Abstract: Device for conveying and preparing belt construction strip having parallel reinforcing members embedded in belt construction material includes first and second conveying devices, successively positioned in the feed direction without lateral stops for belt construction strip, to laterally align belt construction strip. Drive device laterally moves first conveying device relative to feed direction, sensor device has at least two sensors to detect position of side edges of belt construction strip, and holding device holds a front tip of belt construction strip in controlled manner in region of second conveying device. First conveying device positioned upstream of second conveying device relative to feed direction, and sensor device positioned to determine alignment of edge of belt construction strip and/or alignment of center of belt construction strip. The instant abstract is neither intended to define the invention disclosed in this specification nor intended to limit the scope of the invention in any way.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for producing a tire, especially a pneumatic tire for a motor vehicles. The method includes a stepwise build up of the tire with a layer which is as airtight as possible, at least one casing ply (3), horn profiles, bead cores, side walls as well as a belt assembly including a belt web, if required, a belt layer (13) in one or more parts and a tread (15). The rubber of the tire side walls is applied as an extruded rubber strip (8) in the form of a spiral with several adjacent or partially overlapping turns (28a) on the side walls of the carcass which is at least previously shaped and, if required, provided with at least parts of the belt assembly.

Abstract: A process is disclosed for producing a vehicular pneumatic tire, in which, in order to produce and apply a preferably unvulcanized tread strip to a partial tire, which already has a cambered carcass and a ply packet radially outward therefrom, at least two strips of material, each consisting of a mixture of rubber and/or plastic, are applied to the partial tire. At least one strip of material is wound in numerous essentially adjoining windings running in the circumferential direction of the tire. In the case of two strips of material, these consist of different mixtures and, depending upon the desired characteristics of the tire, are arranged simultaneously or sequentially on different areas in the inner or the radially outer zone of the space occupied by the finished tread strip.

Abstract: Process and apparatus for improving a concentricity of a pneumatic vehicle tire having a bead. The process includes subjecting at least a portion of the bead, after vulcanization, to a plastic deformation post-treatment. The post-treatment improves the concentricity of the tire. The apparatus includes a drum having a surface which engages a radially inner bead seat surface of the tire. The drum includes at least one of an internal heating mechanism and an internal cooling mechanism. The drum is adapted to plastically deform at least a portion of the bead of the tire so as to affect at least one of a first, a second, and a third harmonic. The plastic deformation improves the concentricity of the tire.

Abstract: Vehicle wheel that includes a pneumatic tire mounted on a wheel rim. The pneumatic tire includes a tire tread, two side-walls, a carcass, reinforcing elements, and two tire beads with bead cores. The vehicle wheel also includes an emergency support body, mounted on the wheel rim and positioned inside the pneumatic tire. The emergency support body includes an emergency rolling surface to support the tire in case of a failure of the pneumatic tire. The emergency rolling surface includes a radially exterior surface of a ring torus with a bowl-shaped cross section, and the ring torus includes axially exterior sections having cross-sectional contours with first curvatures open to the wheel rim and an intermediate section positioned between the axially exterior sections having a contour with a second curvature open to a crest point of the pneumatic tire.

Abstract: Process and device for transporting a belt construction strip having parallel reinforcing members embedded in a belt construction material for forming a belt for a pneumatic vehicle tire.

Abstract: Device for conveying and preparing belt construction strip having parallel reinforcing members embedded in belt construction material includes first and second conveying devices, successively positioned in the feed direction without lateral stops for belt construction strip, to laterally align belt construction strip. Drive device laterally moves first conveying device relative to feed direction, sensor device has at least two sensors to detect position of side edges of belt construction strip, and holding device holds a front tip of belt construction strip in controlled manner in region of second conveying device. First conveying device positioned upstream of second conveying device relative to feed direction, and sensor device positioned to determine alignment of edge of belt construction strip and/or alignment of center of belt construction strip. The instant abstract is neither intended to define the invention disclosed in this specification nor intended to limit the scope of the invention in any way.

