Abstract: A tire testing machine of the present invention performs tests on a tire in a testing station, and prints a mark based on the test result in a predetermined mark position of the tire after undergoing the tests by means of a marking device. A controller of the tire testing machine previously stores therein the contents of the tests for performing the tests, and causes the testing machine to perform the tests according to a recipe. In order to freely set the marking setting conditions for marking in the marking device, the controller of the marking device previously stores therein a first marking setting condition as the recipe, and also stores therein a second marking setting condition different from the recipe by an input device as a script. Marking is performed according to the contents of the marking setting condition described in either the recipe or script selected.

Abstract: A marking device of the present invention includes a sequence of two belt conveyers for conveying a tire after undergoing a test by a tire testing machine, a pair of laser sensors each installed in a predetermined position in a conveyance direction of the tire by the belt conveyer, and adapted to detect an edge of the tire, and a controller for controlling a motor for driving the belt conveyer based on an output from the laser sensor. The controller is operable to convey the tire by a conveyance distance calculated based on a distance from an installing position of the laser sensor to a print position, an outer diameter of the tire and a predetermined mark position when the edge of the tire is detected by the laser sensor, and then to stop the tire, whereby the mark position of the tire is aligned with the print position.

Abstract: To prevent occurrence of a slip between a tire and a drum and a flat spot on the tire and to reduce cycle time at a time of testing the tire, this tire testing method includes causing a control mechanism to control a motor to drive the tire to rotate at a predetermined rotational speed lower than a specified rotational speed if a linear sensor detects that the tire transported onto a center conveyor is sandwiched between an upper spindle and a lower spindle, and to control a moving mechanism to move a drum until the drum contacts the tire that rotates at the predetermined rotational speed. If a load cell detects the contact between the tire and the drum, then the control mechanism accelerates the rotation of the tire from the predetermined rotational speed to the specified rotational speed and increases a load applied to the tire by the drum, and the tire is tested.

Abstract: In order to reliably supply a lubrication liquid to a lubricating brush portion by a simple configuration, a tire lubricator device of a tire testing machine of the present invention includes a lubricating brush portion that contacts a bead portion of a rotating tire and applies a lubrication liquid thereto; a tank that hermetically stores the lubrication liquid therein; a first pipe that connects the tank to the lubricating brush portion so as to supply the lubrication liquid stored in the tank to the lubricating brush portion; and a second pipe that is connected to the tank so as to supply pressurized air into the tank from the outside.

Abstract: A plurality of conveyors including a center conveyor are appropriately disposed without any gap or step and any interference between driving units.

Abstract: Provided is a tire testing machine including: a spindle shaft that rotatably attaches a tire as an inspection target thereto; a tire outer shape measurement sensor that moves close to the tire or moves away from the tire and detects a deformation amount of an outer shape and a diameter of the tire attached to the spindle shaft; and a collision preventing sensor that includes a probe formed in a linear material and a contact detecting portion detecting a state where the probe contacts the tire in order to prevent the tire outer shape measurement sensor from colliding with the tire, wherein the probe has a bent or divided shape in order to ensure a wider contact detecting range contacting the tire.

Abstract: In order to stably transfer a tire between a roller portion and a conveyor for a tire testing machine, the tire conveyor of the present invention includes: a roller portion that is provided at a position without a conveying surface of the conveyor in the width direction perpendicular to the conveying direction of the conveyor in the conveying surface of the conveyor so as to be parallel to the conveying surface of the conveyor and is provided with a plurality of placement rollers forming a placement surface on which the tire is rotatably placed; and an elevation mechanism that includes an actuator and a link mechanism connecting the roller portion or the conveyor to the actuator in a supported state and moves the placement surface of the roller portion upward and downward relative to the conveying surface of the conveyor or moves the conveying surface of the conveyor upward and downward relative to the placement surface of the roller portion by the driving of the actuator.

Abstract: A tire testing machine of the present invention includes a bottom chuck that is mounted to a bottom frame, a top chuck that is mounted to a movable beam, a ball screw that causes the movable beam to ascend or descend, and a beam fixing member that fixes the movable beam so as not to ascend. The beam fixing member includes a disk that is fixed to the ball screw and is provided with a plurality of elongated holes and air cylinders that are fixed to the vertical frame and are inserted into the elongated holes. When the pins are inserted into the elongated holes formed in the disk, the top chuck is fixed to the bottom chuck through the movable beam so as not to ascend.

Abstract: A marking head of a marking device comprises: at least one marking pin; a heater that heats the marking pin; a support base that supports a first marking tape and a second marking tape in such a manner that the first marking tape and the second marking tape line up in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the marketing pin; a driving device that is capable of moving the support base to a first position at which the first marking tape faces the marking pin, and a second position at which the second marking tape faces the marking pin; and extrusion devices that extrude the marking pin out toward the marking tape facing the marking pin in order to press the marking tape facing the marking pin against a tire and print on the tire.

