In a shaping station (13), a toroidal forming drum (23) is positioned within a carcass sleeve (12) comprising at least one carcass ply (3) associated with a pair of beads (6) in radially inner position. The carcass sleeve (12) is toroidally shaped by radial expansion of the forming drum (23). The forming drum (23) carrying the shaped carcass sleeve (12) is removed from the shaping station (13). Tyre components (7, 8, 9) are applied externally on the shaped carcass sleeve (12), carried by the forming drum (23). At the end of the shaping and during the application of the tyre components (7, 8, 9), axially inner sides of said beads (6) are arranged axially against respective circumferential axially outer portions (S1) of an abutment surface (S) carried by the expanded forming drum (23), having shape corresponding to an inner shape of the shaped carcass sleeve (12).

In a process for building tyres for vehicle wheels, a carcass sleeve is arranged on a shaping drum including two half-drums and two supports. Each support is operatively associated with one of the half-drums and carries a plurality of turning-up levers having free ends positioned close to the respective half-drum. Two annular anchoring structures are disposed around the carcass sleeve and each of the two supports is locked to the respective half-drum by interposing only stiff mechanical elements in mutual contact between the support and the half-drum. The carcass sleeve is shaped in a toroidal conformation, by setting a threaded shaft in rotation and moving the half-drums close to each other. Subsequently, each of the two supports is unlocked from the respective half-drum and the threaded shaft is set in rotation to move each support close to the respective half-drum and lift up the free ends of the turning-up levers until the end flaps of the carcass sleeve are turned up around the annular anchoring structures.

A carcass ply is applied around an outer surface of a building drum according to an application diameter larger than the fitting diameter of a tyre. Coaxially engaged around each of the end flaps is an annular anchoring structure defining the fitting diameter. A pair of sidewalls is manufactured by laying of a continuous elongated element in the form of approached coils on the carcass sleeve. An outer sleeve, including at least one belt structure possibly associated with a tread band, is coaxially centered around the carcass sleeve. 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 plant for building tyres, includes: a shaping work station configured for receiving a carcass sleeve; at least one radially expandable/contractible toroidal forming drum engageable in the shaping work station; at least one work station configured for building at least one component of a crown structure on a radially external surface of a tyre being processed, defined starting from the carcass sleeve that is shaped and coupled to the forming drum; transfer devices configured for moving said forming drum along a closed-loop completion path and arranging it in proximity to the work station in order to obtain a green tyre, the closed-loop completion path being extended from an initial work station to a final work station coinciding with the shaping work station; and a pick-up device configured for picking up said green tyre decoupled from the respective forming drum.

This drum (1000) for building and shaping a tire carcass, comprises: a surface (1106, 1506, 1206) for building a tire carcass of cylindrical overall shape having a main axis of rotation, first and second movable supports of the surface, members (1980, 1600, 1400, 1450) for adjusting a diameter of the surface, members for adjusting an axial distance between the first and second supports.

It further comprises first means (1700, 1800) of sealed connection between the surface and at least one of the first or second supports, and second means of sealed connection between the first and second supports.

A carcass sleeve is situated in a radially external position with respect to a toroidal forming drum, arranged in a first radially contracted operative condition. The carcass sleeve is shaped according to a toroidal configuration while the forming drum is positioned inside the carcass sleeve. During shaping of the carcass sleeve, the forming drum is radially expanded up to a second radially expanded operative condition. Upon completed shaping, the carcass sleeve is coupled to the forming drum in the second operative condition. The forming drum, coupled to the shaped carcass sleeve, is arranged in proximity to at least one device for building at least one belt layer at a radially external position relative to the shaped carcass sleeve.

An apparatus for building a tyre for a vehicle wheel includes a building drum having at least one first outer circumferential surface, and at least one pair of auxiliary support members removably in engagement with the building drum, each in axial side by side relationship with a respective end of the building drum and having second outer circumferential surfaces extending in the continuation of the first outer circumferential surface so as to support at least one component of the tyre. Each of the second outer circumferential surfaces has at least one non-stick circumferential portion and at least one sticking circumferential portion.

A process for building tyres employing a forming drum having circumferentially consecutive sectors that are radially movable between a contracted condition and an expanded condition in which the sectors are radially moved away from a geometric axis in order to define a radially external abutment surface. Each sector has circumferentially opposite coupling portions each having circumferential projections alternated with circumferential cavities. The projections of each sector are slidably engaged in the respective cavities of circumferentially adjacent sectors. From at least one of the projections, at least one support wing is extended having a first side and a second side that are respectively opposite. The first side coincides with a portion of the abutment surface and the second side at least partially overlaps one of the projections belonging to an adjacent sector.

An assembly defining a portion of an arcuate outer surface of a tire building drum, the assembly including first and second interlacing deck segments coupled to a central support member to be moved in a radially reciprocating manner, each of the interlacing deck segments including a plurality of center sections coupled together, a plurality of first grooves between the center sections, a plurality of first finger portions extending from the center sections away from the central support member, a plurality of second finger portions extending from the center sections in an opposite direction over the central support member, and a plurality of second grooves formed adjacent each of the second finger portions, wherein the second finger portions are arranged in parallel over the central support member, and the first grooves in each of the interlacing deck segments align with the second grooves of the other of the interlacing deck segments.

The invention relates to a toroidal forming drum and a process for building tyres. The toroidal forming drum (23) is expanded within a shaped carcass sleeve (12), for supporting the carcass sleeve (12) against an abutment surface (S) externally provided by the forming drum (23). An elementary semi-finished product (54a, 54b) is applied around the shaped carcass sleeve (12), by pressing said elementary semi-finished product (54a, 54b) towards the abutment surface (S). The abutment surface (S) has circumferential rows of solid portions (40) alternated with hollow portions (41). The solid portions (40), arranged along axially opposite circumferential edges of the abutment surface (S), have a transverse size comprised between 10% and 60% of a transverse size presented by the solid portions (40) arranged in proximity to an axial centreline plane of the abutment surface (S).