Process and apparatus for producing pneumatic tyres

A process for producing pneumatic tyres, comprising the steps of:

• building a green tyre on a toroidal support, said green tyre having a pair of beads each defined along a respective inner circumferential edge of said tyre, said toroidal support having an outer surface the shape of which substantially matches that of an inner surface of the green tyre;
• moulding each bead by tightening the bead between a surface portion of the toroidal support and an annular clamping surface axially opposite to the surface portion of the toroidal support;
• transferring the tyre with the beads maintained to a tightened condition, into a moulding cavity, said moulding cavity having an inner wall substantially conforming in shape to an outer surface of the moulded tyre;
• and
• moulding and vulcanising the tyre.

An apparatus for producing pneumatic tyres, comprising:

• a building line designed to form a green tyre on a toroidal support, the green tyre having a pair of beads each defined along a respective inner circumferential edge of said tyre, said toroidal support having an outer surface substantially conforming in shape to an inner surface of the green tyre;
• bead moulding devices to tighten each bead between a surface portion of the toroidal support and an annular clamping surface axially opposite to said surface portion of the toroidal support;
• a moulding unit of the tyre having a moulding cavity with an inner wall substantially conforming in shape to an outer surface of the moulded tyre;
• devices for vulcanising the tyre;
• and
• actuating devices for transferring the tyre together with said toroidal support and said bead moulding devices into the moulding cavity.