Abstract: A stitcher apparatus for pressing a carcass ply sheet from its outer periphery as to be pressure-bonded onto a rubber sheet member after that the carcass ply sheet is pasted onto the rubber sheet member wound around a building drum, the stitcher apparatus including: a ring-shaped frame; and a plurality of pressure-bond rollers.

Abstract: The invention enables to pressure-bond a carcass ply sheet pasted onto a rubber laminating member wound around a periphery of a building drum firmly along a recessed and projected shape of the rubber laminating member without producing a deformation or a warp of a carcass cord, by using a stitcher apparatus constituted by arranging a plurality of pressure-bond rollers having axis centers in a tangential direction of a concentric circle having a diameter larger than that of a building drum in a peripheral direction by a plurality of rows and by a constant pitch by being respectively supported to be able to progressively displace to an inner side in a diameter direction, while moving the building drum in an axial direction relative to the pressure-bond rollers on an inner side of a circular arrangement of the pressure-bond rollers, a carcass ply sheet is pressed by a predetermined pressure to pressure-bond over an entire periphery and simultaneously by the respective pressure-bond rollers progressively displace

Abstract: In the field of tire building, underbelt inserts are applied to an expandable support associated with an auxiliary drum on which the belt structure is made, simultaneously with manufacture of a carcass structure on a primary drum. Following expansion of the expandable support, the underbelt inserts are applied to the belt structure that can be directly made on the support itself in an expanded condition. The belt structure together with the underbelt inserts and a tread band are then transferred onto the carcass structure formed on the primary drum to complete building of the tire following shaping of the carcass into a toroidal conformation.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of manufacturing a pneumatic tire, which can prevent an air pocket from being generated in a vicinity of a spliced portion of a sheet member (B) to be attached to an inner liner, even in the case of using, as the inner liner, a sheet member (A) made of a composition containing a resin component. The method includes a step of laminating a sheet member (A) and a sheet member (B) while being pressed on a making drum. The sheet member (B) is made of a rubber composition, and has two end portions in the circumferential direction overlapped and spliced with each other. In the method, a cut line of each end of the sheet member (B) in the circumferential direction has a vertex in the intermediate point in the width direction of the sheet member (B). Moreover, the cut line is displaced in the opposite direction to the rotational direction of the making drum as extending from the vertex to each of the right and left edges in the width direction.

Abstract: A roller assembly for use during tire construction includes a telescoping tube arrangement and a roller positioned thereabout. The telescoping tube arrangement has an inner tube section and an outer tube section and which can be adjusted in length to accommodate the width of the tire component under construction. The roller includes a cylindrical surface of a desired hardness which is positionable into engagement with the outer surface of the tire component under construction and which includes a plurality of roller sections which are positionable about the telescoping tube arrangement and in a side-by-side relationship with one another. In addition, each roller section defines a peripheral surface so that when the roller sections are positioned in a side-by-side relationship along the tube arrangement, the peripheral surfaces of the roller sections collectively provide the cylindrical surface of the roller.

Abstract: Provided is a process of manufacturing a pneumatic tire, which prevents blisters from being raised on a cylindrical thermoplastic resin film due to an air pocket even in a case where the cylindrical thermoplastic resin film is used as an air permeation preventive layer. Provided is the manufacturing process suitable for a heavy-duty pneumatic tire in particular. The process of manufacturing a pneumatic tire includes: covering the making drum 20 with a cylindrical thermoplastic resin film 6; winding an uncured rubber sheet member 7 as a tie rubber around the thermoplastic resin film 6; and winding a carcass layer 5 around the rubber sheet member 7. The process is characterized in that the rubber sheet member 7 is wound in the circumferential direction of the tire at least twice.

