The invention relates to a belt and tread drum for manufacturing a package of a belt layer and a tread layer into a cylindrical tire component, wherein the belt and tread drum comprises two support surfaces which are arranged spaced apart in a longitudinal direction of said belt and tread drum and which face away from the drum centre line and are radially movable with respect to the rigid support surface from a retracted position in which the tread support surface is arranged at or near the rigid support surface, to a raised position wherein the tread support surface is arranged in a radially outward position with respect to the rigid support surface, and vice versa, and wherein the tread support surfaces are movable in the substantial longitudinal direction of said drum.

A process and an apparatus for building tyres for vehicle wheels includes assembling at least one tyre component through laying of strip-like elements disposed circumferentially close to each other on a deposition surface radially external to the forming drum, wherein laying of each strip-like element includes: radially moving the strip-like element close to the deposition surface; locking a central portion of the strip-like element against the deposition surface; and pulling the strip-like element in opposite directions starting from the central portion toward the opposite ends thereof, while the central portion is maintained in a locked condition against the deposition surface, so as to progressively lay down the strip-like element against the deposition surface.

In a method for producing an unvulcanized ring-shaped rubber member a front edge portion of a band-like rubber member conveyed by a conveyor is disposed on an outer circumferential surface of a forming drum, and the forming drum is rotated to wind a length of the band-like rubber member on the outer circumferential surface and a rear edge portion is held by rear edge holding portions arranged side by side in a width direction. Using distribution data on a length of the band-like rubber member in the width direction, an amount of movement of movement portions in a front-rear direction is controlled to adjust the degree of elongation around the held portion of the rear edge portion in the front-rear direction that is held by each of the rear edge holding portions, and the front and rear edge portions are bonded to produce a ring-shaped rubber member.

Disclosed is a tire building drum and a method for building a tire, wherein the tire building drum includes a crown section and a bead-lock section, wherein the bead-lock section defines a bead-lock position, wherein the crown section includes crown segments movable with respect to the base from a crown-down position into a crown-up position in a crown-up direction, wherein the crown segments together form a crown surface, a leading edge and a shoulder, wherein the tire building drum further includes a sleeve that extends around the crown segments in the circumferential direction, wherein the sleeve includes a first circumferential edge that is fixed to the crown segments at a side of the shoulder facing away from the bead-lock section, a second circumferential edge that is located between the shoulder and the bead-lock position, wherein the second circumferential edge is unfixed at least when the crown segments are in the crown-down position.

The invention relates to a belt and tread drum for manufacturing a package of a belt layer and a tread layer into a cylindrical tire component, wherein the belt and tread drum comprises two support surfaces which are arranged spaced apart in a longitudinal direction of said belt and tread drum and which face away from the drum centre line and are radially movable with respect to the rigid support surface from a retracted position in which the tread support surface is arranged at or near the rigid support surface, to a raised position wherein the tread support surface is arranged in a radially outward position with respect to the rigid support surface, and vice versa, and wherein the tread support surfaces are movable in the substantial longitudinal direction of said drum.

Disclosed is a tire building drum and a method for building a tire, wherein the tire building drum includes a crown section and a bead-lock section, wherein the bead-lock section defines a bead-lock position, wherein the crown section includes crown segments movable with respect to the base from a crown-down position into a crown-up position in a crown-up direction, wherein the crown segments together form a crown surface, a leading edge and a shoulder, wherein the tire building drum further includes a sleeve that extends around the crown segments in the circumferential direction, wherein the sleeve includes a first circumferential edge that is fixed to the crown segments at a side of the shoulder facing away from the bead-lock section, a second circumferential edge that is located between the shoulder and the bead-lock position, wherein the second circumferential edge is unfixed at least when the crown segments are in the crown-down position.

The invention relates to a belt and tread drum (1, 401, 501, 601), an assembly of the belt and tread drum and a pressing device and to a method for manufacturing a belt and tread package (9), wherein the belt and tread drum comprises a first support member (2), wherein the first support member (2) comprises a tread support surface (20) which faces away from the drum axis (x) for supporting the tread layer (92) where said tread layer (92) is wider than the belt layer (91), wherein the first support member (2) is positionable in a raised position outside the circumferential surface (S) in the radial direction, wherein the belt and tread drum (1, 401, 501, 601) further comprises a first retaining element (4, 404) and a second retaining element for retaining the tread layer (92) at the first support member.

In a method for producing an unvulcanized ring-shaped rubber member a front edge portion of a band-like rubber member conveyed by a conveyor is disposed on an outer circumferential surface of a forming drum, and the forming drum is rotated to wind a length of the band-like rubber member on the outer circumferential surface and a rear edge portion is held by rear edge holding portions arranged side by side in a width direction. Using distribution data on a length of the band-like rubber member in the width direction, an amount of movement of movement portions in a front-rear direction is controlled to adjust the degree of elongation around the held portion of the rear edge portion in the front-rear direction that is held by each of the rear edge holding portions, and the front and rear edge portions are bonded to produce a ring-shaped rubber member.

A manufacturing device for an unvulcanized band-shaped rubber member is provided. A position sensor detects, across a width direction of the band-shaped rubber member, leading and trailing ends of the band-shaped rubber member placed in a flat state on a conveyor, holding portions arranged side by side in the width direction hold at least one of the leading or trailing ends, with movement portions allowing the holding portions to move individually in a front-rear direction, the leading and the trailing ends are held by the leading and trailing end holding mechanisms, respectively, and a control unit controls a displacement of the movement portions in the front-rear direction based on data from the position sensor and a target length to adjust elongation in the front-rear direction at or near a held portion held by each of the holding portions to achieve the target length of the band-shaped rubber member.

The invention relates to a method and a building drum (1) for manufacturing a package of a belt layer (6) and a tread layer (7) into a substantially cylindrical tire component, wherein the drum is rotatable about a drum centre line (2) and comprises a rigid support surface (3) for the tire component situated at the outward facing circumferential surface of the drum, wherein the drum comprises two support members (4, 5) which are arranged spaced apart in a substantial longitudinal direction of said drum, wherein the support members (4, 5) each comprises a tread support surface (41, 51) which faces away from the drum centre line and which tread support surfaces are radially movable between a retracted position wherein the tread support surface is arranged at or near the rigid support surface, and a raised position wherein the tread support surface is arranged in a radially outward position with respect to the rigid support surface.