Abstract: A pneumatic tire including a cylindrical annular structure, a rubber layer that will become a tread portion provided along a circumferential direction of the annular structure, on an outer side of the annular structure, and a carcass portion including fibers covered by rubber, provided on both sides in a direction parallel to a center axis (Y-axis) of a cylindrical structure including the annular structure and the rubber layer. In a meridian cross-sectional view of the structure, an outer side of the rubber layer and the outer side of the annular structure have the same form.

Abstract: A pneumatic tire having an air permeation preventive layer formed by adhering a resin film containing thermoplastic resin as a main component thereof to a tire inner wall surface, wherein the resin film is laminated, as a narrow width slit film shape, with an elastomer and the resultant ribbon-shaped laminate is continuously and spirally wound in a tire circumferential direction so that the edges thereof partially overlap to thereby form the air permeation preventive layer, whereby a pneumatic tire having a light weight and superior air permeation preventive property, no splice openings of the air permeation preventive layer at the time of tire processing, and capable of shortening the processing time can be obtained as well as the production method thereof.

Abstract: The invention provides a radial tire, in which a single rubber coated cord (C1) is used to form a carcass layer (1) without generating any material jointed portion and which is favorable in weight balance, external appearance, and quality and excellent in productivity, the carcass layer (1) is formed from at least one cord row layer (11A) formed by cutting a rubber coated cord (C1), which is formed to make an external shape of a cross section elliptical, one by one, to align and bond the same in a tire circumference direction, and the cord row layer is jointed only in a single location on a tire circumference to generate little overlap.

Abstract: To reduce the manufacturing cost of a tire that uses a thermoplastic material for a tire frame member. A tire manufacturing method includes: using a thermoplastic material to form a tire frame member (12); disposing cushion rubber (14) (unvulcanized rubber) on an outer peripheral surface of the tire frame member (12); further disposing vulcanized or semi-vulcanized tread rubber (16) on a tire diameter direction outer side of the cushion rubber (14); covering the tread rubber (16), the cushion rubber (14), and at least the tread rubber (16) side of the tire frame member (12) in an envelope, so as to push the tread rubber (16) against the tire frame member (12) side, to configure a provisionally assembled article; and accommodating the provisionally assembled article inside a container and heating the inside of the container to perform vulcanization to thereby adhere the tread rubber (16) to the tire frame member (12).

Abstract: Balance pads for balancing pneumatic tires having DVA innerliners, and methods for balancing such pneumatic tires, are disclosed. In one embodiment, a balance pad is provided for balancing a pneumatic tire having a DVA innerliner. The balance pad includes an outer layer having a dynamically vulcanized alloy, which comprises an engineering resin as a continuous phase and at least a partially vulcanized rubber as a dispersed phase. The balance pad further includes an inner layer having a rubber or plastic compound that is bonded to the outer layer. The outer layer is capable of being bonded to an inner surface of a tire innerliner, which includes a dynamically vulcanized alloy having an engineering resin as a continuous phase and at least a partially vulcanized rubber as a dispersed phase.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method for making a tire having a foam noise damper, comprising the steps of: pressing a barrier layer onto an exposed virgin surface of a green tire innerliner to adhere the barrier layer to the virgin surface and thereby form a protected green innerliner; exposing the protected green innerliner to the release agent; curing the protected green innerliner; removing the barrier layer to reveal the virgin surface substantially free of the release agent; applying a foamable liquid to the virgin surface; and foaming the foamable liquid to form a foam noise damper secured to the virgin surface.

Abstract: A method of constructing a self-inflating tire assembly includes molding in an air tube-receiving groove within a green tire carcass wall, the groove having an access opening, primary internal groove chamber and a secondary expansion groove chamber adjacent to and communicating with the internal groove chamber. A groove partial passageway is molded with the groove at a prescribed groove outlet location and extends from the groove partially through the tire carcass wall toward the tire cavity. A tire carcass wall barrier of reduced section between the partial passageway and the tire cavity is removed in a post-cure operation to create a through-bore from the groove to the tire cavity. A pump assembly inserts into the tube-receiving groove in a post-cure procedure with an outlet passage tube from a pump assembly outlet device extended through the through-bore to the tire cavity.

