Disclosed is an apparatus and method for correcting misalignment of a strip, wherein the apparatus includes a correction device with an alignment surface for supporting a strip in a support plane, wherein the support plane extends at a support angle with respect to a first vertical plane in a range of five to thirty degrees, wherein the support plane intersects with a second vertical plane that is perpendicular to the first vertical plane at an intersecting line, wherein the correction device further includes one or more correction elements for exerting a displacement force onto said strip in a correction direction parallel to the support plane and transverse to the intersecting line.

A tyre building plant (1; 100) comprises a forming drum (4) and a supply device (10) for supplying an elongated element (3) towards the forming drum. The supply device comprises at least one conveyor belt (11; 101) which extends in a supply direction (X) between a loading region (12), in which the elongated element is loaded on the conveyor belt and an unloading region (13), a control unit (19) for controlling the loading of the elongated element (3) on the conveyor belt (11; 101), at least a first detection element which is fixed with a first portion (20) of the conveyor belt, a sensor (22) which is fixed and independent with respect to the conveyor belt and which detects the position of the first portion (20) with respect to the supply device. The loading of the elongated element on the conveyor belt is performed when the first portion is at a predefined reference distance from the loading region (12).

A tyre building plant (1; 100) comprises a forming drum (4) and a supply device (10) for supplying an elongated element (3) towards the forming drum. The supply device comprises at least one conveyor belt (11; 101) which extends in a supply direction (X) between a loading region (12), in which the elongated element is loaded on the conveyor belt and an unloading region (13), a control unit (19) for controlling the loading of the elongated element (3) on the conveyor belt (11; 101), at least a first detection element which is fixed with a first portion (20) of the conveyor belt, a sensor (22) which is fixed and independent with respect to the conveyor belt and which detects the position of the first portion (20) with respect to the supply device. The loading of the elongated element on the conveyor belt is performed when the first portion is at a predefined reference distance from the loading region (12).

The method comprises steps during which, by making the cylindrical form rotate in a first circumferential direction, the ply is deposited until the front edge and performs a complete rotation. A point of penetration is marked on the ply on a cutting line, and a cutting blade that is driven in translation is made to penetrate between two wires placed on the cutting line at the point of penetration. The cylindrical form is made to rotate in an opposite second circumferential direction while displacing the cutting blade in a first transverse direction until the cutting blade is disposed at a predetermined and non-zero distance from a first selvedge. Without retracting the cutting blade from the wire gap, the cylindrical form is made to rotate in the first circumferential direction while displacing the cutting blade in an opposite second transverse direction until the cutting blade emerges at a second selvedge.

The method comprises steps during which, by making the cylindrical form rotate in a first circumferential direction, the ply is deposited until the front edge and performs a complete rotation. A point of penetration is marked on the ply on a cutting line, and a cutting blade that is driven in translation is made to penetrate between two wires placed on the cutting line at the point of penetration. The cylindrical form is made to rotate in an opposite second circumferential direction while displacing the cutting blade in a first transverse direction until the cutting blade is disposed at a predetermined and non-zero distance from a first selvedge. Without retracting the cutting blade from the wire gap, the cylindrical form is made to rotate in the first circumferential direction while displacing the cutting blade in an opposite second transverse direction until the cutting blade emerges at a second selvedge.

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 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).

Disclosed is a cutting device and a method for cutting a continuous strip into tire components. The cutting device includes a knife for cutting the continuous strip along a cutting line in a working plane and a feeding assembly with a feeding member for feeding the continuous strip in the working plane to the knife in a feeding direction that intersects with the cutting line at a cutting angle. The feeding member, and the knife are rotatable with respect to each other about a rotation axis perpendicular to the working plane for adjusting the cutting angle. The feeding assembly further includes an input member for receiving the continuous strip in an input direction into the cutting device and one or more guide members for guiding the continuous strip from the input member to the feeding member, wherein the input member is placed in line with or substantially in line with the rotation axis.

Disclosed is a cutting device and a method for cutting a continuous strip into tire components. The cutting device includes a knife for cutting the continuous strip along a cutting line in a working plane and a feeding assembly with a feeding member for feeding the continuous strip in the working plane to the knife in a feeding direction that intersects with the cutting line at a cutting angle. The feeding member, and the knife are rotatable with respect to each other about a rotation axis perpendicular to the working plane for adjusting the cutting angle. The feeding assembly further includes an input member for receiving the continuous strip in an input direction into the cutting device and one or more guide members for guiding the continuous strip from the input member to the feeding member, wherein the input member is placed in line with or substantially in line with the rotation axis.

Disclosed is a tire building apparatus and a method for joining or cutting tire components. The tire building apparatus includes a rocking member that is movable in a rocking plane in a rocking motion along a rocking line, a translation guide extending parallel to the rocking line and a carriage that is displaceable along the translation guide, wherein the rocking member has a convex edge that defines a minor arc of a circle and extends up to a rotation center, wherein the rocking member is supported by the carriage at the rotation center and is angularly displaceable with respect to the carriage about a rotation axis extending through the rotation center.