Abstract: A process for manufacturing tires for vehicle wheels includes building on a forming support a carcass structure including at least one carcass ply, and, at at least one end edge of the carcass ply, at least one annular anchoring structure including at least one substantially circumferential annular insert and at least one filling insert associated with the at least one substantially circumferential annular insert. Building the carcass structure includes positioning the annular anchoring structure on the carcass ply by moving the substantially circumferential annular insert into contact with an end edge of the carcass ply by means of a special positioning member, pulling down the filling insert on the end edge of the carcass ply and turning up a free end portion of the end edge of the carcass ply so as to form a turned up end portion of the carcass ply including the annular anchoring structure.

Abstract: An automatic zipper device having a pair of bevel gears for biting and joining joint end portions of a sheet member wound around a periphery of the molding drum and having a plurality of magnet attractive metallic cords, and the device is provided with an inclined portion following cylinder which is attached to a lateral movement device laterally moving on the molding drum so as to be laterally movable and which adjusts a height of the bevel gear in accordance with an inclined surface of the sheet member to be joined, a clamping cylinder for adjusting a bitten amount of the bevel gears, and introduction magnet rollers for taking in the sheet member, and a member contact position stabilizing magnet for maintaining a constant position of the sheet member so that the sheet member to be joined can be brought into contact with the bevel gear at a constant angle.

Abstract: A plant, a method and a process for building tires for vehicle wheels in a carcass structure building line includes: a) associating a pair of support rings with a forming drum in a work station for associating support rings; b) building at least one structural component of the tire being processed on the forming drum provided with the pair of support rings in at least one work station of the carcass structure building line; c) removing the pair of support rings from the forming drum in a work station for removing support rings; d) transferring the pair of support rings dissociated from the forming drum to a temporary storage for support rings; and e) building at least one further structural component of the tire being processed on the forming drum without the pair of support rings in a work station of the carcass structure building line.

Abstract: A cylindrical body is formed by mounting a carcass to the outer periphery of a film formed of a thermoplastic resin or a thermoplastic resin elastomer composition. A molded body is formed by fitting bead rings on opposite width direction ends of the cylindrical body, and the molded body is sucked on a transfer mold's inner periphery. After a rigid inner mold is inserted into the molded body, suction stops and the molded body is transferred to the inner mold's outer periphery. Opposite carcass ends in a width direction are turned up on the inner mold, while other tire members are stacked on the molded body's outer periphery to mold a green tire. The tire and inner mold are placed in disposed inside a heated curing mold and the film is inflated to cure the tire and bond the film to the inner peripheral tire surface to form an inner layer.

Abstract: Embodiments include methods for retreading a tire, which include providing a tire carcass for retreading, the tire carcass having a pre-existing tread layer including one or more voids extending into the tread layer thickness from an outer side. A bonding layer is applied along an outer side of the pre-existing tread layer, the bonding layer substantially filling the voids arranged along the outer side of the pre-existing tread layer to provide an outer surface for receiving a pre-cured tread layer. The pre-cured tread layer is applied along an outer side of the bonding layer such that the bonding layer is arranged between the pre-cured tread layer and the pre-existing tread layer. The pre-cured tread layer is bonded to the tire carcass to form a retreaded tire having a retreaded tire tread. Grooves are then formed in the retreaded tire tread along a ground-engaging, outer side of the retreaded tire tread.

Abstract: A method of controlling the management of annular anchoring structures in a process and a plant for building tires for vehicle wheels, includes: a) feeding pairs of first annular anchoring structures from a first storage region to a bead-forming machine; b) loading a plurality of second annular anchoring structures into a second storage region; c) carrying the second annular anchoring structures from the second storage region to the first storage region; and d) feeding pairs of second annular anchoring structures from the first storage region to the bead-forming machine. The method includes the sequential cyclic repetition of the above actions.

Abstract: A strip of a thermoplastic elastomer to be wound spirally on a cylindrical drum for forming an inner liner for a tire having a shape close to a finished sectional shape is provided. The strip is formed of composite layers of (A) a first layer made of a styrene-isobutylene-styrene triblock copolymer and (B) a second layer containing at least one of a styrene-isoprene-styrene triblock copolymer and a styrene-isobutylene diblock copolymer. The strip further has a strip main body and ear portions arranged on opposite sides thereof. The strip main body has a thickness (T1) of 0.05 mm to 1.0 mm. The ear portions have a thickness (T2) thinner than the thickness (T1) of the strip main body and a width (W2) of 0.5 mm to 5.0 mm. This ribbon-shaped strip reduces unevenness of the surface of a sheet formed by the opposite ends of the strip when manufacturing an inner liner.

Abstract: A process and an apparatus for building tires for vehicle wheels wherein the process includes the step of assembling components of elastomeric material on a forming support, in which at least one of the components of elastomeric material is manufactured by the steps of: i) dispensing a continuous elongated element of elastomeric material; ii) applying the continuous elongated element in the form of coils disposed in side by side relationship or at least partly superposed, wound up on the forming support, so as to form the at least one component of elastomeric material of the tire; iii) exerting a first pressure on a central region of a portion of the continuous elongated element applied onto the forming support; and iv) exerting a second pressure on side regions of the portion of the continuous elongated element applied onto the forming support.

Abstract: In tire manufacture, a belt structure is made by means of strip-like segments each including parallel cords incorporated into an elastomeric layer, which strip-like segments are sequentially laid down in mutual circumferential side by side relationship on a toroidal support.

