The tire building drum includes a rotatable drum having a center section and a first and second shoulder section. The center section is radially expandable, and the center section has a first and second shoulder, wherein the first and second shoulders are sloped. The method of building a tire includes the steps of applying an inner liner and a layer of ply to the drum and then a bead, locking the bead into position, applying an apex to each of the sloped shoulders, turning up the ply over the bead and the apex, and then applying a down ply over the ply ending.

Disclosed is a first drum half together with a second drum half forming a tire building drum of a tire building machine, and a method for operating the machine. The machine includes a first drive member and a second drive member movable in the axial direction inside the drum shaft. The first drum half includes a base movable over the drum shaft in an axial direction, a crown-up section having a plurality of crown segments and a displacement member for displacing the crown segments in a crown-up direction, wherein the first drum half further includes a first coupling member for coupling the first drive member to the base to drive the movement of the base and a second coupling member for coupling the second drive member to the displacement member to drive the displacement of the crown segments.

The invention relates to a method for operating a tire building machine, wherein the tire building machine comprises a first drum half, wherein the first drum half comprises a base for mounting the first drum half to the drum shaft, wherein the base has a central axis that is arranged to coincide with the rotation axis, wherein the base is arranged to be movable over the drum shaft in the axial direction parallel to said central axis, wherein the first drum half is further provided with a turn-up section comprising a plurality of turn-up arms and an arm support, wherein the turn-up arms are rotatable with respect to the arm support from an arms-down position towards an arms-up position, wherein the method comprises the step of displacing the arm support such that each turn-up arm is turned-up into an intermediate position between the arms-down position and the arms-up position.

An apparatus for building tyres for vehicle wheels are described. A substantially cylindrical carcass sleeve, having at least one carcass ply, includes consecutively adjacent strip-like elements laid one after the other around the circumferential extension of a substantially cylindrical deposition surface. Circumferentially consecutive strip-like elements laid one after the other form overlap zones along respective longitudinal edges superimposed on each other. Each overlap zone has, along a longitudinal extension thereof, terminal sections that are laterally opposite with respect to an intermediate section. The intermediate section of each overlap zone has greater width than the width of the terminal sections.

A carcass ply is applied around an outer surface of a building drum, according to an application diameter greater than the fitting diameter of the tyre. An annular anchoring structure defining the fitting diameter is coaxially engaged around each of the end flaps. An outer sleeve including at least one belt structure possibly associated with a tread band is disposed at a coaxially centred position around the carcass sleeve applied onto the building drum. Through axial approaching of two halves forming the building drum, the carcass sleeve is shaped into a toroidal configuration to determine application of same against a radially internal surface of the outer sleeve.

A process and an apparatus for building tyres, wherein, in the process, a carcass sleeve including at least one carcass ply and a pair of annular anchoring structures is transferred to a shaping drum including flange elements that are each engageable with one of said annular anchoring structures. The carcass sleeve is shaped according to a toroidal configuration. Before shaping, annular grip elements respectively carried by the flange elements are radially expanded, each inside one of the annular anchoring structures, in order to engage the carcass sleeve. The annular anchoring structures are moved axially apart from each other before engaging the carcass sleeve by the annular grip elements.

A drum for producing a tire casing blank comprises a support and sectors forming a circumferential face of the drum. Each sector has a circumferential outer face having a contour of general trapezoidal form and is mounted so as to be movable relative to the support in a non-radial predetermined direction relative to an axis of rotation of the drum and intercepting this axis.

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.

Disclosed is a pressure roll and a method for pressing a tire layer on a tire building drum in a pressing direction, wherein the pressure roll includes a shaft and a plurality of discs, wherein each disc has an interior part and an exterior part, wherein each interior part is provided with a recess for receiving the shaft, wherein the recess is larger than the shaft in the pressing direction for allowing movement of the disc with respect to said shaft in the pressing direction, wherein the pressure roll includes for each disc one or more actuators for individually moving the disc, wherein one actuator is arranged for moving the respective disc with respect to the shaft in the pressing direction and the same or another actuator is arranged for moving the respective disc with respect to the shaft in a retraction direction opposite to the pressing direction.

A process and an apparatus for building tyres and a tyre for vehicle wheels are described. A substantially cylindrical carcass sleeve, having at least one carcass ply, is formed by laying consecutively adjacent strip-like elements one after the other around the circumferential extension of a substantially cylindrical deposition surface. Circumferentially consecutive strip-like elements are laid one after the other to form overlap zones along respective longitudinal edges superimposed on each other. Each overlap zone has, along a longitudinal extension thereof, terminal sections that are laterally opposite with respect to an intermediate section. The intermediate section of each overlap zone has greater width than the width of the terminal sections.