Hunter Engineering Company

Hunter Engineering, Inc.

Joel A Clasquin

Michael D Gerdes

Douglas S Hanneken

David A Voeller

Michael Wayne Douglas

William B Feero

Steven K Molbach

David M Scribner

Micah Nathan Vaninger

Steve Molbach

Jeffrey P Talbott

Charles Polster

Charlie Polster

Nicholas J Colarelli, Iii

William James Nelgner

Peter N Liebetreu

Timothy A Strege

Michael A Olsen

Gregory F Meyer

Doug Hanneken

Nicolas J Colarelli, Iii

An apparatus and method for use with a vehicle wheel balancing system () to obtain non-contact measurements of dimensions on a wheel assembly () secured on a spindle shaft (), together with identification of, and distances to, operator-selected locations on various surfaces of a wheel assembly

Wheel balancer system with hood mounted measurement sensors

An on-car brake lathe is provided with a runout compensation system configured to monitor the rotational position of a pair of slant discs within an aligning joint of the on-car brake lathe. The system monitors the amount of runout present between the rotating components of the on-car brake lathe and the wheel hub to which the on-car brake lathe is secured, and calculates a relative rotational position for each slant disc within the aligning joint required to impart a necessary adjustment in the wheel coupling rotational axis to align the on-car brake lathe with the rotational axis of the wheel hub. An adjustment mechanism within the aligning joint is configured to rotationally drive each slant disc to the calculated relative rotational positions with a minimum amount of rotational movement based on the current relative rotational position of each slant disc and the required calculated relative rotational positions.

System and method for rotational position tracking of brake lathe adjustment assembly

A tire changer machine, and method of operation, configured to enable a single operator to carry out tire change procedures for a set of wheel assemblies by interleaving wheel assembly balancing procedures on a wheel balancer machine with an automated tire demount process carried out under direction of a control system of the tire changer without continuous operator input or supervision.

System and method for semi-autonomous repetitive operation of a tire changer machine

A wheel balancer incorporates tire bead manipulating tools under control of a processing system to apply a clamping pressure to tire sidewall surfaces of a wheel assembly secured to a spindle shaft, facilitating the proper seating of tire beads to the wheel rim. The spindle shaft is operatively coupled to a drive motor and transmission system under control of the processing system, capable of operating in both a high speed, low torque regime and a low speed, high torque regime to rotate the wheel assembly during either an imbalance measurement procedure or a tire bead adjustment procedure. A load roller assembly, under control of the processing system, is disposed to selectively apply a radial force at a tire circumferential tread surface as the wheel assembly is rotated about the spindle axis, further facilitating the proper seating of the tire beads.

Apparatus and method for seating a tire bead on a wheel rim

An on-car brake lathe is provided with a runout compensation system configured to monitor the rotational position of a pair of slant discs within an aligning joint of the on-car brake lathe. The system monitors the amount of runout present between the rotating components of the on-car brake lathe and the wheel hub to which the on-car brake lathe is secured. The system calculates the appropriate rotational position for each slant disc within the aligning joint required to impart a necessary adjustment in the wheel coupling rotational axis in order to align the on-car brake lathe with the rotational axis of the wheel hub. Finally, an adjustment mechanism is activated to rotationally drive each slant disc directly to the calculated rotational position with a minimum amount of rotational movement based on the current rotational position of each slant disc and the required calculated rotational positions.

A tire changer with a controller includes a with a mount assembly adapted for contacting a wheel assembly to mount the wheel to a rotating spindle. The tire changer controller is configured to regulate the operation of a motor, and which is operatively connected to the rotating spindle to rotate the wheel assembly. A sensor coupled to the controller provides a data representative of the rotational position of the wheel assembly about a rotational axis. The controller is further configured to engage a load roller with the wheel assembly to apply a radial force to a tire mounted on a rim of the wheel assembly during rotation of the wheel, and to regulate the operation of a tire handling means and mount assembly, enabling identification, optional marking, and adjustment of the tire angular mounting position relative to the wheel rim.

