Bridgestone Bandag, LLC

Bandag Licensing Corporation

Merle E Meier

John S Lindsay

Jason Len Gridley

Andy Wayne Turner

Jaime J Benitez

Jeremy J Nartker

Andy Turner

An envelope spreader system includes a chassis having an opening, a linkage assembly comprising a plurality of links rotatably coupled to the chassis and extending into the opening, and an actuator operably coupled to the linkage assembly and configured to operate the linkage assembly between a first position and a second position. The plurality of links includes a primary link having a primary link first end rotatably coupled to the chassis at a first fixed pivot point and a primary link second end configured to operably engage a portion of a tire envelope and a secondary link having a secondary link first end rotatably coupled to the chassis at a second fixed pivot point and a secondary link second end configured to engage a portion the tire envelope.

Envelope spreader system for enveloping a retreaded tire

The invention relates to an apparatus for performing electronic shearography on a test object, especially a tire or retread tire. The apparatus uses a laser light source to illuminate the test object. An optical element through which electromagnetic radiation is reflected from the test object is transmitted and forms a random interference image. The random interference image can be electronically processed to provide a video animation of the effects of stress on the test object. An archive memory can be provided for retaining the animation data which can be compressed such that it includes only preselected individual shearogram images from the set of sequential shearogram images and less than all of the image data associated therewith. An air handling system can be provided for changing the ambient pressure in a pressure chamber within which the test object is supportable. The air handling system can include a humidity reducing mechanism.

Shearographic imaging machine with archive memory for animation data and air handling system

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Nashville, TN, United States of America

Merle E Meier