Method and apparatus for handling tyres

A method of handling tyres, comprising:

• generating a first relative motion between a detecting line and a tyre to acquire by the detecting line the position of a first edge of the tyre with respect to a reference;
• generating a second relative motion between the detecting line and the tyre to acquire by the detecting line the position of a second edge of the tyre with respect to the reference;
• and
• positioning a gripping device by a control unit and gripping the tyre on as a function of the positions of the first and second edge with respect to the reference,
• wherein generating at least one of the first relative motion and the second relative motion comprises generating a relative intercepting motion wherein the detecting line has a controlled interception speed with respect to the tyre and has a direction to intercept at least one of the first edge and the second edge of the tyre, respectively, wherein generating the first or the second relative motion further comprises:
• continuing the relative intercepting motion until the detecting line intercepts the first edge or the second edge of the tyre;
• inverting the relative intercepting motion by generating a relative detecting motion between the detecting line and the tyre, wherein the detecting line has a controlled detecting speed with respect to the tyre and has opposite direction and lower modulus than the controlled intercepting speed;
• and
• continuing the relative detecting motion until the detecting line intercepts the first edge or the second edge again and detects the position thereof with respect to the reference.

A tyre-handling apparatus comprising:

• a gripping device comprising one or more detectors to detect an edge of a tyre at a detecting line defined by the detector, wherein the detector is positioned at a predetermined distance with respect to a reference;
• and
• a control unit operatively associated with the gripping device and programmed to execute a handling method of the tyres comprising:
• generating a first relative motion between the detecting line and the tyre to acquire by the detecting line the position of a first edge of the tyre with respect to the reference;
• generating a second relative motion between the detecting line and the tyre to acquire by the detecting line the position of a second edge of the tyre with respect to the reference;
• and
• positioning the gripping device by the control unit and gripping the tyre on as a function of the positions of the first and second edge with respect to the reference, wherein generating at least one of the first relative motion and the second relative motion comprises generating a relative intercepting motion wherein the detecting line has a controlled interception speed with respect to the tyre and has a direction to intercept at least one of the first edge and the second edge of the tyre, respectively, wherein generating the first or the second relative motion further comprises:
• continuing the relative intercepting motion until the detecting line intercepts the first edge or the second edge of the tyre;
• inverting the relative intercepting motion by generating a relative detecting motion between the detecting line and the tyre, wherein the detecting line has a controlled detecting speed with respect to the tyre and has opposite direction and lower modulus than the controlled intercepting speed;
• and
• continuing the relative detecting motion until the detecting line intercepts the first edge or the second edge again and detects the position thereof with respect to the reference.