Drum for the formation of uncured tire sections thereon

A drum for assembling thereon a series of plies to form a green tire, said drum comprising a plurality of assemblable and disassemblable individual and discrete components, said components being particularly adapted, in an assembled state, for the construction thereon of an uncured tire, said components comprising:

• a mandrel having a substantially central axis and a peripheral surface encircling said central axis;
• a plurality of arcuate drum segment members substantially encircling, in the assembled configuration, said mandrel;
• each of said plurality of arcuate drum segment members having a pair of opposing circumferential end faces, each for engaging a circumferential end face provided on another of said first plurality of segment members;
• said pair of circumferential end faces provided on at least one of said plurality of arcuate drum segment members being disposed substantially parallel to one another;
• interlocking means for interlocking, in the assembled configuration, said mandrel and each of said plurality of arcuate drum segment members against any substantial movement therebetween;
• and
• a plurality of end segment members for substantially encircling, in the assembled configuration, said mandrel with said interlocking means and said end segment members being relatively configured for said interlocking means to be disengageable from said drum segment members before said end segment members are removed from substantially encircling said mandrel when the drum is being changed from said assembled configuration to said disassembled configuration.

A kit for the construction of a tire forming drum, said tire forming drum having, in an assembled configuration, a tire forming surface for the formation of a tire preform thereon, said kit comprising a plurality of assemblable and disassemblable individual and discrete component, said components comprising:

• a removable mandrel having a substantially central axis and a peripheral surface substantially encircling said central axis;
• a plurality of arcuate drum segment members for substantially encircling, in the assembled configuration, said mandrel;
• said arcuate drum segment members defining a substantially cylindrical surface when in the assembled configuration;
• each of said plurality of arcuate drum segment members having an inner surface which, in the assembled configuration, at least partially contacts said peripheral surface of said mandrel for thereby substantially preventing inward radial movement of said plurality of arcuate drum segment members towards said central axis of said mandrel;
• locking means for substantially preventing outward movement of said plurality of arcuate drum segment members away from said central axis in the assembled configuration;
• means for permitting translation of at least one of said plurality of arcuate drum segment members towards said central axis upon removal of said removable mandrel;
• a plurality of end segment members for substantially encircling, in the assembled configuration, said mandrel;
• and said interlocking means and said end segment members being configured for said interlocking means to be disengageable from said drum segment members before said end segment members are removed from substantially encircling said mandrel when the drum is being changed from said assembled configuration to said disassembled configuration.