An apparatus for building tires for vehicle wheels includes a building drum having at least one first outer circumferential surface, and at least one pair of auxiliary support members removably in engagement with the building drum, each in axial side by side relationship with a respective end of the building drum and having second outer circumferential surfaces extending in the continuation of the first outer circumferential surface so as to support at least one component of the tyre. Each of the second outer circumferential surfaces has at least one non-stick circumferential portion and at least one sticking circumferential portion.

A method for assembling a green tire blank includes, in succession, laying rubber plies on a drum having segments that are radially moveable, with respect to a main axis, between expanded and collapsed positions; laying bead wires; lifting up edges of the plies that extend axially beyond the bead wires towards ends of the drum using wings that extend axially and that are arranged circumferentially around the main axis; and folding the edges of the plies using rollers. The segments form an external circumferential face of the drum. The rollers are independent of the drum and move in an axial direction on the circumferential face of the drum in order to turn the edges of the plies around the bead wire. The wings move in longitudinal cuts that run parallel to the main axis at ends of the segments in order to lift up the edges of the plies.

Various embodiments relate to a pivoted dual roller tire sidewall and body ply stitching apparatus for stitching tire components, the apparatus including a first roller having a toroidal shape and connected to a first supporting arm, a second roller having a toroidal shape and connected to a second supporting arm and a supporting member connected to the first roller, the second roller and a third supporting arm wherein the second supporting arm is longer than the first supporting arm and the first roller and the second roller are configured to pivot on the supporting member.

An apparatus for building a tyre for a vehicle wheel includes a building drum having at least one first outer circumferential surface, and at least one pair of auxiliary support members removably in engagement with the building drum, each in axial side by side relationship with a respective end of the building drum and having second outer circumferential surfaces extending in the continuation of the first outer circumferential surface so as to support at least one component of the tyre. Each of the second outer circumferential surfaces has at least one non-stick circumferential portion and at least one sticking circumferential portion.

A radially expandable building drum (1), intended for the manufacture of an adapter for mounting a tyre on a rim, comprises a central axis (X-X), and an assembly zone coaxial with the latter and comprising a first set (10) of segments (100) and a second set (20) of segments (200), all the segments being arranged circumferentially around the central axis, in which the segments (100) of the first set (10) and the segments (200) of the second set (20) face one another axially. The external circumferential face of each segment (100, 200) comprises a groove (103, 203) for accommodating a bead wire, and the said drum passes, in the said assembly zone, from a retracted first position of substantially cylindrical shape into an expanded second position of substantially frustoconical shape when the segments (100) are driven by a first cam (300) and the segments (200) by an adjacent second cam (400).

The building drum includes a support (20), a central shaft (30) and an outer circumferential surface coaxial with the axis of rotation of the drum. The building drum also has a principal cylindrical surface (100) axially bounded by a shoulder (101) extended by a lateral protuberance (102) for receiving the products which have to be assembled. Several segments together define the principal cylindrical surface, and those segments are being divided into first and second groups of adjacent segments (103a, 103b) mounted so as to move between a first position in which they are circumferentially juxtaposed and a second position in which the adjacent segments are radially offset. Several adjacent elbow levers (140) form the shoulder (101) and the protuberance (102) in the expanded position of the drum and each elbow lever (140) is mounted with articulation on the segment (103a, 103b) and on the support (20).

Various embodiments relate to a pivoted dual roller tire sidewall and body ply stitching apparatus for stitching tire components, the apparatus including a first roller having a toroidal shape and connected to a first supporting arm, a second roller having a toroidal shape and connected to a second supporting arm and a supporting member connected to the first roller, the second roller and a third supporting arm wherein the second supporting arm is longer than the first supporting arm and the first roller and the second roller are configured to pivot on the supporting member.

Provided is a pneumatic tire having the structure where a carcass ply is wound around bead cores from the outside in the tire width direction to the inside in the tire width direction, and both end portions of an inner liner extend between beads and the carcass ply. A lightweight and highly rigid tire can be acquired. The tire can also enhance steering stability performance thereof. The pneumatic tire includes: a pair of left and right beads including bead cores 3a; a carcass ply extending between the bead cores; and an inner liner 4 disposed on an inner peripheral side of the carcass ply 5, wherein the carcass ply 5 is wound around the bead cores 3a from the outside in the tire width direction to the inside in the tire width direction, and both end portions of the inner liner 4 extend between the beads and the carcass ply.

An apparatus for building a tyre for a vehicle wheel includes a building drum having at least one first outer circumferential surface, and at least one pair of auxiliary support members removably in engagement with the building drum, each in axial side by side relationship with a respective end of the building drum and having second outer circumferential surfaces extending in the continuation of the first outer circumferential surface so as to support at least one component of the tyre. Each of the second outer circumferential surfaces has at least one non-stick circumferential portion and at least one sticking circumferential portion.

The building drum includes a support (20), a central shaft (30) and an outer circumferential surface coaxial with the axis of rotation of the drum. The building drum also has a principal cylindrical surface (100) axially bounded by a shoulder (101) extended by a lateral protuberance (102) for receiving the products which have to be assembled. Several segments together define the principal cylindrical surface, and those segments are being divided into first and second groups of adjacent segments (103a, 103b) mounted so as to move between a first position in which they are circumferentially juxtaposed and a second position in which the adjacent segments are radially offset. Several adjacent elbow levers (140) form the shoulder (101) and the protuberance (102) in the expanded position of the drum and each elbow lever (140) is mounted with articulation on the segment (103a, 103b) and on the support (20).