Abstract:
A green tire disposed on a toroidal support is introduced into a vulcanisation mold. The mold is closed through axial approaching of a pair of sidewall plates acting against the sidewalls of the tire. Circumferential sectors set to operate against the tire tread band are maintained spaced apart from the tread band itself during admission of a working fluid designed to press the tire against the toroidal support. Subsequently, the sectors are centripetally approached for penetration into the tread band concurrently with a step of full molding and vulcanisation of the tire carried out through admission of steam under pressure into the tire itself.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application is a national phase application based on PCT/IT2004/000732, filed Dec. 28, 2004, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1.Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for manufacturing pneumatic tyres for vehicle wheels. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     In a tyre production cycle it is provided that, subsequently to a building cycle in which the different tyre components are manufactured and/or assembled, a moulding and vulcanisation process be carried out which is aimed at defining the tyre structure according to a desired geometry, usually having a particular tread pattern. 
     To this aim, the tyre is closed into a moulding cavity defined internally of a vulcanisation mould and conforming in shape to the geometric configuration of the outer surfaces of the tyre to be obtained. 
     A pneumatic tyre generally comprises a carcass structure of a ring-shaped toroidal conformation, including one or more carcass plies strengthened with reinforcing cords lying in radial planes, i.e. in planes containing the rotation axis of the tyre. Each carcass ply has its ends rigidly associated with at least one metallic annular anchoring structure, usually known as bead core, constituting the reinforcement to the beads, i.e. to the radially internal ends of said tyre, the function of which is to enable assembling of the tyre with a corresponding mounting rim. A band of elastomeric material referred to as tread band is applied crownwise to said carcass structure, and in said tread band at the end of the vulcanisation and moulding steps a raised pattern is formed for ground contact. Placed between the carcass structure and the tread band is a reinforcing structure currently known as belt structure. This belt structure usually comprises, in the case of tyres for cars, at least two radially superposed strips of rubberised fabric provided with reinforcing cords, usually of metal, disposed parallel to each other in each strip and crossed with the cords of the adjacent strip, preferably symmetrically disposed relative to the equatorial plane of the tyre. Preferably said belt structure, at least on the ends of the underlying strips, further comprises a third layer of textile or metallic cords that are circumferentially disposed (at 0 degrees), at a radially external position. 
     Respective sidewalls of elastomeric material are also applied to the side surfaces of the carcass structure, each extending from one of the side edges of the tread band until close to the respective annular anchoring structure to the beads. 
     Finally, in tyres of the tubeless type, i.e. devoid of air tube, there is the presence of a radially internal layer having impermeability features to ensure airtightness to the tyre, said layer being generally referred to as “liner”. 
     To the aims of the present description it is to be pointed out herein that by the term “elastomeric material” it is intended a composition comprising at least one elastomer polymer and at least one reinforcing filler. Preferably, this composition further comprises additives such as cross-linking agents and/or plasticizers. Due to the presence of the cross-linking agents, this material can be cross-linked through heating, so as to form the final article of manufacture. 
     There are moulding and vulcanisation methods in which a green tyre is set within the mould, being placed on a substantially rigid toroidal support. Said methods are preferably used for tyres that, based on recent manufacturing processes, are produced starting from a limited number of elementary semi-finished products fed onto a toroidal support the outer profile of which is coincident with that of the radially internal surface of the tyre that is wished to be produced. Said toroidal support is moved, preferably by a robotized system, between a plurality of stations in each of which through automated sequences, a particular tyre manufacturing step is carried out (see document EP 0 928 680 in the name of the same Applicant, for example). 
     The European Patent Application issued under No. 0 976 533 in the name of the same Applicant discloses a method and an apparatus for moulding and curing tyres for vehicle wheels in which a green tyre manufactured on a toroidal support is enclosed in the moulding cavity of a vulcanisation mould; subsequently, steam or other fluid under pressure is fed into at least one gap for fluid diffusion created between the outer surface of the toroidal support and the inner surface of the tyre, thereby imposing a radial expansion to said tyre that causes pressing of the latter against the inner surfaces of the moulding cavity. Following this pressing operation, suitable forming ridges set in the moulding cavity penetrate into the elastomeric material in the region of the tread band, to generate recesses and grooves such disposed as to form a desired tread pattern. 