Abstract: In a process of manufacturing pneumatic tires, a carcass sleeve is made which includes at least one carcass ply provided with axially opposite flaps turned up around annular anchoring structures, so as to form respective loops. An outer sleeve is positioned around the carcass sleeve and the latter is radially expanded in order to cause application of same against a radially internal surface of the outer sleeve. After each of the end flaps has been turned up and before radial expansion, only a portion belonging to each of the loops and extending substantially parallel to the respective annular anchoring structure is submitted to a step of carrying out heating under pressure, to make each loop integral with the annular anchoring structure and prevent the turned-up ply/plies from even partly slipping off, during the subsequent radial-expansion step of the carcass sleeve and vulcanization step of the tire.

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 or a tire component member is built by winding and laminating a rubber strip having a cross section in which at least one edge viewed in the width direction has a thickness that is substantially zero, and thickness of the rubber strip gradually decreases in a width direction from a maximum thickness position nearest to the edge to said edge, or a projection of a stepped portion of the green tire or the tire component member built by winding and laminating the rubber strip is flattened under pressure, so that the green tire is prevented from producing residual air and a saw blade like surface. Therefore, occurrences of residual air, bare, a flow crack or embedded contaminant in a product tire can be suppressed to enhance the durability of the tire.

Abstract: Described is a method of joining a belt-tread assembly with a carcass assembly by stitching in green tire production such that a pressure is applied in radial inward direction on the rotating outer peripheral surface of a belt-tread assembly (5) partially joined with an inflated carcass assembly (1) of a tire, which is disposed on a tire building drum, the pressure being exerted by inelastic force of at least two stitching rollers (2) which are rotationally and inelastically disposed on a rigid bearing part (3) of the stitching unit.

Abstract: The present invention provides a manufacturing method of a pneumatic tire in which a line, a letter or the like having a different color from a main body rubber is formed in a side wall portion. A manufacturing method of a pneumatic tire in which a portion having a different color from a main body rubber is formed in a side wall portion, is provided with a step of forming a band-like rubber member having a white rubber layer having a different color from a main body rubber, and a cover rubber layer formed in an outer side of the white rubber layer at a fixed thickness and having the same color as the main body rubber, and a step of spirally overlapping and winding a rubber ribbon along a tire peripheral direction so as to bond to both sides in a width direction of the band-like rubber member.

Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to precisely and efficiently paste a tread ring and a raw tire base body with each other. A ring-like base body 5 is aligned with a former 3. The ring-like base body 5 relatively approaches and separates from a former 3. The ring-like base body 5 includes pasting means 6 which pastes a tread ring A to a raw tire base body B. The pasting means 6 includes a grasping tool 11 having a plurality of segments 13 which abut against an outer peripheral surface of the tread ring A to grasp the tread ring A. The pasting means 6 also includes a pushing-down pasting tool 12 having an annular rubber tube body 15. The rubber tube body 15 is disposed on each side of the segment 13 and pushes down a shoulder side portion As of the tread ring A by expansion to paste the shoulder side portion As to the raw tire base body B.

Abstract: In a method of making a pneumatic tire which comprises a tire main body and a tread rubber with axial edges, the inside diameter of the tread rubber being smaller at the axial edges than in the intermediate portion, the tire main body including an underlying component on which the axial edge of the tread rubber is stuck, the green tire is made by: making a raw tire main body including an underlying component; placing an annular raw tread rubber around the raw tire main body; swelling the raw tire main body by pressurizing the inside thereof; pushing the entire width of the raw tread rubber onto the swollen tire main body partially with respect to the tire circumferential direction; and conducting the circumferentially-partial pushing through the enter circumference of the raw tread rubber, whereby the axial edge of the raw tread rubber is stuck on the underlying component without being wrinkled.

Abstract: The tire construction and method of building a tire 10 comprises the steps of cylindrically applying a pair of radial cord reinforced sidewall plies 17a, 17b, fixing the axial spacing between the bead cores; applying a crown ply 50, turning up each sidewall ply 17a and 17b to overlap lateral edges of the crown ply 50; moving the carcass assembly 18 axially inwardly while shaping the carcass assembly 18 toroidially to form ply turnups 20a, 20b axially inwardly of the bead cores 26. The method further comprises the steps of applying one or more belt reinforcing layers to the carcass and first reinforcing layer and applying a tread to form a pneumatic radial ply tread tire.

Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to precisely and efficiently paste a tread ring and a raw tire base body with each other. A ring-like base body 5 is aligned with a former 3. The ring-like base body 5 relatively approaches and separates from a former 3. The ring-like base body 5 includes pasting means 6 which pastes a tread ring A to a raw tire base body B. The pasting means 6 includes a grasping tool 11 having a plurality of segments 13 which abut against an outer peripheral surface of the tread ring A to grasp the tread ring A. The pasting means 6 also includes a pushing-down pasting tool 12 having an annular rubber tube body 15. The rubber tube body 15 is disposed on each side of the segment 13 and pushes down a shoulder side portion As of the tread ring A by expansion to paste the shoulder side portion As to the raw tire base body B.

Abstract: Plastic impact driven fasteners having relatively high flexural strength and relatively low heat deformation temperature are provided. Additional embodiments relate to methods of using the fasteners. For example, the fasteners may be used in a tire retreading process. In such a case, one or more fasteners may be used to secure new tread to a tire core before and/or during a curing process. The curing process may also cause deformation of the fastener, thereby eliminating the need to remove the fasteners after the curing process.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a reinforcing structure for tyres of vehicles includes the steps of preparing a plurality of strip segments having substantially parallel, longitudinal filiform elements at least partially coated by at least one layer of elastomeric material, and applying the plurality of strip segments along a circumference of a toroidal support, to form at least one continuous reinforcing layer about a geometric axis of rotation of the toroidal support. During the applying step, a relative angular rotation, between at least one of the plurality of strip segments and the toroidal support, occurs about an axis of correction substantially radial to the geometric axis of rotation. A related apparatus for manufacturing a reinforcing structure for tyres of vehicles is also disclosed.

Abstract: A tire apparatus (14) having nozzles (32) for directing air steams against layers (34) of uncured tire components applied to a tire building drum (19) for stitching and ejecting air from the layers.

Abstract: A retreaded tire assembly and method for making the same is disclosed. The method and assembly provide for the application of new tread to a buffed tire casing with only a layer of cushion gum disposed therebetween. The cushion gum is applied directly to the buffed circumference of a tire casing without the use of conventional spray cement normally applied to the buffed surface of the entire casing.

Abstract: A process for manufacturing, in one stage, a tire comprising a carcass reinforcement (1) which is radial in the sidewalls and oblique radially beneath a crown reinforcement (3), composed of at least two layers (31) and (32) of reinforcement elements (310) and (320) which are crossed from one layer to the next, wherein there is pre-shaped to a diameter D1 and by means of a sleeve of at least one shaping ply N, vulcanized and formed of reinforcement elements forming with the circumferential direction an angle &agr;1, laid on the building drum T of diameter D, at least the central part of a carcass reinforcement ply (1) formed of radial reinforcement elements (10) forming with the circumferential direction an angle ∓&bgr;1. There is laid on the central part at least one crown ply (31, 32) formed of reinforcement elements (310, 320) oriented relative to the circumferential direction at angles ±&ggr;1 (&mgr;&ggr;1), &ggr;1 being little different from &bgr;1.

Abstract: To build vehicle tires, portions (9) of elastomeric material are placed successively one on top of the other on a building drum (18) having two halfdrums (22) of independently variable diameters; the longitudinal dimensions of at least one portion (9) being measured prior to feeding the portion (9) onto the building drum (18); and the diameter of each half-drum (22) being varied as a function of the longitudinal dimensions of the portion (9) to obtain an even overlap at all times of the opposite end edges (9a, 9b) of the portion (9) on the building drum (18).

Abstract: A retreaded tire assembly and method for making the same is disclosed. The method and assembly provide for the application of new tread to a buffed tire casing with only a layer of cushion gum disposed therebetween. The cushion gum is applied directly to the buffed circumference of a tire casing without the use of conventional spray cement normally applied to the buffed surface of the entire casing.