Abstract: A mixing and cooling system (1) includes a mixing and screw-extrusion machine (10) with a mixer (12) having a converging conical twin screw; a ram (30) that moves along the inside of an introduction hopper (24) of the machine; a roller nose system disposed just downstream of an outlet (25) of the mixer to form a sheet (112) of the mixture exiting the mixer; and a mobile sleeve or sleeves (34) that move in a linear movement relative to the outlet. The system also includes a cooling system with a spray installation(s) (102, 104) that delivers water at a predetermined rate to the sheet exiting the machine; a suction installation(s) proportionate to each spray installation; and at least one transport means (114, 116) that transports the sheet in a predetermined direction.

Abstract: A profiling calender includes an intermediate roll, a lower roll, and a pair of intermediate lugs. The intermediate and lower rolls are separated by a distance defining a height of a second profiling nip. The intermediate lugs are situated at ends of the intermediate and lower rolls and include two quarter-circle bearing surfaces that meet at the second profiling nip. Each end of the intermediate roll or each end of the lower roll is equipped with a collar fastened to the roll and positioned between the roll and a quarter-circle bearing surface of a corresponding intermediate lug. The collar enables a radius of the roll to be increased by a height equal to the separation distance in order to improve an appearance of edges of a profiled element produced by the calender.

Abstract: Tire formed of two halves separated by a median plane, comprising a crown comprising a crown reinforcement comprising a first reinforcing ply (80) and a second reinforcing ply (90) having two axial ends, which is situated radially on the outside of the first reinforcing ply and surmounted by a hooping reinforcement (100) made up of circumferentially orientated reinforcing elements, in which tire the absolute value of the difference D between the distance D1 of the first axial end (92) from the median plane and the distance D2 of the second axial end (93) from the median plane is greater than or equal to 4 mm and less than or equal to 10 mm (4 mm?|D|=|D1?D2|?10 mm).

Abstract: A profiling calender includes an intermediate roll, a lower roll, and a pair of intermediate lugs. The intermediate and lower rolls are separated by a distance defining a height of a second profiling nip. The intermediate lugs are situated at ends of the intermediate and lower rolls and include two quarter-circle bearing surfaces that meet at the second profiling nip. Each end of the intermediate roll or each end of the lower roll is equipped with a collar fastened to the roll and positioned between the roll and a quarter-circle bearing surface of a corresponding intermediate lug. The collar enables a radius of the roll to be increased by a height equal to the separation distance in order to improve an appearance of edges of a profiled element produced by the calender.

Abstract: A tire intended to be mounted on a drop-center rim with a flange height G and a radius of curvature R1 has first and second beads each having an annular reinforcing structure having a radially innermost point, the radial distance between the radially innermost point and the mounting rim being A, and a carcass reinforcement anchored in the two beads by being turned back around the annular reinforcing structure forming, within each bead, a main strand and a turned-back strand, in which the thicknesses EB1 of the first bead and EB2 of the second bead are the distance separating (i) the point on the main strand that is at a distance R from the radially innermost point, where R=G+(R1)/2?A, and (ii) the point on the exterior surface of the bead that is at the distance R from the radially innermost point, and in which |EB1?EB2|?1 mm.

Abstract: To characterize a behavior of a vehicle, a subjective behavior test is conducted on a given configuration of a suspension device and a wheel disc of the vehicle to determine whether the vehicle's behavior is acceptable. Modifications are made to the given configuration so as to sweep through pairs of values corresponding to a lateral force Fy and a lateral offset Dy of the wheel in straight-line running. For each modified configuration of the suspension device and/or the wheel disc, the subjective behavior test is conducted again. For each configuration of the suspension device and the wheel disc tested, a determination is made of a pair of values of the lateral force Fy and the lateral offset Dy of the wheel in straight-line running. Areas Z of acceptable behavior of the vehicle in a plane Fy, Dy are determined.

