Abstract:
A process for the manufacture of tire for high speed two-wheeled vehicles comprising making a cylindrical sleeve, attaching annular bead wires to the axial ends of said sleeve and shaping the sleeve into a toroidal configuration. A belt structure made of coils of cords is applied to the crown of said toroidal configuration. The belt is reinforced with HE cords which can be deformed to enable the tire carcass to be so largely expanded into the mold to achieve completely molding of a tread band.
Abstract:
In a metallic mold, all or a part of the annular portion for molding at least the tread of the tire is formed by a plurality of small separate pieces that can be combined to form said annular portion. Between these small pieces, during the molding of the tire, clearances are maintained so as to permit the passage of air but not the passage of rubber. The above clearances are connected through vent holes to air suction means. Such vent holes are also connected with means for blowing pressure fluid through the clearances. The construction of this mold portion by means of small pieces made with cuts of the aforementioned portion in the axial and the circumferential direction permits regulation of the width of the clearances with respect to the rheometric characteristics of the elastomeric material to be molded and to adapt easily the mold to different tire sizes by increasing or decreasing the number of such pieces.
Abstract:
A process for manufacturing elastomeric components of a tire for a vehicle wheel includes feeding a continuous elongated element from a delivery member by exerting a feeding pressure inside the delivery member, rotating a building support around a geometrical rotation axis of the support, carrying out controlled relative displacements between the delivery member and the support to form a tire component, stopping the feeding of the elongated element when formation of the tire component is complete, and exerting a counter-pressure inside the delivery member after stopping the feeding. Rotating the support assists circumferential distribution of the elongated element on the support. Carrying out controlled relative displacements assists transverse distribution of the elongated element on the support. The tire component is defined by a plurality of coils laid in a pre-established deposition pattern depending on a predetermined cross-section outline to be given to the tire component.
Abstract:
A wheel having a controlled pressure includes a rim associated with a tank adapted to be filled with a fluid to a first pressure; a tire mounted on the rim and having an inner volume inflated to an operating pressure at a reference temperature, the operating pressure being lower than the first pressure; and at least one valve assembly adapted to establish a communication between the tank, the inner volume of the tire and the external environment. The valve assembly includes a command valve, an exhaust valve and a compensation valve operatively associated with each other. The command valve controls communication between the tank and the inner volume of the tire. The exhaust valve is connected to the external environment, to the inner volume, to the command valve and to the compensation valve. The compensation valve is connected to the exhaust valve and the command valve. The command valve includes an inner chamber connected with the exhaust valve and the compensation valve in such a manner that the command valve is operated by the exhaust valve and the compensation valve through a pressure variation of the inner chamber in response to a variation of the inner pressure of the tire.
Abstract:
A method for controlling the deformation of a surface of a sail of a sailing boat during a direction change maneuver, includes arranging at least one inflatable batten into a respective seat formed on a side surface of the sail, the at least one batten being inflated at a predetermined working pressure as to impart to said at least one inflatable batten a bending stiffness having, with no bending load, a predetermined value, carrying out a maneuver for changing the direction of the sailing boat, wherein in a first part of maneuver, the at least one batten is subjected to the action of an increasing bending load, and in a second part of the maneuver, the bending load ends its action on the at least one batten, during the maneuver the mechanical properties of the at least one batten being changed so that as the bending load increases in the first part of the maneuver, the value of the bending stiffness of the at least one batten decreases considerably, and as the action of the bending load ends in the second part of the maneuver, the bending stiffness of the at least one batten returns to the predetermined value.
Abstract:
A method of moulding and curing tyres for vehicle wheels includes the steps of disposing a tyre being processed on a toroidal support, enclosing the tyre and the toroidal support inside a moulding cavity defined in a vulcanization mould, pressing the outer surface of the tyre against the moulding cavity walls, and administering heat to the tyre to cause molecular crosslinking of the tyre. The pressing step includes the steps of compressing side portions of the tyre between the moulding cavity walls and the outer surface of the toroidal support, concurrently with the closing step, and imposing an expansion to a radially-outer portion of the tyre to bring the radially-outer portion of the tyre against the walls of the moulding cavity.
Abstract:
A method for monitoring deformations in a tire of a vehicle wheel, the wheel including the tire and a rim, the method including: providing the wheel with at least two magnetic-field emitters mutually disposed so as to yield a composite magnetic field having one or more space portions where at least one component of the composite magnetic field is substantially null; disposing at least one main magnetic-field sensor substantially in one of the one or more space portions; monitoring variation of the at least one component of the composite magnetic field; and correlating the variation with tire deformations. At least one of the magnetic-field emitters is disposed in contact with the tire. A system for monitoring deformations in a tire of a vehicle wheel includes the wheel, the at least two magnetic-field emitters, and the at least one main magnetic-field sensor.
Abstract:
A process for manufacturing elastomeric components of a tyre for a vehicle wheel includes feeding a continuous elongated element from a delivery member by exerting a feeding pressure inside the delivery member, rotating a building support around a geometrical rotation axis of the support, carrying out controlled relative displacements between the delivery member and the support to form a tyre component, stopping the feeding of the elongated element when formation of the tyre component is complete, and exerting a counter-pressure inside the delivery member after stopping the feeding. Rotating the support assists circumferential distribution of the elongated element on the support. Carrying out controlled relative displacements assists transverse distribution of the elongated element on the support. The tyre component is defined by a plurality of coils laid in a pre-established deposition pattern depending on a predetermined cross-section outline to be given to the tyre component.
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 method of manufacturing tyres includes making a plurality of structural components for tyres, assembling the components following a pre-established sequence at respective work stations disposed along a manufacturing line, transferring the tyres to a curing line, and curing the tyres in respective vulcanization moulds. The tyres are sequentially transferred along the manufacturing line from a first work station to successive work stations. At least one series of tyres is simultaneously processed on the manufacturing line and the curing line, and the at least one series of tyres includes at least one first tyre model and at least one second tyre model different from the at least one first tyre model. The tyres are transferred from the manufacturing line to the curing line at a same rate as the tyres are sequentially transferred along the manufacturing line from the first work station to the successive work stations.