Method of producing an annular bead core assembly for a pneumatic tire

Claim 1

In a method of producing an annular bead core assembly for a pneumatic tire including a bead region having a seating surface suitable for seating on a beveled shoulder wheel rim, wherein the bead core assembly has a substantially parallelogram-shaped cross-section and a radially inner surface which, when incorporated in said tire, is inclined relative to the axial direction of the tire and extends parallel to the seating surface of said bead region, and wherein the bead core assembly comprises a plurality of wires having a substantially rectangular cross-section arranged in a plurality of juxtaposed substantially axially extending plies of the type including the step of winding the plies tightly one upon another upon a tapered support so as to produce a bead core assembly having an inclined radially inner surface which is oriented so as to extend parallel to the seating surface of the bead region of the tire into which the assembly is to be incorporated, the improvement comprising: prior to said winding step, arcuately deforming the wires of each of said plies in a direction substantially perpendicular to a plane parallel to said annular bead core assembly and toward the inner surface of the finished pneumatic tire, said deforming step yielding wires having an arcuate shape of constant radius so as to produce plies having the general shape of the frustum of a cone, with the plies radius increasing toward the outer surface of the finished pneumatic tire.