Mazda Motor Corporation

Tuyoshi Watanabe

Shunji Sakamoto

Shigeo Okamizu

Hiroshi Fujii

Yukio Munenaga

Akito Okamoto

Hironobu Koda

A toe angle adjusting method is a method wherein the toe angle of the rear wheels is adjusted for only one of the rear wheels, and the toe angle adjustment for the front wheels is performed subsequent to adjustment for the rear wheels. The toe angle adjustment for the front wheels is based on a composite angle of the rear wheels, or a forward direction, decided by a relative relationship between the rear wheels. The toe angle adjustment for the front wheels includes adjustment of a toe angle for the front wheels and a horizontal adjustment of the steering wheel to a horizontal position or neutral state. The toe angle of the front wheels is adjusted in a state when the front wheels are turned, and the horizontal adjustment for the steering wheel is performed by adjusting a tire angle of the front wheels. The toe angle adjustment for the front wheels is implemented on the basis of a forward advancing direction of the vehicle. This direction is determined on the basis of the relationship between the rear wheels. The toe angle of the front wheels is detected on the basis of the measured tire angle of the front wheels that is defined so as to contain a steered angle of the front wheels corresponding to a steered angle of the steering wheel. Thus the toe angle of the front wheels is adjusted.

Method for toe angle adjustment for a vehicle and a toe angle adjusting

A vehicle assembling-and-feeding system comprises an engine/suspension feeding line which travels through an engine assembly line and a first suspension assembly line for assembling one of front and rear suspensions to feed the engine and said one suspension, a suspension feeding line which travels through a second suspension assembly line for assembling the other suspension to feed the suspension, a body feeding line for feeding a vehicle body in indexed feed fashion, a slippage detecting station which is provided midway along the body feeding means to detect slippage in the position of the vehicle body fed by the body feeding means in indexed feed fashion, a mounting station disposed downstream of the slippage detecting station, and a mingling feed line which alternately feeds to the mounting station the material fed by the engine/suspension feeding means and the material fed by the suspension feeding means. An automatic mounting device is provided at the mounting station. The automatic mounting device has a pair of mounting tables which are three-dimensionally movable, one being adapted to receive the engine and said one suspension and the other being adapted to receive said other suspension. The automatic mounting device is controlled to compensate for the slippage of the position of the vehicle body detected at the slippage detecting station.

Vehicle assembling-and-feeding system

A weighty object mounting system includes a mounting table provided in a mounting station established in an assembly line for supporting a weighty object placed thereon to be mounted on a transportable object transported into the mounting station, a lifting device for lifting the mounting table to move the weighty object thereon into a mounting position provided on the transportable object, a position adjusting device for shifting the position of the mounting table so as to compensate for misalignments arising between the transportable object and the weighty object, a mounting table releasing device operative to cause the position adjusting device to make the mounting table movable in a plane along the direction of transportation of the transportable object in the mounting station, and a positioning device attached to the mounting table and having a tapered portion provided for engaging with a receiving portion provided on the transportable object when the mounting table ascends. A sensor is also provided for detecting such a condition that the tapered portion of the positioning device comes into engagement with the receiving portion of the transportable object, and the mounting table releasing device is controlled by a controller to operative in response to a detection output from the sensor.

Weighty object mounting systems

A weighty object mounting system comprises tact-transporting means for transporting a transportable object so as to have the same stop temporarily at each working stations, position detecting means for detecting a stop position of the transportable object stopped at one of the stations, a lifter provided in a mounting station and including a mounting portion provided for supporting a weighty object placed thereon and arranged to be movable forward and backward, right and left, and up and down in relation to the transportable object in the mounting station and a driving portion for moving the mounting portion so as to cause the weighty object to engage with the transportable object and to be automatically mounted to the same, and control means operative to supply the driving portion with control commands which direct the driving portion to cause the mounting portion to have each of predetermined movements at a predetermined timing, and operative also to calculate a misalignment between the transportable object and the weighty object in the mounting station on the strength of a detection output of the position detecting means and to cause the driving means to amend the movements of the mounting portion in response to the calculated misalignment.

The disclosure is directed to an improved method of controlling tire assembly lines, which makes it possible to correctly and continuously assemble a plurality of kinds of tires automatically by an assembling arrangement in one unit, and also to continuously and successively assemble tires required for respective types of motor vehicles in accordance with manufacturing sequence of the types of motor vehicles to be produced, through a production system which simultaneously manufactures motor vehicles of a plurality of types, specifications and standards by a single production line.

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Hiroshima, Japan

Tuyoshi Watanabe