Abstract: A carcass sleeve is situated in a radially external position with respect to a toroidal forming drum, arranged in a first radially contracted operative condition. The carcass sleeve is shaped according to a toroidal configuration while the forming drum is positioned inside the carcass sleeve. During shaping of the carcass sleeve, the forming drum is radially expanded up to a second radially expanded operative condition. Upon completed shaping, the carcass sleeve is coupled to the forming drum in the second operative condition. The forming drum, coupled to the shaped carcass sleeve, is arranged in proximity to at least one device for building at least one belt layer at a radially external position relative to the shaped carcass sleeve.

Abstract: A tire integrated with an electronic device includes the electronic device attached to an inner liner or a side wall of the tire by vulcanization. The electronic device is attached to an inner side or an outer side of an end of a bead filler depending on a length of the bead filler not to reduce durability of the tire.

Abstract: A carcass sleeve is situated in a radially external position with respect to a toroidal forming drum, arranged in a first radially contracted operative condition. The carcass sleeve is shaped according to a toroidal configuration while the forming drum is positioned inside the carcass sleeve. During shaping of the carcass sleeve, the forming drum is radially expanded up to a second radially expanded operative condition. Upon completed shaping, the carcass sleeve is coupled to the forming drum in the second operative condition. The forming drum, coupled to the shaped carcass sleeve, is arranged in proximity to at least one device for building at least one belt layer at a radially external position relative to the shaped carcass sleeve.

Abstract: A method and a plant for managing the production cycle of a plant for building tires for vehicle wheels, wherein the plant provides for a storage region for anchoring annular structures and a plurality of processing stations at least one of which is associated with a forming drum, includes feeding a plurality of anchoring annular structures to the storage region, picking up the anchoring annular structures from the storage region at a predetermined picking-up position that does not change on changing of the types of the anchoring annular structures, and feeding the picked-up anchoring annular structures to the processing station associated with the forming drum.

Abstract: A vehicle tire having an apex component that is made of a plurality of elastomeric strips containing reinforcement fibers that are aligned substantially parallel to each other in a controlled angle of orientation within the strip wherein the orientation is selected such that it increases the stiffness of the apex component.

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: Method for transferring and placing beads for tires, providing: a bead storage unit in which a number of beads are vertically stacked placing spacers between them, a collection unit for empty spacers, a tire building machine for receiving the beads thereon, a bead retaining provided with engagement jaws that are arranged at equal angular distance in a circumferential direction on the bead retaining means, wherein the engagement jaws are driven or withdrawn in radial direction, a spacer retaining means for picking up and retaining a spacer, and arranging the bead retaining means and the spacer retaining means on a common transfer means. The spacer retaining means acts in a radial direction and is provided with at least two spacer engagement jaws that are arranged circumferentially at equal angular.

Abstract: A pneumatic tire includes an elastomeric casing. The elastomeric casing includes a crown portion, opposing sidewalls, and bead areas that are formed along the sidewalls in spaced relation to the crown portion. The bead areas include at least one bead reinforcing element, such as a bead core and/or a bead filler, that is at least partially formed from carbon fibers. A method of manufacturing a pneumatic tire assembly is also included.

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: To build a tire carcass, a tubular carcass body is formed about a building drum, which has a longitudinal axis, and an outer surface coaxial with the longitudinal axis and defined at least partly by a ring of longitudinal articulated rods lying in respective planes of a sheaf of planes through the longitudinal axis; the building drum locking two bead bundles to the tubular carcass body and torus-shaping the tubular carcass body by moving and/or deforming the articulated rods in their planes.

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: An object is to improve the durability of the stiffener having a hard rubber member and a soft rubber member formed on the radially inner side and the radially outer side by laminating rubber strips. A tire includes bead cores, stiffeners provided on the outer circumferences of the bead cores, and a carcass ply. Ends of the carcass ply are disposed on the stiffeners. Each stiffener includes an inner rubber portion on the radially inner side, an outer rubber portion on the radially outer side, and a cover tape. The inner rubber portion is formed by laminating a first rubber strip. The outer rubber portion is formed by laminating a second rubber strip. The second rubber strip is composed of rubber having a lower rigidity than the inner rubber portion. The cover tape covers a part of the stiffener that comes into contact with the end of the carcass ply.

