Correction of rubber tires for forces generated by dynamic non-uniformities

Claim 3

The system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said mechanical correlating further comprises means to displace said mechanical means in phase from said rotational reference position of said tire to the rotational position of said areas of non-uniform growth of said tire.

Claim 4

The system as set forth in claim 2 wherein said mechanical correlating means further comprises a pair of back-to-back transmissions, shaft means for said transmissions, and means to drive said shaft means in synchronism with said tire rotating means.

Claim 5

The system as set forth in claim 3 wherein said shaft means for said transmissions has positioned thereon a reference element and means to detect said reference element for developing said rotational reference position.

Claim 6

The system as set forth in claim 4 wherein said transmission shaft means further has positioned thereon a first and second respective indicia means, whereby said indicia means is also rotating in synchronism with said tire rotating means.

Claim 7

The system set forth in claim 5 wherein said transmission indicia means synchronous rotation is relative to said rotational reference position and where said means to displace said mechanical means comprises means to displace said indicia means in phase from said rotational reference position to the rotational position of said areas of non-uniform growth of said tires.

Claim 8

The system as set forth in claim 6 wherein said indicia means is a pair of discs and a respective cam thereon.

Claim 9

The system as set forth in claim 7 wherein said cam is displaced in phase.

Claim 10

The system as set forth in claim 8 wherein said signal control means includes first sensor means to sense the position of said first cam to actuate said movable positioning means, and second sensor means to sense the position of said second cam to deactuate said movable positioning means.

Claim 11

The system as set forth in claim 1 further comprises an electronic computer for recording and storing each area of non-uniform growth of said tire, and wherein said correlating means for correlating said force signal with said reference signal selects and correlates the force signal having the greater magnitude.

Claim 12

The system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said correlating occurs with each revolution of said tire to thereby actuate said movable positioning means to cut said tire in areas having the greatest magnitude force signals.

Claim 13

The system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said cutter means and said movable positioning means is a honer movably positioned, and valve means connected thereto responsive to said signal control means.

Claim 14

The system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said movable cutter is pre-positioned relative to the outside periphery of said tire.

Claim 15

The system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said cutter is a plurality of honers individually movable relative to an overlapping position across the width of the periphery of said tire.

Claim 16

The system as set forth in claim 14 further comprising computer means for recording and storing each area of growth of said tire, and wherein said actuating means includes selectively actuating each of said honers.

Claim 17

The system as set forth in claim 15 wherein said sensor means to develop force signals comprises a pair of sensors to develop force signals in two planes; and wherein said actuating means includes selectively actuating each of said honers in both planes.

Claim 18

In a system for correcting a rubber tire for centrifugally generated peripheral non-uniformities: means to rotate the tire under load and at speeds in excess of 35 m.p.h. to generate centrifugal non-uniform areas of peripheral growth in said tire; sensor means to sense the forces developed by the centrifugally generated areas of non-uniform peripheral tire growth, and means to develop force signals having an amplitude and duration representative of the sensed areas of non-uniform growth; honing means for removing rubber from the periphery of the tire, and means to movably position said honing means relative to the outside periphery of the tire; encoder means for developing a rotational reference position on the circumference of the tire, said encoder means including mechanical means driven in timed relation to the rotational speed of the tire operative to actuate said movable cutter positioning means to cause said cutter means to engage the periphery of the tire; and signal control means responsive to said force signals for correlating said rotational reference position with said force signals to accurately locate the positions on the tire of the areas of non-uniform peripheral growth, said control means acting through said mechanical means to cause said honing means to engage and hone the tire in the areas of non-uniform peripheral growth.

Claim 19

In a system for correcting a rubber tire for centrifugally generated peripheral non-uniformities: means to rotate the tire under load and at speeds in excess of 35 m.p.h. to generate centrifugal non-uniform areas of peripheral growth in said tire; sensor means to sense the forces developed by the centrifugally generated areas of non-uniform peripheral tire growth, and means to develop force signals having an amplitude and duration representative of the sensed areas of non-uniform growth; honing means for removing rubber from the periphery of the tire, and means to movably position said honing means relative to the outside periphery of the tire; encoder means for developing a rotational reference position on the circumference of the tire, said encoder means including mechanical means driven in timed relation to the rotational speed of the tire operative to actuate said movable cutter positioning means to cause said cutter means to engage the periphery of the tire; and signal control means responsive to said force signals for correlating said rotational reference position with said force signals to accurately locate the positions on the tire of the areas of non-uniform peripheral growth, said control means acting through said mechanical means to cause said honing means to engage and hone the tire in the areas of non-uniform peripheral growth.

Claim 20

The system claimed in claim 17 wherein said encoder means comprises a pair of back-to-back transmissions, shaft means for driving said transmissions, and means for driving said shaft means in synchronism with said tire rotating means.

Claim 21

The system claimed in claim 18 including a reference element rotatably mounted on said shaft means, and means to detect a reference point on said element for developing said rotational reference position.

Claim 22

The system claimed in claim 19 wherein said reference point comprises a magnet, and wherein the means to detect said reference point comprises a sensor operatively connected to said control means.

Claim 23

The system claimed in claim 20 wherein said reference element comprises a toothed gear having a multiplicity of equally space apart teeth on its periphery, and a second sensor positioned to sense the teeth on said gear, said second sensor being operatively connected to said control means, whereby to pulse said control means at intervals representative of angular positions about the periphery of the tire.

Claim 24

The system claimed in claim 18 wherein said mechanical means comprises a pair of timing discs rotatably journaled on said shaft means, and actuating means for the honer positioning means positioned to be sequentially contacted by said timing discs.

