Patent ID: 7416624

Claim:
A method for detecting ply wire anomalies in a tire carcass ply in an expanded toroidal configuration and having a plurality of spaced apart ply wires extending across a tire carcass, the method comprising the steps: a. mounting a wire sensor apparatus proximal to the tire carcass ply, the wire sensor apparatus including a wire sensor for detecting the presence of a proximal ply wire; b. mounting a tire carcass ply depressing device in adjacent offset proximity with the wire sensor apparatus, the tire carcass ply depressing device operatively engaging and depressing a toroidal surface portion of the tire carcass ply in advance of the wire sensor apparatus; c. establishing relative movement between the wire sensor and the tire carcass whereby the plurality of spaced apart ply wires are sequentially placed into proximal relationship with the wire sensor; and d. generating sequential data from the wire sensor indicative of at least one ply wire parameter of the plurality of spaced apart ply wires.