Abstract: A process for manufacturing a tire by the steps of producing and assembling the tire structural elements on a toroidal support to form a green tire, and the step of precuring at least an inner surface of the green tire by heating the toroidal support. The radially inner surface of the toroidal support is provided with a plurality of protruding elements to reduce the time required for the outer surface of the toroidal support to reach a temperature which is suitable for ensuring a uniform and homogeneous precuring of the inner surface of the green tire, preferably of the inner surface and the bead regions of the green tire.

Abstract: A release mechanism for a rotatable tire building drum includes a continuous hoop of a non-stick and elastic polymer, the hoop further including a plurality of flaps each attached to the hoop at one end and unattached to the hoop at an opposite end.

Abstract: The invention includes methods and apparatus for preparing a tire surface for receiving a tire patch. Such methods include selecting a desired depth marking template for use in forming one or more depth marking apertures within a tire surface and within a desired tire patch application area, each of the one or more depth marking apertures having a desired depth corresponding to a desired depth of the patch receiving area, the template having one or more openings extending through a thickness of the template corresponding to the one or more marking apertures to be formed. The methods further include forming one or more depth marking apertures within the tread by inserting a material removal member of a power tool into each of the one or more openings in the template, the power tool removing tire material to the desired depth for each aperture.

Abstract: In a process for producing self-sealing tires for vehicle wheels, a continuous sealing assembly, including a self-supporting thermoplastic film and a layer of polymeric sealing material, is wound from a reel holder on which is stocked, separated by a protective film associated with the layer of polymeric sealing material, cut to size and then wound around a forming drum. Winding the sealing assembly cut to size includes: feeding the sealing assembly cut to size onto a chute from top to bottom up to the forming drum; depositing a leading end of the sealing assembly cut to size on a radially outer surface of the forming drum; locking the leading end on the forming drum by means of a locking bar; setting the forming drum in rotation with the locking bar dragging the sealing assembly cut to size and winding it on the forming drum up to overlapping; and sealing a trailing end of the sealing assembly cut to size on the leading end.

Abstract: A plant and a process for producing tires wherein the process includes the steps of: a) building a green tire on a toroidal support in a building line of a tire production plant; b) transferring the green tire and the relevant toroidal support from the building line of the production plant to a first holding unit; c) transferring the green tire and the relevant toroidal support from the first holding unit to a vulcanization line of the production plant; d) molding and vulcanization the green tire in the vulcanization line of the production plant; e) separating the molded and vulcanized tire from the relevant toroidal support; f) transferring the toroidal support, separated from the relevant tire, from the vulcanization line to the first holding unit; and g) transferring the toroidal support, separated from the relevant tire, from the first holding unit to the building line of the production plant, wherein steps b) and g) are carried out through a first transfer device and steps c) and f) are carried out throu

Abstract: The tread surface of a tire according to the present invention is molded with a tire mold having a tread molding surface, and at least a portion of the tread molding surface is formed by projecting spherical projection material having a predetermined sphericity and causing the spherical projection material to collide.

Abstract: A tire manufacturing apparatus for precisely mounting an annular tread on a base tire with the width center of the base tire aligned with the width center of the annular tread. The tire manufacturing apparatus includes a drum to which a base tire is secured, a holding means for holding the annular tread by its inner periphery, and a moving means for having the holding means approach or separate from the drum along the rotation axis of the drum. The holding means is provided with a conveying means to have the annular tread, which is held by the holding means, approach or separate from the base tire. And the conveying means mounts the annular tread on the outer periphery of the base tire by conveying the annular tread in the approaching direction at a conveyance speed which is equal to the travel speed of the holding means in the separating direction.

Abstract: Building a carcass structure of a tire for vehicle wheels includes associating, at each end edge of a carcass ply laying on a forming support, at least one respective annular reinforcing structure obtained by depositing at least one respective reinforcing element. The deposition process includes feeding a continuous reinforced band-like element at a cutting unit, cutting to size at least one first reinforcing element from the continuous reinforced band-like element, moving the first reinforcing element from the cutting unit toward a first end edge of the carcass ply, positioning the first reinforcing element on the first end edge, cutting to size at least one second reinforcing element from the continuous reinforced band-like element, moving the second reinforcing element from the cutting unit toward a second end edge of the carcass ply opposite said first end edge, and positioning the second reinforcing element on the other end edge.

Abstract: The present invention includes methods and apparatus for controlling the abrasion of a tire surface. Particular embodiments provide an abrading tool for abrading a surface of a tire, the tool comprising means for rotating an abrading wheel, an abrading wheel rotatably attached to the means for rotating, and a depth guide secured to the means for rotating, wherein the depth guide includes a pair of freely rotatable, spaced apart guide wheels. Further embodiments include a depth guide configured for use with an abrading tool which includes a abrading wheel and a means for rotating the abrading wheel, the depth guide comprising a mounting member securable to the means for rotating and a pair of freely rotatable, spaced apart guide wheels rotatably attached to the mounting member. Particular embodiments further include a method for preparing a portion of a tire for repair.

Abstract: A method for applying a sheet of flexible material to a cylindrical body is described. The sheet of material may be ply or a tire building component such as a liner. The method includes the steps of receiving the sheet of flexible material onto a conveyor belt of a conveyor table, wherein the conveyor belt can translate in the X direction, wherein the conveyor belt has a plurality of rollers rotatably mounted on the conveyor belt so they can rotate about an axis aligned with the X direction. The method further includes aligning a lateral edge of the sheet with an edge guide of the conveyor table by tilting the conveyor table and then tilting the conveyor table back to a level position. The method further includes moving a front edge of the conveyor table adjacent the cylindrical body; and applying the sheet onto the cylindrical body.

Abstract: A plant for building tires 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.