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 method and apparatus is provided for separating two or more annular members such as bead assemblies or bead and apex assemblies. First, a flexible member is inserted into the annulus of the annular members. Next, the flexible member is inflated until the outer surface of the flexible member contacts the inner diameter of the annular member. Then the flexible member is axially expanded until the annular members are separated. Then the flexible member is deflated so that the annular members can be removed.

Abstract: A tire molding machine includes a pair of bead core supporting devices for holding respective bead cores, which are arranged on radially outer side of a carcass band, so that the bead core has a center axis with a controllable inclination angle. The bead core supporting device (4), which controls the inclination angle of the bead core center axis, includes an annular upright plate 32), a bead holder ring (13) secured to the annular upright plate, for holding the bead core (B) in parallel manner, and bead holder ring posture control means (14) for controlling the inclination angle of the center axis of the bead holder ring relative to the center axis of the annular upright plate, within an angular range including zero degree.

Abstract: A first carcass ply (3) is formed by depositing onto a toroidal support (11), strip-like lengths (13) cut to size from a continuous strip-like element and each comprising longitudinal thread-like elements (14) incorporated into a layer of elastomer material (17). The strip-like lengths are laid down sequentially in mutual circumferential side by side relationship, to form side portions (25) partly superposed on each other and crown portions (24) in mutual circumferential side by side relationship. Associated with the carcass ply (3) are annular structures (4) comprising a first and a second circumferentially inextensible annular inserts (27, 28) and an elastomer filling (29) interposed therebetween. A second carcass ply (31) is made in superposed position to the first carcass ply (3) and the annular structures (4). A belt structure (5), a tread band (8) and sidewalls (9) are combined with the carcass structure (2) thus formed, to define a tire (1) to be vulcanized.

Abstract: A tire manufacturing method includes the steps of, when a green tire is molded, moving a toroidally expandable toroidal molding drum through a distance between a plurality of working stations at a specified tact time, disposing a carcass band and both bead cores on the drum in any working station and locking the bead cores, increasing the diameter of the molding drum, toroidally extending the carcass band between both bead cores, and rolling up the side portion of the carcass band around the bead cores in the outer radial direction, assembling tire component members with the bead cores locked to the toroidal molding drum and molding the green tire, and reducing the diameter of the molding drum, unlocking the bead cores, and removing the green tire from the molding drum, whereby the tires of a plurality of sizes can be sequentially molded, a conventional tire structure must not be largely changed, and an energy and time can be prevented from being wastefully consumed.

Abstract: A pneumatic tire comprises a carcass comprised of at least one carcass ply containing a steel cord(s) arranged at a cord angle of 70-90° with respect to an equatorial plane of the tire and toroidally extending between a pair of bead cores and turned up around the bead core inward or outward in a radial direction to form a turnup portion, wherein a wrap part wrapping on a peripheral face of the bead core therealong is formed in the turnup portion of the carcass ply.

Abstract: The present invention is to provide a method for manufacturing a pneumatic tire with reduced dynamic unbalance and enhanced durability. The method for manufacturing a pneumatic tire having projections in a buttress portion comprises the steps of laminating a sidewall rubber 17 on the outer side of a carcass ply 12 and expanding the diameter of a shaping drum 1, followed by laminating a belt layer 19 and a tread rubber 18 on the outer side of the position corresponding to a crown portion of the carcass ply 12 to mold a green tire G, laminating a strip-shaped rubber member 21 to a buttress portion B of the green tire G to form annular projection parts 22, and vulcanization molding the green tire G with a mold.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for butt-jointing edges of an elastic material sheet is disclosed. The elastic material sheet is supported such that the two edges to be butt-jointed are oppositely opposed. By moving a pair of counterrotating conical surfaces along the edges, the surfaces of the edges portions are drawn toward the center between the two edges so that the edges are butt-jointed. Between the conical surfaces, a small space is provided so as to form a small rib-like protrusion along the butt-joint. Then, the small rib-like protrusion of the elastic material is pressed down to flatten. Therefore, at the butt-joint interface, the elastic material irregularly interfuses to increase the strength of the butt-joint.

