Abstract: A gapless printing system includes a cylinder assembly and a printing sleeve. The cylinder assembly includes a compressible layer located between an inner shell and an outer shell. A support carrier is coupled to the inner shell about each of the first and second end portions and is adapted such that the cylinder assembly is mountable in a printing press. A printing sleeve is removably attachable to the cylinder assembly by installing the printing sleeve over the outer shell such that when the printing sleeve is mounted on the cylinder assembly, lateral and rotational motion of the printing sleeve with respect to the cylinder assembly is prevented.

Abstract: A gapless printing system includes a cylinder assembly and a printing sleeve. The cylinder assembly includes a compressible layer located between an inner shell and an outer shell. A support carrier is coupled to the inner shell about each of the first and second end portions and is adapted such that the cylinder assembly is mountable in a printing press. A printing sleeve is removably attachable to the cylinder assembly by installing the printing sleeve over the outer shell such that when the printing sleeve is mounted on the cylinder assembly, lateral and rotational motion of the printing sleeve with respect to the cylinder assembly is prevented.

Abstract: 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 which where an inspection station is defined. Features of the system include: (1) the use of a pressure regulator to control the force applied by spindles to the beads of a tire to support the tire for inspection; (2) the structures of several components including carriages, sub-carriages, and sub-sub-carriages for movably supporting an X-ray source and an X-ray imaging system, a pair of spindle support carriages which movably carry two sets of spindles, and a centering table and a main conveyor for feeding tires to the inspection station.

Abstract: 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 which where an inspection station is defined. Features of the system include: (1) the use of a pressure regulator to control the force applied by spindles to the beads of a tire to support the tire for inspection; (2) the structures of several components including carriages, sub-carriages, and sub-sub-carriages for movably supporting an X-ray source and an X-ray imaging system, a pair of spindle support carriages which movably carry two sets of spindles, and a centering table and a main conveyor for feeding tires to the inspection station.

Abstract: 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 which where an inspection station is defined. Features of the system include: (1) the positioning of tires for inspection with their central planes in a predetermined plane and with their central axes along a predetermined line; (2) the use of sensors to monitor the positions of the several movable components of the apparatus; and, (3) the use of a centering and tire size sensing apparatus upstream from an inspection station to facilitate tire handling through prepositioning a number of apparatus components prior to the arrival of a tire in the inspection station.

Abstract: 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 which where an inspection station is defined. Features of the system include a continuously operating X-ray source movable between inspection and retracted positions, and an X-ray shield for covering the source when it is retracted to permit the doors of the shielded enclosure to be opened without danger from escaping radiation.