Abstract: A method supports a tire building assembly. The method comprises the steps of: supporting one end portion of a radially collapsible building drum for assembling a green tire; moving the end portion in a first direction by an actuator acting in the first direction; and moving the end portion in a second direction by the actuator acting in the first direction.

Abstract: A method supports a tire building assembly. The method comprises the steps of: supporting one end portion of a radially collapsible building drum for assembling a green tire; moving the end portion in a first direction by an actuator acting in the first direction; and moving the end portion in a second direction by the actuator acting in the first direction.

Abstract: A tire building drum is described that includes an inboard section, a center section and an outboard section. The inboard section has a rotating spindle and a sliding shaft, and the sliding shaft is slidable within the spindle. The inboard section further includes a radially expandable bead lock device mounted on the spindle. The center section has an internal hub mounted on the sliding shaft and further comprises a plurality of tiles that are radially expandable. The outboard section of the drum is mounted on a distal end of the sliding shaft, and further includes a radially expandable bead lock device. The center section and the outboard section are each axially movable by sliding of the sliding shaft.

Abstract: A method of building a tire onto a tire building drum is described. The method includes the steps of: applying one or more tire building components onto the drum to form a tire carcass having carcass ends; wherein the drum has an inboard section, a center section and an outboard section. The inboard section has a rotating spindle and a sliding shaft, wherein the sliding shaft is slidable within the spindle. The inboard section has a radially expandable bead lock mounted on the spindle, said center section mounted to a hub, wherein the hub is mounted on the sliding shaft. The center section has a plurality of tiles mounted thereon that are radially expandable, wherein the outboard section of the drum is mounted on a distal end of the sliding shaft, wherein the outboard section further has a radially expandable bead lock; wherein the center section and the outboard section are axially movable by sliding of the sliding shaft.

Abstract: An apparatus cuts and applies a component to a tire during a tire building process. The apparatus includes an application head rotatable about a vertical axis and fitted to an X-Y table such that the component is applied to a curved tire profile spinning on a drum of a tire building machine. The application head feeds the component vertically downward to a predetermined position coincident with an intersection of the vertical axis of the application head and a horizontal plane defined by a horizontal axis of rotation of the drum of the tire building machine.

Abstract: The invention provides in a first aspect an applier apparatus for applying a sheet of flexible material to a cylindrical body such as a tire building drum. The apparatus includes a support frame; a conveyor table having one or more conveyor belts mounted thereon; said conveyor table further comprising a plurality of support legs, each support leg having an outer leg portion and an inner leg portion, wherein each inner leg portion is mounted to the support frame, said conveyor table being connected to each of the outer leg portion of the support legs; the outer leg portion of each support leg having a first end slidably received over the inner leg portion and a second end connected to a nut; and wherein the nut is mounted onto a linear screw which is rotatably mounted onto a second end of the inner leg portion; said linear screw being driven by a motor wherein the nut is raised and lowered by operation of the screw.

Abstract: A tire building machine includes a support housing for rotating the machine about a vertical axis, a support frame operatively attached to the support housing such that the support housing rotates the support frame about the vertical axis, a first drum rotatable about a first horizontal axis by a first motor, the first drum and the first motor being secured to the support frame, a first cylinder for horizontally retracting the first drum along the first horizontal axis from an extended position to a retracted position, a second drum rotatable about a second horizontal axis by a second motor, the second horizontal axis being parallel to the first horizontal axis, the second drum and the second motor being secured to the support frame, and a second cylinder for horizontally retracting the second drum along the second horizontal axis from an extended position to a retracted position.

Abstract: A tread and tire for a multipurpose agricultural machine, that improves field traction while ensuring a satisfactory compromise with wear under engine torque and vibratory comfort on the road having a tread having a plurality of lugs distributed in a first row extending axially from a first axial end of the tread and in a second row extending axially from a second axial end of the tread, the second row differing from the first row by a symmetry relative to the equatorial plane of the tire followed by a rotation about the rotation axis of the tire, each row having an alternation of long lugs and of short lugs. The axially inner end face of a first long lug of a row of lugs is separated from the trailing lateral face of the second long lug of the symmetrical row of lugs, closest to the axially inner end face of the first long lug, by an end groove with a width at least equal to 10% and at most equal to 100% of the lug height.

Abstract: The invention provides in a first aspect an applier apparatus for applying a sheet of flexible material to a cylindrical body such as a tire building drum. The apparatus includes a support frame; a conveyor table having one or more conveyor belts mounted thereon; said conveyor table further comprising a plurality of support legs, each support leg having an outer leg portion and an inner leg portion, wherein each inner leg portion is mounted to the support frame, said conveyor table being connected to each of the outer leg portion of the support legs; the outer leg portion of each support leg having a first end slidably received over the inner leg portion and a second end connected to a nut; and wherein the nut is mounted onto a linear screw which is rotatably mounted onto a second end of the inner leg portion; said linear screw being driven by a motor wherein the nut is raised and lowered by operation of the screw.

Abstract: A method for applying a sheet of flexible material to a cylindrical body is described. The sheet of material may be ply or a tire building component such as a liner. The method includes the steps of receiving the sheet of flexible material onto a conveyor belt of a conveyor table, wherein the conveyor belt can translate in the X direction, wherein the conveyor belt has a plurality of rollers rotatably mounted on the conveyor belt so they can rotate about an axis aligned with the X direction. The method further includes aligning a lateral edge of the sheet with an edge guide of the conveyor table by tilting the conveyor table and then tilting the conveyor table back to a level position. The method further includes moving a front edge of the conveyor table adjacent the cylindrical body; and applying the sheet onto the cylindrical body.