Abstract: There is provided a belt member producing method including forming a strip piece 17 of a predetermined width W by cutting a strip material 12 including a plurality of reinforcement cords 11 to a regular size, conveying the strip piece 17 to a transfer conveyor 22 in such a manner that cut sides 19 of the strip piece 17 are in parallel with a traveling direction B of the transfer conveyor 22 and overlapping continuously an integral number Nint of strip pieces 17 on each other on the transfer conveyor 22 in such a manner that the strip pieces 17 are overlapped on each other by an overlapping amount P along non-cut sides 18 thereof, so as to produce a belt member 30 having a desired length equal to a predetermined length L of a belt layer of a pneumatic radial tire, the belt member producing method being characterized by including selecting a desired cutting angle ?pre relative to a traveling direction A of the strip material 17 when the strip material 12 is cut to the regular size, calculating a number Ncal of

Abstract: A segmented tire core structure may include a segmented tire core and a segmented tire core removal system. The segmented tire core removal system may include a first wheel that is rotatable to cause a first section of the segmented tire core to move away from an inner surface of the cured tire and a second wheel that is rotatable to cause a second section of the segmented tire core to move away from an inner surface of the cured tire.

Abstract: A puncture sealant laminate for prevention of a flat tire may include three layers of sealant material separated by two layers of non-sealant material. The two layers of non-sealant material may prevent the three layers of sealant material from contacting each other and they may have first and second ends that attach to rubber in the tire that is not part of the puncture sealant laminate.

Abstract: A self-balancing pneumatic tire is provided having a built-in balancing gel system. In one embodiment, the tire, before cure, includes a green pneumatic tire assembly having an uncured tread defining an outermost layer; a first barrier layer; a second barrier layer situated adjacent the first barrier layer and intermediate the first barrier layer and the tread; and first and second gel precursors. The gel precursors are non-flowable prior to cure but flowable after cure. The gel precursors are respectively contained within spaced-apart first and second circumferential regions defined by confronting, non-contacting surfaces of the first barrier layer and the second barrier layer, each circumferential region further situated proximate opposing sidewalls of the tire and having a width of about 5 percent to about 25 percent of a final tread width obtained upon curing of the uncured tire assembly. In one example, the first and/or second barrier layers can be discontinuous.

Abstract: A pneumatic tire and method of making is disclosed, which includes, in one embodiment, an outer tread and a barrier layer disposed inwardly of the outer tread. The barrier layer includes a dynamically vulcanized alloy, which has an engineering resin as a continuous phase and at least a partially vulcanized rubber as a dispersed phase, and an inner surface and an outer surface. A tire layer, e.g., a ply layer, is situated adjacent at least one of the inner or outer surfaces of the barrier layer. The tire layer includes a rubber formulation having 100 parts of natural rubber, a synthetic rubber, or blends or combinations thereof, 1-10 phr of a melamine derivative, e.g., hexamethoxymethylmelamine, and at least one reinforcing filler. The tire is devoid of an adhesive layer between the barrier layer and the tire layer, and the tire layer adheres directly to the barrier layer after tire cure.

Abstract: Embodiments include retreaded tires having a precured tread band bonded to a prepared bonding surface of a base portion of the tire, the tread band including a primary groove having a top open to a ground contacting front face of the tread band and a secondary groove having a bottom open to a back face of the tread band, the back face bonded to the prepared bonding surface, wherein the groove top of the secondary groove is higher than a groove bottom of the primary groove so that the secondary groove top is opened to the ground contacting front face of the tread band prior to disappearance by wear of the primary groove. A base groove may be formed in the base portion of the tire and open to the prepared bonding surface of the tire, wherein the secondary groove bottom opens in fluid communication with the base groove.

