US3630623A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Device for measuring the angular deviation of vehicle wheels
Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
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Filing: 1970-06-17
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Granted: 1971-12-28
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Expires: 1990-06-17
Abstract
Abstract A projector, pivotal about two orthogonal axes and driven by a servomotor for each axis, casts upon a reflector mounted on the wheel a pattern, consisting of three bright quadrants and one dark quadrant, which reflector returns the image to a screen having therein two photodiodes of which the outputs control respective ones of the servomotors. The projector is pivoted about one axis until one boundary line of the dark quadrant bisects one of the photodiodes, and then about the other axis until the other boundary line of the dark quadrant bisects the other photodiode, whereupon in each case the corresponding servomotor is stopped and the value of camber, caster, or camber and pivot inclination is given directly by an electrical circuit having a variable resistor of which the value is changed by the pivoting of the projector. There is one projector on each side of the vehicle.
Inventors
- 👤 Gunter Schirmer
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 23:19
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01B; G01B11/00; G01B11/26; G01B11/275
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 18
Claim 1
Independent Claim
239 words
An arrangement for measuring angular deviation of at least one wheel means from a predetermined plane relative to the body of vehicle, comprising, in combination, projector means adapted to project an image of measuring indicia toward said wheel means; reflector means, mounted on said wheel means to assume the angular deviation thereof, and mounted in the path of the projected image to reflect said image; screen means mounted in the path of the reflected image, whereby an optical path is defined between said projector means and said screen means; at least one control indicium arranged on said screen means in such a position that said image of the refleCted measuring indicia is located on said screen means in a predetermined position relative to said control indicium when said wheel means are undeviated from said predetermined plane; means for angularly changing the direction of at least part of said optical path so as to enable changing of the position of said image on said screen means until said image is in said predetermined position relative to said control indicium on said screen means, whereby the extent of angular change of said part of the optical path is an indication of the angular deviation of the position of said wheel means from said predetermined plane; and electrical means for measuring the angular change of said part of said optical path and providing an indication of the magnitude of said angular change.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
239 words
An arrangement for measuring angular deviation of at least one wheel means from a predetermined plane relative to the body of vehicle, comprising, in combination, projector means adapted to project an image of measuring indicia toward said wheel means; reflector means, mounted on said wheel means to assume the angular deviation thereof, and mounted in the path of the projected image to reflect said image; screen means mounted in the path of the reflected image, whereby an optical path is defined between said projector means and said screen means; at least one control indicium arranged on said screen means in such a position that said image of the refleCted measuring indicia is located on said screen means in a predetermined position relative to said control indicium when said wheel means are undeviated from said predetermined plane; means for angularly changing the direction of at least part of said optical path so as to enable changing of the position of said image on said screen means until said image is in said predetermined position relative to said control indicium on said screen means, whereby the extent of angular change of said part of the optical path is an indication of the angular deviation of the position of said wheel means from said predetermined plane; and electrical means for measuring the angular change of said part of said optical path and providing an indication of the magnitude of said angular change.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
35 words
An arrangement as defined in claim 1, including at least one axle defining an axis about which said projector means is free to pivot, whereby the direction is changed of part of said optical path.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
44 words
An arrangement as defined in claim 1, including further reflector means in said optical path and at least one axle defining an axis about which said further reflector means is free to pivot, whereby the direction is changed of part of said optical path.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
35 words
An arrangement as defined in claim 1, including at least one axle defining an axis about which said reflector means is free to pivot, whereby the direction is changed of part of said optical path.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
26 words
An arrangement as defined in claim 1, wherein said means for angularly changing the direction of said part of the optical path includes further electrical means.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
35 words
An arrangement as defined in claim 5, wherein said projector means include means for producing an image divided into regular quadrants of differing degrees of brightness so as to produce at least one light-dark boundary.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
34 words
An arrangement as defined in claim 6, wherein one of said quadrants is dark and the rest are at least relatively bright, and said quadrants are arranged to produce two mutually orthogonal light-dark boundaries.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
46 words
An arrangement as defined in claim 7, wherein said projector means include transmission color filter means for coloring a first two contiguous quadrants one color and a second two contiguous quadrants a complementary color, said first and second two contiguous quadrants having one quadrant in common.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
70 words
An arrangement of defined in claim 7, wherein said screen means define a plane, and said control indicium is phototransducer means, associated with said screen means and in the plane thereof, for being energized by light in said image cast on said screen means by said reflector means, and for controlling the operation of said further electrical means in dependence on the amount of light received by said phototransducer means.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
92 words
An arrangement as defined in claim 9, for measuring the camber and caster of said wheel means, wherein said phototransducer means comprise first and second phototransducers, each associated with a different one of said light-dark boundaries and a different one of the two measurements, for stopping operation of said further electrical means whenever the respective one of said light-dark boundaries falls across the corresponding phototransducer, and wherein in said predetermined position of said image at least one of said light-dark boundaries falls across the respective one of said first and second phototransducers.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
182 words
An arrangement as defined in claim 1, for measuring the camber and caster of said wheel means, wherein said screen means define a plane, and said projector means include means for producing an image divided into regular quadrants of which one is dark and the rest are at least relatively bright so as to produce two mutually orthogonal light-dark boundaries, and including first and second phototransducers associated with, and in the plane of, said screen means for being energized by light in said image cast on said screen means by said reflector means, each of said first and secoNd phototransducers being associated with a different one of said light-dark boundaries and with a different one of the two measurements, and wherein said means for angularly changing the direction of part of said optical path does so continuously, whereby said image is continuously moved over said screen means and each of said light-dark boundaries is caused to pass over its respective phototransducer, and wherein said predetermined position of said image said light-dark boundaries fall over respective ones of said first and second phototransducers.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
70 words
An arrangement as defined in claim 10, wherein the pivotal movement of said projector means as horizontal and vertical components, and said further electrical means comprises at least one servomotor operatively connected to said projector means to pivot the latter, and wherein one of said light-dark boundaries and said first phototransducer cooperate to measure camber and the other of said light-dark boundaries and said second phototransducer cooperate to measure caster.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
95 words
An arrangement as defined in claim 12, wherein said projector means include transmission color filter means for coloring a first two contiguous quadrants one color and a second two contiguous quadrants a complementary color, said first and second two contiguous quadrants having one quadrant in common, and transmission color filter means in front of each of said first and second phototransducers, whereby said first phototransducer receives relatively little light from the darker side of said one light-dark boundary and said second phototransducer receives relatively little light from the darker side of said other light-dark boundary.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
44 words
An arrangement as defined in claim 1, including two said projector means, one on each side of said vehicle, for measuring angular deviation of a respective wheel means, and including electrical means for measuring the angular change in said part of the optical path.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
37 words
An arrangement as defined in claim 14, wherein said electrical means include variable resistance means connected to have their resistance changed in response to the angular change in the direction of said part of the optical path.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
48 words
An arrangement as defined in claim 15, for measuring camber, caster, and chamber and pivot inclination, and wherein said electrical means further include electrical adding means for summing the caster of each of said two wheel means, and electrical indicating means for indicating the sum thus electrically added.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
66 words
An arrangement as defined in claim 16, wherein said electrical adding means include electrical means for subtracting according to sign the camber of said two wheels turned through a given angle in one direction from the chamber of said two wheels turned through an equal angle in the opposite direction so as to obtain the camber and pivot inclination, and said indicating means indicate the difference.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1974-12-27 | 1975-06-28 | 1975-12-28 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1978-12-27 | 1979-06-28 | 1979-12-28 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1982-12-27 | 1983-06-28 | 1983-12-28 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |