Monsanto Company

Addressograph Multigraph Corporation

Charles R Bentivegna

Donald N Heisner

Elmer F Schutt

Bryce G Thornton

An automated tire inspection system employs penetrative emanation such as X-radiation to inspect the integrity of portions of tires fed sequentially along a feed path through a centering station and into a shielded enclosure where an inspection station is defined. An inspection apparatus within the shielded enclosure includes an X-ray emitting tube and an imaging system for producing signals representing the pattern of X-rays directed through the tire by the X-ray tube. A control apparatus for the system includes:

Tire inspection system

An automated tire inspection system employs penetrative emanation such as X-radiation to inspect the integrity of portions of tires fed sequentially along a feed path through a centering station and into a shielded enclosure where an inspection station is defined. An inspection apparatus within the shielded enclosure includes an X-ray emitting tube and an imaging system for producing signals representing the pattern of X-rays directed through the tire by the X-ray tube. A control apparatus for the system includes: (1) A protection apparatus for preventing overtravel of movable components of the system, including apparatus for sensing the positions of the movable components and controlling elements for moving the movable components and responding to the sensing apparatus to limit movement of the movable components to within a first predetermined range of positions. Additional apparatus senses when a movable component reaches the boundary of another range of positions encompassing the first range and deactuates the system in response thereto; (2) A system for detecting and identifying malfunctions in the tire inspection system; (3) A positioning system for maintaining a constant relative position between the X-ray tube and the imaging system; (4) An interrupt system for manually terminating the automatic operation of the tire inspection system and enabling manual control thereof; (5) A speed control system for automatically slowing the motion of each movable component as it approaches a predetermined end point of its path of motion, and (6) A scheduled interrupt system which suspends automatic operation upon the tire inspection system executing a predetermined stop in its automatic operation, to give the operator temporary manual control of a limited number of system operations. Throughout the operation of the tire inspection system, manual or automatic, the system prevents the execution of potentially dangerous or mechanically destructive operations.

There is disclosed an improvement in a system for sensing information encoded on a duplicating original, using the information to control copy processing. A duplicating original is installed onto the surface of a cylinder revolving in the duplication process. The encoded information, in the form of indicia printed on the original, is sensed by an optical read head arranged to scan the revolving cylinder. Signals indicating the position of the revolving cylinder are used to determine when to scan for information. Finally, the information sensed, e.g., the copy quantity, is used to control the processes of the duplicating machine. The manner in which the encoded information is arranged conforms to the writing capabilities of a computer output printer, which is preferably also used to prepare the body of text material being duplicated, and the read head is arranged to sense the thus applied indicia and reproduce the information accurately, allowing wide latitude for correct placement of the information. Hand encoding by an operator is also easily performed.

Growing community of inventors

Mayfield Heights, OH, United States of America

Charles R Bentivegna