Wheel position measuring apparatus
First Claim
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1. A wheel position measuring apparatus comprising:
- (a) a detector device;
(b) a wheel adaptor for pivotably mounting the detector device to a vehicle wheel in a predetermined relationship relative to a rotational axis of the wheel; and
(c) an angle measuring device operatively disposed between the detector device and the wheel adaptor for measuring an angle between the wheel adaptor and the detector device corresponding to an angular displacement of the wheel that occurs between a lifted position and a lowered, weight-bearing position, said angle measuring device being oriented to measure an angle in a plane which is substantially perpendicular to the rotational axis of the wheel, said angle measuring device further including;
(1) sensing means for determining the pivotal movement of the detector device about the wheel axis following lowering the wheel to a weight-bearing position; and
(2) a measuring transducer for converting the sensed pivotal movement into an electrical signal, said measuring transducer including a first gear fixedly connected to said wheel adaptor and a second gear which meshes with said first gear and which is connected to said measuring transducer.
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Abstract
A wheel position measuring apparatus comprises a detector device and a wheel adaptor for fixing the detector device to a motor vehicle wheel whose position is to be measured, in aligned relationship relative to the wheel axis. Connected between the detector device and the wheel adaptor is an angle measuring device for measuring the angle between the wheel adaptor when secured to the wheel and the detector device, in a plane which is perpendicular to the axis of the wheel, with the apex of the angle being on the axis of the wheel.
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Citations
8 Claims
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1. A wheel position measuring apparatus comprising:
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(a) a detector device; (b) a wheel adaptor for pivotably mounting the detector device to a vehicle wheel in a predetermined relationship relative to a rotational axis of the wheel; and (c) an angle measuring device operatively disposed between the detector device and the wheel adaptor for measuring an angle between the wheel adaptor and the detector device corresponding to an angular displacement of the wheel that occurs between a lifted position and a lowered, weight-bearing position, said angle measuring device being oriented to measure an angle in a plane which is substantially perpendicular to the rotational axis of the wheel, said angle measuring device further including; (1) sensing means for determining the pivotal movement of the detector device about the wheel axis following lowering the wheel to a weight-bearing position; and (2) a measuring transducer for converting the sensed pivotal movement into an electrical signal, said measuring transducer including a first gear fixedly connected to said wheel adaptor and a second gear which meshes with said first gear and which is connected to said measuring transducer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method for compensating for an angular error in a run-out measurement of a vehicle wheel, comprising the steps of:
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(a) raising a vehicle wheel off the ground on which a run-out is to be measured; (b) rotating the raised vehicle wheel; (c) sensing deflections of said rotating vehicle wheel; (d) converting the sensed deflections of the rotating vehicle wheel into a sinusoidal fluctuation signal; (e) recording said sinusoidal fluctuation signal; (f) stopping the rotation of the vehicle wheel; (g) determining and recording an initial rotational position of the raised vehicle wheel; (h) lowering said vehicle wheel onto a surface such that the vehicle wheel bears weight, said surface being substantially free to move in response to forces generated by the lowered vehicle wheel; (i) measuring a rotational displacement of said wheel in a plane substantially perpendicular to a rotational axis of the wheel that occurs between said initial rotational position and a rotational position of said wheel in a lowered weight-bearing condition, said rotational displacement being facilitated by said moveable surface and corresponding to an angular error of said run-out measurement of said wheel; and (j) compensating for said angular error of step (i) by adjusting said recorded sinusoidal fluctuation signal by an amount equal to said rotational displacement of the vehicle wheel.
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Specification