Abstract: To characterize a behaviour of a vehicle, a subjective behavior test is conducted on a given configuration of a suspension device and a wheel disc of the vehicle to determine whether the vehicle's behaviour is acceptable. Modifications are made to the given configuration so as to sweep through pairs of values corresponding to a lateral force Fy and a lateral offset Dy of the wheel in straight-line running For each modified configuration of the suspension device and/or the wheel disc, the subjective behaviour test is conducted again. For each configuration of the suspension device and the wheel disc tested, a determination is made of a pair of values of the lateral force Fy and the lateral offset Dy of the wheel in straight-line running Areas Z of acceptable behavior of the vehicle in a plane Fy, Dy are determined.

Abstract: Tire formed of two halves separated by a median plane, comprising a crown comprising a crown reinforcement comprising a first reinforcing ply (80) and a second reinforcing ply (90) having two axial ends, which is situated radially on the outside of the first reinforcing ply and surmounted by a hooping reinforcement (100) made up of circumferentially orientated reinforcing elements, in which tire the absolute value of the difference D between the distance D1 of the first axial end (92) from the median plane and the distance D2 of the second axial end (93) from the median plane is greater than or equal to 4 mm and less than or equal to 10 mm (4 mm?|D|=|D1?D2|?10 mm).

Abstract: A method is provided for characterizing a straight-line behavior of a given vehicle that includes at least one suspension device. For a given value of a parameter that when varied modifies a friction generated in each suspension device, the method includes steps of: applying a stress cycle to each suspension device so as to identify a friction present in each suspension device; determining, for each suspension device, a value of an indicator relating to the friction; repeating the applying step and the determining step by varying the parameter so as to obtain a variation of the indicator as a function of the parameter; and for each suspension device, determining an interval of a value of the parameter in which the indicator is greater than a predetermined threshold for the given vehicle.

Abstract: A tire intended to be mounted on a drop-center rim with a flange height G and a radius of curvature R1, comprising a first and a second bead, each comprising at least one annular reinforcing structure having a radially innermost point, the radial distance between the radially innermost point and the mounting rim being denoted by A; a carcass reinforcement anchored in the two beads by being turned back around the annular reinforcing structure so as to form, within each bead, a main strand and a turned-back strand, in which the first bead has a thickness EB1 and the second bead has a thickness EB2, the thicknesses EB1 and EB2 defined as the distance separating (i) the point on the main strand that is at a distance R from said point, where R=G+R1/2?A, and (ii) the point on the exterior surface of the bead that is at this same distance R from said point, and in which the absolute value of the difference between the thicknesses EB1 and EB2 is greater than or equal to 1 mm.

Abstract: A method is provided for characterising a straight-line behaviour of a given vehicle that includes at least one suspension device. For a given value of a parameter that when varied modifies a friction generated in each suspension device, the method includes steps of: applying a stress cycle to each suspension device so as to identify a friction present in each suspension device; determining, for each suspension device, a value of an indicator relating to the friction; repeating the applying step and the determining step by varying the parameter so as to obtain a variation of the indicator as a function of the parameter; and for each suspension device, determining an interval of a value of the parameter in which the indicator is greater than a predetermined threshold for the given vehicle.

Abstract: An effort transmitted between a vehicle wheel and a wheel support is determined by mounting a tire/wheel assembly for rotation on a wheel support having a dynamic hub rigidly connected on a fixed frame such that the only degree of freedom of the assembly is rotation about the hub axis. The tire is pressed against an excitation device and the resulting fixed support effort transmitted between the wheel and the wheel support is measured. On the basis of the measured fixed support effort, there is calculated a suspended support effort which would be transmitted between the wheel and a wheel support having a degree of freedom of suspension in at least one direction (X, Y, Z) in relation to the excitation device.

Abstract: A method for determining effort transmitted between the wheel of a vehicle and a wheel support, comprising the following steps: the wheel (36) is pivotably mounted in a wheel support (27), said wheel being provided with a tyre; the tyre is pressed against means of excitation (29); a fixed support effort (F<SP>SF</SP>) which is transmitted between the wheel and the wheel support when the tyre is excited with the means of excitation is measured, wherein the wheel support (27) is fixed in at least one direction in relation to the means of excitation. The invention is characterised by a step consisting in calculating (37) a suspended effort (F<SP>SS</SP>), which is transmitted between the wheel and the wheel support (30), having a degree of freedom of suspension in at least one direction in relation to the means of excitation.