Process and apparatus for handling green tyres for bicycles

An apparatus for handling green tyres for a bicycle, wherein each green tyre comprises at least one carcass ply having axially opposite end flaps engaged with respective bead cores and a tread band applied in a radially outer position on the carcass ply, comprising:

• a profiling unit operatively engageable with the green tyre and activated for translating the tread band in a radially outer direction with respect to the bead cores to impart a cross-sectional convex profile to the green tyre in a radially outer direction, and
• a transfer member configured for engaging the green tyre while the green tyre is mechanically restrained by the profiling unit while at least partly maintaining the cross-sectional convex profile in a radially outer direction;
• wherein the profiling unit comprises:
• a centring mandrel having a central geometric axis (“Y”);
• and a radially expandable profiling member fixed around a support collar;
• wherein the radially expandable profiling member extends circumferentially around the central geometric axis (“Y”),
• wherein, via an introduction of operating fluid through one or more passages formed through the support collar, the radially expandable profiling member is radially expandable from a radially contracted condition, in which the radially expandable profiling member has at least one portion distant from a radially inner surface of the tyre, to a radially expanded condition, wherein the radially expandable profiling member operates against the radially inner surface of the tyre by exerting a thrust action in a substantially radial direction from the inside towards the outside;
• wherein, via a discharging of the operating fluid, the radially expandable profiling member is radially contracted towards the contracted condition;
• the apparatus further comprising an electronic control unit configured for expanding and contracting of the radially expandable profiling member, that is cyclically repeated at least twice within less than about 30 seconds, with progressively increasing of a pressure value of the operating fluid introduced in the radially expandable profiling member.