Methods for controlling curing apparatuses for tyre production, wherein the curing apparatuses are adapted to work on green tyres to obtain corresponding finished tyres by acquiring, through a processing unit, initial parameters describing at least one of the shape and dimensions of the finished tyres. The processing unit computes first parameters describing the green tyres, the first parameters having at least one parameter representative of an axial height of the green tyres; second parameters describing the curing apparatuses, the second parameters having one or more parameters representative of dimensions of the curing apparatuses; and third parameters as a function of the first parameters and the second parameters, the third parameters having one or more parameters representative of positions taken by movable members included in the curing apparatuses. The processing unit generates signals for controlling the movable members of the curing apparatuses.

A device and a method for feeding a sheet material are provided. A conveying machine is disposed above a holding machine. A sensor detects a lateral position of a rubber sheet fed from the holding machine. At a position between a grip position below the conveying machine and a release position at an upstream side in a conveying direction above the conveying machine, a leading edge of the rubber sheet is gripped by a gripping machine. The gripping machine is revolved and moved to the release position using, as a revolution center, a position in a vertical direction midway between the grip position and the release position. The leading edge being released is pressed against a placement surface of the conveying machine by a pressing portion. The rubber sheet is placed on the placement surface and conveyed to a downstream side in the conveying direction by the conveying machine.

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.

A green tyre (2) for bicycles is built, comprising at least one carcass ply (4) having axially opposite end flaps (4a) engaged with respective bead cores (5) and a tread band (6) applied in a radially outer position around said at least one carcass ply (4). The built tyre (2) removed from the building drum, is profiled so as to translate the tread band (6) in a radially outer direction with respect to the bead cores (5), so as to impart a cross-sectional convex profile to the tyre (2) in a radially outer direction. The profiled tyre is engaged by means of a transfer member (31) comprising a gripping device (30) which retains it at the radially outer surface (2b) so as to maintain said cross-sectional convex profile in a radially outer direction.

A device for loading at least one carcass drum with tire components for green tires, a tire-building machine and a method for producing green tires. The device for loading the at least one carcass drum with tire components includes a placing device, which can move linearly in the horizontal direction, for delivering material components to a carcass drum, wherein the at least one placing device can be moved vertically so that a vertical movement in addition to or alternatively to the horizontal movement is facilitated and, in this way, the ply server is designed to be self-opening.

Disclosed is a transfer device and a method for transferring a plurality of first tire components from a first container and a plurality of second tire components from a second container to a servicer, wherein the transfer device includes a first station and a second station for receiving the first container and the second container, respectively, wherein the first station and the second station are arranged side-by-side in a lateral direction, wherein the transfer device further includes a base and a take-out member that is mounted to said base and that is movable with respect to the base towards the first station and the second station for picking-up and taking-out one of the first tire components from the first container at the first station and for picking-up and taking-out one of the second tire components from the second container at the second station, respectively.

A green tyre (2) for bicycles is built, comprising at least one carcass ply (4) having axially opposite end flaps (4a) engaged with respective bead cores (5) and a tread band (6) applied in a radially outer position around said at least one carcass ply (4). The built tyre (2) removed from the building drum, is profiled so as to translate the tread band (6) in a radially outer direction with respect to the bead cores (5), so as to impart a cross-sectional convex profile to the tyre (2) in a radially outer direction. The profiled tire is engaged by means of a transfer member (31) comprising a gripping device (30) which holds it hanging and loads it into a vulcanisation mould (101) by axially positioning an axial centreline plane (M) of the green tyre at an axial reference (51) arranged at a predetermined height along a reference axis (K) of a central body (103) of the vulcanisation mould (101).

Methods for controlling curing apparatuses for tyre production, wherein the curing apparatuses are adapted to work on green tyres to obtain corresponding finished tyres, by acquiring, through a processing unit, initial parameters describing at least one of the shape and dimensions of the finished tyres; computing, through the processing unit, as a function of the initial parameters, first parameters describing the green tyres, the first parameters having at least one parameter representative of an axial height of the green tyres; acquiring, through the processing unit, second parameters describing the curing apparatuses, said second parameters having one or more parameters representative of dimensions of the curing apparatuses; computing, through the processing unit, third parameters as a function of the first parameters and the second parameters, the third parameters having one or more parameters representative of positions taken by movable members included in the curing apparatuses; generating, through the processing unit, as a function of the third parameters, control signals for controlling the movable members of said curing apparatuses and for obtaining said finished tyres starting from the green tyres; sending the control signals from the processing unit to the curing apparatuses. Also disclosed are a curing line operating in accordance with the methods, a processing unit programmed for implementing the methods, and an electronic unit included in the processing unit.

A method and apparatus for feeding a plurality of tread bands in a process for building tyres for vehicle wheels. Each tread band initially includes, on a side thereof, a service fabric. The tread bands are initially arranged at different heights. The method includes positioning a first auxiliary conveyor belt of an auxiliary collection device including a plurality of juxtaposed auxiliary conveyor belts at a first height corresponding to the height of a first tread band, then, proceeding with the removal of the service fabric from the first tread band while the first tread band is transferred onto the first auxiliary conveyor belt. The method also includes positioning at least one second auxiliary conveyor belt of the auxiliary collection device at at least one second height corresponding to that of at least one second tread band.

A process and an apparatus for automatically applying a noise reducing element to a tyre for vehicle wheels. The process includes: a) providing a noise reducing element; b) providing an adhesive material; c) guiding the noise reducing element according to a predetermined direction; d) during the guiding, applying the adhesive material onto a first surface of the noise reducing element; e) manipulating the noise reducing element by interacting with at least one second surface of the noise reducing element different from the first surface on which the adhesive material has been applied; and f) positioning the noise reducing element in a predetermined position on a radially inner surface of the tyre, bringing the first surface into contact with the radially inner surface.