Horizontal Axis Patents (Class 73/473)
  • Patent number: 11549857
    Abstract: A dynamic balance testing device includes a vibrating unit configured to rotatably hold a predetermined rotating body being a specimen, a first spring configured to elastically support the vibrating unit and restrict displacement of the vibrating unit in a direction parallel to a rotation axis of the predetermined rotating body, and at least three second springs configured to elastically support the vibrating unit and restrict displacement of the vibrating unit in a predetermined direction orthogonal to the rotation axis. The at least three second springs are attached to the vibrating unit on a same predetermined plane, and the vibrating unit holds the predetermined rotating body such that a projection of a center of gravity of the predetermined rotating body onto the predetermined plane is substantially at the same position as a position where the first spring is attached to the vibrating unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2023
    Assignee: KOKUSAI KEISOKUKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Satoshi Ishitoya
  • Patent number: 7682085
    Abstract: In a rotor bearing arrangement for a balancing machine having a bearing housing (1) which is supported in a radially resilient manner in a highly stiff bearing stand (2) by means of at least two identically configured and arranged spring elements, the spring elements are arranged on opposite sides of the bearing housing (1) so as to be symmetrical about a plane containing the main axis of the bearing and the bearing stand (2) has two supporting arms (11) arranged at a distance from one another, between which the bearing housing (1) is arranged and on which the spring elements are supported.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2010
    Assignee: Schenck RoTec GmbH
    Inventors: Dieter Thelen, Andreas Mueller
  • Patent number: 7682272
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a driving device of armature balance machine, in which a driving motor is formed on the same centerline of the armature, a hinge block pivot-connected by the hinge shaft is installed in the finger mounter of the bracket in such a manner that the hinge shaft is disposed on the same centerline of the driving motor and the variable roller is formed at one side of the hinge shaft, the finger provided with a complementary roller is symmetrically constructed about the centerline of the driving motor, and thereafter a belt is wound around each roller, so that the construction of the driving motor can be simplified and thus the length of the belt is minimized and the vibration of the belt is minimized, thereby enabling to keep the tension applied to the belt in an optimum state, due to the facts that the tension of the belt is symmetrical about the centerline of the belt and also the variable roller i.e. the tension adjusting means is not operated by the belt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2010
    Inventor: Kye Jung Park
  • Patent number: 7234350
    Abstract: A bearing 41 of a support portion 4 for rotatably supporting a shaft 11 of a rotating body 10 to be measured with respect to the magnitude of unbalance thereof is formed into a hollow U-shape and has formed therein an injection port 41b for injecting a gas towards the shaft. As the shaft can be supported and floats without making contact with the bearing by virtue of the gas injected from the injection port, the friction can be made small and, hence, a change in rotational speed can be made small. The number and position of the injection ports are determined as required.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2007
    Assignee: DENSO Corporation
    Inventors: Satoshi Takada, Rikizou Akagi, Hideyuki Sumino, Shingo Inaishi
  • Patent number: 5046361
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for balancing rotatable members whereby a member to be balanced is rotated first in one direction about an axis at a selected speed and then is rotated in the opposite direction about the same axis and at the same speed. A sensor determines the circumferential apparent location of greatest imbalance or runout of the member in each of the directions of rotation, following which any imbalance of the rotatable member is compensated for by adding or removing weight to or from such member at a circumferential zone which is equidistant between the apparent locations of greatest imbalance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 1991
    Date of Patent: September 10, 1991
    Inventor: Kenneth A. Sandstrom
  • Patent number: 4972712
    Abstract: A mounting apparatus for mounting a rotary member such as a motor vehicle wheel to a drive shaft of an unbalance measuring arrangement includes a stationary measuring spindle for rotatably carrying the rotary member bearings which are part of the rotary member itself. An entrainment hub which can be drivingly coupled to the drive shaft of the unbalance measuring apparatus supports the measuring spindle rotatably relative thereto, and engages the rotary member to drive it in rotation. The measuring spindle is prevented from rotating with the entrainment hub by a restraining device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 1989
    Date of Patent: November 27, 1990
    Assignee: Hofmann Werkstatt-Technik GmbH
    Inventor: Uwe Monch
  • Patent number: 4867878
    Abstract: A liquid bearing for use in rotary devices processing biological fluids is disclosed. The device has a stationary housing and a rotating cartridge. One end of the cartridge is rotatably connected to the housing. The other end is not directly connected to the housing, and, thus, is free to move laterally during rotation. The liquid bearing tends to recenter the free end of the cartridge during rotation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 1988
    Date of Patent: September 19, 1989
    Assignee: Membrex, Inc.
