BUILDING A CLOSED TORUS TIRE

摘要

Method and apparatus for use in building a closed torus tire. An expandable sleeve having an inflatable portion expands to wrap a sheet of tire building material partially about a disintegratable generally toroidal core. A bladder beneath the sleeve is then inflated to roll the sleeve toward the core causing the edges of the sheet to flip or snap from the sleeve surface to the core surface. The apparatus includes a drum expandable to either of two fully supported and different building diameters enabling stable support first of the core with at least one sheet of material engaged with the internal circumference of the core, and then the core with added thickness of tire components engaged with the internal diameter of the core.