfer of the first and second forming drums 2a, 2b close to the work station 1 it is provided that, while the first forming drum 2a is associated with the first working location 4a for carrying out the process working on the respective tyre being processed, the second forming drum 2b carrying a respective tyre to be submitted to the process working is picked up from the entry location 3, by the primary handling device 9a for example, to be engaged on one of the grip members 11b of the intermediate handling device 8, at the distal loading/unloading location coincident with the intermediate transfer location 10. At the end of the process working, the supporting structure 12 of the intermediate handling device 8 carries out a translation from the first to the second positions, as shown in chain line in FIG. 1.

[0097] Consequently, the grip member 11a corresponding to the proximal loading/unloading location lends itself to engage the first forming drum 2a for unloading it from the first working location 4a. By a 180 rotation of the rotating structure 13, the proximal and distal loading/unloading locations are mutually inverted and, as a result, the mutual positioning of the first and second forming drums 2a, 2b carried by the respective grip members 11a, 11b is exchanged. In more detail, the first forming drum 2a is transferred to the distal loading/unloading location, while the second forming drum 2b is transferred to the proximal loading/unloading location and engaged in the first working location 4a. Preferably, the second forming drum 2b is released in the first working location 4a simultaneously with transfer of the first forming drum 2a to the intermediate transfer location 10.

[0098] By a new translation of the supporting structure 12 to the first position, the first forming drum 2a reaches the intermediate transfer location 10 to be unloaded by the primary handling device 9a, 9b from the distal location resulting from the previous inversion and transferred to the exit location 7.

[0099] When operation is under steady conditions, while the first forming drum 2a is associated with the first working location 4a to be submitted to the respective process working, the second forming drum 2b is associated with the intermediate handling device 8. The first forming drum 2a and second forming drum 2b are both associated with the intermediate handling device 8 before transferring the first forming drum 2a to the exit location 7 and/or before associating the second forming drum 2b with the first working location 4a.

[0100] For the sake of clarity, in the following table it is reproduced, by way of non-limiting example, a possible flow chart of the forming drums 2a, 2b between the working location 4a, the proximal loading/unloading location and the distal loading/unloading location.

TABLE-US-00001 Proximal Distal Working loading/unloading loading/unloading location location location First drum Empty Second drum Empty First drum Second drum Empty Second drum First drum Second drum Empty First drum Second drum Empty Empty

[0101] The work cycle starts again with the repetitive execution of the above described process functions, by loading a new first forming drum in the distal loading/unloading location coincident with the intermediate transfer location 20, which new forming drum will subsequently have to replace the second forming drum 2b in the working location.

[0102] In the above described sequence, the second forming drum 2b can be picked up from the entry location 3 before the first forming drum 2a has been picked up from the first working location 4a. In addition, the second forming drum 2b can be released in the first working location 4a and/or in the intermediate transfer location 10 before the first forming drum 2a has been released in the exit location 7.

[0103] Replacement of the forming drums 2a, 2b at the first working location 4a can therefore take place within a very reduced period of time.

[0104] FIG. 2 shows a second solution for accomplishment of the present invention. In this case, the intermediate handling device 8 is interlocked with a first working location 4a and a second working location 4b, preferably disposed symmetrically to the intermediate transfer location 10.

[0105] The supporting structure 12 of the intermediate handling device 8 is movable between a first position at which one of the grip members 11a, 11b is associated with the first working location 4a, a second position at which the opposite grip member is associated with the second working location 4b and a third intermediate position, shown in FIG. 3, in which both grip members 11a, 11b are released from the respective working locations 4a, 4b.

[0106] The supporting structure 12 of the intermediate handling device 8 can rotate also about a second rotation axis Y, which is preferably vertical and/or orthogonal to the first rotation axis X. When the supporting structure 12 is in the third intermediate position, by an angular rotation through 90 for example in either way, the grip members 11a, 11b of the intermediate handling device 8 lend themselves to be individually brought to the intermediate transfer position 10.

[0107] The intermediate handling device 8 cooperates with a first primary handling device 9a designed to transfer the forming drums 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d from the entry location 3 to the intermediate transfer location 10, and a second primary handling device 9b for transfer of the forming drum 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d from the intermediate transfer location 10 to the exit location 7. However a single primary handling device 9a interlocked with both the entry 3 and exit 7 locations can be used.

