Method of applying ply to a tire building drum

Abstract

A method for applying a sheet of flexible material to a cylindrical body is described. The sheet of material may be ply or a tire building component such as a liner. The method includes the steps of receiving the sheet of flexible material onto a conveyor belt of a conveyor table, wherein the conveyor belt can translate in the X direction, wherein the conveyor belt has a plurality of rollers rotatably mounted on the conveyor belt so they can rotate about an axis aligned with the X direction. The method further includes aligning a lateral edge of the sheet with an edge guide of the conveyor table by tilting the conveyor table and then tilting the conveyor table back to a level position. The method further includes moving a front edge of the conveyor table adjacent the cylindrical body; and applying the sheet onto the cylindrical body.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 - 18 . (canceled) 
     
     
         19 . A method for aligning the ply onto a conveyor belt, the method comprising the steps of:
 a. receiving the sheet of flexible material onto a conveyor table having at least two adjacent conveyor belts, wherein the conveyor belts can translate fore and aft in the X direction independently of each other,   b. moving one conveyor belt relative to the other conveyor belt in the X direction until a lateral edge of the sheet is aligned with an edge guide of the conveyor table;   c. moving a front edge of the conveyor table adjacent the cylindrical body;   d. and applying the sheet onto the cylindrical body.