Abstract: In a tire molding process, a mutual positional deviation or angular deviation between the axis of a carcass member and the axis of a bead core takes place in a produced tire when the bead core is set on the outer periphery of cylindrical carcass member. By the use of an estimation formula for estimating the primary harmonic component in the waveform of a radial force, an inverse waveform with the primary harmonic component inversed is found with respect to the measurement waveform of the produced tire or with respect to the treatment waveform with a numerical value treatment applied thereto. Thereafter, in producing a tire of the same size by the mold used for producing the preceding tire, the mutual positional deviation or angular deviation between the axis of the carcass member and the axis of the bead core found by a backward calculation from the estimation formula is changed to set the bead core on the carcass member.

Abstract: An inspection method for inspecting beads provided on a tire building drum in process of production a pneumatic tire includes measuring a displacement amount in a radial direction on each of the beads lying axially on both sides of the drum with a distance sensor such as an eddy current sensor while rotating the drum, synthesizing displacement amounts so obtained on the beads on both the sides, calculating a harmonic of the displacement amounts in the radial direction of the beads by performing harmonic analysis on a resultant synthesized displacement amount, and determining whether the magnitude of the harmonic so calculated falls within a predetermined range.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a tyre includes: assembling an unvulcanized tyre, the tyre including a crown, a first sidewall and a first bead, a second sidewall and a second bead, and a carcass reinforcement, each bead including a seat; and vulcanizing the unvulcanized tyre in a mould having an asymmetric configuration in order to obtain a vulcanized tyre, wherein the mould is such that, when the tyre is placed in the mould, in any meridian section, the seat of the first bead has an angle ?1 with a rotation axis A and the seat of the second bead has an angle ?2 with the rotation axis A, such that ?1??23, with the angles ?1 and ?2 being expressed in degrees, with the angles ?1 and ?2 being defined, for each bead, relative to an axis Ox and Ox? parallel to the rotation axis A oriented positively towards outside of the tyre, and with the angles ?1 and ?2 being positive when extending radially outwards.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for positioning bead cores during a building of a radial tire carcass in a tire-building machine. The method includes positioning first and second bead cores on respective first and second core-centering devices, on a first side of a carcass drum and centering the first and second bead cores. Further, the method includes grasping, with a second core-setting device, the second bead core and transporting the second core-setting device and the second bead core to a second side of the carcass drum. Additionally, the method includes grasping, with a first core-setting device, the first bead core; and setting the first and second bead cores onto the tire carcass by the first and second core-setting devices.

Abstract: A method, a bladder and an apparatus for shaping and curing a tire, wherein the bladder has two weakened regions corresponding to the shoulder regions of the tire when the bladder is expanded in the cavity of the tire. Upon inflation of the bladder and its expansion in the tire, the bladder contacts first the inner surface of the cavity at the bead regions and progressively the sidewalls, the shoulders and then the center of the tire. The weakened regions are designed to stretch more under a given tension than the remaining regions in order to allow a progressive contact movement of the lateral regions of the bladder with the sidewalls with very little tension and relative movement between the lateral regions of the bladder and the sidewalls of the tire.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a run-flat the capable of manufacturing a run-flat tire with excellent uniformity due to its less occurrence of eccentricity than in conventional methods by simple facility and steps. The method comprises a step for disposing an inner liner rubber (19), reinforcement rubber members (18) reinforcing side wall parts on both sides, and a carcass ply (14) at the prescribed outer peripheral positions of a molding drum, a step for disposing a pair of first beads (1a) and bead fillers (12) and toroidally deforming the inside of the first bead (1a), a step for curling up and stamping the end part (14b) of the carcass ply (14), a step for stamping rubber members (13a) and (13b) forming annular swelled parts on the sides of the bead filler (12) of a toroidal formed product, and a step for forming second beads (1b) by spirally stamping cords (BW) on the formed product while rotating the formed product after that stamping about the axis thereof.

Abstract: There is proposed a tire realizing the simplification of a bead portion structure without sacrificing a bead portion durability and a steering stability. A tire comprises a carcass toroidally extending between a pair of bead cores embedded in respective bead portions, in which the carcass is combined with the bead core through such a pathway that the carcass passes inside a thickness center of the bead portion in an axial direction of the tire and reaches to a face of the bead core inside the tire and then passes through the bead core from an inside of the tire toward an outside thereof and terminates in contact with a face of the bead core at a side of a bead base.

