Pirelli Tyre S.p.a.

Pirelli Pneumatici S.p.a.

Pierelli Tyre S.p.a.

Enrico Sabbatani

Francesco D'Oria

Maurizio Marchini

Gianni Mancini

Luigi Antonio Badolato

Dario Giambersio

Giovanni Simonato

Renato Caretta

Maurizio Boiocchi

Cristiano Puppi

Luigi Bosio

Marco Cantu′

Sergio Sacchi

Francesco D'oria

The present invention relates to an apparatus and to a process for building tyres for vehicle wheels, wherein sidewalls () are applied on opposite sides of a carcass sleeve () placed on a shaping drum (). The application of the sidewalls () comprises: arranging each sidewall () as a ring around application levers () of a respective support (), making an axial appendage () of the sidewall () protrude axially beyond the free ends () of the respective application levers (); radially opening the free ends () of the application levers () of each support () so as to make the respective sidewall () radially expand; axially approaching the free ends () of the application levers () to the respective half-drum () up to engaging the axial appendage () with the carcass sleeve () and radially opening the free ends () of the application levers () to adhere the sidewalls against the carcass sleeve ().

Apparatus and process for building tyres for vehicle wheels

A method of selectively controlling the self-sealing ability of a tyre obtained by application of a sealing assembly on a drum and subsequent formation thereon of a precursor of a green tyre inclusive of liner and carcass, followed by shaping, curing and molding. The sealing assembly includes: a self-supporting thermoplastic film of polyamide or polyester and a layer of sealing material possessing viscoelasticity and stickiness features, which is associated with and supported by the self-supporting thermoplastic film. The sealing assembly is easily puncturable by a sharp-pointed element while it maintains such a deformability and stickiness that it helps in the transfer of the sealing material during ejection of the sharp-pointed element and limits the transferred material amount to such an extent that holes bigger than a predetermined value are not sealed.

Method of selectively controlling the self-sealing ability of a tyre and self-sealing tyre for vehicle wheels

A method of selectively controlling the self-sealing ability of a tire obtained by application of a sealing assembly on a drum and subsequent formation thereon of a precursor of a green tire inclusive of liner and carcass, followed by shaping, curing and molding. The sealing assembly includes: a self-supporting thermoplastic film of polyamide or polyester and a layer of sealing material possessing viscoelasticity and stickiness features, which is associated with and supported by the self-supporting thermoplastic film. The sealing assembly is easily puncturable by a sharp-pointed element while it maintains such a deformability and stickiness that it helps in the transfer of the sealing material during ejection of the sharp-pointed element and limits the transferred material amount to such an extent that holes bigger than a predetermined value are not sealed.

A method for controlling a manufacturing process of components of a tire for vehicle wheels, wherein at least one elongated element fed by a dispensing member is distributed onto a forming support by means of at least one pressing member acting on the at least one elongated element along a pressing direction. The method includes the steps of substantially continuously detecting the value of a characteristic quantity indicative of the displacement of the at least one pressing member along the pressing direction, comparing the detected value of the characteristic quantity with a threshold value and generating a warning signal when the detected value of the characteristic quantity exceeds the threshold value. Such a control method allows the presence of possible deposition anomalies to be identified right from the deposition step of the elongated elements on the forming support so as to ensure ever higher quality levels in tires manufactured through continuous processes.

Method and apparatus for controlling a manufacturing process of components of a tyre for vehicle wheels

In a process for producing self-sealing tires for vehicle wheels, a continuous sealing assembly, including a self-supporting thermoplastic film and a layer of polymeric sealing material, is wound from a reel holder on which is stocked, separated by a protective film associated with the layer of polymeric sealing material, cut to size and then wound around a forming drum. Winding the sealing assembly cut to size includes: feeding the sealing assembly cut to size onto a chute from top to bottom up to the forming drum; depositing a leading end of the sealing assembly cut to size on a radially outer surface of the forming drum; locking the leading end on the forming drum by means of a locking bar; setting the forming drum in rotation with the locking bar dragging the sealing assembly cut to size and winding it on the forming drum up to overlapping; and sealing a trailing end of the sealing assembly cut to size on the leading end.

Method for controlling deposition of a layer of polymeric sealing material on a forming drum and process for producing self-sealing tyres for vehicle wheels

A process for manufacturing an elastomeric tire component includes the steps of a) preparing an elongated element including a cross-linkable elastomeric material by feeding it to an extruding device having a plurality of units, each having a respective thermal inertia, and b) delivering the elongated element onto a building support, and further includes at least one non-productive step of c) submitting at least one of the units of the extruding device to a thermal transition selected from heating or cooling, substantially reducing the risk of scorching during the thermal transition from and to the non-productive step ranking the units according to their thermal inertia and heating the units starting with the top-ranked unit sequentially to the bottom-ranked unit to reach the respective working temperature or cooling the units starting from the maximum working temperature unit sequentially to the minimum working temperature unit to reach the respective non-working temperature.

Process for manufacturing elastomeric tire components

A process for manufacturing elastomeric components of a tire for a vehicle wheel includes feeding a continuous elongated element from a delivery member by exerting a feeding pressure inside the delivery member, rotating a building support around a geometrical rotation axis of the support, carrying out controlled relative displacements between the delivery member and the support to form a tire component, stopping the feeding of the elongated element when formation of the tire component is complete, and exerting a counter-pressure inside the delivery member after stopping the feeding. Rotating the support assists circumferential distribution of the elongated element on the support. Carrying out controlled relative displacements assists transverse distribution of the elongated element on the support. The tire component is defined by a plurality of coils laid in a pre-established deposition pattern depending on a predetermined cross-section outline to be given to the tire component.

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Milan, Italy

Enrico Sabbatani