Abstract: A pneumatic tire that includes a tread and a barrier layer disposed inwardly of the tread. The barrier layer includes a dynamically vulcanized alloy. A tire layer, e.g., a ply layer, is situated between the barrier layer and the tread and includes a rubber formulation having a diene rubber. A tie layer is situated between the barrier layer and the tire layer. The tie layer includes a rubber formulation having 100 parts of a mixture of rubbers chosen from 10-50 parts nitrile rubber, 20-70 parts natural rubber, and 10-30 parts synthetic polyisoprene rubber, wherein the mixture is the total amount of rubber for the rubber formulation. The rubber formulation further includes at least one reinforcing filler, at least one tackifier, and optionally at least one processing oil. The tie layer is adhered directly to the barrier layer, which may be the innermost layer, and the tire layer.

Abstract: A process for assembling a tire, including producing a crown of said tire on a drum of variable diameter of a generally cylindrical form.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method for making a pneumatic tire having a foam noise damper, the pneumatic tire comprising two spaced inextensible beads; a ground contacting tread portion; a pair of individual sidewalls extending radially inward from the axial outer edges of said tread portion to join the respective beads, the axial outer edges of the tread portion defining a tread width; a supporting carcass for the tread portion and sidewalls; the method comprising the steps of: forming at least one foamed structure disposed radially inwardly of the carcass, the foamed structure comprising a co-vulcanized foamed rubber composition having a density ranging from 0.1 to 1 g/cm3; at least partially abrading the at least one foamed structure to form an abraded surface; and disposing a foam noise damper on the abraded surface.

Abstract: A method of producing a pneumatic tire in which, a cord material of a secondary belt layer has a larger thermal shrinkage rate than that of the primary belt layer to effectively suppress the radial expansion of a tire and advantageously improve cutting-resistance of a tread as in the conventional tire. In the method, a ribbon-shaped strip 22 is folded in a region R, in a developed plan view of a material 21 forming the secondary belt layer, between a side end e of the forming material 21 and a position distanced from the side end toward the tire equatorial side by ¼ of the overall width of the forming material, such that the thus bent ribbon-shaped strip 22 extends in a curved manner to build a green tire.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for partial depth-wise cure of a tire inner liner are disclosed. The method comprising forming a layer of uncured rubber, that layer having a first surface and an opposite surface, applying pressure to the layer of rubber, heating the layer of rubber from the first surface to more fully cure the layer on that surface than on the opposite surface, cooling the layer of rubber and releasing the pressure applied to the layer of rubber after the layer has cooled.

Abstract: A coextrusion process for coextruding a thermoplastic elastomer with two outer layers of adhesive to form a film, and a laminate comprising a plurality of layers including an adhesive layer, a sublayer and a barrier layer. The barrier layer comprises a dynamically vulcanized thermoplastic elastomer composition present in one or more plies of the barrier layer. The sublayer comprises a first ply of a first adhesive composition joining the barrier layer and a second ply, and the adhesive layer comprises the second ply, which is vulcanizable with diene-based rubber. The sublayer of the adhesive can be laid down in contact with the relatively hot thermoplastic elastomer to moderate the temperature of the outer layer of the adhesive, whereby the outer layer of the adhesive at least is protected from scorching and can be co-vulcanized with rubber in a tire building process.

Abstract: Provided is a manufacturing method for a pneumatic tire including the steps of: shaping a cylindrical film formed of a thermoplastic resin or a thermoplastic elastomer composite in which a thermoplastic resin is blended with an elastomer, folding the film into a sheet shape, laminating rubber layers on both surfaces of the folded film, opening the laminate of the film and the rubber layers into a cylindrical shape, fitting the laminate thus opened on a tire making drum, forming the tire pneumatic tire including the film as an air permeation preventing layer, and curing the uncured tire.

