Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for assessing the condition of a wheel particularly, but not exclusively, to a method and apparatus for assessing the condition of a tire rotating on a vehicle wheel. Apparatus is provided comprising a plurality of antennas (101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108) for transmitting an interrogation signal to a sensor (110, 112), the sensor being mounted to a wheel to be assessed and being adapted to detect the condition of the wheel; wherein the antennas are arranged in a line along a path to be followed by a wheel to be assessed.

Abstract: The invention provides a transmission and/or reception device for mounting on a wheel of a vehicle and a housing for such a device. The device includes a tire information device configured to provide information relating to a tire. A transmitter/receiver is electrically connected to the tire information device. An antenna is electrically connected to the transmitter/receiver for transmitting and/or receiving radio frequency signals. A housing is configured to house the tire information device and the transmitter/receiver. The antenna is formed by winding a cable on an outside face of the housing.

Abstract: Rubber composition, especially for a tyre, based on at least one diene elastomer, a reinforcing filler, a crosslinking system and an antioxidant system, wherein said antioxidant system comprises at least two antioxidants “A” and “B”: A. an N-alkyl-N?-phenyl-para-phenylenediamine corresponding to the formula (I): B. a 4,4?-bis(alkylamino)triphenylamine corresponding to the formula (II): in which formulae, R1, R2 and R3, which are identical or different, each represent a linear or branched alkyl group having from 1 to 12 carbon atoms or a cycloalkyl group having from 5 to 8 carbon atoms, the A/B weight ratio being between 0.2 and 5.0. Such an antioxidant system gives the composition of the invention a better long-term resistance to fatigue and to crack propagation.

Abstract: A tire designed to be mounted and pressurized on a vehicle wheel rim that has at least one circumferential seat for a bead belonging to the tire and an outward radial projection in the vicinity of the seat. A circumferential crown is provided with a tread for ensuring contact with the ground. At least one bead has a portion suitable for being mounted on the rim seat. A wall comprising a structure of rubber and reinforcements connects the crown to the bead. The whole formed by these elements defines with the rim an air chamber. At least one protective element is located in a sector where the tire wall between the crown and the bead could become pinched between the projection and an obstacle external to the tire in response to a violent impact due to the tread meeting this obstacle, causing closure of the internal cavity of the tire in this sector and momentary high compressive stresses perpendicular to the wall of the tire.

Abstract: A strain-resistant electrical connection and a method of making the same is provided. A wire or other conductive lead is connected to a circuit in a manner that makes the connection more resistant to mechanical stresses such as movement or rotation of the lead relative to the circuit. A material is configured around the lead and near the point of connection to the circuit so as to create a region of decreasing flexibility or graduated stiffness near the point of connection. In certain embodiments, the lead may also be coiled or otherwise shaped to provide additional ability to withstand mechanical stresses.

Abstract: A self-sealing elastomer composition, in an inflatable article such as a pneumatic tire (1), such composition comprising, as predominant elastomer, a thermoplastic styrene (TPS) elastomer and an extender oil with a content of between 200 and 700 phe (parts per hundred parts of elastomer by weight). An airtight puncture-resistant laminate (10) that can be used in particular in said inflatable article (1), comprises a puncture-resistant first layer (10a) comprising said self-sealing composition and an airtight second layer (10b), for example based on butyl rubber. An inflatable article comprises such a self-sealing composition or such an airtight puncture-resistant laminate.

Abstract: In particular embodiments, a method of forming a retreaded tire includes the steps of: applying a tread to a tread-engaging portion of a tire carcass, the tread having an initial width and a layer of cushion gum interposed between the tread and tire carcass; placing a curing membrane about the tread to form a tire curing assembly having a compartment between the membrane and tread; placing the tire curing assembly in a vessel chamber; pressurizing the chamber to a predetermined pressure; heating the chamber to a predetermined temperature; pressurizing the compartment to a pressure greater than 14.7 psia and less than the chamber pressure to provide a pressure differential, the step initializing after the step of pressurizing the chamber initializes and whereby a final tread width is provided that is equal to 98.0% or more of the initial tread width when the initial tread width is approximately 290-500 mm.

Abstract: The invention relates to a rail clamp for fastening rail equipment, said rail clamp being integrally composed of a polymeric composition produced by pultrusion or molding, vacuum molding or compression molding. It has high mechanical strength. It is anticorrosive and insulating and is preferably composed of a resin and reinforcing fibers and/or a thermoplastic. It is advantageously formed as a one piece structure. The rail clamp is especially used to fasten rails to base slabs and has economic advantages compared to the rail clamps known in the art, which are made of steel coated with rubber.