Abstract: A bead wire loader device includes a shaft including two bearer elements. Each bearer elements includes a groove including a V-profile. A device for positioning tire bead wires on the building drum includes two support plates, a plurality of gripper units, and actuating devices for synchronous and uniform movement of the gripper units. The gripper units are arranged circumferentially around openings in the support plates and include at least one bead wire grasping element including a throat forming part of a single circumferential gripping profile common to the grasping elements. A tire building apparatus for a vehicle wheel includes a building drum and a bead wire placing system for fitting bead wires onto the building drum. The bead wire placing system includes the bead wire loader device and the device for positioning the bead wires. A related method of manufacturing a tire for a vehicle wheel is also disclosed.

Abstract: A tire building drum and a method of building a tire carcass is disclosed. The tire building drum has a center section comprised of a plurality of segments that are radially and axially movable. The building drum further comprises shoulder sections that are axially movable. The shoulder sections include radially expandable bead locks. The method employs the steps of applying one or more carcass layers, locking the bead locks and moving the center section radially outwardly while moving the bead locks axially inwardly.

Abstract: A tire building drum with a turn-up device for production of unvulcanized tires, consisting of a horizontally disposed central bearing hollow shaft (1) with a driving spindle extending through the centre of the bearing hollow shaft, around which there are arranged two sets of lever arms (26) with rollers (27), between which a mechanism for supporting bead wires from both sides is located at both sides of a vertical symmetry plane, the mechanism consisting of: an axially movably arranged first guiding disc (21) with radially movably arranged clamping bead segments (33), adapted to cooperate with a mechanism for controlling radial lift of clamping bead segments (33), and an axially movably arranged second guiding disc (34) with radially movably arranged supporting bead segments (32), adapted to cooperate with a mechanism for controlling radial lift of the supporting bead segments (32), wherein the clamping bead segment (33) is provided with a space (3) for receiving supporting arms (9, 9a) with a bridge (11) of

Abstract: A method of mounting a tire on a rim includes selecting a tire comprising bead cores, stretching the bead cores, sliding the bead cores over a balcony portion of the rim, allowing the bead cores to elastically return to lengths corresponding to diameters of respective seats of the rim, and inflating the tire. The bead cores include one or more portions of material with characteristics of superelasticity and shape memory. Stretching the bead cores may include applying constant load to the bead cores at ambient temperature and/or causing the bead cores to undergo structural change at ambient temperature. The structural change may include complete or partial change from austenitic structure to martensitic structure. The one or more portions of material are deformable at ambient temperature in response to a constant force and recover to original shape upon removal of the constant force.

Abstract: A method of making a tire includes forming at least one first carcass ply of a structure, forming at least one circumferentially-inextensible annular structure, and applying the at least one circumferentially-inextensible annular structure to a region close to inner cicumferential edges of the at least one first carcass ply. Forming the at least one first carcass ply includes preparing first strip lengths, each first strip length including longitudinal and parallel thread elements at least partly coated with at least one layer of raw elastomer material, and depositing the first strip lengths onto a toroidal support to define two side portions and a crown portion. The crown portions are disposed consecutively in side-by-side relationship along a circumferential extension of the toroidal support. The side portions of each first strip length cover in part or are partly covered by a side portion of at least one circumferentially-consecutive first strip length.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for controlling temperature of a plant comprising plural temperature control zones, wherein an effective control parameter for a first zone for which a signal representing measured temperature is available is produced according to an algorithm relating measured temperature, a desired temperature and a control parameter associated with a device affecting temperature in the first temperature control zone, the effective control parameter is summed with an offset value representing a proportional offset of the effective control parameter of a second temperature control zone relative to the effective control parameter of the first temperature control zone and the result is applied to control a device affecting temperature in the second temperature control zone.

Abstract: A tire forming system includes a band forming machine, a shaping forming machine, a belt/tread forming machine, means for supplying a band member and means for supplying a belt/tread member. The means for supplying the band member include an inner liner supply means, carcass supply means, band rubber parts supply means and bead supply means. The means for supplying the belt/tread member include belt supply means and tread rubber parts supply means. The means for supplying the band member and the means for supplying the belt/tread member are operative to cooperate with one another to continuously in series form a plurality of tires having different tire sizes.

Abstract: The invention concerns a process for the manufacture of a tire comprising the following steps: a) laying a carcass reinforcement on a generally flat receiving surface; b) turning up at least one lateral end of the carcass reinforcement over itself to obtain a semi-finished product having a turnup; c) laying a complete turn of the semi-finished product so obtained in the circumferential direction around a generally cylindrical receiving surface; d) joining together the opposing ends of the semi-finished product to obtain a joint; and e) positioning a bead wire over the turnup so formed.