Claim 25

The system claimed in claim 22 including gear means for selectively rotating said timing discs relative to said shaft means, and servo means operatively connected to said control means and to said gear means for selectively rotating said timing discs.

Claim 26

The system claimed in claim 23 wherein said actuating means comprises an hydraulic controller having a pair of push rods, said timing discs each mounting a cam member adapted to contact and deflect one of said push rods.

Claim 27

The system claimed in claim 24 wherein said positioning means comprises a plurality of relatively movable mounting members adapted to move toward and away from the periphery of the tire, said honing means being mounted on a first of said mounting members, hydraulic cylinder means mounted on a second of said mounting members for moving said first member relative to said second member, said hydraulic controller being operatively connected to said hydraulic cylinder means.

Claim 28

The system claimed in claim 25 wherein said second mounting member is slidably mounted on a third mounting member, moving means on said third mounting member for moving said second mounting member relative to said third member, and sensor means on said first member operatively connected to the moving means for said second mounting member member, the moving means for said second mounting member being responsive to said sensor to bring said honing means into predetermined spaced relation to the periphery of the tire.

Claim 29

In a system for correcting a rubber tire for both centrifugally generated non-uniformities and for lack of symmetry: a support frame, opposing pairs of slides mounted on said frame for movement toward and away from each other, channel shaped frame members having opposing legs interconnecting the slides in each pair, and means for moving said pairs of slides in unison; pairs of pillow blocks mounted on corresponding slides in each pair, axially aligned spindles mounted on said pairs of pillow blocks, and a pair of mating wheel halves mounted on said spindles, said wheel halves engaging and supporting a tire to be corrected when said slides are moved toward each other; a first pair of piezo-electric quartz crystal sensors lying between one of the pillow blocks in each pair and the opposing legs of said channel-shaped members; a road wheel for driving a tire mounted on said wheel halves, said road wheel having an axle rotatably journaled in a pair of pillow blocks secured to a housing mounted on said supporting frame, a second pair of piezo-electric quartz crystal sensors interposed between said last named pair of pillow blocks and said housing, means for rotating said road wheel at high speeds, means mounting said housing for movement toward and away from the tire, and means for applying a load to said road wheel through said housing; encoder means for developing a rotational reference position on the circumference of the tire; control means responsive to said sets of sensors and to said encoder means for correlating said relative reference position with signals generated by said sensors; honing means operatively connected to said control means for removing rubber from the periphery of the tire in accordance with the signals generated by said sensors; and means operatively connected to said control means for acting on the tire in response to signals generated by said sensors.

Claim 30

In a system for correcting a rubber tire for both centrifugally generated non-uniformities and for lack of symmetry: a support frame, opposing pairs of slides mounted on said frame for movement toward and away from each other, channel shaped frame members having opposing legs interconnecting the slides in each pair, and means for moving said pairs of slides in unison; pairs of pillow blocks mounted on corresponding slides in each pair, axially aligned spindles mounted on said pairs of pillow blocks, and a pair of mating wheel halves mounted on said spindles, said wheel halves engaging and supporting a tire to be corrected when said slides are moved toward each other; a first pair of piezo-electric quartz crystal sensors lying between one of the pillow blocks in each pair and the opposing legs of said channel-shaped members; a road wheel for driving a tire mounted on said wheel halves, said road wheel having an axle rotatably journaled in a pair of pillow blocks secured to a housing mounted on said supporting frame, a second pair of piezo-electric quartz crystal sensors interposed between said last named pair of pillow blocks and said housing, means for rotating said road wheel at high speeds, means mounting said housing for movement toward and away from the tire, and means for applying a load to said road wheel through said housing; encoder means for developing a rotational reference position on the circumference of the tire; control means responsive to said sets of sensors and to said encoder means for correlating said relative reference position with signals generated by said sensors; honing means operatively connected to said control means for removing rubber from the periphery of the tire in accordance with the signals generated by said sensors; and means operatively connected to said control means for acting on the tire in response to signals generated by said sensors.

Claim 31

The system claimed in claim 27 including marking means for marking the outside side walls of the tire, said marking means being controlled in accordance with signals generated by said first pair of sensors.

Claim 32

The system claimed in claim 28 wherein said marking means are displaceable and lie on opposite sides of the tire, the marking means being operatively connected to the spindles carrying the wheel halves on which the tire is mounted, and actuating means for displacing said marking means into contact with the side walls of the tire.

Claim 33

The system claimed in claim 29 wherein said encoder means includes a drive shaft, means interconnecting said drive shaft and the spindles mounting said wheel halves for synchronous rotation, drive means for rotating said drive shaft, said drive means being operatively connected to said control means, whereby the tire may be rotated relative to said marking means to correlate said rotational reference position with respect to signals generaged by said second pair of sensors.

Claim 34

The system claimed in claim 30 wherein the honing means for removing rubber from the outside periphery of the tire includes positioning means for moving said honing means into and out of contact with the periphery of the tire, said positioning means being operatively connected to said control means, said positioning means being controlled in accordance with signals generated by said second pair of sensors.

Claim 35

The system claimed in claim 31 wherein said encoder means comprises a pair of back-to-back transmissions driven by said drive shaft, each said transmission having a timing disc driven thereby, and actuating means for said honer positioning means positioned to be sequentially contacted by said timing discs.

Claim 36

The system claimed in claim 32 wherein said timing discs are rotatably journaled on said drive shaft, gear means for selectively rotating said timing discs relative to said drive shaft, and servo means operatively connected to said control means and to said gear means for selectively rotating said timing discs.