Method of applying an annular strip to a tire

A method for applying a flexible annular strip to a radially inward oriented surface of a tire, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing three segments arranged about a central axis, each segment being movable between a collapsed radial position and an expanded radial position and having a radially outer surface for supporting at least a part of a length of the annular strip, wherein each segment has an outwardly curved sheet having a convexity facing the radially inward surface of the tire for supporting the annular strip and circumferential ends bent toward a radial inner direction, and wherein the curvature of each sheet matches the circumferential curvature of the inward oriented surface of the tire;
• providing three fingers arranged about the central axis and extending in a direction parallel to that axis, wherein each finger is movable axially by a retraction in a direction parallel to the central axis and movable radially between an inner radial position and an outer radial position, and wherein each angular area between two circumferentially neighboring segments is provided with one of the fingers;
• placing the annular strip about the radially outer surfaces of the segments when the segments are in their collapsed radial position;
• placing excess lengths of the annular strip between every circumferentially adjacent pair of segments about a radially inner surface of the fingers provided in the angular areas between these neighboring segments when the fingers are in their inner radial position;
• inserting the three fingers and the three segments supporting the annular strip into the tire's rim diameter with the central axis being positioned along the tire's axis;
• expanding each segment in an outer radial direction towards the expanded radial positions of the segments;
• refracting the fingers before the segments press the strip onto the inward oriented surface of the tire, wherein each of the fingers are initially positioned at their radially inner position and moved towards their outer radial position such that as the expandable segments have reached a partially expanded position the fingers are withdrawn from the ring by refraction in the axial direction parallel to the central axis and moved to their inner radial position prior to the ring being pressed against the radially inward oriented surface of the tire by the fully expanded segments;
• and
• pressing the annular strip with the segments against the radially inward oriented surface of the tire, and wherein after pressing the annular strip against the inward oriented surface of the tire with the segments, the three segments are retracted in a radially inward direction and rotated about the tire's axis by an amount corresponding to a circumferential length of the segments and then expanding each segment radially to press the excess lengths of the annular strip against the inward oriented surface of the tire.