Process and apparatus for building tyres for vehicle wheels

A process for building a tyre for a vehicle wheel comprising:

• assembling components of the tyre on a forming drum having a longitudinal axis, wherein at least one of said components is assembled through laying of strip-like elements disposed close to each other on a deposition surface radially external to the forming drum, wherein laying of one of the strip-like elements comprises:
• moving said one of the strip-like elements close to the deposition surface;
• moving a counter-element from a first position, at which the counter-element is positioned (i) at a radial distance from the longitudinal axis greater than a radial distance that said one of the strip-like elements is positioned from the longitudinal axis and (ii) circumferentially shifted over the deposition surface relative to said one of the strip-like elements, to an intermediate position at which the counter-element is positioned over said one of the strip-like elements, such that a radial line from the drum passes through both said one of the strip-like elements and the counter element, by rotating the counter-element, which is carried at a second end portion of an arm, around an axis parallel to the longitudinal axis, the counter element having a center of rotation about a fulcrum at a first end portion of the arm, while translating the fulcrum toward the deposition surface;
• translating the counter-element perpendicular to the deposition surface from the intermediate position to a second position at which the counter-element lies against a central portion of said one of the strip-like elements and locks the central portion of said one of the strip-like elements against said deposition surface;
• and
• pulling said one of the strip-like elements in opposite directions starting from the central portion toward opposite ends thereof, the central portion being maintained in a locked condition against said deposition surface, for progressively laying down said one of the strip-like elements against said deposition surface.