Centering mechanisms for precision alignment of a component or ware
AssigneeCorning Incorporated
InventorsAlejandro Aguilar, Kevin Eugene Elliott
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Centering apparatuses and methods for precision placement of a product or component, such as a ceramic honeycomb body, prior to a post-production processing steps are provided. In particular, after extrusion of a component or ware, the component or ware oftentimes requires one or more post-production processing steps in order to obtain a final product. The centering apparatuses and methods described herein provide for the precise and accurate centering of the product (or component) prior to performing these post-production processing steps, thereby obtaining repeatable, consistent, high-quality final products.
Claims20
A centering apparatus for centering a ware, comprising:
- at least a first moveable arm and at least a second moveable arm that are configured to be positioned on opposite sides of the ware;
- a first rotatable support secured to the first moveable arm, wherein the first rotatable support is configured to rotate about a first rotation axis;
- a first pair of followers mounted to the first rotatable support;
- second and third rotatable supports secured to a second moveable arm, wherein the second and third rotatable supports are configured to rotate about second and third rotation axes, respectively, wherein the second and third rotation axes are coincident with each other;
- and
- a second and a third pair of followers mounted to the second and third rotatable supports, respectively, wherein the second and third rotation axes of the second and third rotatable supports are perpendicular to the first rotation axis of the first rotatable support.
A method for centering a component, the method comprising:
- positioning the component between two or more moveable arms comprising first and second moveable arms that are configured to be positioned on opposite sides of the component;
- engaging, by a first pair of followers, a vertical circumferential side surface of the component, wherein the first pair of followers is mounted to a first rotatable support that is secured to the first moveable arm, and wherein the first rotatable support is configured to rotate about a first rotation axis;
- engaging, by second and third pairs of followers, an opposite side of the vertical circumferential side surface of the component, wherein the second and third pairs of followers are mounted to second and third rotatable supports, respectively, which are secured to the second moveable arm, and wherein the second and third rotatable supports are configured to rotate about second and third rotation axes, respectively, wherein the second and third rotation axes are coincident with each other, and wherein the first rotation axis is perpendicular to the second and third rotation axes;
- and
- centering the component relative to the two or more moveable arms with the first, second, and third pairs of followers.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.