Process for manufacturing tires

A process for the manufacture of tires for vehicle wheels, having a radial casing, a tread and a reinforcement structure inserted between casing and tread, the said structure having at least two layers of metal cords and, in a radially outer position, at lest one layer of cords which are parallel to each other and arranged in a longitudinal direction, these cords consisting essentially of a fabric which reduces in length through the effect of heat, the said process consisting essentially of the following stages:

• a) making the casing in the form of a cylinder on an expansible drum;
• b) first shaping the unvulcanized casing to form a toroid;
• c) applying the two or more layers of metal cords to the toroidal casing;
• d) shaping the casing, with the metal layers, a second time to increase the external equatorial development of the casing so that it is greater than that obtained during the first shaping process;
• e) applying the layer or layers of fabric cords and a band of elastomeric material to form the tread to the casing having the toroidal shaping obtained as a result of the second shaping process, and on top of the layers of metal cords;
• and
• f) expanding and vulcanizing the tire made in this way in a pressurized mold;
• characterized by the fact that a portion of the said layer or layers of fabric cords is applied to the said casing, having the toroidal shape obtained as a result of the first shaping process, together with the two or more layers of metal cords, at each side zone of the said reinforcement structure, the width of the said side zone being between one-third and one-tenth of the total width of the structure.