APPARATUS FOR MONITORING TREAD THICKNESS DURING TIRE BUFFING

摘要

An apparatus (20) for monitoring the depth of tread (4) on a tire (5) being buffed includes a sensing device (74), for example, a magnetic sensor, mounted to a reciprocating motion carrier (30). The carrier (30) is driven by a drive wheel (38) that is in contact with the tire (5) being buffed. The carrier (30) is movably mounted to float over the surface (9) of the tire (5), that is, accommodate variations in the tire surface (9), with a guide wheel (72) following the tire surface (9) to maintain the sensor (74) at a constant distance from the tire surface (9). The sensor (74) on the carrier (30) reciprocally traverses the crown (9) of the tire (5) as the tire rotates to obtain actual values for the thickness of the rubber above the belts over the whole surface of the crown (9).