Method and apparatus for controlling the feed of semifinished products in a tyre building process

An apparatus for controlling a feed of semifinished products in a tyre building process,

• the apparatus comprising a building station, into which the semifinished product is fed for building, through the semifinished product, a structural component of a tyre, wherein the building station comprises a gripping member and a cutting member,
• wherein the apparatus further comprises:
• a detection station comprising at least one emitter device and a detection device, and is positioned upstream of the building station, wherein the detection station receives the semifinished product and the detection device acquires, in an acquisition zone, characteristic parameters representative of the semifinished product;
• a processing unit comprising one or more electronic devices and is associated with the detection station, wherein the one or more electronic devices detect from the at least one characteristic parameter of the semi-finished product, a presence of at least one defect and with the detection of the at least one defect by the one or more electronic devices, generate a notification signal, and with the generation of the notification signal, the processing unit is adapted for activating a discard device to discard a portion of the semi-finished product comprising the at least one defect;
• and
• the cutting member comprises a cutter, wherein the cutter cuts the portion of the semi-finished product comprising the at least one defect along a main length of the semi-finished product, wherein the cutter further cuts the semi-finished product into one or more strip-like elements of a determined length, and wherein the one or more strip-like elements comprises the at least one defect portion defined as a function of the main length and the determined length, and
• wherein the processing unit further provides for:
• a calculation of an integer number of a result of a division between the main length and the determined length;
• a start of discarding when the notification signal is generated and waiting until the building station has laid a number N of strip-like elements equal to the integer number;
• and a sending of a command signal to the discard device for discarding the at least one strip-like element following the N strip-like elements.