An apparatus for detecting and checking defects on a tire at the end of a production process, the apparatus comprising a workstation comprising a workbench comprising a rotating table for supporting a tire; a profilometer; a high-resolution color linear camera for scanning outer surfaces of tire tread and tire shoulders; mechanical supports for the profilometer and color linear camera; a data processor for storing and processing data detected by the profilometer and the color linear camera means, for providing a three-dimensional model of a tire, and for management of a database including parameters referring to surface characteristics of defect-free tires; an interface for facilitating interaction between an operator and the apparatus; wherein the profilometer and the color linear camera are configured to operate simultaneously and perform a full scan of all the profiles of inner and outer surfaces of a tire while the tire is in rotation at a controlled speed on the rotating table; and wherein the data processor is adapted to define and classify defects detected, by comparing parameters detected by the profilometer and the color linear camera to at least one corresponding parameter of a defect-free tire of a same type as a tire being tested.

A tire testing machine is for testing a tire, comprising a free roller section configured to include a plurality of rollers having an endmost roller disposed downstream of a lubricator in a conveying direction and farthest from a predetermined reference position, the endmost roller being disposed such that a horizontal distance from the reference position is equal to or greater than a radius of a largest of a plurality of tires set in advance as objects of application of a lubricant.

A testing machine for a vehicle wheel includes a base frame, and a drum rotatably supported by the base frame around a drum axis. The testing machine has a drum actuator, for rotating the drum around the drum axis. A wheel movement device rotatably supports the vehicle wheel around a wheel axis and moves the vehicle wheel from a position spaced from the drum to a position in contact with the drum. The base frame rotatably supports the wheel movement device around a slip rotation axis, incident or perpendicular to a plane tangent to the contact point between the vehicle wheel and the drum. The base frame rotatably supports the wheel movement device around a camber rotation axis, perpendicular to the wheel and slip rotation axe. Following rotation of the wheel movement device around the camber rotation axis, the vehicle wheel is rotated according to a camber angle.

A tire inspection device includes a gas sensor disposed outside of a tire and facing an outer surface of the tire. The gas sensor detects a gas that fills the tire.

A first carrying arm (64) and a second carrying arm (65) provided in a first post (61) and a third carrying arm (73) and a fourth carrying arm (74) provided in a second post (62) are provided, the first carrying arm (64) is turned in a direction following the third carrying arm (73) from a side opposite to a side on which the third carrying arm (73) collecting an upper rim turns to carry another upper rim to an upper spindle, and the second carrying arm (65) is turned in a direction following the fourth carrying arm (74) from a side opposite to a side on which the fourth carrying arm (74) collecting a lower rim turns to carry another lower rim to a lower spindle.

A dynamic balancer includes an outer housing and a spindle assembly rotatably mounted to the outer housing. A frameless motor assembly is connected to selected components of the spindle assembly. A chucking assembly receives a locking member to capture a tire therebetween. The chucking assembly and the locking member are captured in the spindle assembly and rotated by the frameless motor assembly. A spring-biased return cylinder may be used with the dynamic balancer to assist in capturing and releasing the locking member with respect to the chucking assembly. An adjustable encoder assembly may be associated with the motor assembly to monitor a rotational position of the tire and/or spindle assembly.

An assembly for use in conducting a biaxial test on an object. The assembly comprises a housing that has an interior, and a spindle carriage assembly having a carriage. A portion of the spindle is telescoped with the carriage and coupled to the carriage by a bearing to allow rotation of the spindle. A silhouette is coupled to the spindle for supporting and connecting the spindle to the object during a biaxial test. A transducer is coupled to the carriage and cooperates with the spindle for measuring forces acting on the spindle. The spindle carriage assembly couples to the housing with the carriage disposed in the interior of, and spaced from, the housing, wherein forces that act on the object and the housing are transferred directly to the spindle and measured by the transducer.

A testing apparatus, in particular a tire testing apparatus, includes a testing chamber, a pressure loading unit for changing the pressure in the testing chamber and at least one measuring head for measuring a measurement object arranged in the testing chamber at different pressure values produced by the pressure loading unit. It is provided here that, for changing the pressure in the testing chamber, the pressure loading unit changes the volume of the testing chamber while excluding air from the surroundings.

A ground attachment system (1) for a tire characteristics detection unit (15).sub.7 comprises an attachment plate (2) comprising a plurality of recesses (3) distributed over the surface of the attachment plate, a plurality of frustoconical clamping rings (4), and a plurality of cylindrical guide tunnels (5) arranged in the detection unit (15), the clamping rings (4) and the guide tunnels (5) each comprising a complementary conical portion (6, 7) converging towards the attachment plate (2) when the ring (4) is in the clamping position in a tunnel (5).

The present invention includes a shaft that protrudes further toward a lower spindle side than an upper rim and includes a plurality of engagement grooves arranged in an up-down direction at an outer periphery of a lower end accommodated in a hollow portion of the lower spindle; a shaft support part that rotatably supports an upper end of the shaft; an engagement part that is accommodated within the hollow portion and is engaged with any one engagement groove of the plurality of engagement grooves; a first elevating part that is configured to integrally move the upper spindle, the shaft, and the shaft support part in the up-down direction; and a second elevating part that adjusts the length of the shaft protruding below the upper rim by changing the distance between the shaft support part and the upper spindle.