A bead core formation apparatus includes a rubber coating device that coats a circumferential surface of a steel wire with rubber, and two cooling rollers around which the rubber-coated wire, which is a steel wire coated with rubber, is wound. The second roller includes a first groove and a second groove around which the rubber-coated wire located at a downstream side of the first groove is wound. The diameter LB of a portion including the second groove is smaller than the diameter LC of a portion including the first groove.

A clamping device includes a first clamp for clamping the distal end of a steel wire at a position corresponding to a first winding groove and a second clamp for clamping the distal end of a steel wire at a position corresponding to a second winding groove.

A bead core formation apparatus includes a former, a guide device, and a clamping device. The former includes a circumferentially extending groove around which a steel wire is wound. The guide device guides the steel wire to the former. The clamping device is coupled to the former to clamp the distal end of the steel wire. The clamping device includes a first wall and a second wall that hold the steel wire in between to clamp the steel wire. The first wall is movable between a position where the first wall is opposed to the second wall and a position where the first wall is not opposed to the second wall. The guide device includes a steel wire moving portion that moves the distal end of the steel wire from a position separated from the second wall to a position adjacent to the second wall.

In the building of a carcass structure for tires of vehicle wheels, the step of reinforcing with a loop at least one annular anchoring structure associated at the axially opposite end edges of a carcass ply is carried out on at least one radially expandable/contractable service drum and includes the steps of: setting the service drum to a predetermined radial dimension selected according to the fitting diameter of the tire to be manufactured, depositing the loop on the service drum, loading the annular anchoring structure onto the service drum in a radially outer position with respect to the loop, radially expanding the service drum up to lock in position the annular anchoring structure, rotating the service drum about a longitudinal axis thereof and, during the rotation, turning the loop up about the annular anchoring structure.

Provided are a pneumatic tire and a method for manufacturing the pneumatic tire. A partial tie rubber layer is selectively disposed in each region between a carcass layer and an innerliner layer and on both sides in a tire lateral direction of a tread portion excluding a center region of the tread portion. End portions on both sides of the partial tie rubber layers in the tire lateral direction form inclined surfaces acutely angled with respect to a surface of the partial tie rubber layer on the carcass layer side. The inclined surfaces have an inclination angle from 20° to 60° with respect to the surface of the partial tie rubber layer on the carcass layer side.

A cutting device for bead core steel wire includes a first holder that holds a first blade body, a second holder that holds a second blade body, and a driver that moves one of the first holder and the second holder relative to the other of the first holder and the second holder. At least one of the first blade body and the second blade body is rod-shaped and includes a plurality of cutting edges arranged on a periphery of the at least one of the first blade body and the second blade body.

A guide device includes a guideway through which a steel wire passes when the steel wire is fed to a former. The guideway includes an inner surface. At least a portion of the inner surface includes a slit or recess at a position corresponding to a direction in which the steel wire is bent.

A bead retaining member includes a body having a concave first concave edge and one or more retaining elements which are distributed over the body along said first concave edge for retaining a first bead of a first size along a first retaining curve having a first retaining radius and for retaining a second bead of a second size along a second retaining curve having a second retaining radius larger than the first retaining radius. The first retaining curve intersects with the second retaining curve at a first intersection point and a second intersection point. The first concave edge is non-circular and is located radially outside of the second retaining curve in a center region of the first concave edge between the first intersection point and the second intersection point and radially outside of the first retaining curve in a first lateral region and a second lateral region.

The installation for manufacturing a bead wire intended to reinforce a pneumatic tire, said installation comprising a receiving table which is adapted to receive a braided torus which comprises a braid wire which extends longitudinally from a first end section to a second end section, a cutting tool, a crimping tool adapted to crimp a sleeve around said first and second end sections, and a configuration unit which is adapted automatically to switch the installation from a cutting configuration in which the receiving table cooperates with the cutting tool so as to position the braided torus and the first and second end sections so that said first and second end sections are sectioned by the cutting tool to a crimping configuration in which the receiving table cooperates with the crimping tool.

The disclosure relates to a crimping station comprising a crimping tool designed to crimp a sleeve around a first end portion of a thread and around a second end portion of a thread, said crimping station comprising a sleeve preparation subassembly which has a feed device that supplies a metal strip and conveys said strip as far as a shaping device designed to plastically deform said strip in order to give said strip a concave curved cross section, so as to obtain a preformed strip, and then as far as a cutting device which is designed to sever a portion of length of said preformed strip in order to obtain a sleeve preform that a loading tool places within the crimping tool.