Abstract: The invention provides a stitcher and a method of stitching a helical splice having an angle ? on material mounted on a drum, the method comprising the steps of: rotating the drum at a constant speed U, traversing a stitcher assembly at a constant velocity V, wherein the stitcher assembly velocity is coordinated with the drum speed so that the stitcher engages the ply along the helical splice. The invention further provides a stitcher having a roller rotatably mounted to a support frame having a longitudinal axis, wherein the roller is pivotally mounted to the support frame so that the roller can pivot about the longitudinal axis of the handle.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for locking a pneumatic tire carcass ply between a bead pocket of an annular bead lock mechanism and a bead ring in a way that clamps all ply reinforcement cords between the bead pocket and the bead with a uniform clamping pressure. The bead lock mechanism is expandable from a retracted radius to a larger expanded radius by simultaneous radial movement of a plurality of bead lock segments each of which have circumferentially extending fingers that are axially staggered such that the fingers of circumferentially adjacent bead lock segments are interlaced when the bead lock mechanism is expanded to the expanded radius.

Abstract: The invention provides in a first aspect a tire building drum comprising a plurality of segments in a cylindrical array, a cover plate mounted over the segments, wherein the cover plate has one or more ribs aligned with the longitudinal axis of the cover plate. The invention provides in another aspect a cover plate for use with a tire building drum, the cover plate comprising an upper surface and one or more longitudinal ribs connected to the upper surface.