US3732737A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Apparatus for use in wheel counterbalancing
Assignee: GKN Birfield Transmissions Ltd
•
Filing: 1971-01-21
•
Granted: 1973-05-15
•
Expires: 1991-01-21
Abstract
Abstract In apparatus for wheel counter-balancing a wheel to be balanced is mounted on a shaft for rotation therewith and a digital readout is obtained for the positions and magnitudes of the weights required for balancing. Clock pulses for the digital read-out are derived from a pulse generator in driving connection with the shaft.
Inventors
- 👤 B Forster
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-28 06:56
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01M; G01M1/00; G01M1/14; G01M1/16; G01M1/22; G01M1/225
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 6
Claim 1
Independent Claim
312 words
Apparatus for counter-balancing a wheel, comprising a rotary wheel-supporting and driving shaft; axially spaced, resiliently mounted bearings for the shaft; electrical transducers associated with the bearings to provide respective signals in dependence on the oscillations of the bearings; computing circuit means connected to the transducers to develop first and second analogue signals, the first signal representing the unbalance of the wheel in a first plane perpendicular to the driving shaft and containing one end face of the wheel and the second signal representing the unbalance in a second plane parallel to the first plane and spaced a distance therefrom; a reference pulse generator means to generate a pulse when the wheel is in a given angular position; an impulse generator means driven in timed relation with the shaft producing clock pulses synchronized with the rotation of the shaft; a first analogue to digital converter means connected to the output of the computing circuit means and the output of the impulse generator means to produce a pair of digital signals representing the amounts of unbalance in each of said planes; a second analogue to digital converter means connected to the output of the computing circuit means, the output of the reference pulse generator means, and the output of the impulse generator means to produce a pair of digital signals representing the angular location of the unbalance in each of said planes; counters connected to the outputs of the first and second analogue to digital converter means to provide digital read out of the magnitude and angular location of the unbalance in each of said planes; and a rotatable member having graduations and associated with the shaft to enable the shaft to be set to the angular position displayed by the counter representing the angular location preparatory to attachment of a counter-balance of the magnitude displayed by the counter representing the magnitude of unbalance.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
312 words
Apparatus for counter-balancing a wheel, comprising a rotary wheel-supporting and driving shaft; axially spaced, resiliently mounted bearings for the shaft; electrical transducers associated with the bearings to provide respective signals in dependence on the oscillations of the bearings; computing circuit means connected to the transducers to develop first and second analogue signals, the first signal representing the unbalance of the wheel in a first plane perpendicular to the driving shaft and containing one end face of the wheel and the second signal representing the unbalance in a second plane parallel to the first plane and spaced a distance therefrom; a reference pulse generator means to generate a pulse when the wheel is in a given angular position; an impulse generator means driven in timed relation with the shaft producing clock pulses synchronized with the rotation of the shaft; a first analogue to digital converter means connected to the output of the computing circuit means and the output of the impulse generator means to produce a pair of digital signals representing the amounts of unbalance in each of said planes; a second analogue to digital converter means connected to the output of the computing circuit means, the output of the reference pulse generator means, and the output of the impulse generator means to produce a pair of digital signals representing the angular location of the unbalance in each of said planes; counters connected to the outputs of the first and second analogue to digital converter means to provide digital read out of the magnitude and angular location of the unbalance in each of said planes; and a rotatable member having graduations and associated with the shaft to enable the shaft to be set to the angular position displayed by the counter representing the angular location preparatory to attachment of a counter-balance of the magnitude displayed by the counter representing the magnitude of unbalance.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
79 words
Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the impulse generator includes a first transducer to generate train of clock pulses and a second transducer to generate a train of reference pulse at less frequent intervals than the clock pulses, the analogue-to-digital converter circuits including gates operated by reset pulses derived from the train of reference pulses generated by the second transducer to initiate the count of clock pulses displayed by the magnitude digital counter and the angular position digital counter.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
37 words
Apparatus according to claim 2 including a divider circuit connected to the second transducer to develop the train of reset pulses at a frequency such that the shaft executes a plurality of revolutions between successive reset pulses.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
53 words
Apparatus according to claim 1, including a shaft speed detector circuit; and a time delay circuit connected to said detector circuit and to the gates of the analogue-to-digital converter circuits for completing the count of a predetermined number of clock pulse groups after the speed of the shaft has reached a predetermined value.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
53 words
Apparatus according to claim 1 including two magnitude digital counters and two angular position digital counters, one magnitude counter and one angular position counter corresponding to each of said correction planes and being fed from said converter circuits to indicate, for each plane, the magnitude and the angular position of the counterbalance required.
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) | 1976-05-14 | 1976-11-13 | 1977-05-15 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-05-14 | 1980-11-13 | 1981-05-15 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-05-14 | 1984-11-13 | 1985-05-15 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |