Automatic radial runout tester for gearwheels

Claim 1

A GEARWHEEL RUNOUT TESTER COMPRISING A SINGLE DETECTOR, DRIVE MEANS COUPLED TO SAID DETECTOR FOR SUCCESSIVELY INTRODUCING SAID DETECTOR INTO THE GAPS BETWEEN ADJACENT TEETH OF A GEARWHEEL TO BE TESTED A DISTANCE LESS THAN THE DEPTH OF THE GAPS AND FOR WITHDRAWING THE DETECTOR FROM THE GAPS, MEANS FOR INDICATING THE POSITION OF SAID DETECTOR WHEN ENGAGING THE TWO TOOTH FLANKS BOUNDING SAID GAPS AT THE MAXIMUM PENETRATION OF THE DETECTOR INTO EACH GAP; SAID DRIVE MEANS INCLUDING A ROTARY DISC HAVING ITS AXIS DISPOSED AT AN ANGLE TO THE GEARWHEEL AXIS, A DRIVING ELEMENT MOUNTED ECCENTRICALLY ON THE ROTARY DISC AND MOVABLE THEREWITH IN A PATH WHICH IS THUS ELLIPTICAL WHEN VIEWED ALONG AN IMAGINARY LINE PASSING THROUGH THE CENTER OF THE PATH AND PARALLEL TO THE GEAR WHEEL AXIS AND MEANS TRANSMITTING A COMPONENT OF SAID ELLIPTICAL PATH TO THE DETECTOR TO MOVE IT IN A SIMILAR ELLIPTICAL PATH TO ENGAGE THE TWO FLANKS BOUNDING A GAP AND THEREBY DETERMINE THE INDICATING POSITION OF THE DETECTOR.