Fixture for checking a bevel gear product and related method

• US 10,401,150 B1
• Filed: 01/31/2019
• Issued: 09/03/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: American AXLE & Manufacturing Incorporated (American AXLE & Manufacturing Holdings Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: American AXLE & Manufacturing Incorporated (American AXLE & Manufacturing Holdings Incorporated)
• Inventors: Skinner, Sean M., Martz, James C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Maurice C
• Application Number:
  US16/263,066
• Publication Number:
  US 20190277625A1
• Time in Patent Office: 215 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/06 for measuring thickness ; e.g. of sheet material thickness measurement by thermal means G01B21/085
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/22 for measuring depth
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/2416 of gears optical projection profile comparators G01B9/08
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/245 using a plurality of fixed, simultaneously operating transducers G01B11/2408 - G01B11/2425, G01B11/255 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/26 for measuring angles or tapers; for testing the alignment of axes

Abstract

A method for gauging a bevel gear product that includes rotating the bevel gear product about a mount axis while collecting data from several measuring lasers to obtain one or more data sets. The data set(s) include dimensional information on the bevel gear product as a function of a rotational position of the bevel gear product about the mount axis. Various dimensions of the bevel gear product are gauged based on information in the data set(s).

Claims

1. A method for gauging a bevel gear product comprising:

providing a first bevel gear product having a first back face, a first through bore, a first thickness, a first counter bore, a first face angle, a first back angle and a first outside diameter;

placing the first bevel gear product on a mount such that the first back face is disposed in a predetermined plane and the first bevel gear product is centered about a mount axis;

positioning a plurality of measuring lasers about the first bevel gear product;

operating the measuring lasers while the first bevel gear product is rotated about the mount axis to obtain at least one data set that comprises dimensional information on the first bevel gear product as a function of a rotational position of the first bevel gear product about the mount axis;

gauging the first back face based on the at least one data set;

gauging the first through bore based on the at least one data set;

gauging the first counter bore and the first thickness based on the at least one data set; and

gauging the first face angle, the first back angle and the first outside diameter based on the at least one data set.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a second bevel gear product having a second back face, a second through bore, a second thickness, a second counter bore, a second face angle, a second back angle and a second outside diameter;

placing the second bevel gear product on the mount such that the second back face is disposed in the predetermined plane and the second bevel gear product is centered about the mount axis;

positioning the plurality of measuring lasers about the second bevel gear product;

operating the measuring lasers while the second bevel gear product is rotated about the mount axis to obtain at least one revised data set that comprises dimensional information on the second bevel gear product as a function of a rotational position of the second bevel gear product about the mount axis;

gauging the second back face based on the at least one revised data set;

gauging the second through bore based on the at least one revised data set;

gauging the second counter bore and the second thickness based on the at least one revised data set; and

gauging the second face angle, the second back angle and the second outside diameter based on the at least one revised data set;

wherein a configuration of the second bevel gear product is different from a configuration of the first bevel gear product.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one data set includes a plurality of data subsets, each of the data subsets being based on the dimensional information on the first bevel gear product provided by an associated one of the measuring lasers.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the plurality of data subsets are generated simultaneously.

5. A method for gauging a bevel gear product comprising:

providing a bevel gear product having a back face, a through bore, a thickness, a counter bore, a face angle, a back angle and an outside diameter;

placing the bevel gear product on a mount such that the back face is disposed in a predetermined plane and the bevel gear product is centered about a mount axis;

positioning a plurality of measuring lasers about the bevel gear product;

operating the measuring lasers while the bevel gear product is rotated about the mount axis to obtain first, second, third and fourth data sets;

gauging the back face based on the data set;

gauging the through bore based on the second data set;

gauging the counter bore and the thickness based on the third data set; and

gauging the face angle, the back angle and the outside diameter based on the fourth data set.

6. A method for gauging a bevel gear product comprising:

providing a first bevel gear product having a first back face, a first through bore, a first thickness, a first counter bore, a first face angle, a first back angle and a first outside diameter;

placing the first bevel gear product on a mount such that the first back face is disposed in a predetermined plane and the first bevel gear product is centered about a mount axis;

positioning a plurality of measuring lasers about the first bevel gear product;

operating the measuring lasers to generate first, second, third and fourth data sets;

gauging the first back face based on the at least one data set;

gauging the first through bore based on the at least one data set;

gauging the first counter bore and the first thickness based on the at least one data set; and

gauging the first face angle, the first back angle and the first outside diameter based on the at least one data set.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the first, second, third and fourth data sets each comprise dimensional information on the bevel gear product taken as a function of a common variable.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the common variable is a rotational position of the bevel gear product about the mount axis.