Abstract: The present disclosure generally relates to methods for additive manufacturing (AM) that utilize rail support structures in the process of building objects, as well as novel rail support structures to be used within these AM processes. The rail support structures include a plurality of substantially parallel vertical walls, each wall extending substantially parallel to a direction from the first side to the second side. Adjacent walls of the plurality of substantially parallel vertical walls are separated by a portion of unfused powder. An object is formed above the plurality of substantially parallel vertical walls.

Abstract: A pneumatic tire includes: a main groove extending in a tire circumferential direction disposed on a shoulder region of a tread portion; lug grooves extending from the main groove toward an outer side and reaching a side wall portion; and blocks demarcated by the main groove and lug grooves. An edge on an innermost side in a tire radial direction of the blocks is positioned more on an outer side in the tire radial direction than a tire maximum width position, and a ratio of an orthogonal distance from a ground contact end position to the edge on an innermost side in the tire radial direction of the blocks is 0.2 or more. Recessed portions each having a closed periphery are provided in a side region more on an outer side in a tire width direction than the ground contact end of the blocks.

Abstract: A manufacturing method includes: cutting out a sheet-like belt 8b by cutting a master roll 8a between a master roll table 10 and a belt table 14; moving the belt table 14 carrying the cut-out sheet-like belt 8b to a winding position of the sheet-like belt 8b; and winding the sheet-like belt 8b around a winding cylinder 50 at the winding position. The master roll 8a is fixed onto the belt table 14 by attraction when the master roll 8a is cut between the master roll table 10 and the belt table 14 and the belt table 14 is moved to the winding position of the sheet-like belt 8b while keeping the cut-out sheet-like belt 8b fixed onto the belt table 14 by attraction.

Abstract: A process is provided for manufacturing a tire assemblage that includes a first woven or knitted fabric including first threadlike elements, a second woven or knitted fabric including second threadlike elements, and a bearing structure including bearing elements connecting the first and second woven or knitted fabric together. The process includes coating each first threadlike element with a layer of a first adhesive composition and coating each second threadlike element with a layer of a second adhesive composition, heat treating each coated first threadlike element and each coated second threadlike element to crosslink the first adhesive composition and the second adhesive composition, and assembling the bearing elements with each heat-treated and coated first and second threadlike element to form part or all of the tire assemblage.

Abstract: A manufacturing method includes cutting out a sheet-like belt for one full circle of tire by cutting a master roll diagonally with respect to a longitudinal direction between a master roll table 10 and a belt table 14, moving the belt table 14 carrying the cut-out sheet-like belt to a winding position of the sheet-like belt, winding the sheet-like belt around a winding cylinder 50 at the winding position, and unwinding the sheet-like belt from the winding cylinder 50 in a place facing a molding drum 64 and forming a cylindrical belt by winding the sheet-like belt around the molding drum 64.

Abstract: In a winding method of a sheet member for winding a sheet member having an inclined side portion 7a inclined with respect to a longitudinal direction at least on one side in the longitudinal direction around a winding cylinder 50 in more than one turn from a tip end of the inclined side portion 7a as a winding start tip, winding of the sheet member is started in a small-diameter portion 51a of the winding cylinder 50 to which a radial difference is given by providing a step 54 to make a diameter smaller on one side in an axial direction and larger on the other side in the axial direction.

Abstract: Cord ply joiner for a tire includes a first pressurizer having first pressing member and first pressure receiving member in upper and lower sides, and a second pressurizer having second pressing member and second pressure receiving member in the upper and lower sides. A first code ply positioning mechanism positions a first code ply by bringing a tail end of the first code ply into contact with a side surface of the second pressure receiving member, a first code ply fixing mechanism lowers the cord end pressing member so the first cord ply is fixed, and a second code ply positioning mechanism positions the tip of the second code ply by bringing the tip into contact with a side surface of the cord end pressing member. The first pressurizer and the second pressurizer are brought close to each other, whereby a shearing force is applied to an overlapped portion.

Abstract: A method for managing a carcass structure building line, a plant and a process for building tyre carcass structures, wherein the plant includes a carcass structure building line provided with a plurality of stations including an unloading station and n building stations. A group of forming drums being processed includes m forming drums being processed defining a first size of carcass structure being processed. Three groups of entering forming drums include respective entering forming drums, defining a second size of carcass structure being processed. A pair of support elements being processed includes a first and a second support element being processed and three pairs of entering support elements respectively include a first and a second entering support element. The invention also relates to a method for managing a carcass structure building line.

Abstract: A bead core coating method for coating an annular bead core with a belt-shaped rubber sheet including the steps of: winding the rubber sheet extruded on an outer circumferential surface of a rotary drum; sticking a part of the rubber sheet to an outer surface of the bead core which is in rotation; and winding a remaining part of the rubber sheet stuck on the outer surface of the bead core while sequentially sticking the remaining part along the outer surface of the bead core, wherein air is blown to a sheet portion including the end that is not stuck to the outer surface of the bead core in the currently-winding rubber sheet in a first direction toward the end along a sheet surface or a second direction inclined toward an outer surface side of the bead core as compared with the first direction.

Abstract: A bead core coating method for coating an annular bead core with a belt-shaped rubber sheet, including the steps of: winding the rubber sheet around an outer circumferential surface of a rotary drum; sticking a central portion of the rubber sheet to an outer surface of the bead core; and winding both ends in the width direction of the rubber sheet stuck on the outer surface of the bead core while sequentially sticking both ends in the width direction along the outer surface of the bead core from the central portion in the width direction toward each end in the width direction, wherein in the step of sticking, air is blown to a gap generated between the central portion in the width direction of the rubber sheet and the outer circumferential surface of the rotary drum at a place where the rubber sheet is peeled from the rotary drum.

