ANNULAR MEMBER FORMING METHOD

An apparatus and a method are provided for forming an annular member (K) simply with high accuracy, for example a side tread and bead filler having a height in the radial direction comparatively larger than its thickness as a constituent member of a tire. A material, for example a soft and fragile raw rubber at a high temperature, is directly extruded through a mouthpiece (25) of an extruder (21) onto a rotating disc-like lower mold (13) so as to adhere onto it. The lower mold is dividable into lower mold segments (15,16). An arcuately curved extruded material is formed on the lower mold in this manner. The extruded material is then cut along the divided lines of the lower mold segments. Lower mold segments (16) thus having arcuately extruded materials, respectively, are then transferred to a restoration position and gathered together to form the original lower mold. Thereafter, ends of the arcuately extruded materials are joined with each other to form an endless annular member (K).