Patent ID: 8012281

Claim:
A system for forming a layer of elastomeric material on at least one toroidal body, the system comprising a supporting unit for rotating the toroidal body about a respective axis of rotation; at least one extruder for producing a rope of elastomeric material; at least one forming unit connected to the supporting unit and for converting the rope into a shaped strip and applying the shaped strip to the toroidal body to form said layer; and at least one feed unit for feeding the rope from the extruder to the forming unit; the system wherein the feed unit comprises a variable-length conveyor comprising a variable-length frame; a first supporting device connected to the frame at an input end of the conveyor to allow the conveyor to rotate about a vertical first axis and a horizontal second axis, both crosswise to a travelling direction of the elastomeric material along the conveyor; a first releasable joint interposed between the frame and the forming unit at an output end of the conveyor; and a second supporting device connectable releasably, by a normally-open second releasable joint, to the frame at the output end of the conveyor.