Abstract: A method for inspecting tyre tread, having circumferentially juxtaposed elements separated by identically shaped boundaries and having patterns arranged in a predetermined sequence, includes: acquiring an image of a surface of the tyre tread, the image including pixels associated with a light-intensity level; transforming the image by circumferentially offsetting pixels located axially at a same distance (x1, x2) from a given circumferential reference (OY), by an inverse (?y1, ?y2) of a circumferential offset (y1, y2) with respect to an axial line (OX) of a point (P1, P2) located on a boundary line of known shape at the same axial distance (x1, x2) from the circumferential reference (OY), such that boundaries between elements appear as straight traces orientated in an axial direction; and analyzing the image to identify points located on an axially orientated straight line, the points being treated as points located on a boundary line between two elements.

Abstract: Process for the manufacture of an elastomer composition having a self-sealing property which is based on at least (phr meaning parts by weight per 100 parts of solid elastomer): a blend of at least two solid elastomers, a polybutadiene or butadiene copolymer elastomer, referred to as “elastomer A”, and a natural rubber or synthetic polyisoprene elastomer, referred to as “elastomer B”, the elastomer A:elastomer B ratio by weight being within a range from 10:90 to 90:10; between 30 and 90 phr of a hydrocarbon resin; from 0 to less than 30 phr of filler, in which, during a first stage or stage (a), a masterbatch comprising at least the elastomers A and B and between 30 and 90 phr of a hydrocarbon resin is prepared by mixing these various components in a mixer at a “hot compounding” temperature or up to a “hot compounding” temperature which is greater than the softening temperature of the hydrocarbon resin.

Abstract: Device for handling (102) a green tire (24), comprises a supporting structure and at least one hook (106) mounted to rotate with respect to the supporting structure between a gripping position and a disengaged position, about a horizontal axis (18) running outside of the hook.

Abstract: The needle (12) for inserting a wire into a tire has: a piercing zone (18) having an axis of symmetry, and a duct (30) having a proximal opening and a distal opening (36) opening into the zone (18) and off-centre relative to the axis, the duct consisting of the proximal opening and of a rectilinear profiled section including the distal opening.

Abstract: Multistrand metal cable of 4×(4+M) construction, which can especially be used for reinforcing tire belts for industrial vehicles, formed from four elementary strands assembled in a helix with a helix pitch P3, each elementary strand consisting of a two-layer cable of 4+M construction comprising an inner layer C1 formed from four wires of diameter D1, assembled in a helix with a pitch P1, and an unsaturated outer layer C2 of M wires, M being greater than or equal to 8 and smaller than or equal to 11, of diameter D2, these being assembled in a helix with a pitch P2 around the inner layer C1, P1 being smaller than P2, the four wires of the inner layer C1 being wound in a helix in the same twist direction as the M wires of the outer layer C2, and wherein each of the diameters D1 and D2 is greater than or equal to 0.10 mm but less than or equal to 0.50 mm.

Abstract: Elastomer composition having a self-sealing property which can be used in particular as puncture-resistant layer in an inflatable article, based on at least (phr meaning parts by weight per 100 parts of solid elastomer): a blend of at least two solid elastomers, a polybutadiene or butadiene copolymer elastomer, referred to as “elastomer A”, and a natural rubber or synthetic polyisoprene elastomer, referred to as “elastomer B”, the elastomer A:elastomer B ratio by weight being within a range from 10:90 to 90:10; between 30 and 90 phr of a hydrocarbon resin; from 0 to less than 30 phr of filler. Inflatable article, such as a tire, provided with a puncture-resistant layer comprising a composition according to the invention; the puncture-resistant layer is advantageously used in combination with an airtight layer, for example based on butyl rubber or TPS elastomer, in order to form, in the inflatable article, an airtight and puncture-resistant laminate.

Abstract: Cutting device (2) for cutting a reinforcing ply (N) formed of a set of portions of thread, of given length, coated in a rubber compound, laid parallel to one another and making a given theoretical angle (a) with the longitudinal direction of the ply, characterized in that it comprises a first means (23) able, without proceeding to cut the said ply (N), to estimate the actual angle of the threads with the longitudinal direction (XX?) of the device and a second means (25) able to cut the ply (N) at the actual angle (a+da) estimated by the first means (23).

Abstract: A gas driven motor includes a housing, a gas driven rotating member including a rotor and a rotor shaft carrying the rotor and journalled in a first bearing and a second bearing supported in the housing, and a speed governor for controlling a pressure gas inlet flow in response to the rotation speed of the rotating member. The first bearing includes a set of rolling elements, an outer race arranged in the housing and an inner race arranged on a shaft portion of the rotating member, the set of rolling elements being in contact with the races on which the rolling elements roll. The motor further includes a coupling device arranged to couple the speed governor to the rolling elements of the first bearing, thereby transferring the rotary motion from the rolling elements to the speed governor.

Abstract: A rubber composition usable as tread for a winter tire, having a high grip on melting ice, comprising at least one diene elastomer such as natural rubber and/or a polybutadiene, more than 30 phr of a liquid plasticizing agent, between 50 and 150 phr of a reinforcing filler such as silica and/or carbon black, and between 5 and 40 phr of magnesium sulphate microparticles.

Abstract: A tire comprising a carcass-type reinforcement structure formed from reinforcing elements anchored on each side of the tire to a bead, the base of which is intended to be mounted on a rim seat, each bead being extended radially outwards by a sidewall, the sidewalls joining, radially outwards, a tread and having, beneath the tread, a crown reinforcement structure consisting of at least two layers of reinforcing elements called working layers, said reinforcing elements of the working layers being of identical nature. In a given circumferential plane, the extensional stiffness per unit width of a first working layer measured along the principal direction of the reinforcing elements of said first layer is strictly higher than the extensional stiffness per unit width of a second working layer measured along the principal direction of the reinforcing elements of said second working layer, the second working layer being radially further away from the carcass structure than said first working layer.

