In a pneumatic tire production method including a step of overlapping end portions of a sheet laminate and vulcanization-molding the tire, the sheet laminate being obtained by layering an elastomer layer and a sheet of a thermoplastic resin composition containing a thermoplastic resin or a blend of a thermoplastic resin and an elastomer, after the end portions of the sheet laminate are overlapped, the overlapped portion of the sheet laminate is compression-bonded at a temperature of not less than a glass transition temperature Tg of the thermoplastic resin and not greater than 120° C.

In a pneumatic tire production method including a step of overlapping end portions of a sheet laminate and vulcanization-molding the tire, the sheet laminate being obtained by layering an elastomer layer and a sheet of a thermoplastic resin composition containing a thermoplastic resin or a blend of a thermoplastic resin and an elastomer, after the end portions of the sheet laminate are overlapped, the overlapped portion of the sheet laminate is compression-bonded at a temperature of not less than a glass transition temperature Tg of the thermoplastic resin and not greater than 120° C.

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.

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.

The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing webs (1) that are intended to be involved in the makeup of a reinforcing ply (2) for a pneumatic tyre (20), said method comprising a preparation step (a), during which a plurality of straight-thread strips (7, 107, 207), which are each formed of a plurality of continuous reinforcing threads (4) that are embedded in a layer of rubber (5), are prepared, a butt-joining step (b), during which said straight-thread strips (7, 107, 207) are butt-joined in pairs to form a straight-thread ply (3), then a cutting step (c), during which the straight-thread ply (3) is inserted into a cutter (8) and the straight-thread ply (3) is severed transversely so as to form webs, wherein, in said method, the frontal width (W3) of the straight-thread ply (3) that is produced during the butt-joining step (b) and then inserted into the cutter (8) is equal to or greater than 50%, equal to or greater than 75%, equal to or greater than 80%, or even equal to or greater than 90%, of the cutter inlet width (W8), whereas the widest frontal width (W7, W107, W207) of the straight-thread strips is less than or equal to 50%, less than or equal to 40%, less than or equal to 25%, less than or equal to 10%, or even less than or equal to 5%, of said cutter inlet width (W8).

The present invention refers to a method for controlling the laying down of components of tyres on forming drums, said method comprising: sending a first electromagnetic radiation (Ri1) on a first laying down structure (3a) comprising a forming drum (2) and a first component (CI) of a tyre laid down on said forming drum (2); detecting at least a first corresponding reflected radiation (Rr1), determining as a function of said first reflected radiation (Rr1) a first parameter (PI) representative of a first main length (LI) of said first component (CI); comparing said first parameter (PI) with one or more pre-stored reference values; generating a first correction signal (SI) as a function of said comparison; sending said first correction signal (SI) to at least one preparation station adapted to prepare said first component (CI) to regulate the preparation of further components. An apparatus for controlling the laying down of components of tyres on forming drums is also described.

The present invention refers to a method for controlling the laying down of components of tyres on forming drums, said method comprising: sending a first electromagnetic radiation (Ri1) on a first laying down structure (3a) comprising a forming drum (2) and a first component (CI) of a tyre laid down on said forming drum (2); detecting at least a first corresponding reflected radiation (Rr1), determining as a function of said first reflected radiation (Rr1) a first parameter (PI) representative of a first main length (LI) of said first component (CI); comparing said first parameter (PI) with one or more pre-stored reference values; generating a first correction signal (SI) as a function of said comparison; sending said first correction signal (SI) to at least one preparation station adapted to prepare said first component (CI) to regulate the preparation of further components. An apparatus for controlling the laying down of components of tyres on forming drums is also described.

Provided are a rubber sheet member joining device and method. At least one opposing surface of a pair of gripping parts is provided with a contact member having a contact surface projecting toward an other opposing surface of the pair of gripping parts; the pair of gripping parts grip ranges in proximity to end surfaces in a state in which end surfaces project from the one opposing surface toward the other opposing surface; the total of end surface projection amounts of the end surfaces from the opposing surfaces is set to be a predetermined length larger than a separation distance between the opposing surfaces when the contact member is sandwiched between the opposing surfaces; and by bringing the contact member into a state of being sandwiched between the opposing surfaces, the movement of the gripping parts in proximity to each other is stopped and the end surfaces are joined together.

A method for controlling the laying down of components of tyres on forming drums, includes: sending a first electromagnetic radiation on a first laying down structure including a forming drum and a first component of a tyre laid down on the forming drum; detecting at least a first corresponding reflected radiation, determining as a function of the first reflected radiation a first parameter representative of a first main length of the first component; comparing the first parameter with one or more pre-stored reference values; generating a first correction signal as a function of the comparison; and sending the first correction signal to at least one preparation station adapted to prepare the first component to regulate the preparation of further components. An apparatus for controlling the laying down of components of tyres on forming drums is also described.

A method for controlling the laying down of components of tyres on forming drums, includes: sending a first electromagnetic radiation on a first laying down structure including a forming drum and a first component of a tyre laid down on the forming drum; detecting at least a first corresponding reflected radiation, determining as a function of the first reflected radiation a first parameter representative of a first main length of the first component; comparing the first parameter with one or more pre-stored reference values; generating a first correction signal as a function of the comparison; and sending the first correction signal to at least one preparation station adapted to prepare the first component to regulate the preparation of further components. An apparatus for controlling the laying down of components of tyres on forming drums is also described.