Abstract: A drum to build and form a belted tire, having a central support element, the central portion of which consists of radially slidable segments, and two bead retainers arranged at both sides of said support element, the spacing of said bead retainers being axially adjustable symmetrically with respect to the support element, the bead retainers having, at their circumference, radially expandable, integrally formed rings arranged to be brought into engagement with the tire in an air-tight manner, wherein the support element has an integrally formed rigid cases between the central portion and the bead retainers, the rigid cases being fixedly connected to the side of the bead retainers facing the central portion, the contact face of each rigid case facing the central portion being bevelled, the segments of the central portion which are arranged between the two cases engage the bevelled contact faces of the cases, are retained by springs and are similarly bevelled at the place of contact with the cases, whereby when

Abstract: An annular tire building drum having an infinitely variable width for use in a tire building machine includes a hub rotatable about an axis of rotation and an annular fluid expandable tube supported on the hub. The tube includes support means disposed on the exterior surface thereof. A plurality of pairs of shoe members are supported on the support means for movement in a radial direction upon expansion and contraction of the tube. The shoe members define an annular tire building surface. One of the shoe members of each pair of shoe members is movable in a first direction parallel to the axis of rotation and the other shoe member of each pair is movable in a second direction opposite the first direction to infinitely vary the axial width of the building surface. The support means includes guideway means and each of the shoe members includes a guide member attached thereto.

Abstract: A single section radially and axially expandable tire building drum having solid cylindrical building surface support for stitching and the like for cylindrical form tire carcass building. Radial expansion is independent of axial adjustment of width. Radially expanded condition of the cylindrical building surface is positively supported. The drum is particularly suitable for building passenger car tires. The foregoing abstract is not to be taken as limiting the invention of this application, and in order to understand the full nature and extent of the tehcnical disclosure of this application, reference must be made to the accompanying drawing and the following detailed description.

Abstract: A tire building drum has an infinite number of length and diameter settings. The drum can be used to build various size tires. The diameter of the drum can also be varied during the tire building operation to improve the tire building procedure.

Abstract: An expandable tire building drum is provided with hinged drum shoulder segments that present, when the drum is in its expanded position, a bevelled shoulder contour for supporting the thickened portion of the tire band next to the bead. This bevelled contour results in a greater radius of curvature for the thickened tire portion that extends around the drum shoulder, which makes it easier to pass a stitcher wheel over this portion of the tire, and to achieve a more uniform layering of the tire components next to the bead of the tire. When the drum is in its retracted position, the hinged drum shoulder segments are lifted to positions wherein they provide support for the carcass plies of the tire when they are first laid across the drum segments and the bead turnover bladders.

Abstract: An axially and radially adjustable construction drum for pneumatic tires in which the drum has a variable width and is radially extensible and comprises two basic members, the relative distance between which is adjustable on an internal tube through a spindle and a screwthreaded sleeve with screw thread portions in opposite directions, in which the basic members support ring segments whose external surfaces form approximately cylindrical working surfaces and which are radially adjustable through bellows and on which is situated a resilient bandage with inflatable members disposed therebelow for holding over the edges of plies and between which is retained a middle portion which is radially extensible in the longitudinal direction of the drum.

Abstract: This invention is a tire building drum for building the stage - I carcass of a tire corresponding to the initial part of the carcass before breaker belts and the tread are subsequentially applied. The invention is in a drum and a method of using it whereby the components for making the stage - I carcass can be expanded substantially radially say between 25% and 35% of the drum radius to ensure that the side wall components extend generally in planes perpendicular to the drum axis during crowning and includes fillers fitted to or attached to the beads which can be substantially undistorted in those planes and will be similarly substantially undistorted in use at the vital area where a tire is in contact with the wheel rim.

Abstract: The tire-building drum comprises alternate drum sectors with fixedly and movably mounted shoulders and mechanisms for moving said drum sectors. Each of these mechanisms consists of two parts having annular slides, which are connected to a screw drive, and levers, which are articulated to the drum sectors and the slides and which have toothed sectors arranged in constant mesh with each other for the purpose of inter-connecting the parts in each of the mechanisms for moving the drum sectors. The slides are mounted coaxially on the drum hub and are adapted to move together and separately in mutually opposite directions. This enables the drum sectors to move only radially and decreases the axial dimensions of the drum.

Abstract: A tire building drum having simple economical means for expanding both drum shoulders and bead-locating fingers as well as for convenient and simple adjustment of the length of the drum between shoulders. Air for inflating pairs of ply-turnup bladders is supplied externally by way of an air ring on the drum shaft from an externally mounted air manifold.

Abstract: A tire building apparatus comprising an expandible former embodying axially movable former expanding and contracting means to dispose the former in positions defining firm supporting surfaces of different radii, said expanding and contracting means ensuring symmetrical expansion and contraction of the former with respect to a transverse plane of the former. Axially-movable tire bead core locating and supporting means are disposed on opposite sides of said transverse plane. Further means, for example at least one rack and pinion mechanism connecting the two bead core locating and supporting means, is provided to ensure that axial movements of the two bead core locating and supporting means occur symmetrically with respect to said transverse plane.

Abstract: Drum for manufacturing radial-carcass tires, characterized in that it comprises means acting in synchronism for transforming a plane cylindrical surface, on which the rubber layers are laid together with the radial plies and the bead wires, into a toroidal surface by producing a geometrical preformation both in development and in section, and by a positive turning of the fabric and layers after shaping same.

Abstract: A tire building drum is adapted to be expansible and collapsible at three different diameter states and includes a main tire building drum, a pair of auxiliary tire building drums partially engageable with the radially inner surfaces of the opposite end portions of the main tire building drum to axially be slidable toward and away from the equatorial plane of the main tire building drum, a rotary shaft carrying thereon the main and auxiliary tire building drums for rotation thereof, and a pair of slide means for axially sliding the auxiliary tire building drums toward and away from the equatorial plane of the main tire building drum.

Abstract: A pneumatic tire building machine with a rotatable building drum adapted for forming thereon a tire carcass of rubberized plies and for expanding the formed carcass to a toric shape. A transfer mechanism positions a separately formed tread and belt assembly substantially concentrically around and spaced from the tire carcass disposed on the building drum. Annular guide means with rolling surfaces are also positioned substantially concentrically around and spaced from the tire carcass disposed on the building drum. When the tire carcass is expanded to a toric shape, the carcass contacts the guide means in rolling engagement and is guided to mate in precision alignment with the tread and belt assembly.