A process for building tyres for vehicle wheels includes: forming a tyre in process, the tyre including a belt structure and depositing a tread band in a position radially external to the belt structure by winding a continuous elongated element made of elastomeric material according to axially adjacent or partially overlapped coils. During the deposition of the tread band and on at least one of the coils already wound, a conductive liquid elastomeric compound is applied, the compound continuously extended between a radially outer surface of the tread band and a radially outer surface of the belt structure to generate electrically conductive paths and free zones.

A stitching roller is provided for stitching a strip, in particular a continuous strip for strip-winding. The stitching roller includes a roller body that is rotatable about a roller axis. The roller body comprises a circumferential member and a support member provided with a connection end that is connected to the circumferential member and a base end for coupling of the stitching roller to a rotation shaft. The support member is made of a flexible material that allows for the circumferential member to tilt relative to the base end from a neutral orientation into a tilted orientation. The support member includes one or more reinforcements that reinforce the axial stiffness of the support member from the outer radius towards the inner radius.

A stitching roller is provided for stitching a strip, in particular a continuous strip for strip-winding. The stitching roller includes a roller body that is rotatable about a roller axis. The roller body comprises a circumferential member and a support member provided with a connection end that is connected to the circumferential member and a base end for coupling of the stitching roller to a rotation shaft. The support member is made of a flexible material that allows for the circumferential member to tilt relative to the base end from a neutral orientation into a tilted orientation. The support member includes one or more reinforcements that reinforce the axial stiffness of the support member from the outer radius towards the inner radius.

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.

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.

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.

An application system and method for applying a sealing agent to the inner surface of a pneumatic tire includes: rotating, by means of a support device, the pneumatic tire about an axis of rotation; applying a layer of sealing agent to the inner surface of the pneumatic tire by means of a dispensing head arranged within the pneumatic tire itself; pressing, by means of a pressure roller, the just applied layer of sealing agent against the inner surface of the pneumatic tire; pushing the pressure roller against the just applied layer of sealing agent by means of an actuator which generates a force having a desired value; determining, by means of a force sensor, a measured value of the force generated by the actuator; and cyclically varying the force generated by the actuator as a function of the measured value of the force.

An application device for applying a conductive insert on a tyre being processed. The application device includes a supply device for supplying a conductive liquid elastomeric compound, and an applicator having a movable surface for being operatively coupled with the supply device and receiving the conductive liquid elastomeric compound. The movable surface is for being placed in contact with a rotating tyre being processed and for applying the conductive liquid elastomeric compound on at least one coil of axially adjacent and/or partially superimposed coils. The applicator generates depressions in the tyre in a pattern defined by elements in relief and fills the depressions in the tyre with the conductive liquid elastomeric compound to covering the elements as the depressions in the tyre are generated.

A method for manufacturing a tire includes forming a belt layer by bonding strip materials adjacent in the circumferential direction on the molding surface located on the outer circumferential side of the rigid core. Along the profile in the width direction of an outer circumferential surface of the rigid core, the rigid core is moved so that the molding surface is brought close to the strip material to be bonded, and the strip material is bonded to the molding surface extending in the longitudinal direction while rotating the rigid core in a direction in which the circumferential angle of the rigid core with respect to the longitudinal direction of the strip material changes, so that variation in the bonding margin, due to the position of the rigid core in the width direction, between strip materials that have been adjacently bonded to the molding surface in the circumferential direction is reduced.

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.