Method for manufacturing a tire having the sidewalls ends overlapping the ends of the tread band

Method for manufacturing a tire having sidewall ends overlapping the ends of a tread band, starting from a cylindrical sleeve-shaped tire carcass comprising at least one carcass ply provided with reinforcing cords having respective ends each folded back around at least one circumferentially inextensible bead wire and a tire sidewall fixed on each side portion of said sleeve, said method comprising the steps of:

• wrapping at least one carcass ply around an assembly drum having a radially external cylindrical surface connected to corresponding axially external side surfaces through two curvilinear surfaces, said carcass ply having a width greater than the width of said drum,
• radially and inwardly turning down the edges of the ply onto said side surfaces of the drum,
• fixing said bead wires against said edges of the carcass ply at said side surfaces,
• folding back the edges of the carcass ply in loop form radially and outwardly around the bead wires and against the carcass ply,
• arranging an anti-adhesive element around each side portion of said carcass ply on a cylindrical portion and for a part of predetermined width thereof,
• wrapping around each anti-adhesive element the corresponding sidewall of the tire with the axially internal edge on said anti-adhesive element and with the axially external edge laterally protruding with respect to the corresponding axially external edge of said anti-adhesive element,
• pressing a portion of said sidewall laterally protruding from the axially external edge of the anti-adhesive element against the corresponding ply portion and/or folded back ply portion of the carcass ply, and
• withdrawing said cylindrical sleeve carcass from said assembly drum for further finishing operations of the tire,
• wherein each anti-adhesive element comprises a first tubular element, coaxial with said drum, radially extensible and axially inextensible, axially movable in both directions from a first position away from said drum to a second position wherein it fits thereon.