     By a method of the above described type, the cured tyre can however show some faults, because the steam or other working fluid used for vulcanisation comes into direct contact with the innermost layer of the tyre, as for tyres directly assembled and cured on the same toroidal support there is not the effect of the vulcanisation bladder normally used when vulcanisation is carried out on tyres built by assembling semi-finished components without the aid of a toroidal support. 
     To overcome these drawbacks, the Applicant has already put into practice the above described methods through the teachings of document WO 2004/045837 according to which a green tyre is submitted to a preliminary step of pressing it against the toroidal support while simultaneously administering heat, to obtain at least partial vulcanisation of the innermost layer of the tyre itself and of the bead region. In this manner it is possible to subsequently carry out a moulding and vulcanisation step while expanding the tyre against the outer surfaces of the moulding cavity, without involving lack of homogeneity and of evenness in that tyre portion that is in contact with the toroidal support, which portion is the first to come into contact with the working fluid during vulcanisation. The working fluid used in the moulding and vulcanisation step in fact comes into contact with parts of the tyre that have already been partly cured and in which therefore the behaviour of the material is no longer plastic but almost elastic, thereby withstanding the fluid action without experiencing deterioration or deformations. 
     The Applicant has however perceived that also in the above described vulcanisation methods submitting the tyre to a preliminary pressing treatment against the toroidal support, surface unevennesses in the radially external parts of the tyre can occur, at least under particular work conditions. 
     According to the Applicant&#39;s perception, in fact, the preliminary pressing step against the toroidal support, aimed at obtaining an at least partial cross-linking of the inner tyre surface, can also cause partial cross-linking of the radially external surface portions of the tyre itself. 
     In more detail, the Applicant has noticed that closure of the tyre into the moulding cavity can cause the tread band to be partially penetrated by the forming ridges set in the moulding cavity for the purpose of creating the tread pattern so that, as a result, heat transfer and partial cross-linking of the tyre regions directly in contact with the forming ridges occur during the preliminary pressing step. Consequently, unevennesses are created in the elastomeric material constituting the tread band and correct adaptation of the material itself to the conformation of the moulding cavity during the subsequent moulding and vulcanisation step is impaired. 
     The Applicant has further observed that part of the fluid under pressure, nitrogen for example, admitted into the mould to cause the preliminary pressing treatment against the toroidal support can be entrapped between the outer surface of the tread band and the moulding cavity, in the grooves delimited by the forming ridges to form the pattern blocks on the tyre tread band. Therefore gaseous pockets are created that can be hardly evacuated during the subsequent moulding and vulcanisation step and can cause geometric unevennesses in the finished product. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The Applicant has therefore realised that the above described problems can be overcome by avoiding the forming ridges coming into contact with the radially external surface of the tyre tread band in the period elapsing between closure of the tyre into the moulding cavity and the moulding and vulcanisation step of said tyre against the walls of the moulding cavity itself. 
     In accordance with the present invention, the Applicant has found that by keeping the forming ridges radially spaced apart from the radially external surface of the tread band during said preliminary pressing step against the toroidal support following closure of the moulding cavity, the elastomeric material is prevented from prematurely cross-linking in the outermost layers of the tyre thus impairing a correct implementation of the moulding step. 
     Subsequently, the forming ridges are moved close to the tread band when the tyre moulding and vulcanisation step begins, with possible expansion of said tyre against the moulding cavity. 
     Also avoided are geometrical faults due to fluid stagnation between the radially external surface of the tread band and the grooves delimited between the forming ridges. 
     In more detail, in accordance with a first aspect, the invention relates to a method of manufacturing pneumatic tyres for vehicle wheels, comprising the steps of: setting a green tyre comprising a tread band having a radially external surface, on a toroidal support provided with an outer surface conforming in shape to an inner surface of the tyre itself; setting a vulcanisation mould having a moulding cavity circumscribed by centripetally-approachable circumferential sectors, carrying forming ridges facing a geometric axis of the moulding cavity; closing the tyre into the moulding cavity; pressing the tyre against the outer surface of the toroidal support; administering heat to the inner surface of the tyre pressed against the toroidal support, keeping the circumferential sectors spaced apart from the radially external surface of the tread band; centripetally approaching the circumferential sectors of the mould to cause at least partial penetration of the forming ridges into the radially external surface of the tread band of the tyre; pressing the radially external surface of the tread band of the tyre against a radially internal surface of the moulding cavity; administering heat to the tyre penetrated by the forming ridges of the circumferential sectors. 