Abstract: An inner peripheral surface of a tube-shaped inner casing has a regular hexagonal shape when viewed from the axial direction, a plurality of pins are arranged in the inner casing so as to take a posture parallel to the axial direction of the inner casing, and in this arrangement, a plurality of rows of the pins arranged in a predetermined direction are arranged in a direction perpendicular to the row direction of the pins, the adjacent pins of the adjacent rows are offset from each other in the row direction of the pins, and each pin contacts the pins adjacent thereto.

Abstract: A marking head of a marking device comprises: at least one marking pin; a heater that heats the marking pin; a support base that supports a first marking tape and a second marking tape in such a manner that the first marking tape and the second marking tape line up in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the marketing pin; a driving device that is capable of moving the support base to a first position at which the first marking tape faces the marking pin, and a second position at which the second marking tape faces the marking pin; and extrusion devices that extrude the marking pin out toward the marking tape facing the marking pin in order to press the marking tape facing the marking pin against a tire and print on the tire.

Abstract: Provided is a loading device that is provided in a tire testing machine including a testing station (30) provided with a spindle (31) attached with a tire (50) to be tested and feeds the tire (50) from a predetermined standby position to a testing position where the center of the spindle matches the center of the tire (50) in the testing station (30). The loading device includes: conveyors (1, 2) that convey the tire (50) from the standby position toward the testing position in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the tire; and positioning devices (6B, 20) that position the tire to be tested to a position, in which a front end of the tire in the feeding direction matches a point separated from the spindle by a predetermined distance, as the standby position. Setting of the standby position based on the position of the front end of the tire (50) in the feeding direction shortens the feeding distance and the feeding time and hence shortens the testing cycle time.

Abstract: A tire holding member for a tire testing machine includes: a bottom rim, which is attached to a bottom spindle that is able to rotate around a central axis in the vertical direction; a top rim, which is disposed above the bottom spindle and which is attached to the bottom end of a top spindle that is able to rotate around the central axis with the bottom spindle; and a convex-sided member. One of the bottom rim or the top rim has a hole with the central axis at the center thereof. The other of the bottom rim or the top rim has an end surface facing the one rim. The bottom rim and the top rim are positioned by each other in a state in which the center of each coincides at the central axis due to the protruding section and the hole engaging with each other.

Abstract: To effectively suppress a shift of a rotating axis of an upper chuck with respect to a rotating axis of a lower chuck due to a separating force. A tire testing device (1) includes: vertical frames (30a, 30b) which are supported by a lower frame (20); a beam (40) which bridges between the vertical frames (30a, 30b) and is movable in the vertical direction; an upper chuck (45) which is attached to the center of the beam (40), the center corresponding to the center of the beam in the longitudinal direction; and a lower chuck (25) which is attached to the lower frame. When viewed from the vertical direction, a rotating axis of an upper rotating member (47) is positioned at the center of a straight line formed by connecting supporting points where each of the vertical frames (30a, 30b) support the beam (40).

Abstract: An inner peripheral surface of a tube-shaped inner casing has a regular hexagonal shape when viewed from the axial direction, a plurality of pins are arranged in the inner casing so as to take a posture parallel to the axial direction of the inner casing, and in this arrangement, a plurality of rows of the pins arranged in a predetermined direction are arranged in a direction perpendicular to the row direction of the pins, the adjacent pins of the adjacent rows are offset from each other in the row direction of the pins, and each pin contacts the pins adjacent thereto.

Abstract: In a wire insulating line, a cooling device that cools down a traveling high-temperature linear material, which is resin-coated by an extruder, in cooling water includes a reservoir tank that reserves the cooling water and allows the linear material to pass therein, and water spray nozzles that are provided in plural numbers in the reservoir tank with a gap along the linear material traveling direction and spray water to the linear material in the cooling water.

Abstract: In a wire insulating line, a cooling device that cools down a traveling high-temperature linear material, which is resin-coated by an extruder, in cooling water includes a reservoir tank that reserves the cooling water and allows the linear material to pass therein, and water spray nozzles that are provided in plural numbers in the reservoir tank with a gap along the linear material traveling direction and spray water to the linear material in the cooling water.

Abstract: The present invention provides an optical fiber preform-heating furnace that is simple in its structure and excellent in uniformity of the temperature distribution in a circumferential direction of an optical fiber preform. The optical fiber preform-heating furnace includes a furnace core tube into which an optical fiber preform is supplied; a heater that surrounds the furnace core tube; a pair of electrode connection portions with which the heater is provided and has a face opposing to an outer periphery surface of the furnace core tube; and electrode portions that are disposed to each of the electrode connection portions and connected to a power supply. When a cylindrical heat insulator is disposed between the furnace core tube and the opposing faces, since an outward heat transfer amount from the furnace core tube side through the electrode portion can be reduced, the temperature distribution in a circumferential direction of the optical fiber preform can be improved in its uniformity.