Patent ID: 6949157

Claim:
A method for manufacturing a pneumatic tire, wherein carcass plies are formed by applying carcass cords over an outer surface of a toroidal core along cord paths extending in a meridian direction of the core, said method comprising the steps of: forming a zigzag shaped carcass cord arrangement by applying a carcass cord on an outer surface of an imaginary column axially of the imaginary column and sequentially engaging the carcass cord around hook pins arranged at opposite axial end portions of the outer surface of the imaginary column, the imaginary column having a substantially sector-shaped cross section and a length equal to that of a cord path on the core; moving the core toward said carcass cord arrangement so that a center axis and an equatorial plane of the core are matched with a center axis and an axial center plane of said imaginary column, respectively; moving the hook pins radially toward the core so that an axial center portion of the carcass cord between the axially opposite hook pins are brought into contact with the outer surface of the core along its equatorial plane; further moving the hook pins radially from an outer peripheral side to an inner peripheral side of the core and also axially toward the core while maintaining tension of the carcass cords between the axial center portion situated at the equatorial plane of the core and the hooked portion engaged around the hook pins, so that the carcass cord is sequentially attached to the outer surface of the core from the outer peripheral side to the inner peripheral side of the core until the hooked portions of the carcass cord engaged around the hook pins are brought into contact with the outer surface of the core; pressing the hook pins against the core, so that the hook pins open; and subsequently pressing the booked portions of the carcass cord against the outer surface of the core for a given time so that the hooked portions of the carcass cord are attached to the core.