A method and plant for producing tyres for vehicle wheels in which: each vulcanizer of a plurality of vulcanizers is associated with a respective pick-up logic of green tyres from at least one storage area of green tyres; upon each request to vulcanize a green tyre in a vulcanizer of the plurality of vulcanizers, the pick-up logic associated with the vulcanizer is applied to select and pick up a green tyre from the storage area; and the respective pick-up logic associated with each vulcanizer includes a first pick-up rule of green tyres from the storage area and, for at least one of the plurality of vulcanizers, the first pick-up rule is changed into at least one second pick-up rule at least once during the production in the plant of at least one lot of tyres.

In a tire vulcanization system, a raw tire is carried into a lower mold by a tire conveyance device in a state where a vulcanized tire is hung by a tire hanging portion at an open position where a mold is opened. The tire conveyance device receives and carries out the vulcanized tire hung by the tire hanging portion in a state where the raw tire is carried into the lower mold.

A method forms a butt joint between ends of first and second plies and splices the first and second plies together. The method includes the steps of: positioning a first splice edge of a first ply at a first location; positioning a second splice edge of a second ply at a second location, the second splice edge being left bare; wrapping a gum strip around the first splice edge such that the first gum strip forms a U-shaped structure in section that allows the first gum strip to extend from a first planar side of the first ply over the first splice edge to a second opposite planar side of the first ply; not wrapping a gum strip around the second splice edge; placing the first splice edge in abutting relationship to the second splice edge; and stitching the first splice edge to the second splice edge such that stitches each extend from the first planar side of the first ply, through the gum strip, to the first planar side of the second ply.

An apparatus is provided that has a frame (12), and a first cup segment (14) that has a first contact surface (16) that is both curved and inclined relative to a vertical direction. The first cup segment is movable relative to the frame. The first contact surface (16) is configured for engaging a warm, cured tire (20) for holding. The tire has a sidewall (28), and a tread (22) with a tread edge and a tread contact surface. The first contact surface (16) is configured for engaging the tread (22) and is not configured for engaging the sidewall (28) for holding.

Apparatus for applying noise reducing elements to tyres for vehicle wheels. The apparatus includes a loading station of stacks of noise reducing elements, an extraction station of noise reducing elements from each stack placed downstream of the loading station, and a conveyor placed downstream of the extraction station and extending along a predefined path. The conveyor is configured for supporting and advancing in a row the noise reducing elements extracted from the stacks which are then applied to a radially inner surface of the tyres. The extraction of each of the noise reducing elements contemplates: retaining a first noise reducing element placed at the base of a stack; raising the remaining noise reducing elements of the stack from the first noise reducing element; moving away the first noise reducing element according to a set path; and lowering the remaining noise reducing elements of the stack.

A stitcher device presses a carcass ply to be pressure-bonded to a rubber member after that the carcass ply is wound around an outer periphery of a building drum movable along a drum guide path via a rubber member. The stitcher device includes an annular frame that is able to surround the outer periphery of the building drum by inserting the building drum thereinto, and a pressure-bonding device provided in the annular frame so as to be able to press the carcass ply from its outer periphery and pressure-bond the carcass ply to the rubber member. The annular frame is provided so as to be openable and closable by being divided into a plurality of parts in a peripheral direction.

The present invention relates to an arrangement for handling one or more tyres simultaneously in storage shelving of a high bay warehouse, where the tyres are brought in and stored and from where the tyres are taken. The arrangement according to the invention comprises a shelving track and a load handling device arranged to move along the shelving track, which load handling device comprises a horizontal longitudinal picking bar having a first end and a second end and which longitudinal picking bar is arranged to handle one or more tyres simultaneously in an axial direction of the tyres when the tyres stand in upright position one after the other so that the longitudinal picking bar is arrangeable to the centre of the tyre, and a rear support arranged to the longitudinal picking bar. The present invention also relates to a method for handling tyres and a high bay warehouse.

A method for transferring unwinders (36) using a transfer facility (38) comprising a control unit (39) for controlling the unwinders, and at least one autonomous mobile platform (40) is disclosed. The facility comprises measurement means for measuring the quantity of product wound on reels (22) supported by the unwinders and communication means. The method comprises the following successive operations: measuring the quantity of product wound on the reels and communicating the measured data to the control unit; on the basis of the measured data, determining the moment at which to transmit a removal or supply mission instruction to a mobile platform; transmitting to a mobile platform at the previously-determined moment, a mission instruction to remove or to supply a unwinder; and moving the mobile platform in such a way that it becomes positioned under a unwinder.

A method for supplying green tire manufacturing machines (14) with elastomeric products (12) by means of a supply facility (10) comprising a loading member (30) and at least one transfer member (34) comprising an unwinder (36) is disclosed. The supply facility comprises a preparation station (32), said preparation station comprising a manipulator arm (70), and at least one motor (53), the preparation station and the unwinder being distinct from the green tire manufacturing machine. The method comprises the following successive operations: loading the reel onto the unwinder; positioning the end of the product wound on the réel; arranging the end of the product in such a way that it is laid on a dispenser of the unwinder; and transferring the reel from the preparation station to the green tire manufacturing machine.

A plant for building a tyre for a vehicle wheel includes a device for building carcass sleeves on building drums, a bead-forming machine, a first storage region, a second storage region, a first transport device movable between a picking-up position of pairs of annular anchoring structures in the first storage region and a release position of the pairs of annular anchoring structures in the bead-forming machine, and a second transport device movable between a first engagement position in the first storage region and a second engagement position in the second storage region, to move a plurality of annular anchoring structures between the first storage region and the second storage region.