# US 11,298,900 B2 · Process and plant for building tyres > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,298,900 B2 - Document ID: US11298900B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/063,939 - Filed: 2016-11-30 - Published: 2019-07-11 - Granted: 2022-04-12 - Earliest claimed: 2015-12-28 - Assignees: Pirelli Tyre S.p.A. - Applicants: Pirelli Tyre S.P.A. - Inventors: Gaetano Lo Presti; Gianni Mancini; Maurizio Marchini; Gianni Portinari - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11298900B2 ## CPC - B29D 30/36: Expansion of tyres in a flat form {, i.e. expansion to a toroidal shape independently of their building-up process}, e.g. of tyres built by the flat-tyres method or by jointly covering two bead-rings - B29D 30/20: by the flat-tyre method, i.e. building on cylindrical drums - B29D: PRODUCING PARTICULAR ARTICLES FROM PLASTICS OR FROM SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE (making granules B29B9/00; making preforms B29B11/00) ## Abstract A carcass sleeve including a carcass ply and a pair of annular anchoring structures is fitted around a toroidal forming drum arranged in a first radially contracted operational condition. The carcass sleeve is toroidally shaped against a radially inner surface of an annular contrast element. The forming drum is positioned inside the carcass sleeve and is concurrently expanded towards a second operational condition. Upon reaching the second operational condition, the toroidally shaped carcass sleeve is coupled to the forming drum. The forming drum, coupled to the carcass sleeve, is adapted to be transferred in proximity of an application device of additional components externally to the carcass sleeve. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A process for building tyres, including: arranging a carcass sleeve including at least one carcass ply and a pair of annular anchoring structures; arranging a toroidal forming drum in a first, radially contracted, operational condition, wherein the forming drum comprises a flattened outer surface; arranging said carcass sleeve in a position radially external to said forming drum; radially expanding the carcass sleeve according to an arched profile in cross section for toroidally shaping said carcass sleeve against at least one radially inner surface of an annular contrast element while said forming drum is positioned inside the carcass sleeve, wherein during said toroidally shaping the carcass sleeve is in a contactless relationship with the forming drum and wherein, after contacting the annular contrast element, a radial containment action is exerted on the carcass sleeve and controlled by the annular contrast element, whereby radial expansion of the carcass sleeve is inhibited to provide a flattened shaping profile of the carcass sleeve consistent with the geometry of the forming drum for subsequent coupling with the forming drum; expanding said forming drum up to a second radially expanded, operational condition, wherein the toroidally shaped carcass sleeve is coupled to the forming drum in said second operational condition; and arranging said forming drum, coupled to said carcass sleeve, in proximity of at least one application device of additional components externally to said carcass sleeve, wherein shaping of the carcass sleeve is performed in the absence of contact between the carcass sleeve and the forming drum, at least until the forming drum has a reached a radial maximum of the second operational condition. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The process according to claim 1, further including arranging said annular contrast element in a radially outer position around said carcass sleeve, before the toroidally shaping the carcass sleeve. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The process according to claim 2, wherein said annular contrast element is arranged around the carcass sleeve after the forming drum has been coaxially inserted into the carcass sleeve. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The process according to claim 3, wherein at least part of an expansion of the forming drum is carried out concurrently with at least part of the toroidally shaping of the carcass sleeve. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The process according to claim 4, wherein the flattened outer surface of the forming drum remains spaced from the carcass sleeve during expansion of the forming drum, at least before reaching the radial maximum of the second operational condition. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The process according to claim 5, wherein upon the toroidally shaping, an inner surface of the carcass sleeve reaches a maximum sleeve diameter greater than a maximum drum diameter reached by the flattened outer surface of the forming drum in the radial maximum of the second operational condition. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The process according to claim 6, wherein upon reaching said radial maximum of the second operational condition, the flattened outer surface of the forming drum has, at least in an equatorial plane of the drum, a distance not greater than 2 mm from the at least one radially inner surface of the shaped carcass sleeve against the annular contrast element. