Patent ID: 7399374

Claim:
Method of manufacturing a tire reinforcement structure comprising threads disposed substantially parallel to each other, the method comprising the steps of: A. providing a substantially toroidal rotatable form and a reinforcement-constructing apparatus disposed adjacent the form, B. at a forming section of the apparatus forming a group of multiple threads disposed substantially parallel to each other, C. feeding the group of threads to a joining section of the apparatus where the threads are embedded in an elastomeric composition to form a strip; D. feeding the strip to a cutting section of the apparatus where the strip is successively cut into portions, E. successively feeding the strip portions to a depositing section of the apparatus which successively deposits the portions of the strip along a predetermined trajectory onto the surface of the form as the form rotates, to form a reinforcement ply comprising a plurality of the strip portions; F. wherein the strip portions are formed in situ at the form and are deposited directly onto the form from the depositing section, and G. varying, during steps C-F, the quantity of the composition applied to the threads per unit length of strip in step C as a function of the position on the form to be occupied by the respective unit length of strip.