Portable tire x-ray apparatus and method

• US 4,977,586 A
• Filed: 06/12/1989
• Issued: 12/11/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/1987
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Donald M. Curry
• Original Assignee: Leonard O. Curry
• Inventors: Curry, Leonard O.
• Primary Examiner(s): Fields, Carolyn E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Porta, David P.
• Application Number:
  US07/365,135
• Time in Patent Office: 547 Days
• Field of Search: 378/56, 378/58, 378/61, 378/62, 378/68, 378/69, 378/195, 378/196, 378/197, 378/198
• 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 23/043 using fluoroscopic examination, with visual observation or video transmission of fluoroscopic images
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 23/083 the radiation being X-rays
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 23/185 in tyres

Abstract

A portable tire x-ray apparatus includes a frame having horizontal rollers supporting a tire vertically and a motor connected to at least one of the rollers to cause rotation of the tire. An x-ray tube and a fluoroscope are spaced apart approximately the length of the outer diameter of the tire and are aligned to irradiate an area including at least one half the width of the tread and a portion of the sidewall of the tire. A video camera is optically coupled to the fluoroscope and is connected to a video tape recorder and a live video monitor to convert a radiographic image on the fluoroscope to a video signal which may be recorded and displayed on the monitor. Irregularities in the tire, including possible defects, are visible on the fluoroscope and may be viewed on the monitor and recorded. The video recorder is also provided with a video monitor such that live radiographic images may be displayed on the live monitor while previously recorded images are played back and displayed on the recorder monitor for comparison of the images to discover new irregularities in the tire. A pivotal carrier mechanism for both the x-ray tube and fluoroscope allows an operator to operably switch sides of the tire to be inspected without requiring physical removal, rotation and replacement of the tire relative to the apparatus in order to inspect both sides of the tire.

Claims

1. In a tire inspecting apparatus including means for rotating the tire about a central axis during inspection, an x-ray source for generating a source of x-rays to pass through the tire and a fluoroscope positioned opposite the x-ray source for receiving the x-rays after having passed through a tire;

the improvement comprising;

(a) mobile carriage means including a first wheeled carriage and a second wheeled carriage supporting said x-ray source and said fluoroscope respectively and allowing an operator to position said x-ray source in at least two locations on opposite sides of said tire in alignment with said fluoroscope;

(b) a pivot beam connecting said first and second wheeled carriage;

(c) frame and rotation means for supporting and rotating the tire;

(d) said pivot beam being pivotally connected to said frame at a point such that said fluoroscope and said x-ray source are mobile on said respective carriages and pivotal about an axis passing through said pivot; and

(e) said fluoroscope and said x-ray source being connected to said pivot beam at selected fixed distances from said pivot such that said x-ray source can be first positioned on one side of a tire first side wall while said fluoroscope is on an opposite side thereof to provide an x-ray image of the first side wall and thereafter said pivot beam is rotatable about said pivot so that said x-ray source and said fluoroscope are positionable on opposite sides of a second side wall of the tire such that said x-ray source and said fluoroscope are automatically properly positioned to sequentially provide an x-ray image of both of the side walls of the tire.

2. A tire inspection apparatus comprising:

(a) a support frame for supporting a tire to be inspected;

said support frame including a base adapted to be supported by a floor and a pair of support beams positioned above said base and extending outwardly in opposite directions therefrom;

(b) a pair of rollers rotatably connected and extending between said support beams near opposite ends thereof and in general parallel relationship to one another;

(c) rotary motor means selectively rotating at least one of said rollers and operable to allow selective rotation of said one of said rollers under the control of an operator;

(d) a ramp positioned extending downwardly from said support beams so as to facilitate placement of a tire from a location on a floor supporting the apparatus to between said rollers;

(e) a pair of tire guides;

each of said tire guides being attached to said frame and including stanchions extending upwardly therefrom;

each of said stanchions having attached to an upper end thereof an adjustable roller for engaging a tire and allowing rotation of such a tire;

(f) an x-ray source adapted to provide a source of x-rays;

(g) a first support carrier operably supporting said x-ray source and including a mobile support carriage;

(h) a fluoroscope adapted to receive x-rays from said x-ray source;

(i) a second support carrier operably supporting said fluoroscope and including a mobile support carriage; and

(j) a pivot beam connected to said first support carrier and said second support carrier;

said pivot beam also being medially connected to said frame by a pivot pin allowing rotation of said pivot beam about said pivot pin;

whereby said fluoroscope and said x-ray source are aligned with one another by said pivot beam and an operator may selectively swing said fluoroscope and said x-ray source about an axis passing through said pivot pin and position said x-ray source and said fluoroscope in at least two selected positions relative to a tire being inspected for inspection of opposite sides of the tire without requiring removal of the tire from the apparatus.

3. A tire inspection apparatus comprising:

(a) support and frame means for supporting a tire to be inspected;

(b) rotation means for selectively rotating a tire about a horizontally aligned central axis thereof while on said frame means;

(c) tire guide means upstanding from said frame to guide a tire on said rotation means with the axis of rotation of the tire positioned horizontally;

(d) a fluoroscope positionable adjacent a tread of a tire supported on said frame and forming an image upon the irradiation of said fluoroscope by x-rays;

(e) an x-ray source orientable in alignment with said fluoroscope, said source positioned external to a tire on said frame and spaced from said fluoroscope;

(f) a pivot beam pivotally connected to said frame so as to be rotatable about a pivot;

(g) a first support carrier operably supporting said x-ray source and connected to a first end of said pivot beam to allow swinging movement of said x-ray source relative to said frame means in a generally horizontal plane;

(h) a second support carrier operably supporting said fluoroscope and connected to a second end of said pivot beam opposite said pivot from said first support carrier to allow swinging movement of said fluoroscope relative to said frame means in a generally horizontal plane; and

(i) said fluoroscope and said x-ray source are positioned on said pivot beam so as to have a first configuration so as to located on opposite sides of a first side wall of a tire and being swingable to a second configuration so as to be automatically located on opposite sides of a second side wall of a tire.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3 wherein:

(a) said first and second carriers each comprises a wheeled carriage.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4 including:

(a) pivot bar connected to said first carrier and to said second carrier; and

(b) said pivot bar being pivotally attached to said frame means by a pivot pin so as to allow pivotal rotation of said x-ray source and said fluoroscope about an axis passing through said pivot pin.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5 wherein:

(a) said rotation means comprises a pair of rollers rotatably mounted on said frame means and a motor for operably driving at least one of said rollers.