Abstract: The present invention includes methods and apparatus (10) for forming a tire component upon an axially tapered building surface (100). In particular embodiments, such methods include the step of providing a mechanical system, the system including a plurality of cutting members (42) and an application surface (64) for transferring material to the axially tapered building surface, the axially tapered surface comprising a surface of revolution that varies radially along a rotational axis of the surface. Particular embodiments may also include translating a sheet of material along a translation path through the mechanical system, and cutting a strip of material from the sheet with one or more of the plurality of cutting members during the step of translating.

Abstract: Device for applying a strip (B) of a viscoelastic material to a receiving surface (S) in relative motion (R) relative to said device, comprising a feed means and an application nozzle (1) having a body (11), into which said feed means (2) emerges, and a head (12) at the end of which there is an outlet orifice (122) of elongate shape in the transverse direction to the direction of the relative motion when the device is operating. The head (12) of the application nozzle (1) is linked to the body (11) of the application nozzle (1) via an articulation (10) which can be deformed along an axis (AA?) perpendicular to the direction of application of the strip (B).

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of forming at least one circumferential belt layer of a pneumatic tire comprising: winding the strip for a half length of an outer circumferential length of the crown portion of the carcass along the tire equatorial plane from a widthwise inner side of the belt end region; winding the strip for the remaining half length while shifting the strip for the width of the strip from a widthwise inner to outer side; winding the strip for the outer circumferential length of the crown portion of the carcass along the tire equatorial plane; winding the strip for the half length of the outer circumferential length of the crown portion of the carcass while shifting the strip for the width of the strip from the widthwise outer to inner side; and winding the strip for the remaining half length along the tire equatorial plane.

Abstract: A pneumatic tire has a rubber member constructed by a rubber ribbon winding body formed by spirally winding a rubber ribbon. The rubber ribbon includes a composite rubber ribbon which is formed by a non-conductive rubber, and a conductive rubber partly covering the non-conductive rubber. The composite rubber ribbon has a flat cross sectional shape and is gradually reduced in its thickness toward both ends. The conductive rubber has a cross sectional area which is equal to or less than 3% of a cross sectional area of the composite rubber ribbon, and forms a surface in one side and a surface in the other side in both ends of the composite rubber ribbon. The composite rubber ribbons that are adjacent in the width direction are partly overlapped, and a conductive route is provided by the conductive rubber connected between the composite rubber ribbons.

Abstract: During tyre building, a crown structure is built through the actions of: forming at least one belt layer on an auxiliary drum for manufacturing a belt structure at least partly; turning up axially opposite side flaps of said at least one belt layer formed on the auxiliary drum; transferring the belt structure from the auxiliary drum to at least one service drum; and forming a tread band by winding of at least one continuous elongated element of elastomeric material into coils disposed mutually adjacent around the belt structure carried by the service drum.

Abstract: An object is to reduce a cycle time for fabricating a low rolling resistance pneumatic tire and to provide the same pneumatic tire. As a means therefor, in building a tread portion by winding spirally a rubber strip material whose cross section is divided into a first region made of a conductive rubber and a second region made of a non-conductive rubber in a tire circumferential direction in a partially overlapping fashion by the use of an extruding machine which extrudes continuously the rubber strip material, an area ratio of the first region relative to the cross section of the rubber strip material is made to change in a tire width direction.

Abstract: A carcass ply is built on a forming drum by application of a plurality of strip-like elements, through the steps of: setting a width of these strip-like elements, setting a width of the overlapped part between two adjacent strip-like elements, setting a fitting diameter of the forming drum, calculating a whole number of strip-like elements to be applied. The whole number of strip-like elements is applied by rotating the forming drum around a geometric rotation axis thereof, and applying pairs of strip-like elements by means of a first and second laying unit located close to opposite portions of the forming drum. When the calculated whole number of strip-like elements is an odd number, the first laying unit is shifted along an adjustment path orthogonal to the geometric rotation axis and substantially tangent to the radially external laying surface of the forming drum.

