Abstract: An improved apparatus and method are provided for cutting a tire surface to remove selected portions of rubber from the tire surface while the tire is rotating. The apparatus and method are especially useful in removing tread material from the tire to improve the force variation and runout characteristics of the tire. The material is removed by a cutting device such as a grinding wheel and a positioning device which holds the cutting device in a fixed cutting position for an incremental period of time while a corresponding incremental segment of the tire circumference, for instance a segment equal to 1/100 of the circumference (3.6.degree.), passes by the cutter. A sensing device measures a characteristic of the tire, such as its radial forced variation, and radial run-out of the tire is also measured.

Abstract: Uniformity in weight per unit length of continuously extruded tire tread stock is improved by measuring a dimension thereof such as thickness in the tread stock between the extruder die face and the conveyor and controlling the speed of the conveyor in response to deviations from an arbitrary norm of the dimension. A laser beam measuring device for measuring thickness variations in the tread stock before it reaches the conveyor and while the tread stock remains dimensionally unstable following its extrusion.

Abstract: An elastic band for positioning around the outer periphery of a tire being X-rayed and inspected for defects. A set of Arabic numerals are spaced equally around the band for identifying the location of a defect in the tire when it appears on a television monitor used in conjunction with the system of X-raying the tire.