Abstract: Expandable drum for constructing a green carcass of a tire has a periphery and includes a plurality of metal segments positioned to form a substantially cylindrical arrangement, adapted for radial expansion and compression. A thick-walled casing, positioned over the plurality of metal segments, forms the drum periphery. The thick-walled casing includes rubber and a plurality of voids arranged to have an outer periphery in the thick-walled casing. An evacuating pump is coupled to the plurality of voids. The plurality of voids form suctioning voids to suction the green carcass onto the drum periphery during compression of the drum periphery, and are coupled at radially outermost extents to a network of grooves arranged to provide wave-free and smooth contraction of green carcass during its compression, thereby avoiding bulges and creases in contracting green carcass. Radially innermost extents of the voids are coupled to evacuating pump to create vacuum in the grooves.

Abstract: A vehicle wheel with a one-piece rim and tubeless pneumatic tire comprises an emergency rolling surface on a radially exterior shell of the rim, an elastic bead, and a one-piece toroidal chamber at each axial front end of the rim. Each chamber includes a closed radially interior chamber wall, a closed radially exterior chamber wall, a closed axially interior chamber wall, and an axially exterior chamber wall axially closed in a radially exterior area defining a radially inwardly directed flange and open in a radially interior area. A filler ring is radially secured in each chamber on the radially interior chamber wall. Each side wall of the tire extends inwardly from the axially exterior wall through the opening, and the head is embedded in the chamber such that the bead lies across the axial extent of the filler ring, the head and the filler ring completely filling the chamber.

Abstract: A process is disclosed for producing a vehicular pneumatic tire, in which, in order to produce and apply a preferably unvulcanized tread strip to a partial tire, which already has a cambered carcass and a ply packet radially outward therefrom, at least two strips of material, each consisting of a mixture of rubber and/or plastic, are applied to the partial tire. At least one strip of material is wound in numerous essentially adjoining windings running in the circumferential direction of the tire. In the case of two strips of material, these consist of different mixtures and, depending upon the desired characteristics of the tire, are arranged simultaneously or sequentially on different areas in the inner or the radially outer zone of the space occupied by the finished tread strip.

Abstract: Process and drum for constructing a green tire on a radially expandable drum having a substantially horizontal axis of rotation. The process includes collapsing the radially expandable drum at a minimum first diameter, and positioning a casing on the radially expandable drum to form a drum periphery being composed of an elastic material, and having an inner diameter at least as great as the first diameter, and including a plurality of voids coupled to an evacuating pump. The radially expandable drum is radially expanded from the first diameter to a second diameter greater than the first diameter to expand the casing, and producing a carcass, having at least one carcass ply with at least one of sidewalls and an air-tight inner layer, on the drum. A vacuum is produced in the voids to suction the carcass onto the drum periphery and at least axial end areas of the expandable drum are radially compressed to a third diameter to enable bead cores to traverse the drum periphery without touching the drum periphery.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a pneumatic vehicle tire includes the step of folding the carcass ply in the overlap zone of the leading and trailing ends into at least one fold to form an overlength of the reinforcement elements in the overlap zone for preventing the constriction in the overlap zone within the vulcanized, inflated tire. Subsequently, in both methods, the green tire is completed on the building drum and the green tire is then vulcanized to produce the finished tire.

Abstract: Expandable drum for constructing a green carcass of a tire has a periphery and includes a plurality of metal segments positioned to form a substantially cylindrical arrangement, adapted for radial expansion and compression. A thick-walled casing, positioned over the plurality of metal segments, forms the drum periphery. The thick-walled casing includes rubber and a plurality of voids arranged to have an outer periphery in the thick-walled casing. An evacuating pump is coupled to the plurality of voids. The plurality of voids form suctioning voids to suction the green carcass onto the drum periphery during compression of the drum periphery, and are coupled at radially outermost extents to a network of grooves arranged to provide wave-free and smooth contraction of green carcass during its compression, thereby avoiding bulges and creases in contracting green carcass. Radially innermost extents of the voids are coupled to evacuating pump to create vacuum in the grooves.

