Hunter Engineering Company

Paul Daniel Parker

Nicholas J Colarelli, Iii

Michael Wayne Douglas

Michael D Gerdes

David M Scribner

A wheel balancer includes a shaft adapted for receiving a wheel/tire assembly. The balancer has a longitudinal axis and is rotatable about the axis so as to rotate the wheel/tire assembly removably mounted thereon. A sensor assembly is provided for measuring rotation of the shaft about the longitudinal axis. A vibration sensor assembly measures vibration of the wheel/tire assembly as the wheel/tire assembly is rotated. A motor operatively connected to the shaft rotates the shaft about the longitudinal axis, thereby to rotate the wheel/tire assembly. A load roller applies a generally radial force, which can exceed one hundred fifty pounds, to the wheel/tire assembly during rotation of said wheel/tire assembly. A sensor detects lateral force, wheel/tire assembly radius, and/or wheel/tire assembly diameter, which can have a tendency to cause a vehicle on which the wheel/tire assembly is mounted during use to deviate from a straight line path. A control circuit responsive to the measured vibration of the wheel/tire assembly determines wheel imbalance, and is responsive to the measurement of lateral force, assembly radius, and/or assembly diameter to provide information relating thereto to a user.

Wheel balancer with variation measurement

A wheel balancer is provided that includes a shaft adapted for receiving a wheel/tire assembly and rotating a wheel/tire assembly removably mounted thereon, a motor operation connected to the shaft for rotating the shaft about its longitudinal axis, thereby rotating the wheel/tire assembly, a load roller for applying a generally radial force to the wheel/tire assembly during rotation so that loaded wheel/tire assembly measurements may be determined while the force is applied thereto and a control circuit. The control circuit is responsive the loaded wheel/tire assembly measurements and to a tire stiffness value to make a determination of a predetermined uniformity parameter.

Wheel balancer using tire stiffness and loaded wheel/tire measurements

A wheel balancer and method of mounting a wheel/tire assembly on a wheel balancer are provided. The wheel balancer includes a shaft adapted for receiving a wheel/tire assembly, the shaft having a longitudinal axis and being rotatable about the axis so as to rotate a wheel/tire assembly removably mounted thereon, a rotation sensor for measuring rotation of the shaft about its axis, a vibration sensor operatively connected to the shaft for measuring vibrations from imbalance in the wheel/tire assembly and a motor operatively connected to the shaft for rotating the shaft about its longitudinal axis, thereby rotating the wheel/tire assembly. A control circuit and manual input are also included. The control circuit controls the application of power to the motor. The manual input is for requesting the wheel/tire assembly mounting mode, the control circuit being responsive to a request for mounting mode to control the application of power to the motor such as to facilitate mounting of the wheel/tire assembly on the shaft. The method of mounting a wheel/tire assembly on a wheel balancer includes rotating the motor under control of the control circuit at a relatively slow, tire mounting speed, manually placing a wing nut on the threaded portion of the shaft and holding the wing nut in place on the shaft as the shaft rotates, so as to move the wing nut along the threaded shaft.

Wheel balancer with a mounting mode of operation

A device and method for reducing on-car runout and imbalance in a tire/wheel assembly. An on-car runout device has a powered roller that rotates the tire/wheel assembly while it is mounted on the vehicle hub and a runout measuring device that measures the runout of the vehicle hub and a surface of the tire/wheel assembly. The on-car runout device can operate in combination with an off-car balancer in an integrated balancing system, and a computer determines the optimal position and amount of weights to reduce the imbalance. The on-car runout device also minimizes the runout in a tire/wheel assembly by automatically optimizing the position of the tire/wheel assembly relative to the runout of the vehicle's hub. Additionally, when the on-car runout device communicates with an off-car balancer, the integrated system can calculate the balance weights needed to counteract differences in imbalance forces in the tire/wheel assembly due to changes in the tire/wheel assembly's mounting between the off-car balancer and the vehicle hub.

Balance correction system with on-car runout device

Matching multiple wheel rims and tires based upon runout and force variation measurements using balancing equipment. Centering errors and mounting errors are also reduced or eliminated. The method includes adjusting the rotational positions of the tires with respect to the wheel rims to compensate for wheel rim run-out and wheel/tire assembly force variations. This is accomplished in one embodiment by sequentially mounting a plurality of wheel/tire assemblies on a spindle of a balancer, measuring the rim run-out for each assembly and the force variations for each assembly, marking each tire of each assembly to identify both the individual tire and the rotational position representing the first harmonic of the tire force variation at which each tire is mounted with respect to its wheel rim, removing each tire from its wheel rim, sequentially mounting the wheel rims with tires removed on the spindle of the balancer, measuring the rim run-out for each rim, and visually indicating to a user a preferred matching between the tires and the wheel rims to minimize assembly vibration.

