Abstract: An electronic wheel balancer performs imbalance measurements at variable speeds for different size wheels. The inertia of a wheel mounted on the balancer is determined by measuring the acceleration time of the wheel from a first speed to a second higher speed and the operating speed is adjusted accordingly. An improved operator interface pod incorporates correction plane indicators/selection buttons adjacent the weight display. Auxilliary weight storage is also provided.

Abstract: Apparatus is disclosed which includes two side-by-side planar light sensors. A light stop is spaced from one light sensor in position to stop or shade half of the light sensor surface from a projected light beam when the beam is orthogonal thereto. The other light sensor is completely exposed to the projected light beam. The one light sensor is exposed to more or less of the light beam dependent upon the beam's departure in one direction or the other from orthogonality to the plane of the one light sensor. A ratio of the output from the one light sensor to the output from the other provides beam angle information relative to the plane of the one light sensor.

Abstract: A wheel alignment apparatus (10) for measuring the toe angles of the wheels (42) of a vehicle such that the wheels (42) may be properly aligned, including vehicles whose rear axle (20) and front axle (22) are of unequal lengths. The wheel alignment apparatus (10) of the present invention includes at least one light beam source (14) for emitting a beam of light (24) toward a photosensor (12). The light beam (24) produces currents at each end of the photosensor (12), the currents then being measured and processed by a signal processor (16) to determine the impinging angle of the light beam (24). Each of the light beam sources (14) and the photosensors (12) are attached to the respective wheels (42) with connecting apparatuses, or heads (18). The photosensor (12) is a lateral photocell for receiving at least a portion of the emitted light beam (24) on a continuous active area (30). The signal processor (16) includes an Analog-to-Digital (A-D) converter (94) for data analysis and storage.

Abstract: A wheel alignment system includes either four wheel mountable alignment heads or two alignment heads and two retroreflectors or two alignment heads alone together with a control console and display. A main processing unit is included in the console for performing calculations and for controlling systems function control components communications sequences. Each console function control component includes its own controller. The control console further includes a CRT display module and optional voice instruction and printer output modules. A bar code reader is available for quick specifications entry. Communications and decision making instructions are downloaded from the controller in each console function control component to the main processing unit at initialization. Communication between the heads and the console is accomplished either through the use of conducting cords or infrared transmission and reception.

Abstract: An aerial toy comprising a body having a leading edge and a trailing edge, and comprising a flexible, resilient, thin wall sail or airfoil extending forward from the trailing edge; a relatively thick, relatively rigid peripheral ring at the leading edge, the toy having a ratio of body length to body diameter of between 1:1.25 and 1:1.35; a ratio of body diameter to leading edge thickness of about 30:1; a ratio of ring length to overall body length of about 1:3.66; and a ratio of leading end weight to trailing end weight of 2.2:1.

Abstract: A wheel alignment system includes either four wheel mountable alignment heads or two alignment heads and two retroreflectors or two alignment heads alone together with a control console and display. A main process unit is included in the console for performing calculations and for controlling systems function control components communications sequences. Each console function control component includes its own controller. The control console further includes a CRT display module and optional voice instruction and printer output modules. A bar code reader is available for quick specifications entry. Communications and decision making instructions are downloaded from the controller in each console function control component to the main processing unit at initialization. Communication between the heads and the console is accomplished either through the use of conducting cords or infrared transmission and reception.

Abstract: A dynamic balancing machine having a rotatably driven mounting shaft for articles to be balanced has a fixture upon which known weights are mounted at two known calibration planes ralative to the shaft. Data taken by force sensors coupled to the shaft during two shaft spins with the known weights mounted in each calibration plane are used to calculate sensor output correction factors applied to unbalance data taken during the spin of a mounted unbalanced article for a pair of unbalance measurement planes spaced along the shaft. The unbalance calibration and measurement planes are axially displaced along the shaft from the location of the force sensors. The disclosure is directed toward apparatus and method for obtaining machine calibration.

Abstract: An off the car wheel unbalance measuring system has a rotationally driven wheel mounting shaft supported in a framework pedestal together with a pair of force transducers mounted in the pedestal and in mechanical communication with and spaced along the shaft. The angular position of the shaft is monitored with respect to an angular reference position at a predetermined number of angular increments during each full revolution of the shaft by a shaft encoder. The encoder provides a reference pulse once each shaft revolution and a plurality of angular shaft position increment pulses each shaft revolution. The angular increment pulses are in the form of a dual signal the components of which have a predetermined phase relationship. The shaft reference pulse and the angular increment pulse are required to provide a reference indication as well as a predetermined number of angular increment indications in each shaft revolution.

Abstract: Force transducers are coupled to the shaft of a wheel unbalance measuring device to provide periodic electrical signals indicative of unbalance forces. Operation of the system while a known unbalance is mounted on the shaft provides data from which calibration constants for the system are calculated. The measuring system is adaptable to implement certain system self diagnostic processes. The system may continuously drive the shaft and display the force transducer output peak values so that the transducers may be monitored for excessive noise and for normal operation. The balancer shaft may also be run continuously and two plane unbalance displayed so that the stability of the system may be monitored. In each of the latter two diagnostic capabilities readings are taken by the system over a predetermined number of shaft revolutions so that noise frequencies imparted to the data by the drive components may be substantially eliminated.

Abstract: A wheel balancing apparatus for balancing an out-of-balance wheel that is mounted on a rotatable shaft includes force transducers positioned in a horizontal plane against resiliently supported bearings for the shaft to thereby detect horizontal components of the imbalance forces created by the out-of-balance wheel. Photosensitive switches associated with the shaft produce phase-displaced analog signals, which signals are supplied to a pulse producing circuit for generating a train of count pulses on one of two output lines depending upon the direction of rotation of the shaft. A counter, which has a capacity exactly equal to the number of pulses generated by the pulse producing circuit per revolution of the shaft, is set when the horizontal component of the imbalance force for a particular correction plane associated with the counter equals zero.