DE2530014

A tire building drum particularly useful for mounting a tire carcass while winding tread compound in narrow and/or thin strips therearound to build up the tread portion of the tire. The drum has a multiplicity of narrow tire support members or segments each one of which is supported and moved radially by two pairs of links which form triangular wide-based columns. Each of the links extend from a pivot connecting its radially inner end to the drum center shaft, outward and through a guiding slot in a link support tube fixed coaxially of the shaft, to a radially outer pivot mounted on the respective segment. In an alternative construction, the pairs of links are extended, and connected to the support members by additional pairs of links to extend the range of radial movement of the support members. The drum disclosed is capable of accommodating a wide range of tire carcasses differing in bead diameters and/or in section widths without need for removal or replacement of parts.