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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
First Claim
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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.

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