A method for checking tyres, includes: arranging a tyre in a station for checking tyres; moving a sensor within the tyre; performing first checks on an inner surface of the tyre with the at least one sensor; engaging a radially outer portion of the tyre with grip elements of an overturning device; extracting the sensor from the tyre and spacing the sensor from the tyre; overturning the tyre by 180° by rotation of the grip elements; moving again the sensor within the tyre; performing second checks on the inner surface of the tyre with the sensor; extracting again the sensor from the tyre and spacing the sensor from the tyre; and transporting the tyre outside the station for checking tyres.

An apparatus for detecting a puncture comprises a housing comprising a plurality of compartments. Each compartment comprises an opening for receiving a flow of air into the compartment. Each compartment also comprises a detection element mounted on an axle, the axle having a first end and a second end and being secured at said first end and said second end within the compartment. The detection element is rotatable about the axle and when a flow of air passes through the opening into the compartment, the detection element rotates around the axle in response to the flow of air.

A tire defect detection system for detecting defects in a tire. The system includes at least one infrared camera, a pneumatic source and a computing device. The pneumatic source inflates the tire to a predetermined pressure. After inflation, the infrared camera captures a reference frame of a section of the tire. A period of time after capturing the reference frame, the infrared camera captures a subsequent frame. The subsequent frame is compared to the reference frame to detect a portion of the section of the tire that has a lower temperature. The lower temperature is caused by an escape of air from the tire through a defect. The escaping air cools the area of the tire around the defect, so a decrease in temperature indicates the defect.

A checking method and line for checking a tyre for vehicle wheels. The tyre is associated with a model associated with a setting for image acquisition devices. Once the model is obtained, preliminary images of the tyre are acquired, from which at least one adjustment value representative of at least one geometric characteristic of the tyre is obtained. A deviation between the at least one adjustment value and a respective reference value associated with the model is then calculated. The setting associated with the model of tyre is then adjusted based on the calculated deviation and the tyre is then inspected to look for possible production defects by acquiring images of at least part of the surface of the tyre using the image acquisition devices, set according to the adjusted setting.

A pneumatic tire pre-conditioning system includes a conveyor system, a belt assembly, a friction device and a drive system. The conveyor system includes a tire engaging surface, a first side, and a second side. The belt assembly is adjacent to the first side of the tire engaging surface. The friction device is adjacent to the second side of the tire engaging surface. The drive system is configured to move a tire along the tire engaging surface in a path between the belt assembly and the friction device.

A heavy goods vehicle tire has a radial carcass reinforcement, made up of a single layer of metal reinforcing elements anchored in each of the beads by a turn-up around a bead wire. The turn-up of the carcass reinforcement layer and the main part of the carcass reinforcement layer are coupled, and a passive radiofrequency communication module is placed facing the coupling region at the interface between two layers of rubber compounds.

A rim exchanger includes a rim stocker. The rim stocker has an upper rim support portion that supports an upper rim, and a lower rim support portion that supports a lower rim. The upper rim support portion and the lower rim support portion have a pair of support arms separated from each other. A portion between an end of one support arm and an end of the other support arm forms an open end where a rim body enters a portion between the pair of support arms. An upper surface of one support arm forms a protrusion portion support surface which supports a protrusion portion of a rim from below.

A tire testing device includes a carriage configured to rotatably hold a test wheel provided with a test tire and being capable of travelling on a base along a road surface in a state where the test wheel is made to contact the road surface, and a driving system configured to drive the test wheel and the carriage. The driving system includes a carriage driving part configured to drive the carriage with respect to the road surface in a predetermined speed, a test wheel driving part configured to drive the test wheel in a rotating speed corresponding to the predetermined speed, a driving part configured to generate power to be used to drive the carriage and the test wheel, and a power distributing part configured to distribute power generated by the driving part to the carriage driving part and the test wheel driving part.

An apparatus for checking tyres has at least one check unit at least two consecutively placed check stations defining a check path such that each check station is traversed in one cycle time and by pitches by each tyre to be checked. Each check station includes: a support device for one tyre at a time housed in the respective check station, high-definition image acquisition systems of a surface of the tyre, and movement devices. The high-definition image acquisition systems have systems for acquiring high-definition two-dimensional and three-dimensional images. Only one of the at least two check stations has all the high-definition three-dimensional image acquisition systems of the check unit.

A tire testing device includes a carriage configured to rotatably hold a test wheel provided with a test tire and being capable of travelling on a base along a road surface in a state where the test wheel is made to contact the road surface, and a driving system configured to drive the test wheel and the carriage. The driving system includes a carriage driving part configured to drive the carriage with respect to the road surface in a predetermined speed, a test wheel driving part configured to drive the test wheel in a rotating speed corresponding to the predetermined speed, a driving part configured to generate power to be used to drive the carriage and the test wheel, and a power distributing part configured to distribute power generated by the driving part to the carriage driving part and the test wheel driving part.