Wheel balancer system with improved matching capabilities

Wheel balancer with control circuit for controlling the application of power to the motor to facilitate mounting

A wheel balancer is provided that includes a shaft adapted for receiving a wheel/tire assembly, the shaft having a longitudinal axis and being rotatable about the axis so as to rotate a wheel/tire assembly removably mounted thereon, a sensor assembly for measuring rotation of the shaft about its longitudinal axis, a vibration sensor assembly for measuring vibration of the wheel/tire assembly as the wheel/tire assembly is rotated, a motor operably connected to the shaft for rotating the shaft about its longitudinal axis, a load roller for applying a generally radial force to the wheel/tire assembly during rotation of the wheel/tire assembly and a sensor for measuring the lateral force between the load roller and the wheel/tire assembly. A control circuit is also included that is responsive to the measured vibration of the wheel/tire assembly to determine wheel imbalance, and responsive to the measurement of lateral force to provide information relating to the measured lateral force to the user.

Wheel balancer with lateral force variation measurement

A wheel balancer is provided that includes a shaft adapted for receiving a wheel/tire assembly, the shaft having a longitudinal axis and being rotatable about the axis so as to rotate a wheel/tire assembly removably mounted thereon, a sensor assembly for measuring the rotation of the shaft about its longitudinal axis, a vibration sensor assembly for measuring vibration of the wheel/tire assembly as the wheel/tire assembly is rotated, a motor operatively connected to the shaft for rotating the shaft about its longitudinal axis, a load roller for applying a force greater than 150, pounds in a generally radial direction to the wheel/tire assembly during rotation of the wheel/tire assembly and a control circuit responsive to measurements from the vibration sensor assembly to determine imbalance.

Wheel balancer with load roller for applying substantial force to wheel/tire assembly

A wheel balancer is provided that includes a shaft adapted for receiving a wheel/tire assembly, the shaft having a longitudinal axis and being rotatable about the axis so as to rotate a wheel/tire assembly removably mounted thereon, a rotation sensor assembly for measuring rotation of the shaft about its longitudinal axis, a vibration sensor assembly operatively connected to the shaft for measuring vibration resulting from imbalance in the wheel/tire assembly, a motor operably connected to the shaft for rotating the shaft about its longitudinal axis, a load roller for applying force to the wheel/tire assembly during rotation thereof. A control circuit is also included for controlling the force applied by the load roller to the wheel/tire assembly during rotation. The control circuit causes the load roller to vary the force applied by the load roller to the wheel/tire assembly.

Wheel balancer using controlled load roller force variation

A wheel balancer is provided that includes a shaft adapted for receiving a wheel/tire assembly, the shaft having a longitudinal axis and being rotatable about the axis so as to rotate a wheel/tire assembly removably mounted thereon, a rotation sensor assembly for measuring rotation of the shaft about its longitudinal axis, a vibration sensor assembly for measuring vibration of the wheel/tire assembly as the wheel/tire assembly is rotated, a motor operably connected to the shaft for rotating the shaft about its longitudinal axis, a load roller for applying a generally radial force to the wheel/tire assembly during rotation of the wheel/tire assembly and a sensor for measuring the runout of the wheel rim of the wheel/tire assembly at the bead seat. A control circuit is also included that is responsive to the measured vibration of the wheel/tire assembly to determine wheel imbalance, and responsive to the measurements of wheel rim runout and to the loaded wheel/tire assembly measurement to determine an angular remount position of the tire on the rim to minimize some predetermined uniformity parameter of the tire or wheel/tire assembly.

Wheel balancer using wheel rim runout and loaded wheel/tire assembly measurements

A wheel balancer is provided that includes a shaft adapted for receiving a wheel/tire assembly, the shaft having a longitudinal axis and being rotatable about the axis so as to rotate a wheel/tire assembly removably mounted thereon, a rotation sensor for measuring rotation of the shaft about its longitudinal axis, a vibration sensor operatively connected to the shaft for measuring vibrations resulting from imbalance in the wheel/tire assembly and a motor operatively connected to the shaft for rotating the shaft about its longitudinal axis, thereby to rotate the wheel/tire assembly. A control circuit is also provided for controlling the application of power to the motor. The wheel balancer also includes an assembly for measuring runout of the rim of the wheel/tire assembly, the control circuit being responsive to a rim runout measurement signal to apply power to the motor such that the wheel/tire assembly rotates at a slow, controlled speed during measurement of the rim runout.

