X-RAY TIRE INSPECTION APPARATUS

• US 3,826,919 A
• Filed: 09/08/1972
• Issued: 07/30/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nicholas Yaroshuk, Robert D. Burack
• Original Assignee: Nicholas Yaroshuk, Robert D. Burack
• Inventors: Yaroshuk, Nicholas, Burack, Robert D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lindquist, William F.
• Application Number:
  US05/287,388
• Time in Patent Office: 690 Days
• Field of Search: 73/146 178/DIG.5 250/52,53,83.3D
• US Class Current: 378/61
• 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

Abstract

X-ray tire inspection apparatus, in which, during set-up and in an automatic mode of operation, inwardly-retracted spindles are actuated radially outward into rotating and spreading cooperation with the beads of a newly introduced tire for capture and inspection of such tire, which is thereby also simultaneously measured as to its diametral size. Conditioned by the tire-size information gained from such initial spindle operation, a control means is operable to effect automatic movement of an X-ray tube and an X-ray image pick-up means from retracted inactive positions to active tire-inspecting positions suited to the particular tire size involved.

Claims

1. Apparatus for individual X-ray inspection of tires which may be of different size from one inspection to the next, said apparatus comprising, support means for supporting a tire for rotation about its center during its inspection, measuring means for measuring size of such tire while disposed on said support means, X-ray tube means mounted for movement from a retracted inactive position to different active positions respectively suited for directing X-rays through the walls of different size tires when each in turn is mounted on said support means, X-ray pick-up means mounted for receipt of X-rays transmitted from said X-ray tube means through such tire walls, and means operable to effect initial movement of said X-ray tube means from its retracted inactive position to an active position appropriate to the given size tire undergoing inspection, responsively to measurement by said measuring means.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein, the support means is included in the measuring means and comprises spindle means movable radially outward from an inwardly retracted attitude to a radially expanded attitude in rotary supporting engagement with the tire beads.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein, the support means supports the tire for rotation about an axis which is the same irrespective of the size of such tire, and the aforesaid initial movement of the X-ray tube means always occurs in the same plane.

4. Apparatus for individual X-ray inspection of tires which may be of different size from one inspection to the next, comprising, spindle means actuable radially outward for supporting a tire at its beads for rotation about a fixed axis in coincidence with the center of such tire while holding such beads spread, means conditioned by radial position of said spindle means for measuring the diametral size of the tire, X-ray tube means mounted for movement from a retracted position outside the tire to selective different active positions in encirclement by the tire respectively suited for directing an X-ray beam outwardly through the annulus of different size tires from one bead to the other, X-ray image pick-up means mounted for movement from a retracted position to different active X-ray beam-aligned positions respectively suited for orbital bead-to-bead movement about the annulus of different size tires, and means operable to effect automatic movement of said X-ray tube means and of said X-ray image pick-up means from their retracted positions to active positions in accord with tire size, responsively to the diametral size measurement by the second named means.