Patent ID: 8168021
Filing Date: 2012-05-01
Classification: B29D,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A process for assembling a tire, comprising producing a crown of said tire on a drum of variable diameter of a generally cylindrical form, said drum comprising: a set of first holding means arranged circumferentially at an equator EE′ of said drum and operable to make a part of a ply arranged level with the first holding means adhere to the drum, and a set of second holding means arranged circumferentially and axially on either side of the equator EE′ over an entire surface of said drum and operable to make a part of a ply placed level with said second holding means alternately adhere to or slide freely on the drum, the assembly process comprising the following steps performed in order from (1) to (9): (1) positioning the drum at a first diameter D (2) depositing a first crown belt ply N (3) depositing a second crown belt ply N (4) making the second crown belt ply N (5) activating the second holding means so as to permit sliding of lateral edges of the first crown belt ply level with said second holding means while maintaining the position of the first holding means so as to adhere the parts of the crown belt plies which are located level with the equator to the surface of the belt, (6) positioning the drum at a second diameter D (7) activating the second holding means so as to make the first and second crown belt plies adhere to the surface of the drum, (8) depositing additional plies and profiled products to form the crown of the tire, and (9) removing the crown from the drum by deactivating the first and second holding means.