Abstract: An apparatus for applying a strip of elastomeric material to a surface, the apparatus comprising: a nozzle having an inlet in fluid communication with a pumping means, said nozzle having an upper surface and a lower surface, wherein the lower surface has a curved shape for mating engagement with an outer surface of a rotatable roller, said lower surface having an opening positioned for engagement with the roller outer surface.

Abstract: A method of forming a tread comprising two or more layers of rubber is described. The method includes the steps of: extruding a rubber compound through an extruder and a gear pump and mixing with an accelerant and then applying a continuous strip of rubber directly onto a tire building machine to form a first layer of rubber having a first cure rate; adjusting the amount of accelerant to obtain a second cure rate different than said first cure rate, and then applying a strip of rubber having a second cure rate onto the tire building machine, wherein one of the cure rates is faster than the other cure rate.

Abstract: A pneumatic radial ply runflat tire is described. The tire has a carcass structure having at least one radial carcass ply, two bead regions, two sidewalls, each sidewall having an upper sidewall portion that connects to the shoulders and being reinforced by an insert, a belt structure between the tread and the carcass, and an air impermeable inner liner formed of a butyl rubber located radially inward of the carcass structure wherein the air impermeable inner liner extends from a first shoulder region to a second shoulder underneath the crown portion of the tire, and does not extend from the shoulder to the bead portion of the tire.

Abstract: A method of forming a tread comprising two or more layers of rubber is described. The method includes the steps of: extruding a rubber compound through an extruder and a gear pump and mixing with an accelerant and then applying a continuous strip of rubber directly onto a tire building machine to form a first layer of rubber having a first cure rate; adjusting the amount of accelerant to obtain a second cure rate different than said first cure rate, and then applying a strip of rubber having a second cure rate onto the tire building machine, wherein one of the cure rates is faster than the other cure rate.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for applying a blended rubber composition directly onto a tire building drum or core is described. The method includes the steps of extruding a first rubber compound through a main extruder and a main gear pump. A second rubber compound is extruded through a second extruder and into a second gear pump. The output from the second gear pump is fed into the main extruder. The ratio of the first compound to the second compound is varied by adjusting the speed of the main gear pump and the speed of the second gear pump. A continuous strip of rubber formed of said first compound and said second compound is laid directly onto a tire building machine to form a first layer of rubber having a first blend ratio. The speed of the main gear pump and the second gear pump is adjusted to obtain a second blend ratio of said first compound to said second compound, and then a strip of rubber formed of said second blend ratio is applied to the tire building drum or core.

Abstract: An extruder head for use in forming at least one strip of polymeric material. The extruder head includes a flow channel having a flow inlet end and a flow outlet end. A flow diverter is removably secured within the flow channel of the extruder head. The flow diverter is held securely in place within the flow channel by a fastening mechanism, and the flow diverter can be easily removed from the flow channel for reshaping or reprofiling as may be necessary to achieve a desired velocity profile of polymeric material flow at the flow outlet end of the flow channel.