Wheel balancer with control circuit and rim runout measurement

A wheel balancer is provided that includes a shaft adapted for receiving a wheel/tire assembly, the shaft having a longitudinal axis and being rotatable about the axis so as to rotate a wheel/tire assembly removably mounted thereon. The wheel balancer also includes a rotation sensor for measuring the rotation of the shaft about its longitudinal axis, vibration sensor operatively connected to the shaft for measuring vibrations resulting from imbalance in the wheel/tire assembly and a motor operatively connected the shaft for rotating the shaft about its longitudinal axis, thereby rotating the wheel/tire assembly. A control circuit for controlling the application of power to the motor is also included. The control circuit controls the application of power to the motor to rotate the wheel/tire assembly and to actively hold the wheel/tire assembly at desired positions. The control circuit may also be connected to the rotation sensor and responsive to the measured rotation of the shaft and to software instructions stored in a memory to control a parameter of the rotation of the wheel/tire assembly. The parameter may be selected from a group consisting of direction of rotation of the wheel/tire assembly, speed of rotation of the wheel/tire assembly and torque applied to the wheel/tire assembly.

Wheel balancer for controlling the application of power to the motor and rotation of the wheel/tire assembly

A wheel balancer is provided that includes a shaft adapted for receiving a wheel/tire assembly, the shaft having a longitudinal axis and being rotatable about the axis so as to rotate a wheel/tire assembly removably mounted thereon, a rotation sensor for measuring rotation of the shaft about its longitudinal axis and a vibration sensor operatively connected to the shaft for measuring vibrations resulting from imbalance in the wheel/tire assembly. A motor operatively connected to the shaft for rotating the shaft about its longitudinal axis to rotate the wheel/tire assembly is also included. The wheel balancer further includes a control circuit for controlling the application of current to the motor to rotate the wheel/tire assembly at a plurality of sustainable speeds. The control circuit may also be adapted for determining from vibrations measured by the vibration sensor at least one weight placement position on the wheel/tire assembly to correct the vibrations. In that embodiment, a manually operable input device is included to set a desired speed of rotation of the wheel/tire assembly, the control circuit being responsive to the input device to cause the motor to rotate the wheel/tire assembly at the desired speed, whereby a user can input a desired speed and balancer tests the wheel/tire assembly at that speed.

Wheel balancer with speed setting

A wheel balancer has a shaft for receiving a wheel/tire assembly, a rotation sensor assembly for measuring rotation of the shaft about its longitudinal axis, a motor operatively connected to the shaft for rotating said shaft about its longitudinal axis, thereby to rotate the wheel/tire assembly, a vibration sensor assembly for measuring vibration of the wheel/tire assembly as the wheel/tire assembly is rotated, and a load roller for applying a generally radial force to the wheel/tire assembly during rotation of said wheel/tire assembly. Movement of the load roller is measured to determine loaded radial runout of the wheel/tire assembly while the force is applied thereto and a a tire stiffness value for the wheel/tire assembly is provided. A control circuit is responsive to the measured vibration of the wheel/tire assembly to determine wheel imbalance, and responsive to the determined imbalance, the measured loaded radial runout of the wheel/tire assembly, and the tire stiffness to determine the locations and magnitudes of correction weights to add to the wheel/tire assembly to reduce the vibration of the wheel/tire assembly when mounted on a traveling vehicle.

Wheel balancer with wheel rim runout measurement

A wheel balancer has an improved drive circuit and improved safety features. The drive circuit includes an H-bridge configuration, preferably utilizing MOSFET or IGBT transistors. The safety features include an electrical brake which operates upon removal of power to safely and reliably stop the rotation of the wheel/tire assembly being balanced. A hardware safety interlock is provided to limit rpm and/or travel of the wheel/tire assembly based upon preset criteria. A novel display system is included for displaying axial, radial, and/or loaded runout of the wheel/tire assembly.

Growing community of inventors

Kirkwood, MO, United States of America

Paul Daniel Parker