Abstract: A method for producing a pneumatic tire in which an air-in phenomenon between an inner liner and a carcass is avoided by preventing adhesion of the inner liner to a bladder includes the following steps. A green tire using, as an inner liner, a polymer laminate including a first layer having a thickness of 0.05 mm to 0.6 mm made of a styrene-isobutylene-styrene triblock copolymer, and a second layer composed of at least one of a second A layer made of a styrene-isoprene-styrene triblock copolymer and a second B layer made of a styrene-isobutylene diblock copolymer, the second layer having a thickness of 0.01 mm to 0.3 mm, is prepared. The green tire is mounted in a mold for vulcanization with pressurization by the bladder to obtain a vulcanized tire. The vulcanized tire is cooled at 50 to 120° C. for 10 to 300 seconds.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method for making a tire having a foam noise damper, comprising the steps of: disposing a foam noise damper onto a virgin surface of a green tire innerliner; disposing a barrier layer over the foam noise damper, the foam noise damper being located between the virgin surface of the green tire innerliner and the barrier layer; incorporating the green tire innerliner into a green tire; curing the green tire; and removing the barrier layer to reveal the foam noise damper.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method for making a tire having a foam noise damper, comprising the steps of: pressing a barrier layer onto an exposed virgin surface of a green tire innerliner to adhere the barrier layer to the virgin surface and thereby form a protected green innerliner; curing the protected green innerliner; removing the barrier layer to reveal the virgin surface; and securing a foam noise damper to the virgin surface.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method for making a tire having a foam noise damper, comprising the steps of: disposing a silicone rubber foam noise damper onto an exposed virgin surface of a green innerliner of a green tire; disposing a barrier layer over the silicone rubber foam noise damper, the silicone rubber foam noise damper being located between the virgin surface of the green tire innerliner and the barrier layer; curing the green tire; and removing the barrier layer to reveal the silicone rubber foam noise damper.

Abstract: Provided is a method of manufacturing an unvulcanized tire, with which formation of air pockets is reduced in adhering a cylindrical film member and an adhesive sheet member to each other by using a forming drum having an expansion/contraction mechanism. In the method, a forming device having a forming drum (1) which has an expandable/contractible outer diameter and a forming roller (2) disposed in parallel to the forming drum (1) is used; a cylindrical film member (3) is wound around the forming drum (1) and the forming roller (2); thereafter, the diameter of the forming drum (1) is expanded whereby the cylindrical film member (3) is tensioned so as to be in close contact with the forming drum (1); and subsequently, an adhesive sheet member (4) is supplied and adhered to an outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical film member (3) on the forming roller (2), while the cylindrical film member (3) is being moved in a circumferential direction by rotating the forming drum (1).

Abstract: During building of a carcass structure, a liner is applied around an outer surface of a primary drum by: circumferentially winding at least one pair of sheets of elastomeric material around an outer surface of the primary drum, which sheets are axially spaced apart from each other so as to form respective axially external portions of the liner; laying at least one continuous elongated element of elastomeric material in the form of a plurality of mutually approached coils around the outer surface of the primary drum in order to form a central portion of the liner having axially external edges that are each associated with an axially internal edge of one of said axially external portions of the liner.

Abstract: A pneumatic tire has a plurality of projections extending in a tire width direction while protruding out of an inner surface of a tire. The projections are formed in a region coming to an inner side in a tire width direction than an end portion of a belt layer embedded in a tread portion so as to be spaced in a tire circumferential direction.

Abstract: A feed unit for feeding elastomeric material, extruded by at least one extruder, to at least one user unit, and wherein a variable-length conveyor is supported by a first and a second supporting device located at an input end and an output end of the conveyor respectively; and wherein the first supporting device is connected to the conveyor to allow the conveyor to rotate about a vertical first axis and a horizontal second axis, both crosswise to a travelling direction of the elastomeric material along the conveyor; the second supporting device is extensible vertically and connected to the conveyor by a first releasable joint; and the conveyor is connectable to the user unit by a second releasable joint.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a cured pneumatic tire having a built-in innermost adhesive layer co-cured and thereby integral therewith and post tire cure applied sealant thereon.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a pneumatic tire having a built-in seamless polyurethane sealant layer and its preparation.