     In accordance with a second aspect, the invention relates to an apparatus for manufacturing pneumatic tyres for vehicle wheels, comprising: a toroidal support having an outer surface conforming in shape to the inner surface of a green tyre under working comprising a tread band provided with a radially external surface; devices for arranging the green tyre on the toroidal support; a vulcanisation mould having a moulding cavity circumscribed by centripetally-approachable circumferential sectors carrying forming ridges facing the geometric axis of the moulding cavity; devices for closing the tyre into the moulding cavity; devices for pressing the tyre enclosed in the moulding cavity against the outer surface of the toroidal support; first devices for administering heat to the inner surface of the tyre pressed against the toroidal support; devices for pressing the radially external surface of the tread band of the tyre against a radially internal surface of the moulding cavity; driving devices to be activated subsequently to closure of the tyre into the moulding cavity to cause translation of the circumferential sectors between a first work condition at which the forming ridges are radially spaced apart from the radially external surface of the tread band of the tyre enclosed in the moulding cavity, and a second work condition at which the forming ridges penetrate at least partly into the radially external surface of the tread band; second devices for administering heat to the tyre penetrated by the forming ridges of the circumferential sectors. 
     Further features and advantages will become more apparent from the detailed description of a preferred, but not exclusive, embodiment of a method of manufacturing tyres and an apparatus for putting said method into practice, in accordance with the present invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       This description will be set out hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, given by way of non-limiting example, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a fragmentary diametrical section view of a moulding and curing apparatus in accordance with the present invention, set in an open condition to enable introduction and removal of a tyre under working; 
         FIG. 2  shows the apparatus in  FIG. 1  in a closed condition, in a step of pressing the tyre under working against the outer surface of a toroidal support; 
         FIG. 3  shows the apparatus in a step subsequent to that in  FIG. 2 , in a different diametrical section plane, during pressing of the tyre against the inner surfaces of the moulding cavity. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     With reference to the drawings, a moulding and curing apparatus for tyres of vehicle wheels in accordance with the present invention has been generally denoted at  101 . 
     Apparatus  101  comprises a vulcanisation mould  102  operatively associated with a casing  103  and having a lower sidewall plate  130   a  and an upper sidewall plate  130   b  in engagement with a base  103   a  and a closing portion  103   b  of casing  103  respectively, or other suitable devices to close a tyre under working  50  into the mould itself. 
     The base  103   a  and the closing portion  103   b , together with the respective lower  130   a  and upper  130   b  sidewall plates are in fact movable relative to each other between an open condition at which they are mutually spaced apart as shown in  FIG. 1 , to enable introduction of the tyre  50  to be cured into the mould  102 , and a closed position at which, as shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , they are disposed close to each other to enclose tyre  50  in a moulding cavity  104  having inner walls reproducing the geometrical configuration to be given to the tyre at the end of the moulding and curing process. 
     In detail, sidewall plates  130   a ,  130   b  face each other and are set to operate against the opposite sides of the tyre, so as to form the outer surfaces of the tyre sidewalls  51 . Mould  102  further comprises at least one crown of circumferential sectors  140  circumscribing the moulding cavity  104  and carrying forming ridges  140   a  turned towards a geometric axis X-X of the moulding cavity. The circumferential sectors  140  are set to operate on a radially external surface of a so-called tread band  52  of tyre  50 , to create a series of cuts and longitudinal and/or transverse grooves therein that are suitably disposed according to a desired “tread pattern”. 
     Preferably, sidewall plates  130   a ,  130   b  each have perimetral abutment surfaces  131   a ,  131   b  that, at least in the closed condition, slidably engage with the circumferential sectors  140 , so as to allow radial movement of the latter relative to the geometric axis X-X of the moulding cavity  104 . This slidable engagement can be obtained by flat abutment surfaces peripherally formed on each of the sidewall plates  130   a ,  130   b  and operating at axially opposite positions on each of the circumferential sectors  140 . Further associated with the circumferential sectors  140  are driving devices  150  to be activated after tyre  50  has been closed into the moulding cavity  104 , i.e. when sidewall plates  130   a ,  130   b  are in the closed condition, to cause radial translation of the circumferential sectors between a first work condition at which, as shown in  FIG. 2 , they are radially spaced apart from the geometric axis X-X of the moulding cavity, and a second work condition at which, as shown in  FIG. 3 , the circumferential sectors  140  are moved radially close to said geometric axis X-X, preferably in circumferential abutment relationship against each other. 
