Method of bending back tire component and apparatus for said bending-back

An apparatus for bending back a tire component including a pair of cylindrical bodies, each of which comprising:

• a plurality of arc-shaped segments and holding portions which are located at the mutually-opposed longitudinally inner ends of said bodies and can hold beads;
• diameter increase/decrease means for moving said segments synchronously with each other in the radial directions of said bodies so as to increase or decrease the diameters of said cylindrical bodies;
• maximum diameter stopper means for restricting the outward movement of said segments in said radial directions so as to limit the diameters of said bodies to a maximum value;
• minimum diameter stopper means for restricting the inward movement of said segments in said radial directions so as to limit the diameters of said bodies to a minimum value;
• a drive means for moving said bodies in the axial direction of a forming drum;
• bladders mechanism provided at both the longitudinal ends of said drum and capable of being inflated and deflated;
• intermediate diameter stopper means for restricting the outward movement of said segments in said radial directions so as to limit the diameters of said bodies to an intermediate value between said maximum value and said minimum value;
• had
• moving means for moving said intermediate diameter stoppers between restrictive positions for restricting the movement of said segments, and put-aside positions for not restricting the movement of said segments.