Abstract: A pneumatic radial ply tire (500) comprises a tread (510), a belt structure (512), and a carcass (514). The carcass (514) has a radial ply (518) and two bead sections (530A, 530B). Each bead section (530A, 530B) has a bead (532) and a component apex (534) with a inner apex (534A), a middle apex (534B) and an outer apex (534C).

Abstract: A process of manufacturing a pneumatic tire (300) with oppositely disposed annularly-shaped beads (324) for mounting on flange shoulders (304) of a wheel rim (302) with the opposed beads (324) spaced apart from one another by a distance “i”. The process comprises the steps of: forming a green tire assembly (308) including a tread (312), and a carcass (316) with a ply (320) and opposed sidewalls (318) that each include a radial inner-end bead portion (322) with one of the beads (324) and wherein each bead portion (322) is spaced apart from one another by a distance “f”. The green tire assembly (308) is cured by applying pressure thereto at an elevated temperature in a vulcanization mold (400). The process is characterized by the steps of spacing the opposed beads (324) apart from one another by a distance “g” which is substantially equal to the distance “f” therebetween when the green tire assembly (308) was formed.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for stabilizing a tire building drum wherein the tire building drum has two ends, is permanently supported at a single cantilever support end, and the remaining end is a free end. The method comprises providing a free end support engaged with the free end to stabilize the tire building drum by restricting lateral movement of the free end; and freeing the free end by temporarily retracting the free end support when desired, e.g., to enable application of annular tire components on the tire building drum, or to enable removal of a built tire from the tire building drum. Preferably, the free end support allows rotation of the tire building drum while the free end support is engaged with the free end. A preferred embodiment uses overtravel of actuator linkages stopped against an extension stop to lock the free end support in place, engaged with the free end, to stabilize the tire building drum without requiring continued power input.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a locked bead type of tire construction where the turnup ends (242a, 242b) of the carcass plies (242) are tuned up around an elastomeric torus (246a, 246b) located outwardly from and adjacent to the bead cores (244a, 244b) so that the locked end sections (250a, 250b) of the plies are folded back and placed radially inward of the bead cores so they are anchored chored between the bead cores and the turnup ends of the carcass plies.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a tire includes the steps of preparing strip sections, laying down a first series of the strip sections on a toroidal support, applying at least primary portions of annular reinforcing structures against end flaps of the strip sections of the first series at axially-opposite positions relative to an equatorial plane of the toroidal support, and laying down on the toroidal support at least one second series of the strip sections. Each strip section extends in a substantially U-shaped configuration around a cross-sectional outline of the toroidal support. First series strip sections are circumferentially distributed according to a pitch corresponding to a multiple of their width. Second series strip sections extend between consecutive first series strip sections and include end flaps overlapping respective primary portions of the annular reinforcing structures at an axially-opposite position relative to end flaps of the first series strip sections.

Abstract: The invention concerns a method of manufacture of tires and a tire assembly drum having a body with a receiving surface for the products to be assembled, the body being mounted on a center shaft, and at least one lifting device situated at one of the ends of the receiving surface, the lifting device including a plurality of lifting fingers distributed circularly around the center shaft, the fingers extending appreciably radially and presenting a bearing surface for the products to be assembled, the fingers being controlled to be deployed essentially radially toward the outside of the drum.

Abstract: In the shaping of a green tire for a pneumatic tire, a pair of bead cores each attached with a stiffener are set to insides of both resulting hook-shaped wrap portions of a carcass band at a fall-down posture of the stiffener, and thereafter the stiffener of the fall-down posture is stood up on an outer peripheral side of the wrap portion, and a belt and a tread are piled on an outer peripheral side of the carcass band.

Abstract: A method and system for building, in at least two stages, an unvulcanized tire carcass (30). The system (20) incorporates a first stage tire building drum (22) on which predetermined, unvulcanized tire building components are layered to form a cylindrically shaped, unvulcanized tire carcass (30), a second stage shaping drum (24) on which the carcass (30) is shaped into a shape suitable for subsequent molding and vulcanization, and a bead tube transfer device (28) that positions tire beads (32a, 32b) on the carcass (30) that is built up on the first stage drum (22) and then transfer the tire carcass (30) and its tire beads between the first and second stage drums while precisely maintaining the axial separation distance between the beads.

