APPARATUS FOR THE CONTINUOUS, OVERALL X-RAY EXAMINATION OF A MOTOR VEHICLE TIRE

• US 3,809,900 A
• Filed: 12/12/1972
• Issued: 05/07/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Spezialmaschinenbau Steffel GmbH & Company KG
• Original Assignee: Horst Steffel
• Inventors: Steffel, Horst
• Primary Examiner(s): Lawrence, James W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dixon, Harold A.
• Application Number:
  US05/314,322
• Time in Patent Office: 511 Days
• Field of Search: 250/275,321,358-360,460,490,491,492,307,308,272,277,213VT,368
• US Class Current: 378/61
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 17/028 using X-rays
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2223/627 tyres
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 23/083 the radiation being X-rays
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 23/185 in tyres
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 42/028 Industrial applications

Abstract

This invention relates to apparatus for the continuous, overall X-ray examination of a driven motor vehicle tire which is rotatably supported in an expanded state and comprising X-ray apparatus for irradiating the tire from its interior and utilising a sensing camera arrangement having a monitor to reproduce the X-ray picture appearing on at least one fluorescent screen. The invention provides one lateral X-ray tube adjacent each side of the tire to irradiate the side-wall of the tire remote therefrom. An external fluorescent screen is associated with each of the areas of the tire to be irradiated, and the sensing camera apparatus is arranged subsequent to the fluorescent screens. Preferably, but not necessarily, a further X-ray tube is provided for irradiating the tire tread.

Claims

1. In a system including an X-ray source, a camera and monitor therefor, tire support structure, camera support structure, the X-ray source relative to the tire support structure and relative to the camera support structure positioned such that X-rays are beamable between tire beads and through one thickness of a tire body with beamed X-rays being in a direction and with the camera being located for receiving an image resulting from the beamed Xrays with the image being receivable from a point adjacent the tire body on a side thereof away from the side on which the X-ray source is located, and rotation mechanism for rotating the tire body relative to the X-ray support structure and relative to the camera support structure, the improvement comprising:

at least a first X-ray source means aimed to be directed at a first one tire-side when a tire is mounted on the tire mounting structure and at least a second X-ray source means simultaneously aimed to be directed at a different tire-side when a same tire is mounted on the tire mounting structure;

at least a first fluorescent screen mounted at a position adjacent a first side of a same mounted tire, at a location opposite from the first X-ray source means positioned to receive X-rays from the first X-ray source means;

said sensing camera being positioned to receive an image from the first fluorescent screen as X-rays strike the first fluorescent screen, at least a second fluorescent screen mounted adjacent a different tire-side of the same tire when mounted, at a location opposite from the second X-ray means positioned to receive X-rays from the second X-ray source means;

said sensing camera being further positioned to simultaneously receive an image from said second fluorescent screen;

whereby separate fluorescent X-ray images of both of opposite spaced-apart different tire-sides are simultaneously monitorable, whereby said camera simultaneously receives at different angles fluorescent images from both said first fluorescent screen and said second fluorescent screen; and

mirror means of at least one mirror positioned to reflect an image into said single camera from at least one of said first anD second fluorescent screens.

2. The improvement of claim 1, in which said first X-ray source means is positioned at a first predetermined distance from the first fluorescent screen and from a tire-side when mounted to be X-rayed, and the second X-ray source means is positioned a second predetermined distance from the second fluorescent screen and from a different tire side when mounted to be X-rayed, and the single camera and the mirror means are positioned predetermined distances from the first and second fluorescent screens, such that the separate tire areas being X-rayed are substantially equal and such that separate fluorescent screen images of the first and second fluorescent screens are substantially equal in area on respective screens, and such that the distances traveled by the respective fluorescent images from the first and second fluorescent screens to the single camera are substantially equal, whereby visually monitored images are of comparable intensity and size enabling ready reliable undistorted comparison of the commonly simultaneously visually displayed fluorescent images.

3. The improvement of claim 2, further including at least a third X-ray source means simultaneously aimed to be directed at a tire tread between said first one tire-side and said second different tire-side when the same tire is mounted, and including a third fluorescent screen position to receive X-rays passed through a tire tread passed from said third X-ray source means.

4. The improvement of claim 1, further including at least a third X-ray source means simultaneously aimed to be directed at a tire tread between said first one tire-side and said second dirrerent tire-side when the same tire is mounted, and including a third fluorescent screen position to receive X-rays passed through a tire tread passed from said third X-ray source means.

5. The improvement of claim 1, wherein said mirror means comprises two fixed pairs of redirecting mirrors, a first pair of said mirrors being located for reflecting an image between the first fluorescent screen and the first single camera and a second pair of said mirrors being located for reflecting a different image between the second fluorescent screen and the first single camera.

6. The improvement of claim 5, wherein said first pair of mirrors are situated opposite said single camera and disposed in the beam path of the first single camera such that one lateral edge of a mirror of said first pair is positioned closest to the single camera and such that the lateral edge extends up to the optical axis of the first single camera, while a remaining one of said mirrors of said first pair is simultaneously positioned at a greater distance, from an opposite direction up to said optical axis of said single camera.

7. The improvement of claim 6, including an inclosure structure defining a light-excluding housing having a throat-like passage way receiving a portion of a mounted tire to be radiated, enclosing said first and second fluorescent screens, said mirror means, and said single camera, said first and second fluorescent screens being disposed in said passage way positioned substantially parallel to their respective areas of the tire being irradiated.

8. The improvement of claim 1, including aligning means for aligning respective X-ray source means with a tire supported by the support structure, comprising two pairs of rollers provided on either side of said passage way and vise-grippable of the tire at respectively top and bottom faces thereof, said rollers being adjustable with respect to the point of focus of said third X-ray source means for the tire-tread.

9. The improvement of claim 8, wherein said two pairs of rollers consist of rollers movable in opposite directions to one another.

10. The improvement of claim 9, including a vertical guide rod secured to said light-excluding housing, and wherein said rollers in each pair thereof are freely mounted on the vertical guide rod, and including elbOw pivot-levers linked to and including a pressure-drive means, for being adjustable in opposite directions to one-another.

11. The improvement of claim 10, wherein said rollers in at least one roller of the two pairs of rollers is drivable in order to rotate a mounted tire.

12. The improvement of claim 1, in which said X-ray sources are located for irradiating against inner-tire surfaces.