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The process according to claim 7, wherein upon reaching said radial maximum of the second operational condition, a minimum distance between the flattened outer surface of the forming drum and the at least one radially inner surface of the shaped carcass sleeve against the annular contrast element is detectable at the equatorial plane of the forming drum. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The process according to claim 8, further including a radial expansion of the annular contrast element carried out concurrently with the toroidally shaping the carcass sleeve. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The process according to claim 9, wherein the radial expansion of the annular contrast element occurs through elastic deformation of the annular contrast element. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The process according to claim 9, wherein the annular contrast element includes at least one transfer ring. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The process according to claim 11, wherein said transfer ring is movable along a first translation axis and a second translation axis perpendicular thereto. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The process according to claim 12, wherein said transfer ring carries internally a plurality of pads circumferentially distributed and radially movable between a release condition and a gripping condition in which the pads are radially contracted. ### Claim 14 (depends on 9) The process according to claim 9, wherein the annular contrast element includes at least one belt layer. ### Claim 15 (depends on 9) The process according to claim 9, wherein the annular contrast element includes at least one belt layer engaged inside a transfer ring. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The process according to claim 1, further including arranging said annular contrast element by: forming at least one belt layer around an auxiliary drum; engaging a transfer ring around said at least one belt layer; and translating said transfer ring for removing said at least one belt layer from the auxiliary drum and positioning said annular contrast element around the carcass sleeve. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The process according to claim 16, wherein the forming said belt layer includes wrapping a band-like semi-finished product circumferentially around said auxiliary drum and butt-jointing opposite ends of said band-like semi-finished product. ### Claim 18 (depends on 9) The process according to claim 9, wherein said application device of additional components is installed in a green tyre completion line remote with respect to a shaping station where said toroidally shaping occurs. ### Claim 19 (depends on 9) The process according to claim 9, wherein said additional components include at least one belt layer applied in a radially outer position on the carcass sleeve. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The process according to claim 19, wherein the belt layer is made by sequential application of a plurality of strip-like elements consecutively adjacently arranged around a circumferential development of the carcass sleeve. ### Claim 21 (depends on 9) The process according to claim 9, wherein said additional components include at least one tread band applied in a radially outer position to the carcass sleeve. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The process according to claim 21, wherein the tread band is made by winding with at least one continuous elongated element of elastomeric material according to circumferential covering turns consecutively arranged adjacent around a radially outer surface of said carcass sleeve. ### Claim 23 (depends on 9) The process according to claim 9, wherein said additional components include at least one sidewall applied laterally against the carcass sleeve. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The process according to claim 23, wherein the sidewall is made by winding with at least one continuous elongated element of elastomeric material according to circumferential covering turns consecutively and adjacently arranged against a lateral surface of said carcass sleeve. ### Claim 25 (depends on 9) The process according to claim 9, wherein the carcass sleeve is made in at least one building station and subsequently transferred to a shaping station. ### Claim 26 (depends on 9) The process according to claim 9, wherein the shaping of the carcass sleeve is carried out by introducing an inflating operating fluid inside the carcass sleeve. ### Claim 27 (depends on 9) The process according to claim 9, wherein the shaping of the carcass sleeve occurs through mutual approach of a pair of flange elements coaxially facing each other and operationally engaging respective annular anchoring structures carried by respective axially opposite ends of the carcass sleeve. ### Claim 28 (depends on 27) The process according to claim 27, wherein the carcass sleeve is coaxially fitted around the forming drum arranged in a shaping station where said toroidally shaping occurs. ### Claim 29 (depends on 28) The process according to claim 28, wherein fitting the carcass sleeve around the forming drum includes: positioning