Abstract: The invention relates to a vulcanizing press comprising two plates capable of adopting a proximal position in which said plates close a mold, so as to give a tire a predetermined shape, and a distal position in which the mold is open; and at least one bore formed in one of said plates called the support plate, the diameter of said bore being defined so as to let the head of a pin pass thereinto. The vulcanizing press further includes a locking/unlocking device comprising a first movable stop that can move between a rest position and an active position, in which said stop is interposed between the head of the pin and the support plate in order to keep said pin in the bore, the shank of said pin being fixed to the mold.

Abstract: The invention relates to a static converter connected between an electrical voltage source (4) and an electrical load (6), said converter including a main static conversion arm (16) comprising an output electronic switching cell and a backup conversion arm (18) having identical structures. The static converter includes a pair of fuses (70, 72) connected on either side of the main arm (16), and a switching circuit (26) comprising a connection element (80) connecting the backup arm (18) to the connection points between the fuses and the input terminals of the main arm, such that, when a fault occurs on one of the switching cells forming the main arm (16), a stable conductive link is established between the two fuses (70, 72), the main arm (16) is isolated by the two fuses (70, 72), and the backup arm (18) is spontaneously connected to the output of the main arm (18) via the conductive line and replaces the main arm.

Abstract: Tire tread provided with circumferential grooves delimiting two edge rows provided with a plurality of transverse grooves, those of one edge row forming at least one bearing block protruding on at least one delimiting wall, each comprising a surface capable of coming into contact with another surface during contact with the ground and at least one passageway for a fluid between each bearing block of a groove and the bottom of the groove. For each edge row, the mean surface indentation ratio Tc is at least 0.7 and at most 1.6 times E/R, where E is the mean thickness for all grooves comprising active surfaces measured between a radially outermost point of the active surface and a radially outermost point of the reinforcing belt, R is the mean distance for all transverse grooves comprising active surfaces measured between the point of the active surface that is radially outermost and the rotation axis of the tire provided with the tread.

Abstract: Elastomer composition having a self-sealing property which can be used in particular as puncture-resistant layer in an inflatable article, based on at least (phr meaning parts by weight per 100 parts of solid elastomer): a solid unsaturated diene elastomer; between 30 and 90 phr of a hydrocarbon resin; from 0 to less than 30 phr of filler; between 0.5 and 15 phr of thiuram polysulphide. Inflatable article, such as a tire, provided with a puncture-resistant layer comprising a composition according to the invention; the puncture-resistant layer is advantageously used in combination with an airtight layer, for example based on butyl rubber or TPS elastomer, in order to form, in the inflatable article, an airtight and puncture-resistant laminate.

Abstract: An antenna includes a core and is intended to be integrated into a rubber compound for a tyre. The antenna further includes an electromagnetic-signal conduction layer, which is made of copper and coats the core, and a chemical isolation layer, which coats the conduction layer and is intended to chemically isolate the rubber compound from an object coated by the isolation layer.

Abstract: A method for determining the quality of a screw joint tightening process performed by means of a torque impulse wrench, comprising clamp load determination via calculation of the time of flight for ultra sonic waves induced into the screw joint, and comparing of a total rotation movement of the screw joint with predetermined angle limit values as a target axial load level has been indicated by the time of flight of ultra sonic waves induced in the screw joint. Occurring discrepancies between the obtained total rotation movement of the screw joint and the angle limit values would indicate a faulty screw joint and/or a malfunctioning ultra sonic wave flight time measurement, which means an unacceptable tightening process quality.

Abstract: The invention relates to a polymer comprising at least one polymeric chain of a first type, the said chain comprising at least two blocks, the same or different, the said blocks comprising repeat units derived from the polymerisation of styrene monomers, the said units comprising at least one phenyl pendant group carrying at least one —SO3R group, R possibly being a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group or cationic counter-ion, the said two blocks being separated by a spacer group, the spacer group is a perfluorocarbon group.

Abstract: A technique for improving the durability of the beads of a radial tire for a heavy vehicle of the civil engineering type, by reducing the rate of spread of cracks initiated at the turned-back end of carcass reinforcement and the spread through the coating, edge-binding and filler polymer materials.

Abstract: A pneumatic object is provided with a layer that is airtight to inflation gases. The layer includes an elastomer composition having at least a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), as a sole elastomer or as a predominant elastomer by weight, and a hydrocarbon resin. A glass transition temperature of the hydrocarbon resin is above 0° C. The TPE is a copolymer that includes at least a central polyisobutylene block. Optionally, the elastomer composition includes an extender oil. Also optionally, the elastomer composition includes a platy filler selected from a group that includes graphites and phyllosilicates, such as micas, clays, and talcs. The pneumatic object may be an inner tube or a pneumatic tyre for a motor vehicle.

Abstract: A sulphur-containing and sulphonated aromatic perfluoroalkane monomer is provided that can be used for the manufacture of a polymer membrane for a PEM-type fuel cell. The perfluoroalkane monomer is a functionalized polymer that has a structure corresponding to a formula (I): E1-Ar1—X1—(CF2)n—X2—Ar2-E2??(I) in which: n is in a range from 1 to 20; X1 and X2, which are identical or different, represent S, SO, or SO2; Ar1, Ar2, which are identical or different, represent a phenylene group, at least one of Ar1 and Ar2 bearing a sulphonic (—SO3H) group or a sulphonate (—SO3M) group, in which M represents an alkali metal cation; and E1 and E2, which are identical or different, represent an electrophilic group such as a halogen, specifically fluorine or chlorine.