Abstract: A method of forming a layer of tire ply is disclosed. A first sheet of ply is provided st lateral end, and having a plurality of functional reinforcement cords and two or more dummy spacer cords at the first lateral end. A second sheet of ply is provided having a second lateral end to be joined together with the first lateral end of the first sheet of ply. The second sheet of ply has a plurality of functional reinforcement cords and two or more dummy spacer cords at the second lateral end. The first and second lateral ends are overlapped so that the dummy cord of one of the ends is located adjacent a functional cord of the second of the ends.

Abstract: A process for manufacturing a tyre for vehicle wheels, comprises the step of building, on a forming support (50) extending about an axis (X-X) r a carcass structure comprising at least one carcass ply (2) and, at at least one end edge (2a) of said at least one carcass ply (2), at least one annular anchoring structure (10). The step of building the carcass structure comprise steps of laying the carcass ply (2) on the forming support (50), bringing the annular anchoring structure (10) in contact position with the end edge (2a) of the carcass ply (2) and turning up the end edge (2a) about the annular anchoring structure (10) so as to form a turned up end portion of the carcass ply (2) including the annular anchoring structure (10). A first part of the step of turning up the end edge (2a) of the carcass ply (2) is carried out while at least one positioning device (110) retains the annular anchoring structure (10) in contact position with the end edge (2a) of the carcass ply (2).

Abstract: Provided is a method of manufacturing a pneumatic tire, which is capable of reducing tire failure without leading to reduction in productivity, the method including: folding a cylindrical film made of thermoplastic resin or thermoplastic elastomer composition into a sheet shape; stacking rubber layers on both surfaces of the folded film in a manner that the rubber layers protrude from both edge portions of the film; forming a laminate by cutting protruding parts of the rubber layers into rubber protruding portions each having an amount of protrusion (h) in a range from 3 mm to 20 mm; expanding the laminate into a cylindrical shape and fitting the laminate onto a tire making drum; pressing down each rubber protruding portion toward the surface of the drum by use of a pressure roller; pasting other components of a tire onto the laminate to form an uncured tire; and curing the uncured tire.

Abstract: A pneumatic tire may use a combination of high modulus and low modulus plies to provide increased fatigue compression durability without significantly increasing the weight of the tire.

Abstract: A flexible polyvinyl chloride (PVC) molded element affixed to a sidewall of a tire. The PVC molded element includes a top surface with an exposed area, and a bottom surface including an area in contact with a surface portion of the tire sidewall. The PVC molded element can include at least one design and/or information molded into the top surface exposed area. The design can include logos, pictures, and shapes. The logos can include team logos for any professional or collegiate sports team. The information can include colors and text. The design and/or information can include 3-dimensional features. The PVC molded element bottom surface includes an adhesive having characteristics that will not degrade when in contact with the tire surface portion. The bottom layer may further include a primer to promote adhesion of the PVC molded element to the tire and/or a woven, mesh, or knit fabric.

Abstract: A method for analyzing and controlling the formation of a green tire component by component on a target region of a curved build surface includes: measuring in three dimensions each component on the target region by rotating the build surface past at least one optical scanner. The optical scanner directs a sheet or a plurality of sheets of light against a target region of the rotating build surface; and measures component by component build-up on the target region surface for component dimensional, positional, and mass parameters. Component by component measurements are made in three-dimensions by rotation of the target regions through the optical sheets of light and feedback from component measurements may be used to correct for tire imbalance and uniformity anomalies on a real-time basis.

