Abstract: A process for manufacturing tires for vehicle wheels, comprising the step of building on a forming support a carcass structure comprising at least one carcass ply and, at at least one end edge of the carcass ply, at least one annular anchoring structure comprising at least one substantially circumferential annular insert and at least one filling insert associated to said at least one substantially circumferential annular insert. The step of building the carcass structure comprises the steps of positioning the annular anchoring structure on the carcass ply by moving the annular substantially circumferential 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 said annular anchoring structure.

Abstract: In an apparatus for building tires for vehicle wheels, a forming drum is loaded on a shuttle movable on a guide along a deposition line. The shuttle is moved on the guide in the two running directions to bring it to dispensing stations of semifinished products disposed in at least some deposition locations positioned in space succession along the deposition line. At each of the dispensing stations, at least one semifinished product is laid on a radially external surface to the forming drum carried by the shuttle for forming at least one component of a tire. The shuttle is moved on the guide in a different sequence from the space succession of the deposition locations along the deposition line.

Abstract: Production of carcass structures and/or production of crown structures includes: positioning a first continuous elongated element so that its end stretch is aligned with a cutting position; positioning a second continuous elongated element so that its end stretch is in side by side relationship with the end stretch of the first continuous elongated element; forming first strip-like elements from the first continuous elongated element; depositing the first strip-like elements on at least one forming drum; translating the end stretches of the first and second continuous elongated element in a transverse direction relative to their longitudinal extension to align the end stretch of the second continuous elongated element to said cutting position; forming second strip-like elements from the second continuous elongated element; and depositing the second strip-like elements on said at least one forming drum.

Abstract: A bead forming apparatus including: a rotatable drum having a plurality of divided bodies dividedly arranged along a circumference and being adapted to be wrapped therearound with a belt-shaped bead filler having a short base and two other long sides in an annular shape; a plurality of erection arms provided along the circumference and swingably supported by the divided bodies of the rotatable drum so as to erect the bead filler by swinging the erection arms; and a swing device for swinging the erection arms; and a plurality of slide members provided as contact portions of the erection arms that come into contact with the bead filler so that the bead filler can be radially slidable relative to the erection arms.

Abstract: A transfer ring of the type having a plurality of shoes arranged in a substantially circular configuration to define an inwardly-facing segmented cylindrical gripping surface, and a shoe for use in such a transfer ring, are disclosed. Each shoe comprises an arcuate interior surface defining a segment of the cylindrical gripping surface. The interior surface of each shoe has a first arcuate edge and an opposite second arcuate edge arranged substantially parallel to one another, and opposite first and second end edges extending between respective ends of said first and second arcuate edges. Each first end edge of each arcuate surface is mounted adjacent the second end edge of an adjacent arcuate surface, and the first end edge of at least one of the arcuate surfaces defines a varied or irregular shape along its arcuate surface.

Abstract: A conveying device for conveying a rubber member extruded in a curved state from an extrusion device, the device including a support and a plurality of rollers which are spirally arranged around the support to constitute a spiral conveying path and which rotate while supporting a lower surface of the rubber member, wherein an outer diameter of each of the rollers increases from one end to the other end in an axial direction, the one end being rotatably fixed to the support, and the plurality of rollers include drive rollers which rotate and drive.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for feeding a plurality of tread bands in a process for building tires for vehicle wheels. Each tread band initially includes, on a side thereof, a service fabric. The tread bands are initially arranged at different heights. The method includes positioning a first auxiliary conveyor belt of an auxiliary collection device including a plurality of juxtaposed auxiliary conveyor belts at a first height corresponding to the height of a first tread band, then, proceeding with the removal of the service fabric from the first tread band while the first tread band is transferred onto the first auxiliary conveyor belt. The method also includes positioning at least one second auxiliary conveyor belt of the auxiliary collection device at at least one second height corresponding to that of at least one second tread band.

Abstract: A method for controlling the thickness of a continuous elongated element made of elastomeric material, applied according to coils wound on a forming support, includes: advancing a head end of the continuous elongated element toward the forming support; subjecting, during the advancement, the continuous elongated element to a first stretching with a first stretch coefficient before applying on the forming support; and subjecting, during the advancement, the continuous elongated element to a second stretching with a second stretch coefficient during the application on the forming support. During the first stretching, a span of the continuous elongated element adjacent to the head end is stretched with a supplementary stretch coefficient greater than the first stretch coefficient, in a manner so as to confer, also to the span adjacent to the head end, a stretch and a section similar or substantially equivalent to those of the rest of the continuous elongated element.

Abstract: A rotary body is divided into four to form multiple partitioned members. A chuck mechanism includes an expanding and contracting mechanism that expands and contracts each partitioned member in a radial direction of the rotary body. The chuck mechanism mounts and dismounts the beginning of a wire in an interlocked relationship with expansion and contraction of each partitioned member. The expanding and contracting mechanism includes a guide member that moves each partitioned member back and forth in the radial direction, and a cam member that moves each partitioned member between a large-diameter position and a small-diameter position. The chuck mechanism includes a chuck arm, a coil spring that biases the chuck arm in a direction in which the chuck arm is closed, an arm member that opens and closes the chuck arm, and a cam actuator that makes the arm member pivot.

