In a rubber-coated fabric, a plurality of warp cords is included with a spacing d between, sides of adjacent warp cords, each of the warp cords being coated with a layer of rubber compound, A cut line may further be included that separates groups of the warp cords, each group having a predetermined number of the warp cords. The cut line, may be formed by between 2 and 6 adjacent cut line warp cords, wherein a distance dc, between any two sides of adjacent cut Hue warp cords may be no more than. 50% of d. The layer of rubber compound that coats- the rubber-coated fabric is thin enough to outline the cut line on a surface of the rubber-coated woven fabric.

Provided is a device and method for butt-splicing strip members for tire components, having a first clamp and a second clamp arranged for clamping a first end of a first strip member and a second end of a second strip member, respectively, wherein at least one of the first clamp and the second clamp is movable along a butt-splice direction into a butt-splicing position opposite to the other of the first clamp and the second clamp for butt-splicing the ends, wherein the first clamp includes a first upper clamp member and a first lower clamp member, wherein the second clamp includes a second upper clamp member and a second lower clamp member, wherein the first lower clamp member projects beyond the first upper clamp member over a first overlap distance and wherein the second upper clamp member projects beyond the second lower clamp member over a second overlap distance.

An automatic splicing apparatus and methods thereof are provided herein for splicing together two ends of a sheet of tire material on a tire building drum. The apparatus comprises a frame, a splicer foot assembly, and a splicer roller assembly. The frame is configured to support the apparatus relative to the drum. The splicer foot assembly and the splicer roller assembly are independently longitudinally translatable relative to the frame. The splicer foot assembly includes a splicer foot having forward lower preparation rollers and rearward lower splicer rollers, and upper preparation rollers configured to operate in coordination with the forward lower preparation rollers to pull the two ends of the sheet of tire material together over the splicer foot. The splicer roller assembly includes upper splicer rollers configured to act in coordination with the rearward lower splicer rollers to splice the two ends together.

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.