Drum (10) for manufacturing a tire blank, comprising a shaft, two flanges (14) movable in translation along the shaft, and means for supplying compressed air, each flange comprising at least one pneumatic effector (36). At least one flange comprises a first, radially internal ring (46) and a second, radially external ring (48) movable in rotation around the first ring by means of at least two airtight pivot connections (50), the rings and the pivot connections delimiting at least one sealed chamber (52), said flange comprising at least one first compressed-air circulation channel (54), a first section (56) of the first channel belonging to the first ring being connected at one of its ends to the sealed chamber, and a second section (58) of the first channel belonging to the second ring being connected at one of its ends to the sealed chamber.

Two auxiliary support members are operatively engaged with a building drum, in axially approached relationship with respective halves of the drum itself, each auxiliary member having a circumferential rest surface extending in the continuation of an outer circumferential surface of the building drum itself. Applied around the outer circumferential surface of the building drum is at least one carcass ply having axially opposite end flaps each lying on the circumferential rest surface of the respective auxiliary support member. A pair of auxiliary shaping members engaged with the building drum in place of the auxiliary support members, each act against a circumferential abutment edge carried by the building drum, to enable the carcass ply to be shaped into a toroidal configuration concurrently with mutual approaching of the halves of the building drum.

A process for manufacturing tyres for vehicle wheels, comprising the step of building on a forming support a carcass structure comprising at least one carcass ply and, at at least one end edge of the carcass ply, at least one annular anchoring structure comprising at least one substantially circumferential annular insert and at least one filling insert associated to said at least one substantially circumferential annular insert. The step of building the carcass structure comprises the steps of positioning the annular anchoring structure on the carcass ply by moving the annular substantially circumferential insert into contact with an end edge of the carcass ply by means of a special positioning member, pulling down the filling insert on the end edge of the carcass ply and turning up a free end portion of the end edge of the carcass ply so as to form a turned up end portion of the carcass ply including said annular anchoring structure. The pulling down of the filling insert on the end edge of the carcass ply is carried out by a special pulling down member while the substantially circumferential annular insert is retained into a contact position with the end edge of the carcass ply by said positioning member.

A tire is formed by disposing a cylindrical band member on a forming drum and outer circumferential sides of side portions disposed on both sides of the forming drum in a drum axial direction; expanding in diameter the forming drum and moving the side portions closer together in the drum axial direction; making step portions formed in the band member conform to side surfaces of the forming drum; moving bead members toward the step portions and compression-bonding the bead members to the band member on the side surfaces of the forming drum; and using a turn-up mechanism to wrap the bead members by turning up both end portions of the band member in the drum axial direction to form an intermediate green tire.

A process for manufacturing tires for vehicle wheels, comprising the step of building on a forming support a carcass structure comprising at least one carcass ply and, at at least one end edge of the carcass ply, at least one annular anchoring structure comprising at least one substantially circumferential annular insert and at least one filling insert associated to said at least one substantially circumferential annular insert. The step of building the carcass structure comprises the steps of positioning the annular anchoring structure on the carcass ply by moving the annular substantially circumferential insert into contact with an end edge of the carcass ply by means of a special positioning member, pulling down the filling insert on the end edge of the carcass ply and turning up a free end portion of the end edge of the carcass ply so as to form a turned up end portion of the carcass ply including said annular anchoring structure. The pulling down of the filling insert on the end edge of the carcass ply is carried out by a special pulling down member while the substantially circumferential annular insert is retained into a contact position with the end edge of the carcass ply by said positioning member.

Disclosed are present inventiona tire production method and apparatus. The tire production apparatus includes a main shaft and a turn-up rod assembly, a shim plate assembly, a lock block assembly and a middle drum assembly sleeved outside the main shaft. The tire production method includes: adjusting initial diameters of the shim plate assembly, the lock block assembly and the middle drum assembly, and adhering a sizing material; installing a tire rim outside the lock block assembly, increasing the diameter of the lock block assembly, and making the lock block assembly abut against and lock the tire rim; adjusting the diameter of the shim plate assembly and the middle drum assembly, so that outer surfaces of the shim plate assembly, the lock block assembly and the middle drum assembly are flush; turning over the turn-up rod assembly to adhere the sizing material to a side surface of the tire, and making the turn-up rod assembly move reversely and reset after the adhering is completed; decreasing the diameters of the shim plate assembly, the lock block assembly and the middle drum assembly and removing the tire from the main shaft. The present invention solves the problem in the related art that the replacement of tire size for a mechanical building drum is time-consuming and laborious.

A method of building a tire carcass is disclosed. The method of building the tire carcass includes the steps of applying one or more tire building components onto a drum forming a cylindrically shaped tire carcass. Placing a first and second bead onto the tire building components on the drum so that the tire carcass ends of the tire carcass extend laterally between the beads. Radially expanding a first and second bead lock mechanism into engagement with a respective first and second bead. Inflating the carcass under low pressure into engagement with a belt and tread package while moving the beads axially inward. Moving the beads axially inward to the axial width of the widest breaker position; Turning up the outer lateral ends of the cylindrically shaped tire carcass about a respective first and second bead.

A method of building a tire carcass is disclosed. The method of building the tire carcass includes the steps of applying one or more tire building components onto a drum forming a cylindrically shaped tire carcass. A first and second bead is placed onto a respective bead pocket. Then the carcass is inflated under low pressure into engagement with a belt and tread package while the bead pockets are moved axially inward. The beads are continued to move axially inward to the axial width of the widest breaker position. Then the outer lateral ends of the cylindrically shaped tire carcass are turned up about a respective first and second bead.

A second stage tire building drum is disclosed. The second stage tire building drum comprises a first and second hub, wherein each hub is mounted on a central shaft of the second stage tire building drum. Each hub is axially movable and has a bead receiving mechanism. The bead receiving mechanism includes one or more bead segments, wherein each bead segment has a pocket.

A method of forming a tire having a first and second bead on a tire building drum is disclosed. The method includes the steps of applying a green tire carcass onto the tire building drum, said tire building drum having a left and right hub, each hub having a bead pocket. The method includes the steps of placing the first and second bead onto a first and second respective bead pocket of the tire building drum and then inflating the carcass into engagement with a belt and tread package while moving at least one of the left and right hubs in the axial direction at a controlled velocity towards the other respective hub.