Patent ID: 9744733
Date: 2017-08-29
CPC Classifications: B29D

Claim:
1. A process for manufacturing a tyre for a vehicle wheel, comprising the step of building a carcass structure comprising at least one carcass ply associated, at axially opposite end edges thereof, with respective annular anchoring structures, wherein the step of building the carcass structure comprises the step of reinforcing at least one annular anchoring structure with a loop, said reinforcement step being carried out on at least one radially expandable/contractable service drum having a longitudinal axis and comprising the steps of: a) radially moving a plurality of support members of the at least one service drum to set the at least one service drum to a predetermined operative radial dimension selected according to a fitting diameter of a tyre to be manufactured, wherein during execution of step a) a central support body and side support bodies of the at least one service drum define an annular outer surface of the at least one service drum in the circumferential direction; b) depositing the loop on an annular portion of the annular outer surface of the at least one service drum; c) loading the at least one annular anchoring structure onto the at least one service drum in a radially outer position with respect to the loop; d) radially expanding the at least one service drum up to a radially-expanded configuration to lock in position the at least one annular anchoring structure, thereby radially expanding the entire loop; e) rotating the at least one service drum about the longitudinal axis thereof while the at least one service drum is in the radially-expanded configuration; f) during rotation of the at least one service drum, turning the loop up about the at least one annular anchoring structure with at least one pair of turning rollers so as to form at least one reinforced annular anchoring structure; and g) unloading the at least one reinforced annular anchoring structure from the at least one service drum; the process further comprising, between steps d) and e), moving the at least one pair of turning rollers through radial openings in the side support bodies to a radially inner position with respect to the loop and subsequently moving the side support bodies away from the loop for allowing rotation of the at least one service drum.