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.

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).

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).

A curing press for tires that comprises: an upper cavity part having a vertically separable upper housing (9) and a top mold (11); a base having a lower cavity part that forms an arrangement to provide mold height adjustment during curing. The base comprises a bottom bolster structure (20) and a bottom mold (22). The bottom bolster structure comprising: ring means rotatably arranged with said bottom bolster structure, to facilitate closing or opening of said top mold and said bottom mold; the bolster structure comprises squeeze cylinders (24) having means to provide mold height adjustment. A squeeze retract stop assembly is provided to restrict vertically downward movement of said bottom mold during a tire curing process. The press comprises at least one locking lever (34) and at least one indexing lock pin (35) that is adapted to connect said lever (34) to lock holes (20a) in said bottom bolster structure (20) wherein each lock hole corresponds to a particular mold height.

A curing press for tires that comprises: an upper cavity part having a vertically separable upper housing (9) and a top mold (11); a base having a lower cavity part that forms an arrangement to provide mold height adjustment during curing. The base comprises a bottom bolster structure (20) and a bottom mold (22). The bottom bolster structure comprising: ring means rotatably arranged with said bottom bolster structure, to facilitate closing or opening of said top mold and said bottom mold; the bolster structure comprises squeeze cylinders (24) having means to provide mold height adjustment. A squeeze retract stop assembly is provided to restrict vertically downward movement of said bottom mold during a tire curing process. The press comprises at least one locking lever (34) and at least one indexing lock pin (35) that is adapted to connect said lever (34) to lock holes (20a) in said bottom bolster structure (20) wherein each lock hole corresponds to a particular mold height.

A toroidal forming drum and a process for budding tyres. The toroidal forming drum is expanded within a shaped carcass sleeve for supporting the carcass sleeve against an abutment surface externally provided by the forming drum. An elementary semi-finished product is applied around the shaped carcass sleeve by pressing the elementary semi-finished product toward the abutment surface. The abutment surface has circumferential rows of solid portions alternated with hollow portions. The solid portions, arranged along axially opposite circumferential edges of the abutment surface, have a transverse size between 10% and 60% of a transverse size presented by the solid portions arranged in proximity to an axial centreline plane of the abutment surface.

A toroidal forming drum and a process for budding tyres. The toroidal forming drum is expanded within a shaped carcass sleeve for supporting the carcass sleeve against an abutment surface externally provided by the forming drum. An elementary semi-finished product is applied around the shaped carcass sleeve by pressing the elementary semi-finished product toward the abutment surface. The abutment surface has circumferential rows of solid portions alternated with hollow portions. The solid portions, arranged along axially opposite circumferential edges of the abutment surface, have a transverse size between 10% and 60% of a transverse size presented by the solid portions arranged in proximity to an axial centreline plane of the abutment surface.

Methods for controlling curing apparatuses for tyre production, wherein the curing apparatuses are adapted to work on green tyres to obtain corresponding finished tyres by acquiring, through a processing unit, initial parameters describing at least one of the shape and dimensions of the finished tyres. The processing unit computes first parameters describing the green tyres, the first parameters having at least one parameter representative of an axial height of the green tyres; second parameters describing the curing apparatuses, the second parameters having one or more parameters representative of dimensions of the curing apparatuses; and third parameters as a function of the first parameters and the second parameters, the third parameters having one or more parameters representative of positions taken by movable members included in the curing apparatuses. The processing unit generates signals for controlling the movable members of the curing apparatuses.

A method for manufacturing a tire T comprises a step for forming a green tire on the outside of a rigid core mold 2, a step for vulcanization-molding and obtaining a tire-accompanying rigid core mold G, a step for setting, at an assembly station P3, a core 5 taken out from the tire-accompanied rigid core mold G, and a removal and assembly step for removing one core segment 3 from the tire T by moving in inwardly in the tire radial direction from the tire-accompanying rigid core mold G and mounting it on the core 5 set at the assembly station. The removal and assembly step is performed for every core segment in the tire, whereby a rigid core mold 2 is assembled at the assembly station P3, while removing the rigid core mold 2 from the tire T.

A method for manufacturing a tire T comprises a step for forming a green tire on the outside of a rigid core mold 2, a step for vulcanization-molding and obtaining a tire-accompanying rigid core mold G, a step for setting, at an assembly station P3, a core 5 taken out from the tire-accompanied rigid core mold G, and a removal and assembly step for removing one core segment 3 from the tire T by moving in inwardly in the tire radial direction from the tire-accompanying rigid core mold G and mounting it on the core 5 set at the assembly station. The removal and assembly step is performed for every core segment in the tire, whereby a rigid core mold 2 is assembled at the assembly station P3, while removing the rigid core mold 2 from the tire T.