Automatic straightening machine

Claim 1

A MACHINE FOR CHECKING TWO SPACED PORTIONS OF A WORKPIECE FOR AXIAL ALIGNMENT RELATIVE TO ONE ANOTHER BY GAGING THEM RELATIVE TO AN AXIS ESTABLISHED BY THE MACHINE AND IN THE EVENT OF PROPER ALIGNMENT PASSING THE WORKPIECE AND IN THE EVENT OF IMPROPER ALIGNMENT STRAIGHTENING THE WORKPIECE INTO PROPER ALIGNMENT AND THEN PASSING THE WORKPIECE, COMPRISING A WORK STATION ON THE MACHINE FOR POSITIONING AND HOLDING A FIRST PORTION OF THE WORKPIECE; A MEASURING HEAD ON THE MACHINE SPACED FROM SAID STATION FOR ENGAGING A SECOND PORTION OF THE WORKPIECE; SAID WORK STATION AND MEASURING HEAD DEFINING A MACHINE AXIS; SAID MACHINE CHECKING THE AXIAL ALIGNMENT OF THE WORKPIECE RELATIVE TO THE MACHINE AXIS; SAID WORK STATION HOLDING THE FIRST PORTION OF THE WORKPIECE SHOWN IN A KNOWN RELATIONSHIP TO THE MACHINE AXIS SUCH AS CONCENTRIC THEREON WITH THE SECOND PORTION OF THE WORKPIECE FREELY CANTILEVERED FROM THE FIRST PORTION OF THE WORKPIECE RELATIVE TO THE MACHINE AXIS TO A POINT OF ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID MEASURING HEAD TO ALLOW THE WORKPIECE TO PRESENT THE SECOND PORTION OF THE WORKPIECE TO THE MEASURING HEAD IN ITS ACTUAL AXIS RELATIONSHIP RELATIVE TO THE FIRST PORTION OF THE WORKPIECE AND TO THE AXIS OF THE MACHINE AT SAID MEASURING HEAD; THE AXIAL ALIGNMENT OF THE SECOND PORTION OF THE WORKPIECE RELATIVE TO THE FIRST PORTION OF THE WORKPIECE BEING MEASURED BY SAID MEASURING HEAD BY MEASURING THE AXIAL ALIGMENT OF THE SECOND PORTION OF THE WORKPIECE RELATIVE TO THE AXIS OF THE MACHINE; SAID MEASURING HEAD INCLUDING A PROBE FOR ENGAGING THE SECOND PORTION OF THE WORKPIECE, SUPPORT MEANS FLOATINGLY SUSPENDING SAID PROBE TO ALLOW SAID PROBE TO ASSUME THE ACTUAL AXIAL POSITION OF THE SECOND PORTION OF THE WORKPIECE, AND GAGE MEANS ENGAGING SAID PROBE PRODUCTIVE OF A SIGNAL AS A MEASURE OF THE POSITION OF THE SECOND PORTION OF THE WORKPIECE; SAID GAGE MEANS PRODUCING A NORMAL SIGNAL INDICATIVE OF THE PROPER AXIAL ALIGNMENT OF THE SECOND PORTION OF THE WORKPIECE TO PASS THE WORKPIECE AND A SIGNAL DIFFERENT FROM NORMAL INDICATIVE OF IMPROPER AXIAL ALIGNMENT OF THE SECOND PORTION OF THE WORKPIECE INCLUDING THE POSITION AT WHICH THE POINT OF MAXIMUM OUTWARD VARIATION FROM AXIAL OCCURS, AND STRAIGHTENING MEANS RESPONSIVE TO A SIGNAL DIFFERENT FROM NORMAL ANGULARLY POSITIONABLE ON SIGNAL AT THE POINT OF MAXIMUM VARIATION FROM AXIAL OF THE SECOND PORTION OF THE WORKPIECE AND CAPABLE OF FORCING THE SECOND PORTION OF THE WORKPIECE AND CAPABLE OF AXIAL ALIGNMENT BY CORRECTIVELY BENDING THE WORKPIECE; SAID SIGNAL MEANS PASSING THE WORKPIECE UPON SAID SECOND PORTION OF THE WORKPIECE LYING AXIAL RELATIVE TO THE FIRST PORTION OF THE WORKPIECE AFTER STRAIGHTENING BY PRODUCING THE NORMAL SIGNAL.