A pneumatic tire is disclosed and comprises a tread, a belt package located radially beneath the tread, a pair of bead cores, a pair of sidewalls, with each sidewall extending between the tread and each bead core, a carcass comprising a first carcass ply extending under the tread and being anchored to each bead core, wherein the first carcass ply has a reinforced stiffener applied thereto, wherein the carcass further comprising a second carcass ply, wherein the second carcass ply extends under the tread and is anchored to each bead core.

The present invention is a strip of a thermoplastic elastomer composition to be wound spirally on a cylindrical drum to form an inner liner for a tire. The strip is composed of a layer stack of a first layer made of a thermoplastic elastomer composition containing 0.1 part by mass to 50 parts by mass of an organic derivative of clay mineral relative to 100 parts by mass of a styrene-isobutylene-styrene triblock copolymer, and a second layer made of a thermoplastic elastomer composition containing at least one of a styrene-isoprene-styrene triblock copolymer and a styrene-isobutylene diblock copolymer. The strip has a strip main body with a thickness of 0.05 mm to 1.0 mm and ear portions with a thickness thinner than the thickness of the strip main body and a width of 0.5 mm to 5.0 mm disposed on opposite sides thereof.

A method for manufacturing an annular carcass of a tire includes providing first and second ply materials, each including cords; winding at least a layer of the first ply material and a layer of the second ply material onto a carcass drum so the first ply material radially surrounds the second ply material; arranging two cables onto the cylindrical carcass preform; turning the part of the cylindrical carcass preform about the closer cable onto the part of the cylindrical carcass preform between the two cables; and expanding the cylindrical carcass preform to form an annular carcass having, in a bead area, inner and outer layers of the first ply material and inner and outer layers of the second ply material. The ply materials are arranged so the cords thereof are arranged cross-wise with respect to its neighboring ply materials or a neighboring ply material, considering the innermost or outermost layer.

An apparatus for depositing a piece of band-like elastomeric element on a forming support in a process for building a tyre for vehicle wheels. The apparatus operates by feeding a piece of band-like elastomeric element having a predetermined nominal length towards the forming support along a predetermined feeding direction and measuring the actual length of the piece along the feeding direction. If the actual length is lower than or equal to a circumferential length of a deposition surface defined on the forming support, the piece is deposited on the deposition surface while the forming support rotates about a rotation axis thereof. During such deposition the piece is pressed on the deposition surface with a pressing force selected as a function of the actual length.

An apparatus for depositing a piece of band-like elastomeric element on a forming support in a process for building a tyre for vehicle wheels. The apparatus operates by feeding a piece of band-like elastomeric element having a predetermined nominal length towards the forming support along a predetermined feeding direction and measuring the actual length of the piece along the feeding direction. If the actual length is lower than or equal to a circumferential length of a deposition surface defined on the forming support, the piece is deposited on the deposition surface while the forming support rotates about a rotation axis thereof. During such deposition the piece is pressed on the deposition surface with a pressing force selected as a function of the actual length.

Disclosed are to a transfer apparatus and a method for transferring plies onto a carcass package on a tire building drum. The transfer apparatus includes a transfer ring with first ring segments and a frame that extends in a circumferential direction about a central axis for holding the first ring segments in first angular positions distributed in the circumferential direction along the frame, wherein the first ring segments are movable relative to the frame in a radial direction from a first radial distance to a second radial distance from the central axis that is smaller than the first radial distance. The transfer apparatus further includes a first rolling device that is positionable in a second angular position interposed between the first angular positions, and a second ring segment that is positionable in the second angular position at the second radial distance from the central axis.

Disclosed are to a transfer apparatus and a method for transferring plies onto a carcass package on a tire building drum. The transfer apparatus includes a transfer ring with first ring segments and a frame that extends in a circumferential direction about a central axis for holding the first ring segments in first angular positions distributed in the circumferential direction along the frame, wherein the first ring segments are movable relative to the frame in a radial direction from a first radial distance to a second radial distance from the central axis that is smaller than the first radial distance. The transfer apparatus further includes a first rolling device that is positionable in a second angular position interposed between the first angular positions, and a second ring segment that is positionable in the second angular position at the second radial distance from the central axis.

A pneumatic tire manufacturing method is provided in which raw cover molding is suitably performed with no, or a minimal amount of, down-stitching in the manufacture of SOT-structure pneumatic tires; also provided is a pneumatic tire. This pneumatic tire manufacturing method involves a first cover molding step for molding a first cover having a sidewall, an inner lining, a ply, beads and a tread-side edge, a tread ring forming step for forming a tread ring having a breaker, a band and a tread center part, a shaping step for pressure-bonding the tread ring and the first cover to mold this to the shape of the raw cover, and a turn-up step for bonding the side wall to the lateral surface of the first cover, wherein the tread-side edge is formed in a position adjacent to the end of the tread center portion in the shaping step, and in the turn-up step, the tread-side edge and the tread center part are bonded together.

A pneumatic tire manufacturing method is provided in which raw cover molding is suitably performed with no, or a minimal amount of, down-stitching in the manufacture of SOT-structure pneumatic tires; also provided is a pneumatic tire. This pneumatic tire manufacturing method involves a first cover molding step for molding a first cover having a sidewall, an inner lining, a ply, beads and a tread-side edge, a tread ring forming step for forming a tread ring having a breaker, a band and a tread center part, a shaping step for pressure-bonding the tread ring and the first cover to mold this to the shape of the raw cover, and a turn-up step for bonding the side wall to the lateral surface of the first cover, wherein the tread-side edge is formed in a position adjacent to the end of the tread center portion in the shaping step, and in the turn-up step, the tread-side edge and the tread center part are bonded together.

A topping sheet forming method includes: a division step of cylindrically winding a textile original fabric, obtained by weaving longitudinally aligned tire cords into a cord fabric by use of weft yarns, to form an original fabric roll and cutting off the weft yarns in predetermined widthwise positions by using a wire wound on the original fabric roll in a predetermined winding angle range to divide the textile original fabric into narrow textile original fabrics; and a topping step of topping at least one surface of each of the narrow textile original fabrics with unvulcanized rubber.