Abstract: The present invention prevents core deformation at a time of mounting a tire on a rim while corrosion resistance and air-leak resistance are assured in a tire made with a inner molding process. A bead core comprises axially inner and outer core pieces, and a radially inner end part of a carcass ply is held therebetween. The axially inner and outer bead pieces are composed of a spiral-wound body in which a bead wire has been spirally wound and overlapped. The bead wire comprises a core part in which core strands have been twisted together and a sheath part in which sheath strands have been twisted together around the core part. The core strands and/or the sheath strands comprise an embossed strand. The twisting direction and twisting pitch (Pc) of the core strands are the same as the twisting direction and twitching pitch (Ps) of the sheath strands.

Abstract: A tread rubber of a pneumatic tire is formed by a ribbon rubber which is spirally wound around a tire rotating axis. The ribbon rubber is wound toward one side in a tire width direction from a start point which is positioned closer to a center side than tread ends in a tire meridian cross section, is next folded back to the other side in the tire width direction at the tread end on the one side, is wound toward the tread end on the other side beyond the start point, is next folded back to the one side in the tire width direction at the tread end on the other side, and is wound toward an end point. The ribbon rubber has the winding start end and the winding terminal end at tread end vicinity portions avoiding the tread ends and a tread center portion.

Abstract: An expandable bladder has at least one first layer of butyl material and one second layer of silicone material, radially external to the first layer. The first and second layers have an undulated interface profile defining mechanical-engagement elements between the first and second elastomer materials. A process for manufacturing bladder as well as a tyre moulding and vulcanising apparatus incorporating the bladder.

Abstract: A pneumatic tire comprises a tread portion, a pair of sidewall portions, a pair of bead portions, a pair of bead cores disposed one in each of the bead portions, and a carcass ply extending between the bead portions through the tread portion and sidewall portions, wherein the carcass ply is composed of windings of at least one carcass cord looped around the two bead cores in a helical manner and/or figure-of-eight manner.

Abstract: A tooling head for construction of a tire cord to an annular surface is provided having a first roller and a second roller for alternative engagement against the annular surface in a forward and a rearward direction, respectively, the first and second rollers having a spaced apart orientation and annular grooves defining a passageway between the rollers. A guide tube extends between the roller annular grooves within the passageway. A cord exiting guide tube end is axially offset to remote extremities of the first and second roller annular grooves and a first and second axially extending slits are formed within the guide tube opposite the roller annular grooves, respectively.

Abstract: A tire that discharges static electricity from a vehicle to a road surface includes tread rubber 2G that includes base portion 9 made of a non-conductive rubber which is disposed radially inward and extends continuously from one tread edge e1 side to the other tread edge e2 side, cap portion 10 made of a non-conductive rubber and disposed radially outward of the base portion 9 to form ground-contacting surface 2a, and conductive portion 11 made of a conductive rubber and having one end exposed on the ground-contacting surface 2a and the other end connected to sidewall rubber 3G electrically conductive with a rim when the tire is mounted on the rim. The cap portion 10 are divided into right and left and includes first cap portion 10A and second cap portion 10B.

Abstract: A tire building device includes a building drum for applying an inner liner thereon and a winding device for tire cords wherein the building drum is mounted to a drive shaft only on one of its sides, the drive shaft side. The winding device winds the tire cords onto the inner liner in the final shape also on completion of the tire. The winding device, substantially radially, winds the tire cords on the free side opposite the drive shaft transversely across the building drum and past the drive shaft on the drive shaft side.

Abstract: A process for manufacturing a reinforcing structure of a tyre for vehicle wheels, is carried out on a toroidal support including an outer surface, by means of at least one laying element, which can be oriented in space in a controlled way; the laying element including a laying surface adapted to act on a portion of a rubberized strip-like element for laying the same on the outer surface of the toroidal support. The reinforcing structure includes at least a first and a second radially superimposed reinforcing layers, each including a plurality of strip-like elements; each reinforcing layer having a circumferential extension about a rotation axis of the tyre and comprising thread-like reinforcing elements, arranged parallel to one another.