Abstract: A method for mounting beads on a tire carcass which is being laid up on tire building drum, particularly applicable to cases wherein the drum has a free end and an opposite end which is supported by a drum support (or comparable impediment to installing a bead from the opposite end of the drum). The method comprises disposing a first of two beads on the drum in an area which is between a carcass layup area and the drum support. The bead is moved into this position from the free end of the drum, and this is done before the process of laying up the carcass has resulted in there being an impediment to installing the bead from the free end of the drum, such as bumps resulting from tire insert components. This may be prior to any carcass components have been laid up, or after an inner liner has been laid up, or after an inner liner and inserts and a ply have been laid up on a drum having pockets (recesses) to alleviate bump formation.

Abstract: A system for manufacturing an elastomeric tire utilizing a separate formation of a package having a tire core shape and containing tire belts, plies and beads. The package is formed by a laying up of layers of pre-cure elastomer intradigitated with sections of porous fabric, where the fabric fibers are placed at desired crossing angles to one another, and the pre-cure elastomer layers are positioned therebetween as a sandwich, with the sandwich then cold rolled into the tire core shape. Inelastic hoop shaped beads are fitted to and encapsulated in the tire core side walls ends and, as required, an inelastic belt is fitted around the tire core tread area that is secured thereto as by cold rolling a layer of pre-cure elastomer thereover, completing the tire core package. The tire core package is fitted into a mold, preferably a spin casting mold, and is supported therein equidistant from the mold cavity walls to receive an elastomer sprayed therein as the mold is spun.

Abstract: A bead apex subassembly (2) which is formed simultaneously to the formation of a tire carcass (10) but independent of and spaced near the tire building machine (100) is disclosed. The subassembly (2) is transferred to the tire building drum (5) preassembled.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a carcass structure for vehicle tires includes preparing strip sections, each comprising longitudinal and parallel thread elements coated at least partly with at least one layer of raw elastomer material. A first series of strip sections is laid down onto a toroidal support. First primary portions of annular reinforcing structures are applied against end flaps of the first series strip sections. At least one second series of strip sections is laid down onto the toroidal support. Together, the first and second series define a first carcass ply. A third series of strip sections is laid down onto the toroidal support. Second primary portions of the annular reinforcing structures are applied against end flaps of the third series strip sections. At least one fourth series of strip sections is laid down onto the toroidal support. Together, the third and fourth series define a second carcass ply.

Abstract: A tire bead holder assembly for centering and gripping a circular tire bead before placement on a bead setter has circumferentially spaced radially moveable fingers actuated by a chain drive for simultaneous controlled movement of the fingers and application of centering pressure without distortion of the bead.

Abstract: A tire forming machine is provided which includes a forming drum having a central drum portion arranged at an axially central location of the forming drum, and right and left drum portions which are arranged on either of the right and left sides of the central drum portion and which are movable in an axial direction of the forming drum. At the time of winding tire-forming materials on the forming drum to assemble a carcass, the right and left drum portions are brought into contact with the central drum portion and stuck with the same to cooperatively form a continuous surface. After the assembly of the carcass, the right and left drum portions are moved to respective bead setting positions to open the forming drum. The thus-constructed tire forming machine is comprised of a plurality of gripping mechanisms arranged around the central drum portion of the forming drum for gripping an axially central portion of the carcass.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for a sub forming an elastomeric extrusion into a bead apex filler and for applying the same to an annular bead (120) to form a bead/apex subassembly for use in the construction of a pneumatic tire. The apex filler (100) is formed from a triangular shaped extrusion (8) that is initially wrapped around a rotating mandrel (40) having a diameter of between about 50% to about 75% of the outer diameter of the annular bead to which the filler is attached. A helical former (50, 60) disposed around the mandrel causes the extrusion to move in a helical path as it traverses the mandrel. As the extrusion is removed from the mandrel, the extrusion is sufficiently uncoiled to relieve and compressive or tensile stresses. Then, the partially uncoiled extrusion is wrapped around the outer periphery of the bead to form a bead/apex filler subassembly (118) which is substantially without compressive or tensile stresses when mounted onto the tire being constructed.