[0108] During the process working on the first forming drum 2a previously loaded in the first working location 4a, the supporting structure 12 is rotated about the second rotation axis Y as shown in chain line, so that one of the grip members 11a, 11b is brought to the intermediate transfer location 10 for receiving the second forming drum 2b picked up from the entry location 3 by the first primary handling device 9a.

[0109] By a new rotation through 90, the second forming drum 2b is positioned in the distal loading/unloading position relative to the first working location 4a.

[0110] When the process working in the first working location 4a has been completed, the grip member 11a positioned in the proximal loading/unloading position is brought into engagement with the first forming drum 2a, due to an advancing movement of the supporting structure 12.

[0111] A rotation of the supporting structure 12 through 180 around the first rotation axis X causes inversion of the grip member 11a, 11b positioning, and therefore replacement of the first forming drum 2a with the second forming drum 2b in the first work station.

[0112] The supporting structure 12 moves backwards to the third position and carries out a 90 rotation around the second rotation axis Y to bring the first forming drum 2a to the intermediate transfer position 10 so that said first drum can be picked up by the second primary handling device 9b and be transferred to the exit location 7.

[0113] Thus a third forming drum 2c, picked up from the intermediate transfer location 10 by the first primary handling device 9a can be positioned on the grip member 11a cleared from the first forming drum 2a.

[0114] The supporting structure 12 rotates again around the second rotation axis Y bringing the third forming drum 2c to the distal loading/unloading position relative to the second working location 4b, where a process working is about to be completed on a previously loaded fourth forming drum 2d.

[0115] When the process working in the second working location 4b has been completed, the grip member positioned in the proximal loading/unloading position is brought into engagement with the fourth forming drum 3d, due to moving forward of the supporting structure 12.

[0116] A new rotation of the supporting structure 12 through 180 about the first rotation axis X causes inversion of the positioning of the grip members 11a, 11b and consequently replacement of the fourth forming drum 2d with the third forming drum 2c in the second working location 4b.

[0117] The supporting structure 12 moves backwards again to the third position and rotates through 90 around the second rotation axis Y to bring the fourth forming drum 2b to the intermediate transfer location 10, which drum 2d is thus picked up by the second primary handling device 9b to be transferred to the exit location 7.

[0118] A new forming drum picked up from the entry location 3 by the first primary handling device 9a will be loaded on the grip member in the intermediate transfer location 10, giving rise to a new work cycle.

[0119] Thus it is possible to interlock two working locations 4a, 4b in the same work station 1, both associated with the loading/unloading locations of the same intermediate handling device 8.

[0120] Unlike the solution described with reference to FIG. 2, in a third variant shown in FIG. 3 the supporting structure 12 of the intermediate handling device 8 is movable along a first direction A away from and close to each of the working locations 4a, 4b, and in addition along a second direction B perpendicular to the first direction.

[0121] This situation, as compared with the example shown in FIG. 2, enables the positioning of the intermediate transfer location 10 to be moved away from the working locations 4a, 4b, so that movement of the primary handling devices 9a, 9b is not hindered by the bulkiness of said working locations 4a, 4b. The intermediate handling device 8 in fact can be brought out of the space included between the two working locations 4a, 4b for reaching the intermediate transfer location 10 disposed relatively away from the working locations 4a, 4b.

[0122] FIG. 4 shows a fourth example for accomplishment of the present invention, in which the intermediate handling device 8 comprises a first grip member 11a and a second grip member 11b interlocked with the first working location 4a and the second working location 4b, respectively.

[0123] The supporting structure 12 of the intermediate handling device 8 is alternately movable, preferably in the absence of the rotations around the first and/or the second rotation axes X, Y described above with reference to the solutions shown in FIGS. 1-3, between a first position at which the first grip member 11a operates in the first working location 4a (corresponding to a proximal loading/unloading location relative to said first working location 4a) while the second grip member 11b is in the intermediate transfer location 10 (corresponding to a distal loading/unloading location relative to said first working location 4a), and a second position at which, as shown, the second grip member 11b operates in the second working location 4b (corresponding to a distal loading/unloading location relative to said first working location 4a), while the first grip member 11a is in the intermediate transfer location 10 (corresponding to a proximal loading/unloading location relative to said first working location 4a).