Abstract: During building of tyres, at least one first forming drum is employed which has a deposition surface and includes sectors radially movable relative to a geometric rotation axis, and circumferentially distributed one after the other. A plurality of strip-like elements is deposited in circumferential side by side relationship on the deposition surface set in the first deposition configuration, to form at least one component of at least one first crown structure. Setting of the deposition surface includes the actions of radially moving the sectors to give the deposition surface a predetermined diameter and carry out a relative movement between a central portion and axially external end portions of each sector to shape the deposition surface according to a predetermined curvature outline.

Abstract: A pneumatic tire has a conductive portion formed by a conductive rubber is provided in the tread rubber formed by a nonconductive rubber. The conductive portion has an outer skin portion and a projection portion. The outer skin portion is formed on a surface of the tread rubber, and extends to an inner side in a tire width direction from a side surface of the tread rubber so as to terminate at a position which goes beyond a contact end. The projection portion spirally extends from a position in an outer side than contact end so as to reach a position in an inner side in the tire width direction than the contact end, and protrudes to an inner side in a tire diametrical direction from the outer skin portion so as to terminate without reaching a bottom surface of the tread rubber.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a ribbon-shaped strip used for an inner liner and a method for manufacturing the strip. The strip is to be wound on an outer circumferential surface of a tire molding drum or a core body to form an inner liner. The strip has an inner layer disposed inwardly in a tire and an outer layer disposed outwardly in the tire. The inner layer and the outer layer are bonded to each other with their ends offset by 0.5 mm to 30 mm in a widthwise direction. At least one layer of the inner layer is formed of an elastomer composition containing a styrene-isobutylene-styrene block copolymer. At least one layer of the outer layer is formed of a thermoplastic elastomer composition.

Abstract: In the method for manufacturing an uncured blank of a vehicle tire, a strip (30) of rubber is extruded and is made to pass between two members (18, 10) one of which forms a roller (18) for extruding the strip, such that the faces (21, 23) of the strip, forming one and the same section of the strip in a plane perpendicular to a direction of travel of the strip and pressing simultaneously against the respective members, are driven at linear speeds that differ from one another, and that the members (18, 10) stretch the strip between them.

Abstract: A carcass ply is built on a forming drum by application of a plurality of strip-like elements by the steps of: setting a width of these strip-like elements, setting a width of the overlapped part between two adjacent strip-like elements, setting a fitting diameter of the forming drum by calculating a corresponding extension of a radially external laying surface, and calculating a whole number of strip-like elements to be applied. The whole number of strip-like elements is applied by rotating the forming drum around a geometric rotation axis thereof, and applying pairs of strip-like elements by means of a first laying unit and a second laying unit located close to opposite portions of the forming drum relative to the geometric rotation axis.

Abstract: An unvulcanized rubber member passed from the transfer terminal end of a liner to the outer peripheral surface of a winding roller is transferred and press-fitted to a winding body by rotating the winding roller. By this, the unvulcanized rubber member is transferred from the transfer terminal end of the liner to the winding body while being restrained by an outer peripheral surface of the winding roller. Thus, even if vibration is applied to a transfer means due to a diagonal waving, the winding position and the wound shape of the rubber member can be maintained substantially unchanged.

Abstract: A strip of a thermoplastic elastomer to be wound spirally on a cylindrical drum for forming an inner liner for a tire having a shape close to a finished sectional shape is provided. The strip is formed of composite layers of (A) a first layer made of a styrene-isobutylene-styrene triblock copolymer and (B) a second layer containing at least one of a styrene-isoprene-styrene triblock copolymer and a styrene-isobutylene diblock copolymer. The strip further has a strip main body and ear portions arranged on opposite sides thereof. The strip main body has a thickness (T1) of 0.05 mm to 1.0 mm. The ear portions have a thickness (T2) thinner than the thickness (T1) of the strip main body and a width (W2) of 0.5 mm to 5.0 mm. This ribbon-shaped strip reduces unevenness of the surface of a sheet formed by the opposite ends of the strip when manufacturing an inner liner.

