Hunter Engineering Company

Michael A Olsen

Nicholas J Colarelli, Iii

Michael D Gerdes

Paul W Roloff

Peter N Liebetreu

Matt Wise

Gerry E Friton

Timothy A Strege

Joel A Clasquin

William James Nelgner

Charles Polster

Alberto Caorle

Brian K Hierholzer

Nicholas Colarelli

Joseph H Cox

Matthew John Zecher

Richard A Killeen

A vehicle position detection and guidance system for use with an automotive service lift having a pair of runways onto which a vehicle is driven in order to be elevated. The system consists of a LiDAR sensor disposed to provide a field of view encompassing a volume of space extending upward from the upper surface of each lift runway, as well as the intervening region between the runways. The LiDAR sensor to observes at least the leading tread surfaces of two or more wheels on a vehicle approaching the service lift, and a volume of space below the vehicle. Output from the LiDAR sensor is conveyed to a processing system, which monitors the wheel positions relative to the runway surfaces, and provides output indicating steering corrections, obstructions, and a vehicle stopping point as the vehicle is driven onto the runways and/or the lift elevation changes.

Automotive service lift system with vehicle position detection and guidance

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

A deflection resistant combination slip plate and turn plate assembly for support the steered wheels of a vehicle on a precision planar surface resistant to deflection and distortion. The slip plate and the turn plate are supported on an underlying surface by bearing assemblies, and establish a upper planar surface with the turn plate disposed in a cutout region of the slip plate. Each plate is configured for limited translational movement relative to the base plate surface on which it is supported, while the turn plate is further configured for rotational movement about a central axis. Translational movement of the plates is synchronized. Spacing between the slip plate and turn plate is minimized, and supporting means are provided to maintain the slip plate and turn plate in vertical alignment under load.

Deflection resistant combination turn plate and slip plate

Methods and systems for a multi-capacity vehicle lift system are provided. The system includes a lift assembly having a plurality of lift capacities and a load platform coupled to the lift assembly. The load platform includes a plurality of lift starting positions, each of the plurality of lift starting positions corresponding to a respective one of the plurality of lift capacities.

Methods and systems for multi-capacity vehicle lift system

The present invention relates to automotive vehicle brake lathes configured for resurfacing brake rotor components, and in particular, to an improved on-car brake lathe apparatus and a method for reducing vibrations during resurfacing of brake rotor components with a brake lathe having a variable speed spindle motor, an output spindle rotationally driven by the variable speed motor adapted to couple the brake lathe to the brake rotor component, and at least one adjustable cutting tip adapted to engage a surface of the vehicle brake component.

Method and apparatus for resurfacing brake rotors

The present invention relates to automotive vehicle brake lathes configured for resurfacing brake rotor components, and in particular, to an improved on-car brake lathe apparatus and a method for compensating for runout between an on-car brake lathe and a vehicle wheel hub to which the on-car brake lathe is secured for a brake rotor resurfacing operation.

The present invention relates to on-car brake lathes configured for resurfacing brake rotor components, and in particular, to improved on-car brake lathes configured with a drive system for controlling a rotational direction of an output spindle during a brake rotor resurfacing procedure.

Vehicle brake lathe with variable speed motor

The present invention relates to on-car brake lathes configured for resurfacing brake rotor components, and in particular, to improved on-car brake lathes configured with a controlled variable speed drive system.

A vehicle support system runway with a movable surface for supporting the wheels of a vehicle in such a manner as to permit a limited range of translational motion about a centered position, having an automatic centering and locking system. The centering and locking system is configured to releasably secure the movable surface in a locked configuration at a centered position, in response to a remote command.

Turn plate and slip plate centering and locking mechanism

A hydraulic control circuit comprises a power unit, a central processing unit, at least one feedback sensor, a valve manifold, and two or more hydraulic lifting cylinders interconnected with miscellaneous hydraulic hoses and electrical wiring. Basic lifting is regulated by a flow divider unit configured to distribute a flow of pressurized hydraulic fluid pumped from a fluid reservoir through the valve manifold to each of the lifting cylinders during a lifting operation. To compensate for any imbalance between the lifting cylinders, the central processing unit monitors the movement of the lifting cylinders, and is configured to divert, through a three-way valve in the valve manifold, an additional portion of the pressurized fluid flow to a lagging lifting cylinder. During decent operations, the central processing unit extracts an additional portion of the fluid return flow through the three-way valve from a lagging lift cylinder, such that at all times during either lifting or decent operations, each lifting cylinder and a supported runway are disposed in a substantially parallel configuration.

Automotive lift hydraulic fluid control circuit

An improved hydraulic circuit for a two-post lift having a master cylinder hydraulically connected to a slave cylinder. The master cylinder and slave cylinder are sized so fluid volume displaced at the rod end of the master cylinder is equal to the volume displaced at the piston side of the slave cylinder. The hydraulic circuit employs an automatic leveling valve assembly disposed to open when the lift reaches a fully lowered position to automatically equalize the displaced fluid volume of the master and slave cylinders so as to relevel the lift each time the lift is fully lowered. A sequence valve is positioned to pre-pressurize the slave cylinder before raising to compensate for any air in the circuit and fluid compressibility. A pilot operated check valve is designed to close and stop the descent of the lift in a level position if an obstruction is encountered under a side of the lift. Velocity sensor fuses connected to cylinder ports and actuated by a drop in pressure or rapid descent of the cylinders lock the cylinders in aligned positions in the event of a hydraulic leak.

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Lake St. Louis, MO, United States of America

Michael A Olsen