Abstract: An apparatus for automatically filling a vehicle tire bead-core with an elastomeric filler having one or more drums, for encasing the bead-core in which the filler is applied when the drum rotates around its own axis.The apparatus is provided with means suitable for stretching the filler when it is pulled into rotation with the bead-core on the drum to stiffen the filler and resist bending, and therefore maintain the filler substantially in the drum midline.The apparatus is further provided with means for discharging the bead-core/filler assembly in a plane unchanged with respect to that determined by the stretching means in order to permit the collection of the various filler/bead-core assemblies one after the other.

Abstract: An apparatus for cabling wires into a predetermined stranded configuration has at least one first pay-off bobbin rotatably supported inside a carrier, in its turn freely rotating inside a cage-type device and coaxial with it.The cage is supported to rotate about its own axis.Part of the wires constituting the produced cord can be drawn through the apparatus coming from a second, external to the apparatus, pay-off bobbin.The carrier comprises means for guiding the wires along a path developed from one extremity and/or from the first pay-off bobbins to the other extremity of said carrier, said path being not coincident with the axis of the apparatus, and means, disposed along said path, for permanently deforming the wires by bending.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for making a cord to be used for reinforcing an elastomeric article such as a tire for a motor vehicle are disclosed. The cord has a core formed by twisting together a group of wires and a series of radially disposed crown layers of wires wound helically about the core or next innermost crown layer side by side and parallel to each other. The apparatus has two machines each having a cage and a shuttle disposed in the cage for winding crown layers from bunches of wires. A device for flexing the wires used to form the crown layers to deform them before winding is included. The two machines are coupled together by a device which determines the relative speeds of rotation of the first and second cages at a 2:1 ratio, respectively.

Abstract: Metal cord, for reinforcing articles of an elastomeric material, such as tires, conveyor belts and so on of the single strand type, in particular made up of a plurality of 3, 4 or 5 wires, wherein the said wires are twisted together loosely, so as to result as being spaced apart from each other but in such a way that the ratio between the diameter of the circumference circumscribing the swollen cord and the diameter of the circumference circumscribing the corresponding compact cord, is comprised between 1.06 and 1.20. A thus realized cord consents for an optimum penetration of the elastomeric filler material but at the same time a tensile behavior, and in particular an elongation in the field of low values of loads applied, which does not differ in any appreciable way from that of the corresponding compact cord.

Abstract: A method is provided for making metal cords to be used as reinforcing elements in elastomeric structures which comprises arranging the wires in groups with the wires of each group being arranged coplanar and side by side, permanently deforming the wires by bending to wind the wires in a regular and uniform helical arrangement, with the helexes of all the wires having the same geometrical characteristics. The resulting cord is free from residual tensions which might loosen the mutual strand.