    Inventor: Michael S. Rashev
  • Patent number: 4864859
    Abstract: A method for balancing turbochargers or other high speed rotating equipment in which relatively large masses require balancing in two axially separated planes includes the steps of mounting the mechanism to be balanced in a test fixture so that the mechanism can move in a substantially unrestrained manner in any of the three spatial dimensions. Accelerometers adjacent opposite ends of the rotating component measure maximum acceleration of the housing due to vibration. Since the housing substantially unrestrained, the measurement of vibration at any end of the device will be influenced by vibrations induced by the mass at the other end of the device, since the mechanism is not otherwise damped by supporting structures. An optical sensor measures phase angle, and this information along with the information generated by the accelerometers is fed to a conventional vibratory analysis device to determine the unbalance of the rotating component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 1988
    Date of Patent: September 12, 1989
    Assignee: Allied-Signal Inc.
    Inventor: Lloyd B. Jensen
  • Patent number: 4726690
    Abstract: In a method of supporting the bearing of a bearing support structure during balancing of a rotor, the bearing and the rotor journal in the bearing are permitted to rotate about the vertical, and transverse axes of the rotor journal. A spring arrangement is positioned between the bearing and vibration transducers for transferring unbalance information from the rotor being investigated to the vibration transducers. The spring arrangement allows the bearing and rotor journal to move without hindrance about the vertical, and transverse axes, such movement being caused from misalignment of the rotor journals with the axis of rotation of the rotor. Coulomb's friction is thereby eliminated for the purpose of avoiding excessively high constraining forces, spring realignment forces and frication forces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 1986
    Date of Patent: February 23, 1988
    Assignee: Carl Schenck, AG
    Inventor: Dieter Thelen
  • Patent number: 4619142
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for measuring vibrational forces emitted by a reaction wheel assembly during rotation of its rotor includes a low mass carriage (12) supported on a large mass base (10). The carriage (12) is in the form of an octagonal frame having an opening which is adapted for receiving the reaction wheel assembly (W) supported thereon by means of a mounting ring (22). The carriage (12) is supported on the base (10) by means of air bearings (A) which support the carriage in a generally frictionless manner when supplied with compressed air from a source (50). A plurality of carriage brackets (34) and a plurality of base blocks (30) provide for physical coupling of the base (10) and carriage (12). The sensing axes of the load cells (B) are arranged generally parallel to the base (10) and connected between the base and carriage such that all of the vibrational forces emitted by the reaction wheel assembly (W) are effectively transmitted through the sensing axes of the load cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 1984
    Date of Patent: October 28, 1986
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
    Inventor: Gary L. Gisler
  • Patent number: 4593564
    Abstract: In this equilibrating apparatus, the shaft 19 supporting the face-plate 20 for receiving the wheel is rotatively mounted in bearings 18 which are mounted in annular end parts 16, 17 of a tubular body 13. The median part 15 of the latter is fixed to the frame 11, 12 of the apparatus and connected to the end parts by resiliently deformable devices 25, 26 which are deformable in a direction located in a measuring plane which is an axial plane of the shaft and of the tubular body. Measuring detectors are fixed on the resiliently deformable devices 25, 26. The arrangement eliminates any parasitic force which is liable to have a disadvantageous effect on the measurement and consequently permits the use of a simple gear drive for the shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 1984
    Date of Patent: June 10, 1986
    Assignee: FACOM
    Inventor: Gerard C. C. Brihier
  • Patent number: 4545247
    Abstract: A balance support and chuck for use in an apparatus for performing work on workpieces such as automotive drive shafts, said work stations having a fixed headstock at one end and a laterally adjustable tailstock at the other end. The balance support and chuck may be coupled to an off-balance indicator for measurement of the amount of imbalance in a workpiece. The chuck has a supporting bearing assembly which rests on a surface of greater curvature in the balance support.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 1983
    Date of Patent: October 8, 1985
    Assignee: Drive Line Service, Inc.