Abstract: A method of controlling operation of a tire filling mixing machine, by: (a) mixing a rubber/polyurethane and a catalyst in a first mixer to form a virgin polyurethane; (b) grinding cured polyurethane core bits in a grinder; (c) mixing the virgin material and the ground material in a second mixer thereby forming a mixed flatproofing material; (d) injecting the mixed flatproofing material into a tire; (e) measuring the ratio of ground material to virgin material in the mixed flatproofing material; (f) comparing the measured ratio of ground material to virgin material to a pre-stored preferred ratio of ground material to virgin material; and (g) increasing or decreasing the relative percentages of virgin material and ground material entering the second mixer by an amount that is a fraction of the difference between the measured ratio and the pre-stored preferred ratio.

Abstract: To improve durability by preventing breakage of each roller piece for a long time. It is a pressure roller for pressing a surface of a tire member made from an unvulcanized rubber member. The pressure roller has a support shaft and a plurality of elastically deformable roller pieces supported by the support shaft and arranged in the axial direction of the support shaft. Each roller piece has a pressing surface for contacting with the surface of the tire member. Each roller piece is independently rotatably supported by the support shaft.

Abstract: A tyre for vehicle wheels comprises a tread band on which a radially external tread surface and a tread pattern are defined; the tread band comprising: a central region of the tread band, extending circumferentially about an equatorial plane of the tyre over at least 30% of an effective width of the tread band; a first and a second shoulder region extending, on opposite sides of the central region, each over at least 20% of the effective width of the tread band; the tread pattern, on the first and second shoulder regions and the central region, comprises transverse grooves comprising a bottom and a pair of opposed lateral walls. These lateral walls extending from the bottom towards the tread surface with a first inclination, and joining to the tread surface by chamfers having a second inclination greater than the first inclination relative to the radial direction.

Abstract: A toroidal forming drum and a process for building tyres. The toroidal forming drum (23) is expanded within a shaped carcass sleeve (12), for supporting the carcass sleeve (12) against an abutment surface (“S”) externally provided by the forming drum (23). An elementary semi-finished product (54a, 54b) is applied around the shaped carcass sleeve (12), by pressing the elementary semi-finished product (54a, 54b) towards the abutment surface (“S”). The abutment surface (“S”) has circumferential rows of solid portions (40) alternated with hollow portions (41). The solid portions (40), arranged along axially opposite circumferential edges of the abutment surface (“S”), have a transverse size comprised between 10% and 60% of a transverse size presented by the solid portions (40) arranged in proximity to an axial centreline plane of the abutment surface (“S”).

Abstract: A process and a drum for looping annular anchoring structures in a process for building tyres for vehicle wheels includes: depositing a loop on a drum including a radially expandable/contractible intermediate annular portion and, in a position axially adjacent to the opposite axial ends of the intermediate annular portion, a pair of radially expandable/contractible lateral annular portions; associating an annular anchoring structure with a radially outer annular surface portion of the loop defined at the intermediate annular portion; and turning up each of opposite end edges of the loop on the annular anchoring structure through the lateral annular portions as a result of a thrusting stress imparted by a respective lateral annular portion of the pair of lateral annular portions because of a synchronous radial movement and a synchronous axial displacement of a respective plurality of circumferentially adjacent first angular sectors.

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 method of forming a non-pneumatic tire is provided that includes the steps of providing an outer shear band ring (12) that has an inner diameter. An intermediate section (14) is provided that has a supporting structure. An outer diameter (102) of the intermediate section (14) in the uncompressed state is greater than the inner diameter (70) of the outer shear band ring (12). The intermediate section is compressed from the uncompressed state to a compressed state, and is inserted inside of the outer shear band ring (12). Compression of the intermediate section is released when the intermediate section is inside of the outer shear band ring, and the intermediate section (14) moves from the compressed state to a state of interference fit with the outer shear band ring (12).

Abstract: A sealing device comprising a flexible holding strip having an adhesive layer on a first surface, wherein the strip is configured for attachment to an inner surface of a tubeless tire via the adhesive layer, and a plurality of flexible flags attached to a second surface of the flexible holding strip opposite the first surface, wherein the plurality of flags is attached to the second surface at a fixed widthwise edge of each of the plurality of flags and wherein the plurality of flags are configured to seal a hole in the tubeless tire when the strip is attached to the inner surface of the tubeless tire is provided. Methods of protecting tires by attaching a sealing device are also described.

Abstract: A pneumatic tire includes cross belts and one or more protective belts provided in the tire radial direction. A width of a widest protective belt is greater than a width of any of the cross belts. In the tire profile, a maximum projection position of the widest protective belt is A, an end position of the widest protective belt is B, a position at which a straight line a passing through position A extending in the direction normal to a tread surface intersects with the tread surface is A?, and a position at which a straight line b passing through position B extending in the direction normal to the tread surface intersects with the tread surface is B?. An angle formed between a first straight line that links position A and position B and a second straight line that links position A? and position B? is from 0° to 15°.

Abstract: A tire manufacturing method includes: a step of arranging rubber inside a spring antenna of an electronic component having a communication function, a step of interposing by rubber sheets the electronic component having the spring antenna into which rubber was arranged, and a setting step of arranging the electronic component interposed by rubber sheets in a tire.