     In more detail, as shown in  FIG. 2 , in the first work condition the forming ridges  140   a  carried by the circumferential sectors  140  are radially spaced apart from the radially external surface of the tread band  52  of tyre  50 , whereas in the second work condition the circumferential sectors  140  are radially approached so that the forming ridges  140   a  penetrate at least partly into the tread band  52 . 
     Preferably, the driving devices  150  comprise at least one sector-carrying ring  151 , that is axially movable relative to the moulding cavity  104  and has at least one frustoconical surface  151   a  slidably engaging the circumferential sectors  140  to cause radial translation of the latter between the first and second work conditions, following an axial movement of the sector-carrying ring itself. Axial movement of each sector-carrying ring  151  can be obtained by means of pusher members operating on control rods  153  slidably engaged through the casing  103  of mould  102 . More particularly, in the embodiment herein shown the pusher members comprise a plurality of first fluid-operated actuators  152  that are circumferentially distributed and externally fastened to the base  103   a . Each actuator  152  operates on the respective control rod  153  by means of an idler arm  154  pivoted on the base  103   a . Also provided can be locking devices  160  to be activated for fixing positioning of the circumferential sectors  140  to the second work position. These locking devices  160  can for example comprise one or more stop blocks  161 , carried by auxiliary control rods  162 , slidably engaged through the casing  103 , and movable upon command of auxiliary actuators  163  between a first work position at which they release axial movement of the sector-carrying ring and a second work position at which they act against a radial shoulder  164  carried by the sector-carrying ring itself to lock the latter to the second work position as shown in  FIG. 3 . The stop blocks  161  can operate in thrust relationship against at least one frustoconical surface exhibited by the radial shoulder  164  so as to exert a constant action on the sector-carrying ring  151  in order to maintain the circumferential sectors  140  centripetally pushed towards axis X-X. 
     Preferably, at least one of the sidewall plates, the lower sidewall plate  130   a  in the example herein shown, is axially movable relative to the casing  103  when the mould  102  is in an open condition, so as to carry out axial translation of the circumferential sectors  140  along the frustoconical surface  151   a  of the sector-carrying ring  151  to cause further radial moving apart of the latter starting from the above described first work condition. Radial moving apart of the circumferential sectors  140  with mould  102  in the open condition is of an extent sufficient to enable easy introduction of tyre  50  to be cured and/or extraction of the cured tyre through an access opening  170  defined between the upper  130   b  and lower  130   a  sidewall plates in the open condition, without involving mechanical interferences between the tyre and the circumferential sectors. 
     Apparatus  101  further contemplates use of at least one toroidal support  10  of metal material or other substantially rigid material, having an outer surface substantially reproducing the shape of the inner surface of tyre  50 . The toroidal support  10  conveniently consists of a drum that can be split up, i.e. made up of circumferential sectors at least some of which are centripetally movable to dismantle the toroidal support itself and enable easy removal of same from tyre  50  when working has been completed. 
     Apparatus  101  further involves at least one duct  110  to feed a primary working fluid under pressure, such as steam, nitrogen or other substantially inert gas or a mixture thereof, to be used, as better illustrated in the following, for tyre moulding and curing. 
     Also preferably present in apparatus  101  are heating devices for the mould  102 , preferably in the form of a plurality of ducts  105  for passage of a heating fluid, associated with the sidewall plates  130   a ,  130   b  and/or the circumferential sectors  140 , respectively. 
     Preferably, also present in apparatus  101  is a hermetically sealed device suitable to contain the toroidal support  10  on which a green tyre  50  has been previously built. 
     As shown in the accompanying drawings, said hermetically sealed device can be, in a preferred embodiment, enclosed and integrated into said mould  102  defining a hermetically sealed cavity within the mould itself. Preferably, said mould  102  in this case comprises at least one circumferential gasket  107  put on the opposite surfaces of base  103   a  and of the closing portion  103   b.    
