Method and equipment for assembling a tire blank

A method of assembling a green tire blank, the method comprising steps of:

• laying rubber plies on a drum, wherein the drum is made up of segments that are radially moveable with respect to a main axis between a drum-expanded position and a drum-collapsed position, and wherein the segments form an external circumferential face of the drum;
• laying bead wires;
• after the laying of the plies and the laying of the bead wires, lifting up edges of the plies that extend axially beyond the bead wires towards ends of the drum using wings, wherein the wings extend axially and are arranged circumferentially around the main axis, and wherein the wings are moveable in longitudinal cuts that run parallel to the main axis at ends of the segments in order to lift up the edges of the plies;
• and,
• after the lifting up of the edges of the plies, folding the edges of the plies using elements that include rollers in order to turn the edges of the plies around the bead wire, wherein the elements are independent of the drum and move in an axial direction on the circumferential face of the drum.

A tire-assembly equipment for assembling a green tire blank, the equipment comprising:

• a drum that is rotatable about a main axis, the drum having an external circumferential face formed of a plurality of segments, each of the segments being moveable in a radial direction with respect to a main axis between an extended position and a collapsed position, the drum being structured to support a green tire blank during creation of the green tire blank by successive laying of raw components on the external circumferential face, the raw components including a plurality of rubber plies;
• a ply-turning device positioned to face the drum, the ply-turning device being independent of the drum and including rollers arranged to turn edges of the rubber plies laid on the drum around a bead wire, the rollers being mounted on the ply-turning device such that the rollers are moveable in an axial direction on the circumferential face of the drum,
• wherein each of the segments has ends, and each of the ends of the segments includes a longitudinal cut that runs parallel to the main axis, the cuts being structured to collaborate respectively with corresponding wings of the ply-turning device that run parallel to the main axis and that are structured to move in the cuts in order to lift up the edges of the rubber plies, the edges of the rubber plies extending axially beyond the bead wires towards ends of the drum, in order to turn over the edges.