Abstract: A tire building machine for applying an apex to a bead to form a bead-apex assembly for a green tire, including a bead holder for holding the bead, wherein the tire building machine includes a first gripper and a second gripper for engaging and moving the apex in a direction of conveyance towards the bead, wherein the first gripper is moveable between a first start position and a first end position and the second gripper is moveable between a second start position and a second end position, wherein the tire building machine is provided with wedges, wherein the grippers are biased to a closed state in which the grippers are arranged to engage the apex, and wherein the wedges are arranged for countering the bias of the grippers when the grippers are at one of the start positions or the end positions.

Abstract: Method for manufacturing a green tire by winding a carcass reinforcement ply onto a tire-building drum on which a number of profiled elements are axially spaced apart one from one another and have a given thickness of which the meridian line has a curved profile are laid, wherein: the front edge of the carcass reinforcement ply is grasped with the aid of a transport device having a chassis that supports a transverse row of ply gripping pads, the carcass reinforcement ply is transferred between a supply station and drum, the front edge of said ply is laid on the tire-building drum, said transport device is withdrawn, an applicator roller having a deformable profile is applied to the front edge of said ply and pressure is exerted in the radial direction across the width of said ply, and said drum is made to rotate.

Abstract: Method of manufacturing a tire tread having a plurality of raised elements, each having a contact face intended to come into contact with a ground when the tire is rolling and lateral faces connected to this contact face. The method of manufacture comprises: preparing a green form of the tire; laying a cover layer over all or part of an external surface of the green tire; laying the green tire in a mold; with the mold comprising a blade, using this blade to mold a lateral face of a raised element; vulcanizing the green tire to obtain the tire cutting the cover layer using cutting means belonging to the mold; during the molding of the lateral face driving with the blade a cut part of the cover layer into the green tire so that the lateral face of the raised element is partially or fully covered.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for picking up and placing a tire components, wherein the method includes the steps of picking up a supplied first tire component with a transfer drum, rotating the transfer drum in a first direction for winding a predetermined length of the continuous length of the first tire component, rotating the transfer drum in the opposite second direction, while at the same time moving the transfer drum downstream into a cutting position, wherein a part of the predetermined length of the first tire component is unwound from the transfer drum, cutting the unwound part, thereby obtaining a cut-to-length first tire component, and rotating the transfer drum again in the first direction for winding up the unwound part of the cut-to-length first tire component up to the trailing end.

Abstract: In an assembly station a carcass sleeve and an outer sleeve manufactured along respective building ones are mutually coupled. Integrated into the assembly station are engagement devices that can be alternatively coupled to an auxiliary drum carrying an outer sleeve and to a building drum carrying a carcass sleeve. A grip unit picks up the outer sleeve from the auxiliary drum associated with the engagement devices in order to position it to a location radially external to the carcass sleeve carried by the building drum associated with the engagement devices in place of the auxiliary drum. Shaping devices that can be operatively coupled to the building drum cause radial expansion of the carcass sleeve so as to enable the latter to be coupled to the outer sleeve retained by the grip unit.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a pneumatic tire including forming a green case by cylindrically winding a tire component member which includes at least one layer of a carcass ply. The green tire is shaped by expanding the green case into a toroidal shape with the supply of a fluid into the green case so that the green case adheres to a tread ring arranged radially outside the green case. The green tire is subjected to vulcanization molding within a mold die. During the shaping of the green tire, the fluid is supplied in accordance with a pressure profile which changes in a stepwise manner. The pressure profile is set such that a former stage pressure which allows the green case to expand to 35% to 40% of a full expansion amount is set lower than a final stage pressure in a final stage.

Abstract: In the method for retreading a vehicle tire casing, a fluid is injected into a casing between a tread and a tread backing in order to space them apart.

Abstract: In order to make a tire factory more compact, this tire manufacturing system comprises a material storage zone, a green tire formation zone, a vulcanization zone, and an inspection and discharge zone. The green tire formation zone has a track and a plurality of work stations arranged along the track, where a green tire is formed by assembling a tire constituent member to an outer surface of a rigid core moving on the track at each of the work stations. A member assembly device that forms the tire constituent member by attaching a member material set for each of the tire constituent members to a surface of the rigid core, under an attachment condition determined according to size of the rigid core. The member assembly devices being arranged at an outer peripheral side of the square-cornered U-shaped bending track and along the lateral track parts. The material storage zone is arranged adjacent to one lateral side of the square-cornered U-shaped bending track.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for applying a repair patch to a damaged portion of a tire, the steps of the method including removably positioning the patch in a repair position overlapping the damaged portion, pulling a tab to remove a protective sheet to uncover at least a portion of the bonding surface while the patch is in contact with the tire, and pressing the uncovered bonding surface into contact with the tire.

Abstract: A method for retreading a wheel tire casing: a wheel tire casing is induction heated so as to soften a thermally malleable layer located between a tread of the casing and a carcass of the casing, the tread is removed from the carcass, and another tread is applied to the carcass.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a motorcycle tire comprises: building a raw tire main body, building a breaker, sticking the breaker, and building a band. The building of the breaker comprises: moving two cylindrical support rings to operating positions, swelling the raw tire main body to have its crown portion protruding from the support rings through a gap therebetween, and winding a breaker ply material on the support rings to form a cylindrical breaker ply whose inner surface is adhered to the raw tire main body. The sticking of the breaker comprises: expanding a profiled deck to swell the raw tire main body into a second swollen state, and turning down both edge portions of the breaker while being supported by the profiled deck. The building of the band comprises: spirally winding a tape on the curved breaker ply while being supported by the profiled deck.