Abstract: A tire building method and a tire building facility according to the invention attains reduction of an installation space of the tire building facility and substantially equal building cycles for respective building stages to increase building efficiency and facilitate arrangement switching. For attaining these, a step for building a cylindrical carcass band, a subsequent step for building a cylindrical green case, a step for building a cylindrical belt and tread band, a step for combining the green case and the belt and tread band to build the final shape are divided as first through fourth building stages (S1) through (S4) having individual building drums (D1) through (D4) corresponding to the respective steps.

Abstract: Tire-building apparatus and methods. The apparatus includes a mandrel over which tire components may be assembled and built into a tire. The mandrel includes a central cylindrical portion defining a crown supporting surface, a first frusto-conical portion defining a first sidewall supporting surface, and a second frusto-conical portion defining a second sidewall supporting surface. The crown supporting surface, the first sidewall supporting surface, and the second sidewall supporting surfaces are arranged so that a radial cross section of the mandrel has a trapezoidal shape.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for building a green tire or a tire component member by winding and laminating a rubber strip on a rigid core or a building drum. The apparatus includes a flattening roll and a rubber strip winder. The flattening roll flattens a projection of a stepped portion produced by overlapping portions of the rubber strip, and a roller of the flattening roll is moved so that it is constantly located at a given position with reference to the rigid core or building drum. The flattening roll moves in a direction opposite to a moving direction of the rubber strip winder during helical winding of the rubber strip on the rigid core or building drum.

Abstract: A green tire is built on a rigid toroidal support externally having a forming surface of a conformation corresponding to an inner conformation of the tire. The built tire is removed from the rigid toroidal support and engaged on an expandable toroidal support which includes a bladder. The green tire engaged on the expandable toroidal support is introduced into a vulcanization mold and submitted to a vulcanization cycle.

Abstract: Two extruders are located at positions which are mutually shifted by 180 degrees around a rotation shaft of a rotary support, and are arranged at the same position in the rotation shaft direction of the rotary support, and each time the rotary support is rotated 180 degrees, the two extruders and the rotary support are caused to relatively move in the rotation shaft direction of the rotary support. In this manner, at least a portion of the pneumatic tire is molded by winding the rubber strip members onto the rotary support.

Abstract: A manufacturing method of a pneumatic tire comprises a forming step of a tread rubber which includes a two-shot stage of simultaneously winding a first rubber ribbon constructed by a nonconductive rubber, and a second rubber ribbon constructed by a nonconductive rubber. In the two-shot stage, the first rubber ribbon and the second rubber ribbon which are adjacent to each other are spirally wound in such a manner as to come into contact with each other, and a ribbon winding position passes through an L-shaped route. A conductive rubber is partly provided in the first rubber ribbon in the winding process when the ribbon winding position passes through the L-shaped route. A conductive portion which spirally and continuously extends to the tread end from the ground-contacting surface and intermittently appears in the tire meridian cross section is formed by the conductive rubber.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of producing a pneumatic tire in which a green tire having a layer of film having a thermoplastic resin as a main component, and an uncured rubber layer provided thereon is cured. When the uncured rubber layer is formed on the film layer, at least one uncured rubber strip is applied serially onto the film layer to form the uncured rubber layer.

Abstract: A pneumatic tire includes a carcass with a plurality of ply cords braided into an interlaced structure. Each of the ply cords follows a geodesic path from a first sidewall portion across a crown portion to a second sidewall portion. The pneumatic tire also includes a rubber layer encasing the carcass and including a tread adjacent the crown portion. The pneumatic tire does not include any beads because the plurality of carcass plies is folded onto itself at each of the first and second sidewall portions. Thus, the benefits of geodesic plies and braided ply construction are achieved by the pneumatic tire.

