A method forms a butt joint between ends of first and second plies and splices the first and second plies together. The method includes the steps of: positioning a first splice edge of a first ply at a first location; positioning a second splice edge of a second ply at a second location, the second splice edge being left bare; wrapping a gum strip around the first splice edge such that the first gum strip forms a U-shaped structure in section that allows the first gum strip to extend from a first planar side of the first ply over the first splice edge to a second opposite planar side of the first ply; not wrapping a gum strip around the second splice edge; placing the first splice edge in abutting relationship to the second splice edge; and stitching the first splice edge to the second splice edge such that stitches each extend from the first planar side of the first ply, through the gum strip, to the first planar side of the second ply.

An apparatus is provided that has a frame (12), and a first cup segment (14) that has a first contact surface (16) that is both curved and inclined relative to a vertical direction. The first cup segment is movable relative to the frame. The first contact surface (16) is configured for engaging a warm, cured tire (20) for holding. The tire has a sidewall (28), and a tread (22) with a tread edge and a tread contact surface. The first contact surface (16) is configured for engaging the tread (22) and is not configured for engaging the sidewall (28) for holding.

In a manufacturing method of a tire which manufactures a side-wall rubber as a constituent member of the tire by winding a rubber strip formed of unvulcanized rubber on a carcass ply serving as a rotating body, the method includes the steps of: winding the rubber strip prior to vulcanization in a spiral manner having a partially overlapping region, so that at least part thereof is exposed at an outer surface, and another portion thereof is covered by the rubber strip after being wound; and arranging an electronic component so that the electronic component is positioned in the partially overlapping region of the rubber strip or between the carcass ply, etc. serving as the lower layer member of the rubber strip and the rubber strip, in the winding step or an earlier step thereto.

A masterbatch manufacturing method comprising: an operation in which a natural rubber latex, and a rubber latex having a mass-average molecular weight that is less than a mass-average molecular weight of the natural rubber latex, are mixed to obtain a pre-slurry-mixing rubber latex for which a mass-average-molecular-weight-to-number-average-molecular-weight ratio is 6 to 10; an operation in which the pre-slurry-mixing rubber latex and a filler slurry are mixed to obtain a pre-coagulation liquid mixture; and an operation in which the pre-coagulation liquid mixture is coagulated.

Apparatus for applying noise reducing elements to tyres for vehicle wheels. The apparatus includes a loading station of stacks of noise reducing elements, an extraction station of noise reducing elements from each stack placed downstream of the loading station, and a conveyor placed downstream of the extraction station and extending along a predefined path. The conveyor is configured for supporting and advancing in a row the noise reducing elements extracted from the stacks which are then applied to a radially inner surface of the tyres. The extraction of each of the noise reducing elements contemplates: retaining a first noise reducing element placed at the base of a stack; raising the remaining noise reducing elements of the stack from the first noise reducing element; moving away the first noise reducing element according to a set path; and lowering the remaining noise reducing elements of the stack.

Identification labels and their incorporation in rubber-based articles are described. The labels include RFID components and can be incorporated in tires. The labels can withstand the relatively harsh conditions associated with vulcanization.

A method and a related station for applying a sensing device to a tyre are described. A tape-shaped support with removably fixed sensing devices is advanced, to feed the sensing devices in sequence. A handling device is then rigidly coupled to a sensing device, maintaining at least a portion of an adhesion surface of the sensing device removably fixed to a support. The sensing device is then completely separated from the support, taken away by the handling device, and applied to an inner surface of a tyre by the handling device.

A method and a related station for applying a sensing device to a tyre are described. A tape-shaped support with removably fixed sensing devices is advanced, to feed the sensing devices in sequence. A handling device is then rigidly coupled to a sensing device, maintaining at least a portion of an adhesion surface of the sensing device removably fixed to a support. The sensing device is then completely separated from the support, taken away by the handling device, and applied to an inner surface of a tyre by the handling device.

A tire includes a central region configured to be mounted to a wheel and a crown region including a circumferential tread and a shear element disposed below the circumferential tread. The shear element includes an upper reinforcement layer, a lower reinforcement layer, and an elastic region disposed between the upper reinforcement layer and the lower reinforcement layer. A radial distance between the upper reinforcement layer and the lower reinforcement layer varies along an axial width of the tire. The tire also includes an intermediate region extending from the central region to the crown region.

An extruder is disclosed including: a barrel; and a screw provided with a helical groove; wherein the screw comprises a dewatering portion comprising a first portion, and a second portion at a location downstream from the first portion; wherein, at the dewatering portion, clearance between the groove and the barrel decreases as one proceeds downstream; and wherein clearance reduction ratio at the first portion is greater than clearance reduction ratio at the second portion.