Patents Assigned to American Hofmann Corporation
  • Patent number: 5984319
    Abstract: The invention relates to a holding device for balancing disk-like inertial bodies, which comprises at least two clamping elements (8) centered on a center axis (A), such elements (8) having a respective radial abutment face (34), wherein the clamping elements (8) are provided on a connecting part (10) having at least one elastically deformable portion, which connecting part produces an equal shift of all clamping elements (8) on deformation. A connecting part (10) with the clamping elements (8) is provided on an elastically deformable wall (6), which is constituted by a thin-walled diaphragm (6) extending in a radial plane in relation to the center axis (A), such diaphragm being arranged coaxially in relation to the connecting part (10) and the clamping elements (8).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 16, 1999
    Assignee: American Hofmann Corporation
    Inventor: Harald Collonia
  • Patent number: 5072765
    Abstract: An auxiliary tire bead depressor is provided for use with an apparatus for inflating a tubeless tire having sidewalls and upper and lower annular tire beads. The tire is mounted on a wheel having upper and lower wheel flanges against which the upper and lower tire beads seal, respectively. The apparatus has an inflation head and an annular tire seal ring extending outwardly therefrom for depressing the tire sidewall. The auxiliary tire bead depressor comprises a mechanism, spaced from the annular tire seal ring, for selectively depressing the upper tire bead away from the upper wheel flange. The tire bead depressing mechanism is moved from an advanced position wherein the depressing mechanism engages and depresses the tire, to a retracted position wherein the depressing mechanism is spaced from the tire. The auxiliary tire bead depressor is mounted to the inflation head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 1990
    Date of Patent: December 17, 1991
    Assignee: American Hofmann Corporation
    Inventors: John P. Kane, Francis H. Goodman
  • Patent number: 4945763
    Abstract: An inbalance detecting and correcting station for a disk-shaped rotor. The system rotates a rotor up to speed at a measuring station, and detects reflections from the rotor. A peak among the reflections is detected in steady state, and 80% of this peak is taken as a trigger level. The peak is then used to provide a phase reference whenever the reflection exceeds the trigger level. Inbalance data is determined based on the phase 0 detected at this peak. An inbalance correction station corrects for this inbalance, using the same trigger level detected in the inbalance measuring station. This trigger level is coupled from the inbalance detecting station to the inbalance correction station, and a photosensor detects reflections from the same rotor. These reflections from the same rotor are used with the same trigger level to produce pulses at appropriate times without having to re-measure the trigger level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 1989
    Date of Patent: August 7, 1990
    Assignee: American Hofmann Corporation
    Inventor: Richard Mueller
  • Patent number: 4820092
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for balancing a workpiece in which material is removed by advancing a drill, mill or the like into contact with the workpiece and thereafter removing material therefrom. A force transducer is coupled to the workpiece or tool holder to produce an electrical signal in response to the force resulting from contact between the tool and the workpiece to reliably and accurately indicate contact for zero depth reference of the material removing operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 1987
    Date of Patent: April 11, 1989
    Assignee: American Hofmann Corporation
    Inventors: Richard Mueller, Guenter Fietzke
  • Patent number: 4467649
    Abstract: An apparatus for balancing a body to correct for unbalance determined during a measurement run on a balancing machine. The body to be balanced is rotated at a measuring speed by compressed air and the unbalance is determined. A braking device then is applied to the body to brake the body and rotate the body at a low speed. When a predetermined portion of the body is located in a desired angular position, a stopping device, such as a pawl, is actuated to stop rotation of the body. Appropriate mass is then added to or removed from the body to correct the unbalance. If necessary, the pawl is released, and body is incrementally rotated so that unbalance can be corrected on several portions of the body. The apparatus, instead of balancing the body, is usable to mark the body as to the location of unbalance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 1982
    Date of Patent: August 28, 1984
    Assignee: American Hofmann Corporation
    Inventor: Richard Mueller
  • Patent number: 4445373
    Abstract: A balancing machine and support structure usable therewith for measuring unbalance in a rotor. Each support structure of the balancing machine has a pedestal, a yoke, and springs interconnecting the yoke and pedestal. A pair of round springs are positioned between confronting surfaces of the yoke and pedestal. A pair of flat springs are connected to one of the yoke pedestal and are selectively engagable with the other of the yoke and pedestal. A connecting plate is provided to interconnect the yokes of two structures to each other when the flat springs are disengaged. The connecting plate is removed when the flat springs are engaged. As a result, the balancing machine can be used in a first configuration to measure unbalance in a rotor having a bearing prepositioned on a shaft of the rotor and can be used in a second configuration to measure unbalance in a conventional rotor not having a bearing prepositioned on a shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 1982
    Date of Patent: May 1, 1984
    Assignee: American Hofmann Corporation
    Inventor: Richard Mueller