Wheel balancing apparatus

• US 4,576,044 A
• Filed: 04/25/1984
• Issued: 03/18/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/1983
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Fabio Boni
• Original Assignee: Fabio Boni
• Inventors: Boni, Fabio
• Primary Examiner(s): Swisher, S. Clement
• Application Number:
  US06/603,582
• Time in Patent Office: 692 Days
• Field of Search: 33/143 D, 33/178 E, 33/203.19, 33/172 E, 73/460, 73/462
• US Class Current: 73/462
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 5/02 for measuring length, width or thickness G01B5/004, G01B5/08 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 5/08 for measuring diameters G01B5/0035 takes precedence; measuring radius of curvature G01B5/213
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 1/02 Details of balancing machines or devices

Abstract

Wheel balancing apparatus includes a shaft for rotating the wheel. Sensing devices are provided on spaced bearings for the shaft to obtain dynamic and positional data concerning the imbalance of the rotating wheel. A feeler arm is mounted so as to be angularly and axially slidably movable about and along an axis parallel to the wheel axis, in such a manner that contact means on the arm are brought successively into contact with opposite edges of the wheel disc. Potentiometers are associated with the arm to sense its axial and angular position when the contact means are in contact with the wheel edges. The radius and thickness of the wheel can then be derived from these positions.

Claims

1. In an apparatus for balancing wheels including a hub disc defining a wheel axis and having inner and outer peripheral edges and a pneumatic tire mounted between said edges, the apparatus including, a frame, a shaft mounted in said frame on said wheel axis for rotating the wheel, sensing means spaced from one another along said shaft for obtaining dynamic and positional data on any imbalance of the wheel, and computing means, the improvement comprising a feeler arm mounted to said frame so as to be angularly movable about an arm axis and also movable along said arm axis, said arm axis being parallel to said wheel axis and spaced radial therefrom by at least a distance corresponding to a maximum radius of a wheel with tire to be measured, said feeler arm having contact means for contacting said edges of said hub disc, means for detecting the axial and angular position of said arm, to obtain data on the diameter of said hub disc and the axial distance between said edges, said computing means receiving data from said sensing means and said detecting means and deriving information therefrom on the position and the amount of imbalance in the wheel, a slidable and angularly movable rod mounted in said frame, extending on said arm axis and by means of which said arm is mounted to said frame, said detecting means including two potentiometers associated with said rod for detecting the axial and angular position of said rod and therefore of said feeler arm, and said contact means including two opposite, transversely extending feelers intended to rest respectively and in succession on the two edges of the hub disc of the wheel, substantially at one and the same radial position of the wheel.

2. An Apparatus according to claim 1, further including push button means which on actuation sense the settings of said potentiometers and send this data to said computing means, said push button means being associated with said contact means and being automatically operated when said contact means contacts one of said edges.