The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jan. 11, 1994
Filed:
Mar. 04, 1992
James R Lehman, Potterville, MI (US);
Walter S Smith, Rockford, MI (US);
Burke E. Porter Machinery Company, Grand Rapids, MI (US);
Abstract
A wheel centering device for use in a motor vehicle test platform employs mechanically synchronized centering rolls to position the driven wheel of a vehicle to be tested at the top center of the dynamometer roll. The centering rolls may be pivotally supported on a pair of lift brackets which are provided with toothed gear sections at their pivot ends for mechanical synchronization. Alternatively, the centering rolls may be supported on carriages disposed on opposite sides of the vertical centerline and movable on carriage tracks extending in upwardly sloping inclined planes disposed on opposite sides of the vertical centerline of the dynamometer roll. Movement of the carriages may be synchronized by means of a drive shaft consisting of two oppositely threaded ball screw sections and ball nuts, each attached to one of the carriages. Rotation of the shaft in one direction causes the carriages and the centering rolls to approach the vehicle wheel while maintaining an equal distance between each of the centering rolls and the vertical centerline of the dynamometer. Furthermore, movement of the carriages may be synchronized by means of an interconnected chain and sprocket system in which a driven chain is connected to one of the carriages and engages a two-chain sprocket and another chain is connected to the other carriage and the same two-chain sprocket.