    Inventors: Louis D. Wilson, Patrick Jones
  • Patent number: 4543825
    Abstract: A procedure is described for the balancing of rotors without journals, as well as an auxiliary bearing arrangement used to accomplish the balancing of such rotors. Fluids function to separate the rotor being balanced from the journal exterior of the bearing arrangement and also to separate the rotor from the support surface of the bearing arrangement. A high level of precision is achieved while avoiding fixed or expanding mandrels. Improvement of the automated operation of balancing machines of this type is possible without wear on the machine. Also, additional disturbance frequencies are avoided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 1983
    Date of Patent: October 1, 1985
    Assignee: Carl Schenck A.G.
    Inventors: Harald Schonfeld, Angelo Bauer
  • Patent number: 4480472
    Abstract: A dynamic electric wheel balancer for measuring the imbalance condition in a vehicle wheel and indicating the position and correction weights required for balancing the wheel in one or two planes. The wheel balancer contains a rotating shaft in order to make the dynamic measurements. The shaft is free wheeling during measurement and is brought up to a predetermined minimum r.p.m. value through a motor and clutch arrangement. After measurements have been made, a solenoid actuated brake, which takes advantage of the force factors associated with a flywheel forming part of the main shaft, brings the rotating shaft to a halt. Prior to taking the measurements, the wheel balancer is calibrated by employing a known weight located at a known position on a face plate forming part of the main shaft. In order to take the measurements, piezoelectric sensors are used to measure the vertical force components exhibited by the imbalance condition of the vehicle wheel secured to the rotating main shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 1982
    Date of Patent: November 6, 1984
    Assignee: Hofmann Corporation Automotive Service Equipment
    Inventor: John F. Wood
  • Patent number: 4445372
    Abstract: The balancing machine comprises a rotation shaft whereon the body to be balanced can be mounted, a supporting structure for the shaft, and a carrying member for the supporting structure, in the form of a resiliently flexible plate. Detector means are provided for detecting the vibration generated by the unbalance of the body to be balanced and transferred thereto through the resilient plate, and means for imparting rotation to the shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 1982
    Date of Patent: May 1, 1984
    Inventor: Carlo Buzzi
  • 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
  • Patent number: 4297882
    Abstract: A transducer mount for a wheel balancer having a shaft and a drive belt which approaches the shaft from a given direction. A bearing block for the end of the shaft adjacent the drive belt is supported by a passive mount aligned with the given direction and an active mount spaced from the passive mount so that vibrations in the belt drive produce no moments about the passive mount that are sensed by the active mount. The wheel/tire assembly is attached to the end of the shaft remote from the belt drive, and there is a bearing block adjacent the wheel/tire assembly which is supported by an active mount and a passive mount that are spaced from one another by a distance greater than the space between the active mount and the passive mount for the bearing block adjacent the belt drive, thereby to increase the amplitude of forces applied to the active mount that is spaced farther from the wheel/tire assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 1980
    Date of Patent: November 3, 1981
    Assignee: Autotron Equipment Corporation
    Inventors: Donald B. Curchod, Donald R. Sherman
  • Patent number: 4193305
    Abstract: A vehicle wheel and tire balance testing machine arranged with an unbalance sensitive member arranged along side the wheel and tire assembly, means to support the unbalance sensitive member so any unbalance forces generated upon rotation of the wheel and tire assembly will be picked up in the sensitive member, force transducer means engaged against the sensitive member in positions spaced from the wheel and tire so as to generate signals proportional to any unbalance present in the wheel and tire, means associated with the force transducer means for resolving the signals into the amount of unbalance in two planes of the wheel and tire assembly, and means for monitoring the location of the unbalance about the circumference of the wheel and tire in the respective planes thereof where unbalance is found.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 1978
    Date of Patent: March 18, 1980
    Inventor: Lee Hunter