Abstract: An apparatus for sorting tires according to an alphanumeric code printed directly on the tread surface of each tire. Green (uncured) tires are supplied on a feed conveyor, single file, to a receiving station of a tire painting machine (tire painter), and each is elevated, then indexed to a painting station (booth) where the green tire is to be painted, inside and outside, before it is taken to a curing press. While in the elevated position in the booth, the code is optically read by a line-scan camera system, before the tire is painted. The information read is stored and processed by a microprocessor after it locates the code which determines how the tire is to be sorted, and disregards another production code not pertinent to the task at hand. A first programmable controller (PC) locates the horizontal center line of the tire, indexes to the next of three station in the painter on cue, and imparts rotation to the tire so that the camera system can perform its functions.

Abstract: A braiding machine for use in the manufacture of braided hose. The machine has the rear deck interconnected to the front deck which front deck is composed of three separate elements, the inner deck plate, the outer deck plate and the quoits. The respective elements are of a sandwich construction, wherein a viscoelastic material is bonded to outer plate members to provide a dampening of the noise. In addition, the carrier members are similarly constructed to dampen the noise by a sandwich construction, wherein the flanges of the carrier have an inner layer of viscoelastic materials. The carriers which support the wire spools are driven in a criss-crossing pattern to provide a braiding action of the wire as it is layed onto a longitudinally moving hose.