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Vision system for wheel alignment

  • US 5,812,256 A
  • Filed: 08/13/1996
  • Issued: 09/22/1998
  • Est. Priority Date: 08/13/1996
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. A system for auditing and adjusting the camber, caster and toe of a wheel in a vehicle assembly line, comprising:

  • (a) an axle receiving station in communication with the vehicle assembly line for receiving and storing an axle subassembly, the axle subassembly having a left wheel and a right wheel, and each wheel having a king pin assembly,(b) a camber, caster, and toe station (C/C/T station) in communication with the axle receiving station for accepting the axle subassembly from the axle receiving station,(c) an off-loading station in communication with the C/C/T station for accepting the axle subassembly from the C/C/T station and then returning the axle subassembly to the vehicle assembly line, and(d) within the C/C/T station;

    (i) an elevator for raising the axle subassembly to working level,(ii) a preloading mechanism to preload the axle subassembly to a specified load,(iii) a first moving vision sensor having a field of view exposed to the outside of the left wheel, a first mechanism for moving the field of view of the first vision sensor upon a surface of the outside of the left wheel,(iv) a second moving vision sensor having a field of view exposed to the outside of the right wheel, a second mechanism for moving the field of view of the second vision sensor upon a surface of the outside of the right wheel,(v) a third moving vision sensor having a field of view exposed to the inside of the left wheel, a third mechanism for moving the field of view of the third vision sensor upon the inside of the left wheel,(vi) a fourth moving vision sensor having a field of view exposed to the inside of the right wheel, a fourth mechanism for moving the field of view of the fourth vision sensor upon the inside of the right wheel,(vii) a processor for processing and mapping a series of cross sectional views from each of the first, second, third and fourth vision systems to produce a first, second, third a fourth topographical map,(viii) an adjustment station for adjusting the toe and camber of the left wheel in response to the first topographical map;

    adjusting the toe and camber of the right wheel in response to the second topographical map;

    adjusting the caster of the right wheel in response to the third topographical map; and

    adjusting the caster of the left wheel in response to the fourth topographical map.

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