A method forms a butt joint between ends of first and second plies and splices the first and second plies together. The method includes the steps of: positioning a first splice edge of a first ply at a first location; positioning a second splice edge of a second ply at a second location, the second splice edge being left bare; wrapping a gum strip around the first splice edge such that the first gum strip forms a U-shaped structure in section that allows the first gum strip to extend from a first planar side of the first ply over the first splice edge to a second opposite planar side of the first ply; not wrapping a gum strip around the second splice edge; placing the first splice edge in abutting relationship to the second splice edge; and stitching the first splice edge to the second splice edge such that stitches each extend from the first planar side of the first ply, through the gum strip, to the first planar side of the second ply.

The installation comprises a preparation station for preparing strips by cutting a straight wire band, a jointing station arranged to butt-joint the strips obtained from the preparation station so as to form a reinforcing ply, and a station for turning over strips, which is interposed between the preparation station and the jointing station. The installation also comprises a first receiving surface, arranged to receive a strip, a second receiving surface associated with a reversing device which is arranged to transfer a strip from said first receiving surface to said second receiving surface, by thus turning over the strip. A gripping member is arranged to take a strip from the first or second receiving surface in order to allow the jointing station to selectively construct a reinforcing ply with a left-hand ply handle or with a right-hand ply angle.

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.

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 joining device for joining a trailing end of a first strip to a leading end of a second strip to form a tire component. The joining device includes a support member with a support surface and a retaining member with a retaining surface for retaining the second strip. The joining device is arranged for positioning the leading end of the second strip in a joining orientation in which said leading end is closer to the support plane than the rest. The joining device also includes a control unit for controlling a relative movement between the support member and the retaining member with a first component in a placement direction to place the leading end of the second strip and a second component in a joining direction to bring the leading end of the second strip into contact with the trailing end of the first strip.

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.

The installation comprises a preparation station for preparing strips by cutting a straight wire band, a jointing station arranged to butt-joint the strips obtained from the preparation station so as to form a reinforcing ply, and a station for turning over strips, which is interposed between the preparation station and the jointing station. The installation also comprises a first receiving surface, arranged to receive a strip, a second receiving surface associated with a reversing device which is arranged to transfer a strip from said first receiving surface to said second receiving surface, by thus turning over the strip. A gripping member is arranged to take a strip from the first or second receiving surface in order to allow the jointing station to selectively construct a reinforcing ply with a left-hand ply handle or with a right-hand ply angle.

Disclosed is joining device for joining a trailing end of a first strip to a leading end of a second strip to form a tire component. The joining device includes a support member with a support surface and a retaining member with a retaining surface for retaining the second strip. The joining device is arranged for positioning the leading end of the second strip in a joining orientation in which said leading end is closer to the support plane than the rest. The joining device also includes a control unit for controlling a relative movement between the support member and the retaining member with a first component in a placement direction to place the leading end of the second strip and a second component in a joining direction to bring the leading end of the second strip into contact with the trailing end of the first strip.

An apparatus and a method for stitching are provided. The apparatus includes a separator for separating in a separation position the leading end and the trailing end from a working surface to form a separation space, a stitcher unit with a stitcher foot to support the leading end and the trailing end from the separation space and a stitcher head for stitching the leading end and the trailing end on the stitcher foot from outside the separation space, a stitcher drive for driving the stitcher unit, a separator drive for retracting the separator, and a control unit to control the separator drive and the stitcher drive simultaneously such that, during the stitching, the separator is retracted in the stitching direction ahead of the stitcher unit.

An apparatus and a method for stitching are provided. The apparatus includes a separator for separating in a separation position the leading end and the trailing end from a working surface to form a separation space, a stitcher unit with a stitcher foot to support the leading end and the trailing end from the separation space and a stitcher head for stitching the leading end and the trailing end on the stitcher foot from outside the separation space, a stitcher drive for driving the stitcher unit, a separator drive for retracting the separator, and a control unit to control the separator drive and the stitcher drive simultaneously such that, during the stitching, the separator is retracted in the stitching direction ahead of the stitcher unit.