Voltage applicator for tire inspection and method
OwnerArnold A. Weissinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus for detecting flaws in a tire. The apparatus may contain a frame sized to be placed in the interior of the tire, at least one device operably connected to the frame so that upon rotation of the tire the frame travels around the interior of the tire, where the frame is substantially supported by the tire, and at least one pin attached to the frame, where the at least one pin is adapted to be connected to a voltage generator to create an electric field near the surface of the tire when in use so that an electric arc is produced upon the presence of a flaw in the tire.
Claims25
A voltage applicator for tire inspection comprising:
- a body;
- means for supporting the body upon a first portion of tire surface and allowing movement of the body from the first portion of tire surface to a second portion of tire surface;
- conductive means, carried by the body, for distributing an electric field over a surface of tire to be inspected.
A method of culling a defective tire carcass from a group of tire carcasses to facilitate repair of defects prior to buffing and retreading of the defective tire carcass, comprising the steps of:
- providing a voltage applicator having a body, means for supporting the body upon a first tire carcass surface and allowing movement of the body from the first tire carcass surface to a second tire carcass surface, and conductive means, carried by the body, for distributing an electric field over a surface of tire carcass to be inspected;
- orienting a tire carcass of the group of tire carcasses on a substantially horizontal axis;
- inserting the voltage applicator between beads of the oriented tire carcass and then placing the inserted voltage applicator upon an inner surface of the tire carcass;
- supplying voltage to the conductive means of the voltage applicator whilst simultaneously rotating the oriented tire carcass and allowing the voltage applicator to move along the inner surface of the tire carcass;
- providing a conductor adjacent an exterior surface of the oriented, rotating tire carcass and adjacent the moving voltage applicator, such that the rotating tire carcass is interposed between the conductor and the moving voltage applicator,
- culling a tire carcass which allows an arc of current between the moving voltage applicator and the external conductor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.