Abstract: A heavy vehicle of a mass greater than 500 metric tons, such as a transport vehicle or a “civil engineering” vehicle, fitted with tires of radial structure of a diameter greater than three meters fifty having an axial width greater than 37 inches, and comprising a front axle provided with at least two tires and a rear axle comprising at least four tires and by which is transmitted at least part of the motive power. At least two tires on the front axle transmit part of the motive power at least when the vehicle is following a trajectory which is not rectilinear and, at least when the vehicle is following a trajectory which is not rectilinear, the tires of an axle transmitting at least part of the motive power have different speeds of rotation.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for preparing a diene elastomer. The invention especially applies to the production of a polybutadiene with a high level of cis-1,4 linkages that has at the same time a Mooney viscosity ML (1+4) greater than or equal to 40, a polydispersity index less than 2.1 and a reduced cold flow and of a polyisoprene. The process according to the invention comprises a reaction of a catalyst system with at least one conjugated diene monomer, this catalyst system being based on at least: one conjugated diene; one organic phosphoric acid salt of one or more rare-earth metals, said salt being in suspension and in at least one saturated and aliphatic or alicyclic, and inert hydrocarbon-based solvent; one alkylating agent composed of an alkyl aluminium for formula AlR3 or HAlR2 and a halogen donor belonging to the family of alkylaluminium halides, with the exclusion of alkylaluminium sesquihalides.

Abstract: A hydroelastic joint having first and second axial ends (B, H) spaced apart from one another along a longitudinal axis (Y) and including, at an increasing radial distance from this axis, at least one internal frame (1), an intermediate frame (2) with a window or “cage”, and an external sleeve (4), which joint also includes an elastomer packing (5) molded with at least one molding insert chosen from the assembly including the internal frame (1), the cage (2) and the external sleeve (4), in which said packing (5) at least partially forms a wall for at least two hydraulic fluid chambers (6) communicating with one another through at least one channel (30), and sealing means (3). The assembly formed by the packing (5) and each insert has at least an essentially axial molding reserve. Each chamber (6) and each channel (30) are defined inside the molding reserve and are sealed or delimited, at least in an axial direction, by the sealing means (3).

Abstract: A bipolar plate (1) comprising on the first face a groove forming a first distribution channel (111) for one of the gases, comprising on the second face a groove forming a second distribution channel for the other of the gases, comprising in its thickness an inner channel (122) for the circulation of a coolant, said plate being formed from a structural support having a surface that does not conduct electricity and that is chemically inert, said plate comprising pins (10) that pass through the whole thickness and that emerge on both sides through each of said first and second faces in the working section, said pins being spread over the entire working section of said plate.

Abstract: Disclosed is a methodology for deriving data related to various selected tire (10) conditions. One or more sensors are analyzed in a manner similar to that of analyzing an electro-cardiogram taken from a human patient in order to determine selected operational characteristics of the monitored tires (10). Analysis of the signal waveforms may involve analysis of a single waveform and/or comparison of paired waveforms originating for sensors associated with a single tire or paired tires (10).

Abstract: A mold for vulcanizing an unvulcanized tire blank comprises: two axial members each carrying a molding surface for molding a sidewall of the tire, at least one of the axial members being movable between a position for molding the sidewall and a position for unmolding the tire; at least one molding member for molding a channel in a tread of the tire, the molding member being movable between a channel-molding position and a channel-unmolding position; and axial movement means for axially moving the channel-molding member between its molding and unmolding positions. The axial movement means include releasable connection means between the channel-molding member and the axial member.

Abstract: Tire comprising at least two sidewalls, a crown provided radially externally with a tread, a carcass-type reinforcing structure and a crown reinforcement, the inner surface of the sidewalls and of the crown forming an inner wall of the tire, at least one portion of said wall being covered with a self-sealing layer comprising a thermoplastic stirene (TPS) elastomer and the tire being able to be inflated to a given service inflation pressure Pi. For any temperature within a given temperature range, between +30° C. and +100° C., the self-sealing layer has a loss factor tan ? of less than 0.2 and a dynamic modulus G* of less than Pi, tan ? and G* being measured at a frequency of 10 Hz.

Abstract: A method for evaluating the difference between the situation on a site at a given moment and a reference state in regards to the operating conditions of tires of heavy vehicles of the civil engineering type, wherein a user determines at least one zone on the site and determines n parameters which are characteristic of the operating conditions for tires in the zone. The user allocates to each parameter a variance dimension (xi) and enters this dimension in a processor capable of performing an automatic consolidation I of the dimensions of the n parameters. The processor performs a consolidation of the dimensions of the n parameters to give I, the variance dimension index for the zone.