A process and a plant for producing tyres for vehicle wheels are described. Building of a crown structure of the tyre includes building a crossed belt structure on a substantially cylindrical first forming drum, transferring the crossed belt structure from the first forming drum to an annular holding member, positioning a second forming drum in a radially inner position with respect to the annular holding member, transferring the crossed belt structure from the annular holding member to the second forming drum by radially expanding the second forming drum until it is brought into contact with the crossed belt structure so as to toroidally shape the crossed belt structure, and depositing at least one zero degrees belt layer on the second forming drum in a radially outer position with respect to the toroidally-shaped crossed belt structure.

A plant for building tyres for vehicle wheels includes a gripping ring arranged in a fixed reference position. A first stage building line defines a closed first-stage path for the movement of a plurality of building drums and an open first-stage path for building and moving carcass sleeves being processed. A second stage building line defines a closed second-stage path for the movement of a plurality of auxiliary drums and an open second-stage path for building and moving a plurality of outer sleeves being processed. The open second-stage path and the open first-stage path terminate at the gripping ring configured for carrying out a radially outer contrast function during the shaping of a first carcass sleeve being processed and the assembly thereof with a first outer sleeve being processed.

A first forming apparatus includes a forming drum, a forming unit, a conveyance path, and a conveyance unit that conveys the forming drum along the conveyance path. A tire member is formed with tire components wound on the forming drum by the forming unit. The first forming apparatus also includes a measurement unit that performs, on a downstream side of the forming unit in the conveyance path, measurement on the tire components wound on the forming drum while the forming drum is moving through the measurement unit, in a tire radial direction over a width direction of the forming drum, and an inspection unit that performs inspection on winding states of the tire components based on a measurement result due to the measurement unit.

A first ply and then a second ply, which is superposed on the first ply, are produced on a hoop-type first support. The hoop-type first support has a first receiving surface, to form a laminate. The first and second plies forming the laminate are transferred onto an annular second receiving surface of a core so that the laminate is wrapped on the core until each ply is closed on itself and the laminate is thus closed on itself in a ring about the central axis of the core.

A first forming apparatus includes a forming drum, a forming unit, a conveyance path, and a conveyance unit that conveys the forming drum along the conveyance path. A tire member is formed with tire components wound on the forming drum by the forming unit. The first forming apparatus also includes a measurement unit that performs, on a downstream side of the forming unit in the conveyance path, measurement on the tire components wound on the forming drum while the forming drum is moving through the measurement unit, in a tire radial direction over a width direction of the forming drum, and an inspection unit that performs inspection on winding states of the tire components based on a measurement result due to the measurement unit.

A plant for building tyres of at least two different models for vehicle wheels, includes at least a tyre building line, which in turn, includes: a plurality of work stations arranged according to a sequential series, each work station being adapted for building at least one structural component of each tyre and assembling at least one elementary component; at least one handling device for the tyres being processed on the respective forming supports associated to each work station; and at least one transfer device adapted for transferring the tyre being processed on its forming support from any first work station of the sequential series to any other second work station not adjacent thereto of the sequential series, so that the tyre being processed on its forming support only passes in the first and second work stations.

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 stitcher device presses a carcass ply to be pressure-bonded to a rubber member after that the carcass ply is wound around an outer periphery of a building drum movable along a drum guide path via a rubber member. The stitcher device includes an annular frame that is able to surround the outer periphery of the building drum by inserting the building drum thereinto, and a pressure-bonding device provided in the annular frame so as to be able to press the carcass ply from its outer periphery and pressure-bond the carcass ply to the rubber member. The annular frame is provided so as to be openable and closable by being divided into a plurality of parts in a peripheral direction.

There is described a plant for building tyres for vehicle wheels, said tyres being of at least two different models, comprising at least a tyre building line (1) which in turn comprises:—a plurality of work stations (4, 4′, 5, 5′, 6, 12, 14) arranged according to a sequential series, each work station (4, 4′, 5, 5′, 6, 12, 14) being adapted for building at least one structural component of each tyre, assembling at least one elementary component;—at least one handling device (3) for the tyres being processed on the respective forming supports associated to each work station (4, 4′, 5, 5′, 6, 12, 14); and—at least one transfer device (2) adapted for transferring the tyre being processed on its forming support from any first work station (4, 4′, 5, 5′, 6, 12, 14) of said sequential series to any other second work station (4, 4′, 5, 5′, 6, 12, 14) not adjacent thereto of said sequential series, so that the tyre being processed on its forming support only passes in said first and second work station (4, 4′, 5, 5′, 6, 12, 14). There are also described a process for manufacturing tyres for vehicle wheels and a method for selecting work stations (4, 4′, 5, 5′, 6, 12, 14) of a tyre building plant.

A method for building tyres for vehicle wheels is described. Second stage forming drums are moved in a crown structure building line for building respective crown structures. Movement occurs along a first path for building a first part of components of the crown structure and a second path for building a second part of components of the crown structure. Additionally, first stage forming drums are moved in a carcass structure building line for building respective carcass structures. The flow of the second stage forming drums is managed through a first manipulator, while the flow of the first stage forming drums is managed through a second manipulator.