Tire changer with actuated load roller

A robotic tire changing machine having a processing system is configured with software instructions to carry out the procedures for tire mounting and demounting, and with software instructions to detect and respond to abnormal operating conditions during a tire mounting or demounting procedure. A specific response to the detection of an abnormal operating condition by the processing system is guided by the software instructions and is associated with the particular state in which the tire changing machine is in and/or the current step of an ongoing tire mounting or demounting procedure. The specific responses may include, but are not limited to, providing a prompt or instruction to an operator, providing a warning to an operator, carrying out one or more additional procedural steps, suspending operations to await an operator action, or limiting movement of articulated components during the tire mounting or demounting procedure.

Robotic tire changer user interaction procedures for safety and convenience

A tire changing machine including enhanced control features for automated operator of tire change procedures with operator oversight and ability to manually adjust machine operation when desired. Dead man control input, user interfaces and programs for implementing the interfaces, methods for completing tire bead seating, informational displays of wheel rim and tire information, coordinated tool positioning, and automated lubrication features are described.

Automated tire changer machine, systems, programs and methods

Tire changing machines including force and position sensors facilitating automated detection of wheel rim and tire features by a controller. Dimensional and location information for features of interest may be detected and recorded for use by the controller to perform tire change procedures. Positioning error and malfunctioning machine components, including feedback sensors, may also be detected in an automated manner.

Tire changing machine with force detection and control methods

A vehicle service or inspection system including a load roller for applying a radial load to a vehicle wheel assembly consisting of a tire mounted to a rim, with at least one sensor for acquiring measurements of acoustical energy generated by the wheel assembly during loaded rotational movement. The vehicle service or inspection system is configured with a programmed processor to evaluate the acquired measurements to provide a measure of tire road noise, identification of tire defects, and/or identification of sources of noise, vibrations, or acoustical energy on the tire surface such as tire flat spots, cupping, bubbles, embedded foreign objects, or other defects. The processor is further configured with software instructions to utilize the acquired measurements to provide a consumer with a figure of merit associated with the acoustics of the tire undergoing testing.

System and method for wheel assembly acoustical evaluation

Automated tire changer machines, control systems and methods therefor utilize positive contact and contact force generation between wheel rims and bead breaker devices to break tire bead seals. The bead breaker devices may accordingly follow different geometries of wheel rims without prior knowledge or identification of the specific rim configuration by the machine.

Tire bead breaker device and methods for automated tire changer machine

A method for efficiently operating a vehicle wheel balancing system having a wheel mounting structure upon which a vehicle wheel assembly is mounted for rotation during a measurement or service procedure, and a load roller assembly disposed in operative proximity to the wheel mounting structure for engaging a surface of the vehicle wheel assembly and applying a controlled load there to during rotation. After mounting a vehicle wheel assembly to the mounting structure, the wheel assembly is rotationally driven and a measurement of imbalance is initially acquired and the results displayed to an operator. Subsequently, the load roller assembly is engaged with the still rotating wheel, while measurements of radial forces and/or runout of the wheel are acquired, before the wheel rotation is stopped.

Wheel balance and force measurement procedure

A tire changer with a controller includes a with a mount assembly adapted for contacting a wheel assembly to mount the wheel to a rotating spindle. The tire changer controller is configured to regulate the operation of a motor which is operatively connected to the rotating spindle to rotate the wheel assembly. A sensor coupled to the controller provides a data representative of the rotational position of the wheel assembly about a rotational axis. The controller is further configured to regulate the operation of a hydraulic actuating means for engaging a load roller with the wheel assembly to apply a radial force to a tire mounted on a rim of the wheel assembly during rotation of the wheel, and to regulate the operation of a tire handling means and mount assembly, enabling identification, marking, and adjustment of the tire angular mounting position relative to the wheel rim.

Tire changing machines with automated positioning and closed loop control of bead pressing devices are described to maintain and control operation of the bead pressing devices during tire mount and de-mount procedures. Methodology is also disclosed.

Tire changing machine with automated tire bead pressing devices, controls and methods

A tire changer machine includes a control system that monitors a rotational position of a sensitive feature associated with a wheel rim and tire during a tire change procedure. The system adjusts operation of the machine to avoid damaging the sensitive feature, which may be a valve stem or a wheel sensor such as a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) sensor.

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Highland, IL, United States of America

Joel A Clasquin