A pair of annular inserts of elastomeric material is circumferentially applied by spiraling around a laying surface of an auxiliary drum. Then a plurality of strip-like elements disposed in parallel side by side relationship with each other in the circumferential extension of the laying surface is applied onto the auxiliary drum, so as to form at least one first belt layer. Respectively opposite end portions of each strip-like element are radially superposed, each against one of the annular inserts, so that each of the annular inserts projects from a respective end edge of the strip-like element. The cap structure formed on the auxiliary drum is coupled to a carcass structure through toroidal conformation of the latter, in such a manner that the radially external ends of sidewall portions previously manufactured on the carcass plies are associated with the axially external ends of the annular inserts.

A tire (1) for an agricultural vehicle comprises a working reinforcement (2), radially on the inside of a tread (3) and radially on the outside of a carcass reinforcement (4), the working reinforcement (2) comprising a multilayer component made up of a radial stack of at least two working layers (21, 22), and aims to improve the endurance thereof. The working reinforcement (2) is made up of a circumferential spiral winding of at least one turn of the multilayer component, the first and second circumferential ends (211, 221; 212, 222) of each working layer (21, 22) are circumferentially offset from one another, and the respective first circumferential ends (211, 221) of two consecutive working layers (21, 22) are likewise circumferentially offset from one another.

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.

An apparatus for building and for checking a continuous elongated element during the building of a tyre for vehicle wheels. A beam of an electromagnetic radiation is projected on a section of the continuous elongated element dispensed by a dispensing head and interposed between the dispensing head and a first contact area of the continuous elongated element with a radially outer surface of a tyre being processed. An image of a radiation reflected by the section is acquired. A first parameter related to the image is detected, and the first parameter is compared with a second reference parameter.

Liquid applicators and methods. The liquid applicators include a frame and an applicator head operably coupled to the frame and configured to support a section of an applicator fabric for operable application of a liquid to a substrate. The liquid applicators further include a fabric conveyance system that is operably coupled to the frame and includes a fabric pay-out assembly configured to supply the applicator fabric to the applicator head and a fabric take-up assembly configured to receive the applicator fabric from the applicator head. The liquid applicators further include a liquid delivery system configured to deliver the liquid to the section of the applicator fabric. The methods include delivering the liquid to the section of applicator fabric, engaging the section of applicator fabric with the substrate, and moving the section of the applicator fabric across the substrate to apply the liquid thereto.

The present invention is a strip of a thermoplastic elastomer composition to be wound spirally on a cylindrical drum to form an inner liner for a tire. The strip is composed of a layer stack of a first layer made of a thermoplastic elastomer composition containing 0.1 part by mass to 50 parts by mass of an organic derivative of clay mineral relative to 100 parts by mass of a styrene-isobutylene-styrene triblock copolymer, and a second layer made of a thermoplastic elastomer composition containing at least one of a styrene-isoprene-styrene triblock copolymer and a styrene-isobutylene diblock copolymer. The strip has a strip main body with a thickness of 0.05 mm to 1.0 mm and ear portions with a thickness thinner than the thickness of the strip main body and a width of 0.5 mm to 5.0 mm disposed on opposite sides thereof.

A pneumatic tire, wherein, in a state of being mounted on a rim, defining the rim diameter as D, the length from the rim position representing the rim diameter D to the maximum tire radial height as SH, the rim flange height as G, the rim flange radius as R.sub.2, and the bead filler height H.sub.bf as the tire radial height with respect to the rim position representing the rim diameter D, the bead filler height H.sub.bf is less than or equal to a value obtained by the following formula: {SH−(G−R.sub.2)}/4+(G−R.sub.2). The cord is provided in at least one part from a bead portion to a sidewall portion 3 at an angle of 0 to 10° to the circumferential direction.

In a process for building tires, a carcass structure which includes at least one carcass ply and a belt structure, is formed. Manufacture of the belt structure includes: forming a first portion of at least one cushion insert through spiralling of a continuous elongated element; forming at least one first belt layer in a radially external position to the first portion in such a manner that the first portion axially projects from one of the axially opposite side edges of the first belt layer, forming a second portion of the cushion insert through spiralling of a continuous elongated element in a radially external position to the side edge of the first belt layer and to a stretch of the first portion projecting from the side edge itself, so as to enclose the side edge between the first and second portions of the cushion insert.

In a pneumatic tire (1) that achieves both ride comfort and steering stability at a high level, a bead core (5) has a ratio of the maximum width of the core to the height of the core of 0.8 or less in a cross-section in the tire width direction. A cord (9) is provided in at least one part from a bead portion (2) to a sidewall portion (3) at an angle of 0 to 10° with respect to the circumferential direction. The cord (9) has an inflection point in a stress-strain curve, with a low elastic modulus in a low-strain region at or below the inflection point, and a high elastic modulus in a high-strain region above the inflection point.

A method for manufacturing a pneumatic tire includes: using a first cover material and a second cover material in a belt cover material and spirally winding the first cover material from a second side to a shoulder region on a first side; spirally winding the second cover material from the first side to a shoulder region on the second side; spirally winding the first cover material from the shoulder region on the first side to a tire equatorial plane; and spirally winding the second cover material from the shoulder region on the second side to the tire equatorial plane, the first cover material and the second cover material being layered in a region between a portion of the first cover material that is located on the second side and a portion of the second cover material that is located on the first side, thereby forming an overlapping portion.