Abstract: Apparatus comprising a former used in the manufacture of tires. Two green covers (52, 53) devoid of sidewalls for pneumatic tires are assembled and shaped side-by-side. The two covers (52, 53) may be joined together during assembly but separated during manufacture.

Abstract: A method of manufacture of a tire in which a carcass ply is formed by winding a continuous cord around a pair of spaced members to form a ply (31) having loops (36) at its edges. The cord ply is rubberized and support elements (32)(33) are located in the loops (36) to form a cylindrical ply having spaced hooped support elements at each ply edge. Bead wire assemblies (40) and (41) are located coaxially of the ply together with the support elements which are subsequently incorporated in the bead wire assemblies.There is also provided a tire building former on which the above method can be performed. The former (100) comprises at least three coaxial discs (101), (102), (106) for supporting a carcass ply 30 on their radially outer surfaces. The central disc (106) is axially movable between the two other discs so as to support a portion of an elastomeric ply (103) helically wound onto the former (100) from a strip (1040.

Abstract: In the manufacture of a pneumatic tire the approximately triangular space immediately radially inward of each bead of the tire is filled by an apex construction made by helically winding uncured rubber strip. The tapered configuration is achieved by winding from a position progressively closer to a support surface so that the windings become progressively more oblique. Width reduction of the rubber strip can be achieved by subjecting it to progresively greater tension during winding. The winding of the apex formation may be interrupted while an end of a carcass play is turned over the bead and incomplete apex. Turns of unsheathed wire may be wound over the carcass ply end and then winding of the uncured rubber strip continued until the apex formation is completed. In one modification (FIG. 5) the carcass ply is incorporated in a wound bead assembly. In another (FIG. 3) windings of a harder material such as Kevlar are interposed between windings of uncured rubber.

Abstract: The reinforcement for the bead of e.g. a pneumatic type, a rolling lobe diaphragm or an air spring is constructed by winding onto a mandrel or former superimposed layers alternately of unsheathed wire and flat, uncured rubber strip. Rubber is wound on before wire winding commences and continues after wire winding stops, so that the assembly exposes no cut wire end. After the winding operation the assembly is subjected to heat and pressure with all the wire embedded in and surrounded by an integrated, vulcanized rubber body.The rubber layers may be parallel with and on opposite sides of the layers of spaced wire windings or a given rubber winding may have wire windings on its radially opposite sides.The windings, both of rubber and wire, may be discrete loops or may be made by helically winding a single rubber strip or wire. The shape of the assembly as well as the volume of rubber at any position therein may be controlled by varying the tension under which the rubber strip and/or the wire is wound.

Abstract: A method of manufacture of a vehicle tire in which an annular mold (11) is filled with uncured elastomeric compound to form in the annular mold an apex (14) and integral chafer (17), and preferably a sidewall (13). The annular mould (11) with the components (14) (17) and (13) in-situ is then brought into alignment with a toroidally shaped tire carcass (22) to assemble the apex (14) and chafer (17) to the carcass.

Abstract: A pneumatic tire (10) having a pair of beads (15) each of which comprises a plurality of bundled together wire hoops (40), and a carcass ply (16) extending between the beads 15. The end portions (30) of the carcass ply are anchored in each bead bundle (15) by at least one hooped member (40), (22) or (23) incorporated in the bead configuration. The carcass ply (16) may be reinforced by a continuous cord formed as a series of windings looped around a pair of hooped support elements (22) or (23) which are incorporated into each bead (15) to occupy a position with the bead configuration.

Abstract: A method of manufacture of a tire in which a carcass ply is formed by winding a continuous cord around a pair of spaced members to form a ply (31) having loops (36) at its edges. The cord ply is rubberized and support elements (32) (33) are located in the loops (36) to form a cylindrical ply having spaced hooped support elements at each ply edge. Bead wire assemblies (40) and (41) are located coaxially of the ply together with the support elements which are subsequently incorporated in the bead wire assemblies.There is also provided a tire building former on which the above method can be performed. The former (100) comprises at least three coaxial discs (101), (102), (106) for supporting a carcass ply 30 on their radially outer surfaces. The central disc (106) is axially movable between the two other discs so as to support a portion of an elastomeric ply (103) helically wound onto the former (100) from a strip (104).

Abstract: In the feeding of sheet material to a machine such as a tire building former a sheet is first placed on a table and one edge of the sheet is aligned with a first datum line, preferably by tilting the table and supplying floatation air under the sheet. The sheet is then picked up and moved transversely through a predetermined distance by a gripping device to align one edge with a second datum line so as to enable the sheet to be fed in appropriate alignment to a machine.

Abstract: A cylindrical tire building former has two sets of radially expandable segments or located one set at each axial end of the former.The sets of segments or are expanded by engagement of each segment with an axially moveable wedge member. The wedge member may comprise an annular body, or an annular array of individual wedges. The wedge member is moved by operation of a plurality of screw struts which are arranged on a pitch circle and which are each rotated by a planet gear. The planet gears are driven simultaneously by a central sun gear to move the wedge member evenly along the screw struts.

Abstract: In the feeding of sheet material to a machine such as a tire building former a sheet is first placed on a table and one edge of the sheet is aligned with a first datum line, preferably by tilting the table and supplying floatation air under the sheet. The sheet is then picked up and moved transversely through a predetermined distance by a gripping device to align the edge with a second datum line so as to enable the sheet to be fed in appropriate alignment to a machine.

Abstract: A mould particularly as used in the manufacture of a product from elastomeric material which is required to be heated.Preferably the heating is carried out by means of an electric current which may be induced electromagnetically.The product may be a tire.

Abstract: Apparatus for and method of manufacturing tire breaker fabric comprising an elongated sheet of parallel closely spaced cords formed from a single cord laid in zig-zag fashion such that the edges of the sheet are formed by a series of folded cord edges. The apparatus comprises a cord laying head for laying a single cord in zig-zag fashion between a pair of spaced-apart edge forming units each comprising a holding pin engageable with a folded cord edge and a pincher head engageable around the pin to crimp the folded cord edge. A collector and holding unit collects the zig-zag cord assembly so formed and is operable to feed each traverse of cord in sequence to a device for applying elastomer to the cord assembly.

Abstract: An apparatus and method of manufacture for making tire breaker cord fabric comprising a tire cord laying head to lay a zig-zag assembly of a single cord, edge loop holding units and drive means for relatively moving the cord assembly to an elastomeric material coating device.