[0124] The first forming drum 2a and fourth forming drum 2d can therefore be picked up by the first grip member 11a and the second grip member 11b respectively, to be each transferred from the respective working location to the intermediate transfer location 10.

[0125] At least one primary handling device 9a operates on said entry location 3, exit location 7, first working location 4a, second working location 4b and intermediate transfer location 10.

[0126] The first forming drum 2a is picked up from the entry location 3 and loaded on the first working location 4a upon the action of the primary handling device 9a, while in the second working location 4b the process working is being carried out on the fourth forming drum 2d.

[0127] While the process working on the first forming drum 2a previously loaded into the first working location 4a is about to come to an end, the primary handling device 9a picks up the second forming drum 2b from the entry location 3 and takes it close to the first working location 4a, making it ready for loading thereon. At the end of the process working in the first working location 4a, the intermediate handling device 8 picks up the first forming drum 2a by the first grip member 11a and, moving away by translation from the first working location 4a, transfers the drum itself to the intermediate transfer location 10, making the second grip member 11b ready for picking up the fourth forming drum that is about to be treated in the second working location 4b.

[0128] Meanwhile, the primary handling device 9a is loading the second forming drum 2b into the first working location 4a. The primary handling device 9a then reaches the intermediate transfer location 10 for picking up the first forming drum 2a, as shown in FIG. 4, and transferring it to the exit location 7.

[0129] Afterwards, the primary handling device 9a picks up the third forming drum 2c from the entry location 3, to move it close to the second working location 4b, wherein the process working on the fourth forming drum 2d is about to come to an end. At the end of this process working, the fourth forming drum 2d is picked up by the intermediate handling device through the second grip member 11b and transferred to the intermediate transfer location 10, while the first grip member 11a gets ready to pick up the second forming drum 2b in the first working location 4a. The primary handling device 9a releases the third forming drum 2c in the second working location 4b and then reaches the intermediate transfer location 10 for picking up the fourth forming drum 2d and transfer it to the exit location 7.

[0130] The primary handling device 9a reaches the entry location 3 again, for picking up a new building drum and starting a new work cycle.

[0131] Therefore it is possible to manage the flow of the forming drums 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d in the first and second working locations 4a, 4b using only one primary handling device 9a and only one intermediate handling device 8 of simplified structure.

[0132] FIG. 5 shows a fifth example for accomplishment of the invention. Unlike what described above with reference to FIG. 4, the first and second grip members of the intermediate handling device 8 are carried by a first supporting structure 12a and a second supporting structure 12b, respectively. Each supporting structure 12a, 12b is alternately movable from and towards the respective first and second working locations 4a, 4b, between a first position and a second position for causing translation of the respective forming drum 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d from the first and second working locations 4a, 4b to a respective first and second intermediate transfer location 10, 10b, disposed to a closely spaced distance or possibly being coincident with each other.

[0133] Each of the first and second working locations 4a, 4b therefore forms, together with the respective supporting structure 12a, 12b of the intermediate handling device 8, a distinct and independent assembly with respect to the other working location, which assembly is interlocked with at least the same primary handling device 9a in the same work station 1.

[0134] In the example shown, a single primary handling device 9a cooperates with both the movable structures 10a, 10b for serving both the working locations 4a, 4b, in the same manner as described with reference to FIG. 4. In accordance with a possible variant not shown, also applicable to the example in FIG. 4, a first and a second handling device 9a, 9b can be provided which are respectively designed for loading of the forming drums 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d from the entry location 3 to the working locations 4a, 4b, and unloading of the forming drums 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d from the respective intermediate transfer locations 10a, 10b to the exit location 7, in the same manner as explained with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3.

[0135] In the example shown, the first and second supporting structures 12a, 12b of the intermediate handling device 8 are movable along the same direction between the working locations 4a, 4b disposed in mirror image relationship with each other. In a possible variant, the movement trajectories can respectively take an angled orientation, at 90 for example, for meeting different layout requirements of the plant.