A method and a device for vulcanizing tires. An expandable bellows is used for pressing the tire being vulcanized against segments of a mold. The bellows is arranged on a carrier which has an annular shape.

The curing bladder for a tire comprises a body made of a flexible material suited to being inserted in the drawn-in position inside a pneumatic tire in a curing mould and which is capable of being expanded so as to flatten the tire against the internal surface of the mould. The body is produced based on a film made of a thermoplastic polymer and has a cylindrical tube shape when the bladder is in the drawn-in position.

A method of manufacturing a pneumatic tire includes placing a bladder device including a vulcanization bladder at a holding position outside a mold; inserting the vulcanization bladder in a green tire with a tire axis central position of the green tire and a shaft central position of the vulcanization bladder aligned; aligning a central position in a tire width direction of the green tire and a central position in a shaft direction of the vulcanization bladder; supporting the green tire with the vulcanization bladder by inflating the vulcanization bladder to a predetermined green tire supportable internal pressure; bringing the vulcanization bladder in contact with an inner surface of the green tire; transporting the green tire together with the bladder device to the vulcanization device; setting the green tire with the bladder device in the mold; inflating the vulcanization bladder to a predetermined vulcanization internal pressure; and vulcanizing the green tire.

A bladder control assembly for a tire curing press includes an upper and lower clamp rings for clamping a bladder therebetween. The bladder is shaped with curing media to cure a tire enclosed between a top and bottom mold. An upper ring cylinder and one or more lower ring cylinders actuates the upper clamp ring and at least the lower clamp ring, respectively. A curing media supply and drain arrangement includes an outer pipe telescopically engaged to an inner pipe and the inner pipe is configured to supply the curing media to the bladder. The inner pipe moves within the outer pipe during actuation of the lower ring cylinders. The outer pipe is fixed to a cylinder guide by an outer pipe flange which is configured to house a seal provided at the area joining the outer pipe and the inner pipe.

A green tyre (2) for bicycles is built, comprising at least one carcass ply (4) having axially opposite end flaps (4a) engaged with respective bead cores (5) and a tread band (6) applied in a radially outer position around said at least one carcass ply (4). The built tyre (2) removed from the building drum, is profiled so as to translate the tread band (6) in a radially outer direction with respect to the bead cores (5), so as to impart a cross-sectional convex profile to the tyre (2) in a radially outer direction. The profiled tire is engaged by means of a transfer member (31) comprising a gripping device (30) which holds it hanging and loads it into a vulcanisation mould (101) by axially positioning an axial centreline plane (M) of the green tyre at an axial reference (51) arranged at a predetermined height along a reference axis (K) of a central body (103) of the vulcanisation mould (101).

A method and a device for vulcanizing tires. An expandable bellows is used for pressing the tire being vulcanized against segments of a mold. The bellows is arranged on a carrier which has an annular shape.

A green tyre (2) for bicycles is built, comprising at least one carcass ply (4) having axially opposite end flaps (4a) engaged with respective bead cores (5) and a tread band (6) applied in a radially outer position around said at least one carcass ply (4). The built tyre (2) removed from the building drum, is profiled so as to translate the tread band (6) in a radially outer direction with respect to the bead cores (5), so as to impart a cross-sectional convex profile to the tyre (2) in a radially outer direction. The profiled tire is engaged by means of a transfer member (31) comprising a gripping device (30) which holds it hanging and loads it into a vulcanisation mould (101) by axially positioning an axial centreline plane (M) of the green tyre at an axial reference (51) arranged at a predetermined height along a reference axis (K) of a central body (103) of the vulcanisation mould (101).