Abstract: An apparatus for manufacturing automotive tire beads wherein a pair of bead winding and transfer units for forming respective beads each present an inner ring which defines part of a bead winding unit for winding a continuous metal wire constituting the respective bead, and consists of two coaxial rotatable annular bodies designed to move between a detached and mated position; and an outer grip ring consisting of a number of segments designed to move back and forth in relation to the inner ring; which segments are carried on an annular support designed to move both transversely, between a position coaxial with the respective inner ring and a position coaxial with a tire building drum, and axially along the tire building drum.

Abstract: A device (1) for manufacturing a tire bead (2) consisting of an annular element (3) formed from a metal wire (4) wound in such a manner as to form a number of coils packed by a flexible packing member (6) wound about the annular element (3) and having its opposite ends (7) tied in a knot (8). An annular mandrel (9) on the device (1) defines a first annular duct (38) for forming the annular element (3), and a second duct (39) coiled about the first duct (38). The mandrel (9) is connected to a pneumatic knotting machine (10) having an input duct (62) and an output duct (63) defining the two halves of a flat knot (64) and communicating respectively with the inlet (46) and outlet (47) of the second duct (39).