Fluid expandable tire building drum with shoe means attached thereto to form a tire building surface

摘要

A fluid expandable drum for building portions of tires in a tire building machine includes an annular supporting drum and an expandable annular tube element having an inner peripheral surface supported on the annular drum. The tube element includes an outer peripheral surface upon which support means is secured for movement therewith. A plurality of shoe members are connected to the support means for movement therewith with the shoe members defining an annular building surface thereon which is movable in a radial direction toward and away from the annular support drum upon contraction and expansion, respectively, of the tube element. The tube element is expanded to expand the diameter of the building surface to enable a tire portion to be built thereon and retracted to decrease the diameter of the building surface to enable a build tire portion to be removed therefrom.