An automatic splicing apparatus is provided herein for splicing together two ends of a sheet of tire material on a tire building drum. The apparatus comprises a splicer foot including a splicer foot frame, a first continuous unitary V-shaped axle, and two non-powered lower rollers. The splicer foot frame has an opening defined therein having opposing sides. The first continuous unitary V-shape axle has two arms attached to the opposing sides of the opening. The two non-powered lower rollers are mounted on the two arms of the first continuous unitary V-shaped axle so that the two non-powered lower rollers are arranged in a V-shape pattern. The apparatus further comprises a plurality of powered upper rollers configured to operate in coordination with the lower rollers to engage the two ends of the sheet of tire material.

An automatic splicing apparatus is provided herein for splicing together two ends of a sheet of tire material on a tire building drum. The apparatus comprises a splicer foot including a splicer foot frame, a first continuous unitary V-shaped axle, and two non-powered lower rollers. The splicer foot frame has an opening defined therein having opposing sides. The first continuous unitary V-shape axle has two arms attached to the opposing sides of the opening. The two non-powered lower rollers are mounted on the two arms of the first continuous unitary V-shaped axle so that the two non-powered lower rollers are arranged in a V-shape pattern. The apparatus further comprises a plurality of powered upper rollers configured to operate in coordination with the lower rollers to engage the two ends of the sheet of tire material.

A molding device is includes a mandrel that has an arc-shaped cross section; a roller that has a round-shaped cross section, is movable along a surface of the mandrel, and applies a pressing force to a material to be molded placed on the mandrel; a gripping unit that grips the material to be molded on an outside of the roller with respect to the mandrel and applies a tensile force to the material to be molded; a roller driving unit that moves the roller along the surface of the mandrel; a gripping-unit driving unit that moves the gripping unit. A control unit synchronizes a position of the roller and a position of the gripping unit with each other to control the roller driving unit and the gripping-unit driving unit so that the material to be molded is arranged in a direction perpendicular to a vertical direction of the mandrel.

A molding device is includes a mandrel that has an arc-shaped cross section; a roller that has a round-shaped cross section, is movable along a surface of the mandrel, and applies a pressing force to a material to be molded placed on the mandrel; a gripping unit that grips the material to be molded on an outside of the roller with respect to the mandrel and applies a tensile force to the material to be molded; a roller driving unit that moves the roller along the surface of the mandrel; a gripping-unit driving unit that moves the gripping unit. A control unit synchronizes a position of the roller and a position of the gripping unit with each other to control the roller driving unit and the gripping-unit driving unit so that the material to be molded is arranged in a direction perpendicular to a vertical direction of the mandrel.

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.

Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to apparatuses and methods for fabricating tubular structures from a combination of fibrous materials for use in, for example, tissue engineering scaffold applications. These materials may also be useful in other biological or non-biological applications in which such tubular fibrous structures may be applicable, examples including conventional medical devices, filters, fiber optics, cable wraps, geotextiles, batteries, fuel cells, armor, and other diverse applications.

Apparatus and methods are provided for making coated liners and/or tubular devices including such coated liners. A sleeve may be provided that includes an outer first surface and an inner second surface extending between first and second ends thereof, and a hydrophilic or other coating may be applied to the first. The coated sleeve may be cut between the first and second ends to create opposing edges extending between the first and second ends, and the cut sleeve may be reversed such that the coated first surface defines an inner surface and the opposing edges are disposed adjacent one another, thereby providing a coated liner. Optionally, a tubular structure, e.g., one or more reinforcing layers and/or or outer layers may be attached around the coated liner, thereby providing a tubular device including an inner surface with a desired coating.

In the method for producing a tire carcass ply for a vehicle, the ply is wound onto a drum and contains reinforcements running in planes that are radial to an axis of the drum, of which: at least one assembly member (51, 52) mounted such that it can move in relation to the drum brings the ends of the ply together and assembles them by travelling over the ply in a direction (X) parallel to the ends; and prior to assembly, a blade independent of the one or of each assembly member extends between the drum and the ends without extending between the drum and the rest of the ply.

An automatic splicing apparatus is provided herein for splicing together two ends of a sheet of tire material on a tire building drum. The apparatus comprises a splicer foot including a splicer foot frame, a first continuous unitary V-shaped axle, and two non-powered lower rollers. The splicer foot frame has an opening defined therein having opposing sides. The first continuous unitary V-shape axle has two arms attached to the opposing sides of the opening. The two non-powered lower rollers are mounted on the two arms of the first continuous unitary V-shaped axle so that the two non-powered lower rollers are arranged in a V-shape pattern. The apparatus further comprises a plurality of powered upper rollers configured to operate in coordination with the lower rollers to engage the two ends of the sheet of tire material.

An automatic splicing apparatus is provided herein for splicing together two ends of a sheet of tire material on a tire building drum. The apparatus comprises a splicer foot including a splicer foot frame, a first continuous unitary V-shaped axle, and two non-powered lower rollers. The splicer foot frame has an opening defined therein having opposing sides. The first continuous unitary V-shape axle has two arms attached to the opposing sides of the opening. The two non-powered lower rollers are mounted on the two arms of the first continuous unitary V-shaped axle so that the two non-powered lower rollers are arranged in a V-shape pattern. The apparatus further comprises a plurality of powered upper rollers configured to operate in coordination with the lower rollers to engage the two ends of the sheet of tire material.