Abstract: A pneumatic tire for use on a vehicle includes a pair of beads, a pair of opposing sidewalls, and a tread. Sidewall plies form portions of respective sidewalls. The plies extend around respective beads to form respective inside turn-ups. Central plies extend between and overlap the sidewall plies. The overlap of the plies forms overlap regions proximate respective shoulders sized to protect the tire from penetration by road debris during use of the tire. The tire may be belt-less. A tire set includes tires differing in section width and/or section height. At least one of the sidewall plies in the set is substantially the same width as the corresponding sidewall ply in another tire in the set. A method of making tires of different section width and/or section height includes using a source of plies used for supplying at least one of the plies in each tire in the set.

Abstract: A method includes a tubular carcass with core forming process (K1), a rubber laminate forming process (K2), and a tubular base tire forming process (K4). The forming process (K1) of forming a tubular carcass with bead core (6R3) on a first drum (20) comprises a tubular carcass forming step (K1a) to form a tubular carcass (6R2) by butt-jointing circumferential end faces of a carcass ply member (6R1) wound singly on the first drum (20), and a bead core joining step (K1b) to form integrally by diameter-expanding and pressing the tubular carcass (6R2) against the bead cores (5) outserted on the radially outer side. In the forming process (K2), rubber members for base tire (Ga) including an inner liner rubber member (G10a) are wound on a second drum (27) so as to form a rubber laminate (11).

Abstract: The invention can surely accomplish lamination without the generation of voids in building a tire constructed to comprise a plurality of rubber members for a tire when a ribbon-shaped rubber strip (R) is spirally wound and laminated, and uses holding rolls (30) and two sets of stitching rolls (40a), (40b) arranged in parallel with a center of a rubber strip width (W) therebetween to enable performing of an independent pressing motion, such that the rubber strip (R) is pressed and bonded by the holding rolls (30) in a position, in which the rubber strip (R) is wound, and the stitching roll (40a) or (40b) positioned fore in an advancing direction of traverse movement, out of the two sets, is caused to perform a pressing motion in a regional part just after the press whereby a fore part of the rubber strip in the advancing direction is pressed and bonded.

Abstract: An object is to provide a pneumatic tire which can exhibit a static elimination function in an ensured fashion and be fabricated easily. As a means therefor, there is provided a pneumatic tire in which a conductive layer 12a and a non-conductive layer 14a are wound alternately in a tire circumferential direction in a partially overlapping fashion at least in part of a tread portion, characterized in that the conductive layer 12a is provided wider than the non-conductive layer 14a.

Abstract: A pneumatic tire has a tread rubber made of a nonconductive rubber. The tread rubber is provided with a first and second conductive portions made of a conductive rubber. The first conductive portion extends radially inwardly from a ground-contacting surface, extends to one side in tire width direction, and reaches a carcass layer or a side wall rubber. An exposed position of the first conductive portion is separated from a tire equator at a distance is equal to or more than 10% of a ground-contacting width. The second conductive portion extends radially inwardly from the ground-contacting surface, extends to another side in tire width direction, and reaches the carcass layer or the side wall rubber. An exposed position of the second conductive portion is separated from the tire equator at a distance is equal to or more than 10% of the ground-contacting width.

Abstract: The tire production method includes the steps of (1) extruding a cord and a topping rubber, to obtain a ribbon 44, (2) winding a sheet around a drum, to obtain a belt 22, (3) feeding the ribbon 44 from a head, to layer a foremost end 50 of the ribbon 44 over the belt 22, (4) helically winding the ribbon 44 by rotating the drum with the head being moved toward an end 42b of the belt 22 in the axial direction, and (5) winding the ribbon 44 in a circumferential direction by stopping moving the head, at the end 42b of the belt 22, with rotation of the drum being maintained. In the step of winding the ribbon 44 in the circumferential direction, a rotation angle ?s of the drum is greater than or equal to 360°.

Abstract: Adhering a belt edge tape to both respective side edge portions of the belt on the outer peripheral surface of the building drum by supplying a belt edge tape toward the outer peripheral surface of the building drum by pressing using an extruder which constitutes a supply device facing the building drum in an opposed manner and by pressing the tape to the building drum using a press roller on a leading side as viewed from a position where the tape is supplied in the rotational direction of the building drum, the building drum is rotated in the direction that end portions of the reinforcing cords on the side edge portion of the belt which constitutes a tape adhering side are positioned on a trailing side in the rotational direction of the building drum thus adhering the tape to the side edge portion.

Abstract: An intermediate article of manufacture formed as a first stage bead area subassembly for a split ply pneumatic tire carcass is disclosed. The bead area subassembly has an annular bead core; a bead apex; a ply strip; and preferably a sidewall affixed to the ply strip. The subassembly is formed into a disk-shaped bead area monocomponent. The ply strip is wrapped about the bead core and the apex to form a ply turnup and both the ply strip and the ply turnup extend radially outwardly from the bead core. The bead area subassembly when formed into the disk-shaped bead area monocomponent is placed on an annular holder device. The combination of the bead area monocomponent on the holder device can be stacked for storage and latter assembly into a split ply carcass. Preferably, the ply turnup can be oriented extending inside or axially inward of the bead core on final assembly to form a split ply tire having axially inside turnups.

Abstract: According to the present invention, in adhering a belt edge tape (1) which is interposed between belt layers of a tire, press rollers surely adhere by pressing the belt edge tape (1) to a building drum (D) while preventing the press rollers from being caught by end portions of inclined cords which constitute a belt.

Abstract: This invention provides a method for manufacturing a tire in which the time necessary for the manufacture can be reduced without deteriorating uniformity in manufacturing the tire by a strip-build process. The method for manufacturing the tire comprises discharging a strip rubber (S) having a predetermined sectional shape by rubber discharging devices (A1, A2) while rotating a molding drum (B), and successively winding the discharged strip rubber (S) around the molding drum (B) to mold the rubber into a tire shape.

Abstract: A tire 18 includes: a tread 20 having a plurality of main grooves 38a that extend in a circumferential direction; a band 30 located inwardly of the tread 20 in a radial direction; and a belt 28 located inwardly of the band 30 in the radial direction. None of the plurality of main grooves 38a is formed on a tire equator. The band 30 is formed by using a first ribbon 52a and a second ribbon 52b. A main groove closest to the tire equator among the plurality of main grooves 38a is used as a reference main groove 38as. The first ribbon 52a and the second ribbon 52b are layered over the belt 28 such that an end 62a of the first ribbon 52a and an end 62b of the second ribbon 52b are located vertically below the reference main groove 38as.

Abstract: A covered cord is formed by covering a cord with a resin material, and a covered bead is formed by welding or adhering together the resin material of the covered cord whilst shaping into a bead shape, such that resin material fills between the cord. The covered bead is placed in contact with a jig disposed inside a cavity of a tire mold for molding a tire frame member, the covered bead is fixed inside the mold, and the tire frame member is molded containing the covered bead in a tire bead portion by pouring molten resin material into the cavity.

Abstract: Method for manufacturing a tyre from spliced strips, wherein the first strip is cut and the strip is placed on a discharge conveyor. After cutting the first strip a second strip is cut and placed on the discharge conveyor. After that the first and second strip are spliced. Between cutting the first strip and placing the second strip on the discharge conveyor the second strip is retained over the discharge conveyor, the projected separation distance between an end of the first strip and an end of the second strip to be spliced to said end is measured, and based on the measured separation distance the first strip is relatively displaced such with respect to the second strip that the end of the first strip is placed in the wanted position with respect to the second strip, after which the second strip is placed on the discharge conveyor.

Abstract: When forming a rubber member which is made up of a combination of a plurality of rubber compounds by winding spirally a ribbon-shaped unvulcanized rubber strip material in an overlapping fashion, the number of times of winding is reduced so as to shorten a fabrication cycle time of the rubber member to thereby increase the productivity thereof. As a means therefore, a rubber strip material whose cross section is divided into two or more regions which are made up of different rubber compounds is wound spirally on to a drum in an overlapping fashion so as to build a green tire or a tire rubber member.

Abstract: An object is to extrude stably a rubber strip material of a predetermined cross-sectional shape without reducing an extruding speed of the rubber strip material from an extruding die. An extrusion method is provided for the rubber strip material which is used in a tire fabrication process in which an unvulcanized rubber strip material which is extruded from an extruding die of an extruding machine is wound spirally to build a tire rubber member, such that a pair of rotatable rolls are provided at a distal end portion of the extruding die in such a manner that their outer circumferential surfaces confront each other, and in that a rubber material is extruded continuously into a ribbon shape from a gap defined by the pair of confronting rolls.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of increasing the high-speed performance of a carcass structure in a tyre for vehicle wheels. The method includes: preparing at least one hybrid yarn (13) and assembling a carcass structure (2) comprising at least one carcass ply (3a, 3b) substantially built on cords (12) comprising the hybrid yarn (13). The hybrid yarn (13) comprises a plurality of filaments (14a, 15a) obtained from a first multi-filament yarn (14) of polyester and a second multi-filament yarn (15) having a decay of the modulus with the temperature lower than 20%. Each of the first multi-filament yarn (14) and second multi-filament yarn (15) comprises a plurality of individual filaments (14a, 15a). The individual filaments (14a) of the first multi-filament yarn (14) are at least partly mixed in proportions of at least 50% with the individual filaments (15a) of said second multi-filament yarn (15).

Abstract: A process and an apparatus for building tyres for vehicle wheels includes assembling at least one tyre component through laying of strip-like elements disposed circumferentially close to each other on a deposition surface radially external to the forming drum, wherein laying of each strip-like element includes: radially moving the strip-like element close to the deposition surface; locking a central portion of the strip-like element against the deposition surface; and pulling the strip-like element in opposite directions starting from the central portion toward the opposite ends thereof, while the central portion is maintained in a locked condition against the deposition surface, so as to progressively lay down the strip-like element against the deposition surface.

Abstract: A process for building tyres for vehicle wheels, includes forming a plurality of strip-like elements in such a manner that the opposite end edges of each strip-like element are cut according to at least one cutting angle; and forming at least one first reinforcing layer and one second reinforcing layer which radially overlap each other on a laying surface radially external to a forming drum. Each reinforcing layer includes a succession of strip-like elements disposed circumferentially in a mutually approached relationship, wherein the opposite end edges of each strip-like element form, in succession with each other, axially opposite respective edges of the first reinforcing layer and second reinforcing layer, wherein at least one of the axially opposite edges of at least one of the first reinforcing layer and the second reinforcing layer is at least partly indented.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a tire for vehicle wheels includes the steps of building a carcass structure, including at least one carcass ply associated with annular anchoring structures, on a forming support, building a belt structure in a radially outer position with respect to the carcass structure and building a tread band in a radially outer position with respect to the belt structure, wherein the at least one carcass ply, the annular anchoring structures and the belt structure each include at least one reinforcing element deposited in a radially outer position with respect to the forming support.

Abstract: A tire 2 includes a tread 4 having an outer surface that forms a tread surface 20. The tread 4 includes a body 28 formed of a first rubber composition, and a plurality of support portions 30 that are formed of a second rubber composition, and that are aligned with each other in an axial direction. Each of the plurality of support portions 30 extends from an inner side of the tread 4 toward the tread surface 20. The support portion 30 is formed so as to be buried in the body 28. The support portion 30 has a complex elastic modulus E2* that is greater than a complex elastic modulus E1* of the body 28. The tread 4 is formed by a first strip and a second strip being alternately wound helically.