Method for controlling the feed of semifinished products in a tyre building process, said method comprising: feeding a semifinished product (10) into a building station (30) adapted to build, through said semifinished product (10), a structural component of a tyre; performing, in an acquisition zone (AZ), a verification to verify the presence of at least one defect of said semifinished product (10); generating a notification signal (NS) as a function of said verification; activating, as a function of said notification signal (NS), a discard device (60), configured for discarding at least one portion of said semifinished product (10) comprising said at least one defect.

Method for controlling the feed of semifinished products in a tyre building process, said method comprising: feeding a semifinished product (10) into a building station (30) adapted to build, through said semifinished product (10), a structural component of a tyre; performing, in an acquisition zone (AZ), a verification to verify the presence of at least one defect of said semifinished product (10); generating a notification signal (NS) as a function of said verification; activating, as a function of said notification signal (NS), a discard device (60), configured for discarding at least one portion of said semifinished product (10) comprising said at least one defect.

An apparatus for depositing a piece of band-like elastomeric element on a forming support in a process for building a tyre for vehicle wheels. The apparatus operates by feeding a piece of band-like elastomeric element having a predetermined nominal length towards the forming support along a predetermined feeding direction and measuring the actual length of the piece along the feeding direction. If the actual length is lower than or equal to a circumferential length of a deposition surface defined on the forming support, the piece is deposited on the deposition surface while the forming support rotates about a rotation axis thereof. During such deposition the piece is pressed on the deposition surface with a pressing force selected as a function of the actual length.

An apparatus for depositing a piece of band-like elastomeric element on a forming support in a process for building a tyre for vehicle wheels. The apparatus operates by feeding a piece of band-like elastomeric element having a predetermined nominal length towards the forming support along a predetermined feeding direction and measuring the actual length of the piece along the feeding direction. If the actual length is lower than or equal to a circumferential length of a deposition surface defined on the forming support, the piece is deposited on the deposition surface while the forming support rotates about a rotation axis thereof. During such deposition the piece is pressed on the deposition surface with a pressing force selected as a function of the actual length.

To provide a pneumatic tire 34 in which weight reduction is achieved without deteriorating internal pressure maintaining performance. The tire 34 includes a liner 46 located inward of a carcass 42. The liner 46 includes a first inner liner 66 extending on and between one of beads and the other of the beads and along and inward of the carcass 42; and a pair of second inner liners 68 extending from ends 62a of a belt 44, respectively, along the first inner liner 66 substantially inward in a radial direction. The second inner liners 68 are located between the first inner liner 66 and the carcass 42. The first inner liner 66 is formed by a first rubber composition being crosslinked. A base rubber of the first rubber composition includes a butyl rubber. Each second inner liner 68 is formed by a second rubber composition being crosslinked. A base rubber of the second rubber composition includes a diene rubber.

To provide a pneumatic tire 34 in which weight reduction is achieved without deteriorating internal pressure maintaining performance. The tire 34 includes a liner 46 located inward of a carcass 42. The liner 46 includes a first inner liner 66 extending on and between one of beads and the other of the beads and along and inward of the carcass 42; and a pair of second inner liners 68 extending from ends 62a of a belt 44, respectively, along the first inner liner 66 substantially inward in a radial direction. The second inner liners 68 are located between the first inner liner 66 and the carcass 42. The first inner liner 66 is formed by a first rubber composition being crosslinked. A base rubber of the first rubber composition includes a butyl rubber. Each second inner liner 68 is formed by a second rubber composition being crosslinked. A base rubber of the second rubber composition includes a diene rubber.

Provided is a stretching device for stretching an apex filler strip prior to application to a bead for a tire. The stretching device includes a stretching roller and a plurality of guide rollers for guiding the apex filler strip in a loop around the stretching roller. The plurality of guide rollers is arranged for receiving the apex filler strip in an entry orientation and for discharging the apex filler strip in an exit orientation. The plurality of guide rollers is arranged for guiding the one side of the apex filler strip in the entry orientation and the exit orientation under angles different from the support angle (H) with respect to rotation axis (R) of the stretching roller such that the apex filler strip is twisted over a twisting angle of at least forty-five degrees.

Provided is a stretching device for stretching an apex filler strip prior to application to a bead for a tire. The stretching device includes a stretching roller and a plurality of guide rollers for guiding the apex filler strip in a loop around the stretching roller. The plurality of guide rollers is arranged for receiving the apex filler strip in an entry orientation and for discharging the apex filler strip in an exit orientation. The plurality of guide rollers is arranged for guiding the one side of the apex filler strip in the entry orientation and the exit orientation under angles different from the support angle (H) with respect to rotation axis (R) of the stretching roller such that the apex filler strip is twisted over a twisting angle of at least forty-five degrees.

Disclosed is a method and an assembly for applying a tire component onto a receiving member. The method includes the steps of: receiving the tire component on the apply member; detecting a plurality of leading endpoints at the leading edge and detecting a plurality of trailing endpoints at the trailing edge in-line with the leading endpoints in the longitudinal direction; determining the distance in the longitudinal direction between the leading endpoint and the trailing endpoint for each pair of endpoints; driving the apply member at an apply speed in a transfer direction to transfer the tire component onto the receiving member while driving the receiving member at a receiving speed; and adjusting the ratio between the apply speed and the receiving speed during the transfer of the tire component in the order in which the pairs of endpoints are spliced to improve the relative positioning of each pair of endpoints for splicing.

Disclosed is a method and an assembly for applying a tire component onto a receiving member. The method includes the steps of: receiving the tire component on the apply member; detecting a plurality of leading endpoints at the leading edge and detecting a plurality of trailing endpoints at the trailing edge in-line with the leading endpoints in the longitudinal direction; determining the distance in the longitudinal direction between the leading endpoint and the trailing endpoint for each pair of endpoints; driving the apply member at an apply speed in a transfer direction to transfer the tire component onto the receiving member while driving the receiving member at a receiving speed; and adjusting the ratio between the apply speed and the receiving speed during the transfer of the tire component in the order in which the pairs of endpoints are spliced to improve the relative positioning of each pair of endpoints for splicing.