Abstract: Provided is a pneumatic tire improved in the durability at a splice part (2) of a tire-constituting member (1) and in the uniformity of the tire, and a process for producing the same. The pneumatic tire includes a tire-constituting member (1) having a splice part (2) on which a thin film (3) made of a thermoplastic resin or a thermoplastic elastomer composition is coated and fusion-bonded. In addition, the process for producing the pneumatic tire includes a step of heating the thin films (3) each arranged at the splice part (2) of an inner liner layer (14) or the splice part (2) of a carcass layer (13) so as to thermally fusing the thermoplastic resin or the thermoplastic elastomer composition constituting the thin films (3).

Abstract: The method of building and transferring a tread belt structure on a portable and collapsible building drum 10 mounted coaxially on a building machine 100 with a rotatable shaft 120 is disclosed. The method includes the steps of forming the annular tread belt 4 on the building drum 10, transferring the building drum 10 with the tread belt 4 from the rotatable shaft 120 onto a pivoting transfer device 200, pivoting the transfer device 200 about 90° rendering the tread belt 4 and axis of the building drum 10 perpendicular to a horizontal plane, collapsing the building drum 10, separating the annular tread belt 4 from the building drum 10, removing the tread belt 4, expanding the tire building drum 10, pivoting the building drum 10 into coaxial alignment with the rotatable shaft 120, moving the building drum 10 onto the shaft 120. The tread belt 4 has one or more elastomeric components applied while hot and the equipment provides means for weighing the tread belt 4.

Abstract: In the producing method of the pneumatic tire, a step in which a wide rubber ribbon having a width of 60 to 110 mm is wound in a circumferential direction to form annular bodies is repeated a plurality of times, an inner liner member in which the annular bodies are continuously provided in a widthwise direction is formed, and the inner liner member is disposed on a tire inner peripheral surface as an inner liner layer of a pneumatic tire.

Abstract: When a stitching roll is allowed to act on a tread rubber member to attach the tread rubber member to an unvulcanized tire, lateral displacement of the tread rubber member is prevented. In a method for manufacturing unvulcanized tires by attaching a tread rubber composite (40) to an unvulcanized tire (55), the tread rubber composite (40) is disposed on the outer circumference of the unvulcanized tire (55) that is disposed on the molding drum (50) and is swelled into a toroidal shape, and, while the molding drum (50) is rotated, a rotating stitching roll (45) is pressed against a tread rubber member (42) of the tread rubber composite (40) to press-bond it to the unvulcanized tire (55). At this time, the outer-peripheral rotation speed of the stitching roll (45) is controlled such that it is substantially equal to the outer-peripheral rotation speed of the above-described tread rubber member (42).

Abstract: A non-pneumatic tire for supporting a load by working in tension. The tire can comprise a generally annular inner ring, a generally annular outer ring, and a web having a plurality of web elements. The tire can further comprise a layer or layers fabric material acting as a bonding agent to bond tire components together.

Abstract: A runflat tire improved in durability which and increased in running distance and velocity at the time of puncture is provided. A side portion reinforcing layer (11) for a runflat tire, the layer being made of a rubber composition prepared by blending 0.1 to 50 parts by mass of a reinforcing material of polyparaphenylene terephthalamide based on 100 parts by mass of a rubber component comprising 20 to 80% by mass of a natural rubber and/or a polyisoprene rubber and 80 to 20% by mass of a polybutadiene rubber, and a runflat tire using the same.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a pneumatic tire with a noise damper on the inside of the tread portion, comprises the steps of: building a raw tire on an annular tire building core; placing the raw tire within a vulcanizing mold together with the core; and heating the raw tire in the mold. The tire building core has a molding face for molding an inner surface of the tread portion. The molding face is provided with a groove extending in the tire circumferential direction. In the step of building the raw tire, an expandable damper material is placed in the groove. During heating the raw tire to be vulcanized, the damper material expands in the groove, whereby the expanded material forms the noise damper integrated into the radially inside of the tread portion.