the flange elements in a loading/unloading condition in which they are mutually spaced by an extent greater than an axial dimension of the unshaped carcass sleeve; engaging the forming drum coaxially to one of said flange elements; positioning the carcass sleeve coaxially between the flange elements; axially translating the carcass sleeve to arrange the carcass sleeve in an axially centred position with respect to the forming drum. ### Claim 30 (depends on 27) The process according to claim 27, wherein arranging said annular contrast element in a radially outer position around the carcass sleeve includes the following actions: positioning said annular contrast element coaxially between the flange elements; axially translating the annular contrast element to move the annular contrast element to a stand-by position laterally arranged with respect to said flange elements. ### Claim 31 (depends on 30) The process according to claim 30, wherein the annular contrast element is positioned coaxially to the flange elements laterally with respect to the forming drum, and axially translated away from the forming drum. ### Claim 32 (depends on 1) The process according to claim 1, wherein during toroidally shaping said carcass sleeve, the annular contrast element has an inner diameter smaller than an outer diameter that would be taken by the carcass sleeve in the absence of the annular contrast element. ### Claim 33 (depends on 1) The process according to claim 1, wherein the flattened outer surface of the forming drum has a curvature ratio of between zero and 0.15. ### Claim 34 A process for building tyres, including: arranging a carcass sleeve including at least one carcass ply and a pair of annular anchoring structures; arranging a toroidal forming drum in a first, radially contracted, operational condition; arranging said carcass sleeve in a position radially external to said forming drum; fitting the carcass sleeve around the forming drum; arranging an annular contrast element in a radially outer position around said carcass sleeve, then toroidally shaping said carcass sleeve against at least one radially inner surface of an annular contrast element while said forming drum is positioned inside the carcass sleeve, wherein during said toroidally shaping the carcass sleeve is in a contactless relationship with the forming drum and is shaped for subsequent coupling with the forming drum by a radial containment action exerted on the carcass sleeve and controlled by the annular contrast element; expanding said forming drum up to a second radially expanded, operational condition, wherein the toroidally shaped carcass sleeve is coupled to the forming drum in said second operational condition; and arranging said forming drum, coupled to said carcass sleeve, in proximity of at least one application device of additional components externally to said carcass sleeve, wherein fitting the carcass sleeve around the forming drum includes: positioning flange elements in a loading/unloading condition in which they are mutually spaced by an extent greater than an axial dimension of the unshaped carcass sleeve; engaging the forming drum coaxially between said flange elements; positioning the carcass sleeve coaxially between the flange elements; and axially translating the carcass sleeve to arrange the carcass sleeve in an axially centred position with respect to the forming drum, and wherein arranging said annular contrast element in a radially outer position around the carcass sleeve includes the following actions: positioning said annular contrast element coaxially between the flange elements; then axially translating the annular contrast element away from the forming drum, to move the annular contrast element to a stand-by position laterally arranged with respect to said flange elements, before positioning the carcass sleeve coaxially between the flange elements, and then axially moving the annular contrast element from the stand-by position to the radially outer position around said carcass sleeve, after the carcass sleeve has been positioned coaxially between the flange elements. ### Claim 35 (depends on 34) The process according to claim 34, wherein the forming drum comprises a flattened outer surface and radial expansion of the carcass sleeve is inhibited to provide a flattened shaping profile of the carcass sleeve consistent with the geometry of the forming drum for subsequent coupling with the forming drum. ### Claim 36 (depends on 34) The process according to claim 34, wherein shaping of the carcass sleeve is performed in the absence of contact between the carcass sleeve and the forming drum, at least until the forming drum has reached a radial maximum of the second operational condition. ### Claim 37 (depends on 34) The process according to claim 34, wherein the forming drum comprises a flattened outer surface and radial expansion of the carcass sleeve is inhibited to provide a flattened shaping profile of the carcass sleeve consistent with the geometry of the forming drum for subsequent coupling with the forming drum, and shaping of the carcass sleeve is performed in the absence of contact between the carcass sleeve and the forming drum, at least until the forming drum has reached a radial maximum of the second operational condition.