A bleeder cord affixing device is made up of an affixing roller extending in a width direction of the treatment member and adapted to be pressed into the treatment member being moved, thereby to be rotated; and a roller moving mechanism that moves the affixing roller to and away from the treatment member. The roller moving mechanism operates to move the affixing roller to a pressed position urged to the treatment member, with a result that the affixing roller is caused to be rotated due to the movement of the treatment member at the pressed position and attaches the rubber member to the treatment member under the pressing force, and then presses the bleeder cords onto the treatment member to continuously affix the bleeder cords onto the surface of the treatment member.

A bleeder cord affixing device is made up of an affixing roller extending in a width direction of the treatment member and adapted to be pressed into the treatment member being moved, thereby to be rotated; and a roller moving mechanism that moves the affixing roller to and away from the treatment member. The roller moving mechanism operates to move the affixing roller to a pressed position urged to the treatment member, with a result that the affixing roller is caused to be rotated due to the movement of the treatment member at the pressed position and attaches the rubber member to the treatment member under the pressing force, and then presses the bleeder cords onto the treatment member to continuously affix the bleeder cords onto the surface of the treatment member.

A tyre building plant includes a forming drum and a supply device for supplying an elongated element toward the forming drum. The supply device includes at least one conveyor belt which extends in a supply direction between a loading region, in which the elongated element is loaded on the conveyor belt and an unloading region, a control unit for controlling the loading of the elongated element on the conveyor belt, at least a first detection element which is fixed with a first portion of the conveyor belt, a sensor which is fixed and independent with respect to the conveyor belt and which detects the position of the first portion 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.

A tyre building plant includes a forming drum and a supply device for supplying an elongated element toward the forming drum. The supply device includes at least one conveyor belt which extends in a supply direction between a loading region, in which the elongated element is loaded on the conveyor belt and an unloading region, a control unit for controlling the loading of the elongated element on the conveyor belt, at least a first detection element which is fixed with a first portion of the conveyor belt, a sensor which is fixed and independent with respect to the conveyor belt and which detects the position of the first portion 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.

A cutting station for a tire building machine includes a cutting device and a feeding device for feeding a strip of rubber material into the cutting device. The cutting device includes a cutting table for supporting the strip of rubber material in a support plane (P) and a cutting element for cutting the strip of rubber material along a cutting line (C) that extends parallel to the support plane (P), wherein the support plane (P) extends at a support angle (B) with respect to a first vertical plane in a range of five to thirty degrees and wherein the feeding device (5) is arranged for feeding the strip of rubber material onto the cutting table in a downward feeding direction parallel to the support plane. Also provided is a tire building machine incorporating the cutting station and a cutting method.

A front end feeding device 23 between a cutter 10 and a fixed-length feeding hand 30 that feeds a strip member 5 on an upstream side of the cutter 10 feeds a front end of the strip member 5 a short distance to a downstream side of the cutter 10, a front end grasping hand 60 on the downstream of the cutter 10 holds the front end of the strip member 5 fed the short distance, the fixed-length feeding hand 30 holds a part of the strip member 5 fed the short distance on the upstream side of the cutter 10, the front end grasping hand 60 and the fixed-length feeding hand 30 synchronously feed the strip member 5 a long distance to the downstream side, and the cutter 10 cuts the strip member 5 having been fed the long distance.

A front end feeding device 23 between a cutter 10 and a fixed-length feeding hand 30 that feeds a strip member 5 on an upstream side of the cutter 10 feeds a front end of the strip member 5 a short distance to a downstream side of the cutter 10, a front end grasping hand 60 on the downstream of the cutter 10 holds the front end of the strip member 5 fed the short distance, the fixed-length feeding hand 30 holds a part of the strip member 5 fed the short distance on the upstream side of the cutter 10, the front end grasping hand 60 and the fixed-length feeding hand 30 synchronously feed the strip member 5 a long distance to the downstream side, and the cutter 10 cuts the strip member 5 having been fed the long distance.

Disclosed is a cutting device and a method for cutting-off a length of a continuous strip to form a tire component, wherein the cutting device includes a cutting member for cutting the continuous strip at a cutting position and a feeding member that is movable in a feeding direction for feeding the length of the continuous strip in the feeding direction past said cutting position, wherein the feeding member is retractable in a retraction direction. The cutting device further includes a manipulator for retaining the length as the feeding member is retracted in the retraction direction, wherein the cutting position is located on the manipulator and wherein the cutting member and the manipulator are movable together in the feeding direction to cut-off of the length of the continuous strip at the cutting position on the manipulator while moving the length of the continuous strip in the feeding direction.

The present disclosure is directed to a process and an apparatus for cutting a continuous rubber-covered belt in a process for building tyres for vehicle wheels, wherein the apparatus comprises a cutting group, in turn comprising: a knife formed by a first half-part and a second half-part and movable along a cutting direction that is tilted with respect to a supply direction of a rubber-covered belt placed beneath the knife. The process comprises: lifting a lifting element placed below the continuous rubber-covered belt and at the cutting zone, until a portion of rubber-covered belt is lifted, and lowering the single first-half part of the knife, making it slide with respect to the second half-part.

The present disclosure is directed to a process and an apparatus for cutting a continuous rubber-covered belt in a process for building tyres for vehicle wheels, wherein the apparatus comprises a cutting group, in turn comprising: a knife formed by a first half-part and a second half-part and movable along a cutting direction that is tilted with respect to a supply direction of a rubber-covered belt placed beneath the knife. The process comprises: lifting a lifting element placed below the continuous rubber-covered belt and at the cutting zone, until a portion of rubber-covered belt is lifted, and lowering the single first-half part of the knife, making it slide with respect to the second half-part.