Abstract: A radial tyre for reducing rolling noise includes a tread, two inextensible beads, two sidewalls connecting the beads to the tread, a carcass reinforcement, and a belt arranged circumferentially between the tread and the carcass reinforcement. The belt includes at least two cross-superposed belt plies, each belt ply having metallic reinforcements arranged parallel to each other within a ply but crossed from one ply to another at an angle of between 10° and 45°. The metallic reinforcements are coated with a belt coating rubber. The belt coating rubber includes 50 to 100 phr (parts by weight per hundred parts of elastomer) of a copolymer based on styrene and butadiene and having a glass transition temperature of greater than ?40° C., a reinforcing filler, and a crosslinking system.

Abstract: A method supports a tire building assembly. The method comprises the steps of: supporting one end portion of a radially collapsible building drum for assembling a green tire; moving the end portion in a first direction by an actuator acting in the first direction; and moving the end portion in a second direction by the actuator acting in the first direction.

Abstract: A rotatable tire building drum 10 has a pair of axially and radially moveable bead locks 20 and a radially expandable center building deck assembly 40 with two sets of deck plates when expanded forms a 360 degree solid deck surface. The deck plates have been sized to abut when fully expanded to form a solid 360 degree building surface to support a tire carcass 2. The two sets of deck plates are divided into a first set of even deck plates and a second set of odd deck plates, arranged in a sequence of at least 6 or more circumferentially adjacent abutting deck plates 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 in an expanded state. In a retracted state, the first set of even deck plates 42 moves radially inward of the second set of odd deck plates 44, the first set 42 underlying the second set 44.

Abstract: A guidewire separator device and methods are described for resolving guidewire entanglement and for introducing guidewires into branch vessels when performing angioplasty or stenting of a bifurcated artery. The device has an elongate tubular distal portion joined to an elongate proximal portion. A first lumen extends through the tubular distal portion of the device, with a first distal guidewire port located near a distal end of the distal portion and a first proximal guidewire port located near a proximal end of the distal portion. A second lumen extends through the tubular distal portion of the device, with a second distal guidewire port located near a distal end of the distal portion and a second proximal guidewire port located near a proximal end of the second lumen. One or both of the lumens may continue through the proximal portion of the device. Optionally, the device includes one or more longitudinal slits to externalize the guidewires from the lumens during withdrawal of device.

Abstract: A method and system delivers documents to terminals with limited display capabilities, such as mobile terminals. More specifically, a method and system adapt a document in order to make same displayable on a terminal with limited display capabilities. The method includes: determining the processing and display capabilities of a terminal; analyzing the document page that is to be displayed by the terminal in order to determine the characteristics thereof, the image resulting from the conversion having a resolution that is selected as a function of the characteristics of the document, such that the contents of the document page are legible on the screen of the terminal; converting one page of a document to a graphical or semi-graphical format that is selected as a function of the processing and display capabilities of the terminal; and transmitting at least part of the image of the converted document page to the terminal.

Abstract: A tire suitable for extended-mobility travel, comprising a carcass-type reinforcement structure anchored on each side of said tire in a bead, each of the beads furthermore comprising an anchoring zone for holding the reinforcement structure, each of said sidewalls being reinforced by a sidewall insert formed of rubber composition capable of bearing a load corresponding to part of the weight of the vehicle in a situation in which the inflation pressure is substantially reduced or zero, said tire furthermore comprising an inner layer formed of a rubber composition substantially impermeable to the inflation gas covering substantially the entire interior of said tire, from one sidewall to the other, a bonding layer being arranged between said sidewall insert and said inner layer.

Abstract: A first stage tire building drum 5 and a method of building a tire carcass is disclosed. The tire building drum 5 has a central segment support mechanism including a plurality of central support segments 151 that are radially movable and covered by inflatable bladders 5A, 5B. The building drum 5 has bead locks 112 and a pair of annular support rings 130. The method employs the steps of applying one or more carcass layers 130, locking the bead locks 112 and moving the central support segments 151 radially outwardly while moving the bead locks 112 axially inwardly as the support rings 130 move under the central support segments.

Abstract: An aircraft tire, having a radial carcass reinforcement surmounted radially to the outside by a crown reinforcement and a tread, said crown reinforcement including: a) at least one ply of reinforcement elements of high modulus oriented circumferentially, b) two plies having ends free of reinforcement elements of high modulus, which are parallel to each other within each ply and are crossed from one ply to the next, forming with the circumferential direction an angle &agr;, of between 5° and 35°, and c) radially to the outside, an assembly of at least two layers of textile elements of low modulus which are oriented relative to the circumferential direction at an angle &bgr;, of between 0° and 35°, said two layers being obtained by winding in a zigzag a strip, formed of at least one coated cable, and the assembly of the layers having an axial width greater than the width of the tread, whereas the widths of the textile plies of high modulus are less than said width of the tread.

Abstract: An aircraft tire, having a radial carcass reinforcement surmounted radially to the outside by a crown reinforcement and a tread, said crown reinforcement including: