Balancing apparatus for rotating bodies and method of producing frequency stable phase delay

Claim 3

The method of claim 1 wherein the capacitor is charged at a constant rate during one half cycle of the signal voltage and is subsequently discharged at twice that rate during the next half cycle consequently producing a lagging phase shift of 90* for providing a logical positional presentation of the unbalancing mass orientation at the resonant frequency of the supported body.

Claim 4

The method of claim 1 wherein the phase delay is obtained by charging and discharging a capacitor at constant rates in a time cycle to provide a 90* lagging phase shift of the signal voltage wave form.

Claim 5

The method of claim 1 wherein the phase delay is obtained by charging and discharging the capacitor at constant rates in a time cycle to produce a 45* lagging phase shift of the signal voltage.

Claim 8

The method of claim 5 wherein the voltage adjustment is obtained upon charging and discharging a capacitor in a time cycle equal to the 90* lagging phase shift of the voltage wave form.

Claim 9

In apparatus for detecting the location of an unbalancing mass in a body rotatable on a supporting axle and movable in a given direction in response to the force developed by the rotating unbalancing mass, the improvement which includes: means to rotate said body through a sensible frequency range; means responsive to the vibrations of the body to generate a synchronous cyclic signal voltage corresponding to the velocity of the vibratory motion of said body; a predetermined reference index on said body; a circuit network including a capacitor, a reference voltage source connected to said capacitor, constant current source and constant current drain means connected to said capacitor, and means to apply said cyclic signal voltage to charge said capacitor through said constant current source at a constant rate through one half cycle of said signal voltage and to discharge said capacitor by said constant current drain at a rate which is a selected multiple of the charge rate, said charging and discharging being effected with respect to said reference voltage source to establish a frequency stable phase delay signal corresponding to the mechanical phase shift between the location of the unbalancing mass and the vertical velocity of said body in the sensible frequency range, and a stroboscopic flashing light device directed at said body and triggered by said phase delay signal to illuminate said reference index as it precesses to a position angularly related to the mechanical phase shift of the unbalancing mass upon said body rotating through said sensible frequency range.

Claim 10

In apparatus for detecting the location of an unbalancing mass in a body rotatable on a supporting axle and movable in a given direction in response to the force developed by the rotating unbalancing mass, the improvement which includes: means to rotate said body through a sensible frequency range; means responsive to the vibrations of the body to generate a synchronous cyclic signal voltage corresponding to the velocity of the vibratory motion of said body; a predetermined reference index on said body; a circuit network including a capacitor, a reference voltage source connected to said capacitor, constant current source and constant current drain means connected to said capacitor, and means to apply said cyclic signal voltage to charge said capacitor through said constant current source at a constant rate through one half cycle of said signal voltage and to discharge said capacitor by said constant current drain at a rate which is a selected multiple of the charge rate, said charging and discharging being effected with respect to said reference voltage source to establish a frequency stable phase delay signal corresponding to the mechanical phase shift between the location of the unbalancing mass and the vertical velocity of said body in the sensible frequency range, and a stroboscopic flashing light device directed at said body and triggered by said phase delay signal to illuminate said reference index as it precesses to a position angularly related to the mechanical phase shift of the unbalancing mass upon said body rotating through said sensible frequency range.

Claim 11

The improvement set forth in claim 7 wherein said constant current source and drain means comprise circuits whereby said capacitor is charged up beyond said reference voltage by the constant current source in a period of time corresponding to the half cycle of the signal voltage, after which said constant current drain is active to reduce the charge in said capacitor to said reference voltage in half that time.

Claim 12

The improvement set forth in claim 7 wherein the ratio of said constant current source and constant current drain means is variable to permit detecting the location of an unbalancing mass at a predetermined sensible frequency other than resonance.

Claim 13

Apparatus for locating an unbalancing mass in a body mounted on an axle that is free to move in a known direction upon rotation of the body in response to the force developed by the rotating unbalancing mass, which known velocity of movement is indicative of a position on the circle of body rotation and lags behind the unbalancing mass position on the circle of body rotation; said apparatus consisting of means to rotate said body on said axle and at the resonant velocity of said body and said axle; generator means operatively connected to said axle to produce a signal voltage proportional to and synchronous with said body vibrations; an amplifier connected to receive said signal voltage; a point of reference on said body; a stroboscopic flashing light device directed at said body; an electrical network operatively connected between said amplifier and said light device, said network having constant current source and drain means, a capacitor, and a reference voltage source all interconnected in said network such that said constant current source and drain means Control the charging and discharging of said capacitor relative to said reference voltage source and in a predetermined time sequence producing a frequency stable phase shift corresponding with the amount of lead between the position of the unbalancing mass and the resultant velocity of the body''s vibratory motion, said network producing a voltage signal operative to fire said stroboscopic flashing light device and illuminate said reference point in a position determinative of the position of the unbalancing mass.

Claim 14

Apparatus for locating an unbalancing mass in a body mounted on an axle that is free to move in a known direction upon rotation of the body in response to the force developed by the rotating unbalancing mass, which known velocity of movement is indicative of a position on the circle of body rotation and lags behind the unbalancing mass position on the circle of body rotation; said apparatus consisting of means to rotate said body on said axle and at the resonant velocity of said body and said axle; generator means operatively connected to said axle to produce a signal voltage proportional to and synchronous with said body vibrations; an amplifier connected to receive said signal voltage; a point of reference on said body; a stroboscopic flashing light device directed at said body; an electrical network operatively connected between said amplifier and said light device, said network having constant current source and drain means, a capacitor, and a reference voltage source all interconnected in said network such that said constant current source and drain means Control the charging and discharging of said capacitor relative to said reference voltage source and in a predetermined time sequence producing a frequency stable phase shift corresponding with the amount of lead between the position of the unbalancing mass and the resultant velocity of the body''s vibratory motion, said network producing a voltage signal operative to fire said stroboscopic flashing light device and illuminate said reference point in a position determinative of the position of the unbalancing mass.

Claim 15

In apparatus for stroboscopically following a reference index on a rotating body having an unbalancing mass and in which the rotating body is supported on an axle movable in a predetermined direction in response to the force developed by the rotating unbalancing mass: the improvement of electronic means operatively responsive to body motion in its unbalanced rotating state for translating the frequency of the vibratory motion of said body into locating the unbalancing mass, said electronic means consisting of a signal voltage generator connected to said axle to produce a voltage signal proportional to the velocity of the vibratory motion of said body, meter means to monitor and display the signal voltage for visually reproducing the vibratory motion of said body such that the resonant frequency of said body where the rotational position of the unbalancing mass leads the resultant vibratory acceleration by substantially ninety degrees is revealed, a stroboscopic flashing light device directed at said body, a capacitor, a reference voltage source, and constant current source and drain means, said electronic means being connected in a network such that said constant current source and drain means control the charging and discharging of said capacitor relative to said reference voltage source in a time sequence and having a ratio to produce a frequency stable 90* phase shift and trigger said stroboscopic flashing light source to fire and illuminate said reference index in a position where the unbalancing mass is at a predetermined extremity of the direction of movement of said body.

Claim 16

In apparatus for stroboscopically following a reference index on a rotating body having an unbalancing mass and in which the rotating body is supported on an axle movable in a predetermined direction in response to the force developed by the rotating unbalancing mass: the improvement of electronic means operatively responsive to body motion in its unbalanced rotating state for translating the frequency of the vibratory motion of said body into locating the unbalancing mass, said electronic means consisting of a signal voltage generator connected to said axle to produce a voltage signal proportional to the velocity of the vibratory motion of said body, meter means to monitor and display the signal voltage for visually reproducing the vibratory motion of said body such that the resonant frequency of said body where the rotational position of the unbalancing mass leads the resultant vibratory acceleration by substantially ninety degrees is revealed, a stroboscopic flashing light device directed at said body, a capacitor, a reference voltage source, and constant current source and drain means, said electronic means being connected in a network such that said constant current source and drain means control the charging and discharging of said capacitor relative to said reference voltage source in a time sequence and having a ratio to produce a frequency stable 90* phase shift and trigger said stroboscopic flashing light source to fire and illuminate said reference index in a position where the unbalancing mass is at a predetermined extremity of the direction of movement of said body.