Abstract: Provided is a method of producing a pneumatic tire where occurrence of blisters caused by trapped air is prevented even if a thermoplastic resin film is used as an air permeation prevention layer. The method includes: wrapping a thermoplastic resin film (6) around a making drum (20); winding an unvulcanized tie-rubber sheet (7) on the thermoplastic resin film (6) in a manner that a winding start portion (7a) and a winding end portion (7b) of the tie-rubber sheet (7) are overlapped with each other; and thereafter winding a carcass layer (5) on the tie-rubber sheet (7). In the method, an unvulcanized auxiliary rubber sheet (9) is bonded onto the winding start portion (7a) of the tie-rubber sheet (7) so as to project in a circumferential direction, and then the tie-rubber sheet (7) is wound in a manner that the winding end portion (7b) of the tie-rubber sheet (7) is stacked on the auxiliary rubber sheet (9).

Abstract: Provided are: a pneumatic tire capable of retaining a satisfactory uniformity even though the tire includes film layers superposed by winding a film layer in a circumferential direction of the tire multiple times; and a process for producing the same. The present invention is the pneumatic tire including the film layers of the thermoplastic resin or the thermoplastic elastomer composition made by blending the elastomer with the thermoplastic resin, which are superposed by winding the film layer in the circumferential direction of the tire multiple times, the tire wherein a rubber film is interposed between the film layers.

Abstract: Provided is a manufacturing method for a pneumatic tire including the steps of: shaping a cylindrical film formed of a thermoplastic resin or a thermoplastic elastomer composite in which a thermoplastic resin is blended with an elastomer, folding the film into a sheet shape, laminating rubber layers on both surfaces of the folded film, opening the laminate of the film and the rubber layers into a cylindrical shape, fitting the laminate thus opened on a tire making drum, forming the tire pneumatic tire including the film as an air permeation preventing layer, and curing the uncured tire.

Abstract: In a pneumatic tire whose tire cross section height is less than 110 mm and which has an inner liner layer disposed inside of a carcass layer, the inner liner layer has a wide rubber ribbon region formed by spirally winding a wide rubber ribbon along a tire circumferential direction, a wide rubber ribbon of an innermost peripheral side forms a tire inner peripheral surface of a region extending at least from the vicinity of an end of a belt layer to a tire cross section maximum width position.

Abstract: In a process for manufacturing tyres for vehicle wheels, including building, on a toroidal support, a carcass structure including at least one carcass ply associated, at axially opposite end edges thereof, with annular anchoring structures, the step of building the carcass structure includes forming at least one reinforcing structure, operatively associated with the annular anchoring structures through deposition on the toroidal support of at least one reinforcing element at a deposition region defined on the toroidal support. The deposition of the at least one reinforcing element includes the steps of providing at least one reinforcing element having a length determined as a function of the length of the deposition region; deforming the at least one reinforcing element to form an annular reinforcing element having a shape substantially corresponding to the shape of the deposition region; and depositing the annular reinforcing element at the deposition region.

Abstract: A method of building a tire carcass onto a toroidally expanded building drum core is disclosed which comprises: transferring a breaker and tread package to a mold; loading the tire carcass at diameter D1 into the mold; toroidally expanding the tire carcass to a second diameter D2 wherein the tire carcass and the breaker and tread package form an uncured tire assembly; curing the uncured tire assembly to form a cured tire in the mold; and removing the cured tire from the mold.

Abstract: Device for manufacturing a reinforcement from a thread laid directly in its final position by spraying lengths of the thread onto a receiving surface. The thread lengths are delivered from a conduit to a guide as the conduit rotates about an axis. The guide includes deflectors forming therebetween a slot having a thread inlet orifice and a thread spray (discharge) orifice spaced apart along the guide's height. The separation between the deflectors narrows toward the spray orifice, wherein the deflectors form therebetween an angle in the range of 3° and 7° when measured at any point along the height of the slot.