Abstract:
A carcass ply is applied around an outer surface of a building drum according to an application diameter larger than the fitting diameter of a tire. Coaxially engaged around each of the end flaps is an annular anchoring structure defining the fitting diameter. A pair of sidewalls is manufactured by laying of a continuous elongated element in the form of approached coils on the carcass sleeve. An outer sleeve, including at least one belt structure possibly associated with a tread band, is coaxially centered around the carcass sleeve. Through axial approaching of two halves forming the building drum, the carcass sleeve is shaped into a toroidal configuration to determine application of same against a radially internal surface of the outer sleeve.
Abstract:
An apparatus for manufacturing tires for vehicle wheels wherein each tire includes a carcass structure formed starting from at least one carcass ply laid on a forming support extended along a longitudinal axis. The apparatus includes at least one device for positioning at least one annular anchoring structure on at least one end edge of the carcass ply, the positioning device being circumferentially extended around the longitudinal axis of the forming support and axially movable with respect to the forming support between an operating position distal from the forming support and at least one operating position close to the forming support. The apparatus further includes a device for turning up the end edge of the carcass ply around the annular anchoring structure, the turning up device being circumferentially extended about the longitudinal axis of the forming support and axially movable for approaching/moving away to/from the forming support. The positioning device and the turning up device are radially expandable/contractible in a synchronous manner with respect to the longitudinal axis of the forming support and are settable in a plurality of different operating radial positions, each operating radial position being selected based on a respective radial dimension of the tire to be manufactured.
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 process and apparatus for manufacturing tires for vehicle wheels, includes 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 building step of 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 along a predetermined curvilinear deposition path. The deposition of the at least one reinforcing element includes the steps of: cutting to size a piece of at least one reinforcing continuous band-like element fed by a feeding device along a predetermined feeding direction, deforming the piece obtained according to the curvature of a deposition part of the deposition path intended to receive the piece, and depositing the deformed piece at the deposition part.
Abstract:
A green pneumatic tyre is built on a rigid toroidal support externally having a forming surface of a conformation corresponding to the inner shape of a tyre. The green tyre engaged on the expandable toroidal support is introduced into a vulcanisation mould and submitted to a vulcanisation cycle. During vulcanisation, axial moving apart of side portions of the toroidal support is caused so as to press the beads and sidewalls of the tyre against the vulcanisation mould.
Abstract:
During building of tyres, at least one first forming drum is employed which has a deposition surface and includes sectors radially movable relative to a geometric rotation axis, and circumferentially distributed one after the other. A plurality of strip-like elements is deposited in circumferential side by side relationship on the deposition surface set in the first deposition configuration, to form at least one component of at least one first crown structure. Setting of the deposition surface includes the actions of radially moving the sectors to give the deposition surface a predetermined diameter and carry out a relative movement between a central portion and axially external end portions of each sector to shape the deposition surface according to a predetermined curvature outline.
Abstract:
A method of controlling the management of annular anchoring structures in a process and a plant for building tyres for vehicle wheels, includes: a) feeding pairs of first annular anchoring structures from a first storage region to a bead-forming machine; b) loading a plurality of second annular anchoring structures into a second storage region; c) carrying the second annular anchoring structures from the second storage region to the first storage region; and d) feeding pairs of second annular anchoring structures from the first storage region to the bead-forming machine. The method includes the sequential cyclic repetition of the above actions.
Abstract:
A plant for building tyres includes a plurality of working locations, at least one first working location being associated with at least two loading/unloading locations, a proximal one and a distal one, each of said working locations and loading/unloading locations being associable with a forming drum. The production cycle is controlled by the method of: (i) loading a first forming drum into the at least one first working location; (ii) loading a second forming drum into the loading/unloading location; (iii) at the end of the working provided in the at least one first working location, unloading the first forming drum into the proximal loading/unloading location.
Abstract:
A process and an apparatus for building tyres for vehicle wheels includes assembling at least one tyre component through laying of strip-like elements disposed circumferentially close to each other on a deposition surface radially external to the forming drum, wherein laying of each strip-like element includes: radially moving the strip-like element close to the deposition surface; locking a central portion of the strip-like element against the deposition surface; and pulling the strip-like element in opposite directions starting from the central portion toward the opposite ends thereof, while the central portion is maintained in a locked condition against the deposition surface, so as to progressively lay down the strip-like element against the deposition surface.
Abstract:
A 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. The deposition of the at least one reinforcing element includes the steps of setting a first deposition path of the at least one reinforcing element on the forming support based upon a theoretical deposition profile; detecting the deviations between an actual deposition profile and the theoretical profile along the first deposition path, defining, based upon the deviations, an actual deposition path of the at least one reinforcing element on the forming support; and depositing the at least one reinforcing element on the forming support along the actual deposition path.