Hot kiln alignment system

In a method of determining the condition of alignment of a long, flexible substantially cylindrical body subject to dynamic distortion during centerless rotation thereof upon support rollers about a central axis thereof, the steps comprising:

• determining a plurality of axial locations along the length of said body, to establish a measuring station adjacent the body at each location;
• b) establishing a first baseline datum generally substantially parallel with the body, extending for at least a portion of the length of the body;
• c) locating a distance measuring, radiant beam instrument successively at each said measuring station and obtaining readings of the distance from the instrument to the surface of the body aligned normal to the instrument;
• d) simultaneously determining the distance from said first datum to said measuring instrument at each station;
• e) taking a plurality of said distance readings at predetermined intervals, during rotation of the periphery of the body past said instrument, for each station;
• f) obtaining a mean value of said readings for each station to establish the mean distance from said instrument to said body surface;
• g) adjusting said mean value to include the value of step d) above to establish the mean distance between said first datum said body surface;
• h) repeating steps b) to g) for a plurality of first predetermined axial locations positioned along the length of said body, to establish corrected mean values of the respective distances of said body from said datum at said first axial locations, and
• i) establishing a second baseline datum spaced on the opposite side of said body and located a predetermined distance from said first datum;
• carrying the out steps a) through g) for a second plurality of axial locations, each of said second axial locations being located adjacent said second datum in substantially transverse alignment with a respective one of said first axial locations, to establish corrected means values of the respective distances from the second datum to the adjacent side of said body;
• and calculating the distance of the mean center of said body from a said datum baseline for each of said axial locations, by way of said established mean distances between said body surface and each said baseline datum.