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Method and apparatus for inspecting tires

  • US 3,903,416 A
  • Filed: 05/07/1973
  • Issued: 09/02/1975
  • Est. Priority Date: 05/07/1973
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. In a tire inspection system for inspecting tires having side wall portions including bead rims and a tread area portion between the side wall portions:

  • a. tire supporting means supporting a tire in a condition wherein said side wall portions extend radially inwardly toward the tire centerline from said tread area portion;

    b. radiation source means for directing tire penetrating radiation through a circumferential section of the tire including one bead rim, side wall portion and at least part of the tread area portion from a location between the tire centerline and the tread area portion, said location disposed in a first plane extending transversely to the tire centerline and between the tire side wall portions; and

    , c. an inspection information producing system by which inspection information concerning the construction of a tire is obtained comprising radiation responsive imaging means and camera means;

    d. said imaging means comprising;

    i. an imaging member supported in the vicinity of the circumferential tire section through which radiation is directed from said source location, said member having a surface positioned with respect to said source location so that radiation passing through the circumferential tire section impinges on said member to produce a radiation stimulated image of part of the tire on said surface, said surface configured to describe a line curved generally parabolically about at least part of the circumferential section of the tire at the intersection of said surface and a second plane containing the tire centerline and extending through said source location, at least part of the tire tread area portion interposed between said source location and a first location on said imaging member surface, a tire bead rim interposed between said source location and a second location on said imaging member surface, said first and second locations disposed at different radial distances from the tire centerline and at different distances from said source location so that the image of part of the tire produced on said surface is distorted;

    ii. optical coupling means between said camera means and said imaging member surface for transmitting the image on said surface to said camera means; and

    , iii. structure for positioning said optical coupling means with respect to said surface so that the image transmitted to said camera means is substantially undistorted.

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