Abstract: A method for cutting to length a strip-shaped profiled member of unvulcanized rubber material by a cutting edge includes the step of providing a speed between the cutting edge and the profiled member to be cut of at least 2.5 m/s during the cutting action. The device for carrying out the method includes a carriage and a tool with a cutting edge fastened to the carriage. The carriage has an acceleration path, defined between a rest position of the carriage and a side of the profiled member facing the carriage, of between 0.2 and 1 m. The carriage has a deceleration path, defined between an oppositely arranged side of the profiled member and an end position of the carriage, of at least 0.1 m.

Abstract: A complete vehicle wheel assembly includes a wheel with wheel rim having two opposed circular rim flanges and a tire having beads secured at the circular rim flanges. Each one of the circular rim flanges has a tubular hollow chamber with an annular opening. The tubular hollow chamber has a square or rectangular cross-section, and the annular opening has a width such that the bead is insertable into the tubular hollow chamber only in a rotated or deformed state after insertion of the bead, a remaining free space in the tubular hollow chamber is filled with a liquid, hardenable material.

Abstract: A device for joining ends of material strips of rubber or plastic materials with rubber properties, wherein the ends to be joined have areas of reduced wall thickness and wherein the end cut first is stretched shortly before joining the two ends, includes a plurality of force-transmitting elements positioned adjacent to one another transverse to a longitudinal direction of the material strip at a forward end thereof and acting on one face of the material strip. At least the force-transmitting elements positioned at the areas of reduced wall thickness of the forward end are movable in the longitudinal direction of the material strip for stretching the forward end of the material strip at least within the areas of reduced wall thickness.

Abstract: In a method for automatically applying cut strips of material with varying lengths onto a tire building drum for manufacturing green tires a cut strip of material, comprising a forward portion with a leading edge, a middle section, and an end portion, is fed with a conveyor belt to a tire building drum. The leading edge of the forward portion is placed onto the tire building drum, being rotated at a first circumferential speed, that is substantially identical to a first feeding speed of the conveyor belt, during application of the forward portion. The first circumferential speed of the tire building drum is increased to a second constant circumferential speed for applying the middle section. Simultaneously, the first feeding speed of the end less conveyor belt is increased to a second feeding speed which is controlled as a function of the actual length of the cut strip of material.

Abstract: A method for determining a length, especially for determining an overlap length of a wound strip of material, is provided. In order to be able to automatically determine the overlap length it is suggested that the forward end of a strip of material applied to a winding drum is detected by a detector and, simultaneously, the corresponding angular position of the winding drum is measured. After the completion of the winding of the strip of material, its rearward end is detected by the detector and, simultaneously, the corresponding angular position of the winding drum is measured. Subsequently, a difference between the angular positions of the winding drum is used to determine the length of the strip of material.

Abstract: A pneumatic vehicle tire made of rubber or a rubber-like compound has a tire body with two sidewalls and a tread extending between the sidewalls. A carcass is embedded in the tire body and extends from a radially inner edge of a first sidewall to a radially inner edge of a second sidewall. A belt is embedded in the tire body radially inwardly of the tread and radially outwardly of the carcass. A rim-shaped support with fastening elements positioned radially outwardly at the support is provided. The support is connected to the tire body. Reinforcement elements in the form of cords and bands are connected to the fastening elements for forming the carcass. The reinforcement elements extend substantially without deflection from the fastening elements into a neutral bending line of the sidewalls.

Abstract: A method for cutting to length a strip of tire building material includes the step of feeding the strip of tire building material via a conveying device tangentially to a winding drum. In a further step the strip of tire building material is wound onto the winding drum by rotating the winding drum and a defined pressure is simultaneously applied with a pressure roller during winding until a length of the strip of tire building material corresponding almost to the circumference of the winding drum has been wound onto the winding drum. The rotating winding drum is then stopped and the strip of tire building material is fixed in a first location in the vicinity of a cutter bar that is positioned directly in front of the conveying device. The pressure roller is then moved from its initial position toward the cutter bar along the circumference of the winding drum to thereby tighten the strip of tire building material and fix the strip of material in a second location closely adjacent to the first location.