     Said circumferential gasket  107  can be embodied by an O-ring or preferably a series of superposed metal rings having a sealing element placed between the opposite surfaces thereof and able to resist pressures and temperatures as required by the method described in the following. 
     A device for feeding a secondary working fluid such as air, nitrogen or other substantially inert gases, is operatively associated with said mould  102 . Said device comprises at least one delivery duct  108  and one exhaust duct  109  for feeding and evacuating said secondary working fluid under pressure to and from said mould  102  respectively, for pressing the inner surface of said green tyre  50  from inside to outside against the outer surface of said toroidal support  10 , as better described in the following. 
     Duct  110  is operatively associated with at least one passage device by a connecting duct  111  for example, that is formed in at least one of the centering shanks  11  of said toroidal support  10 , to enable spreading of said primary working fluid under pressure within said toroidal support  10 . 
     Said passage device is provided with suitable branches formed in the toroidal support  10  and by which said primary working fluid reaches a plurality of ducts (not shown) opening onto the outer surface of the toroidal support itself, through the gaps present between said circumferential sectors of the toroidal support  10 , for example. 
     Preferably, a duct  112  adapted to evacuate the primary working fluid and/or possible condensate is then provided at the lower part of said moulding cavity  104 . 
     In accordance with the method of the invention, the green tyre  50  is disposed on the toroidal support  10  before the latter is introduced together with the tyre itself, into the vulcanisation mould  102  set in the open condition. 
     In particular, arrangement of tyre  50  on the toroidal support  10  can be conveniently obtained by manufacturing the tyre directly on the support itself. In this manner the toroidal support  10  is advantageously utilised as a rigid shape for forming the different components such as liner, carcass plies, reinforcing structures to the beads, belt strips, sidewalls  51  and tread band  52  co-operating in forming tyre  50 . More specifically, said components of tyre  50  are preferably made by suitable working units carrying out laying on said toroidal support  10  of elementary semi-finished products such as, by way of example, continuous elongated elements of elastomeric materials and strip-like elements of elastomeric material internally comprising at least one textile or metallic cord. For example, the tread band  52  can be obtained by winding said continuous elongated element of elastomeric material around the rotation axis of the toroidal support  10 , in the form of coils disposed in side by side and/or superposed relationship or following another predetermined path. 
     Further details on the modes of laying the components of tyre  50  on the toroidal support  10  are for example described in the European Patent Application issued under No. 0 928 680 in the name of the same Applicant. 
     The toroidal support  10  carrying the green tyre  50  is transferred to the inside of mould  102  manually or with the aid of a robotized arm (not shown) or in any other manner, through the opening access  170  defined between the upper  130   b  and lower  130   a  sidewall plates in the open condition. The lower sidewall plate  130   a , first in a raised position to keep the circumferential sectors  140  in a condition of maximum radial spacing from each other, is lowered into the base  103   a , to allow tyre  50  to be closed into the mould  102 , following axial approaching of the upper sidewall plate  130   b  carried by the closing portion  103   b  of casing  103 . 
     When closure has been completed, the circumferential sectors  140  are in the first work condition, the forming ridges  140   a  being spaced apart from the radially external surface of the tread band  52  of tyre  50 . 
     Through duct  108  said secondary fluid under pressure is sent into the moulding cavity  104 . The secondary working fluid therefore takes up the space included between the outer surface of said green tyre  50  and the inner surface of the moulding cavity  104 . Substantially simultaneously, said primary working fluid under pressure is sent into said toroidal support  10  at a lower pressure than that of said secondary working fluid. After a short transient stage, the pressure differential resulting from what above illustrated is preferably maintained for some minutes. Since the primary working fluid is at a lower pressure, it will stay at the inside of said toroidal support  10  without escaping from the previously described ducts formed therethrough. In this way, during this step the green tyre  50  is pressed from outside to inside, so that the inner surface thereof preferably comprising the liner is pressed against the outer surface of the toroidal support  10 . 
     Preferably said primary working fluid, that in this step is preferably formed of steam, is fed to a temperature generally included between about 170° C. and 210° C. 
     During said period of time, the primary working fluid heats the toroidal support  10  and the latter transmits heat to the inner surface of the tyre, then to the region of the beads and preferably to the liner. 
     In addition or as an alternative to the primary working fluid conveyed through the feeding duct  110 , different devices for administering heat to the inner surface of the tyre can be provided, and they for example comprise electric resistors for heating the toroidal support  10 . 
     Heating carried out through the toroidal support  10  does not fully cure said parts of tyre  50  but in any case it is sufficient to give the parts themselves elasticity features. In particular, the carcass ply or plies are well anchored to the beads, and the inner surface of the tyre, preferably the liner, becomes elastic enough to withstand the subsequent pressures of the moulding and curing process illustrated in the following, without being torn. 
     This pressing step of tyre  50  against the outer surface of the toroidal support  10 , and simultaneous administration of heat to the inner surface of the tyre itself, terminates with evacuation of the secondary working fluid by means of the exhaust duct  109 . 
     It will be appreciated that the absence of a direct contact between the forming ridges  140   a  and the tread band  52  during the pressing step of tyre  50  against the toroidal support  10  eliminates the risk of directly transmitting heat to the outer surface of the tread band  52 . Therefore triggering of premature cross-linking on the tread band  52 , which will give rise to footprints different from the desired ones on the finished tyre, is avoided, also due to a “memorisation” effect of the shape and position of the coils formed by the continuous elongated element wound on the toroidal support so as to form the tread band  52 . 
     In addition, the distance between the forming ridges  140   a  and the read band  52  facilitates evacuation of the secondary working fluid under pressure from the moulding cavity  104  at the end of the pressing step of the tyre against the toroidal support  10 , without any risk of forming stagnation of fluid under pressure between the outer surface of the tread band  52  and the moulding cavity itself, in the spaces circumscribed by the forming ridges  140   a . In addition, also the space between the circumferential sectors  140  due to the fact that they remain in the first work condition, promotes quick evacuation of the secondary working fluid under pressure between tyre  50  and the moulding cavity  104 . 
     When the pressing step has been completed with evacuation of the working fluid utilised as above illustrated, the driving devices  150  are operated and they cause a centripetal approaching of the circumferential sectors  140  from the first to the second work condition at which the forming ridges  140   a  penetrate at least partly into the tread band  52 . It will be recognised that in the apparatus in accordance with the invention the centripetal movement of the circumferential sectors  140  is therefore uncoupled from the movement consequent to the step of closing mould  102  between the base  103   a  and closing portion  103   b.    
     The auxiliary blocks  161   a ,  161   b  are driven by the respective actuators  163   a ,  163   b  to fix positioning of the circumferential sectors  140  to the second work condition, until the end of the subsequent step aimed at complete moulding and curing of tyre  50 , which operation starts concurrently with fixing of the circumferential sectors  140  to the second work condition. 
     The above step starts by increasing the pressure of said primary working fluid to a value included between about 18 and about 35 bars, preferably between about 26 and about 28 bars, in order to mould and cure tyre  50  with the desired pulling strength on the carcass ply. 
     During this step the primary working fluid preferably comprises a steam and nitrogen mixture, even if it can consist of either steam alone or steam admixed with air or other substantially inert gases, or also of one or more gases such as air, nitrogen and other substantially inert gases. 
     The pressure generated by said primary working fluid reaches a diffusion gap (not shown) created between the outer surface of the toroidal support  10  and the inner surface of the tyre to be cured. 
     In a preferential alternative embodiment, the diffusion gap is created directly following expansion of the tyre caused by effect of the thrust exerted by said primary working fluid. 
     Thus pressing of the tyre against the walls of the moulding cavity  104  is carried out concurrently with an expansion imposed to the tyre itself, until bringing the outer surface of the latter to fully adhere to the inner walls of the moulding cavity  104 , the forming ridges  140   a  fully penetrating into the tread band  52 . Since the elastomeric material forming the tread band  52  is in a raw state, i.e. devoid of important cross-linking triggers, perfect adaptation and optimal contact of the material itself against the inner walls of the moulding cavity  104  is obtained. 
     In addition, said pressing action takes place concurrently with administration of heat to cause cross-linking of the elastomeric material forming tyre  50  and the consequent geometric and structural definition of the tyre itself. 
     Advantageously, said primary working fluid determining the desired pressure, while enabling moulding of the tyre also supplies the necessary heat for vulcanisation.