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US 2010/0059154 A1Published application
Apparatus and method for dispensing vehicle ballasting weights
OwnerJack L. Perecmaninventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus for and a method of dispensing a vehicle ballasting weight for balancing a portion of a vehicle. The method comprises dispensing a vehicle ballasting weight material comprising a flexible polymeric matrix material filled with a high density particulate material, and severing an incremental length of the vehicle ballasting weight material from an initial length of the weight material, where the incremental length can correspond exactly to a desired mass for the vehicle ballasting weight.
Claims26
A method of dispensing a vehicle ballasting weight having a mass suitable for balancing a portion of a vehicle, said method comprising:
- sandwiching a length of a vehicle ballasting weight material, which is longer than it is either wide or thick, between opposing movable surfaces that are movable in the same direction such that each movable surface makes contact with an opposite surface of the weight material;
- moving a leading end of the length of vehicle ballasting weight material an incremental distance past a severing position by moving the opposing movable surfaces in a direction toward the severing position while the weight material is sandwiched therebetween;
- and
- severing the vehicle ballasting weight material at the severing position, during or after said moving, to form an incremental length of the weight material,
- wherein the vehicle ballasting weight material comprises a flexible polymeric matrix material filled with a high density particulate material, and the incremental length corresponds, within a high degree of accuracy, to an exact mass of the vehicle ballasting weight that is suitable for balancing a portion of a vehicle.
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An apparatus comprising:
- a movable belt mounting element and a stationary belt mounting element, said movable element being disposed within an opening in said stationary element;
- at least two parallel links, each of said links having one end pivotally mounted to said movable belt mounting element and another end pivotally mounted to said stationary belt mounting element, with said opening being dimensioned to allow pivotal movement of said movable element within said opening and about said links;
- a belt pressure actuating assembly having one end mounted to said stationary belt mounting element, and another end mounted to said movable belt mounting element and between said links, such that said belt pressure actuating assembly has a longitudinal axis positioned at an obtuse or acute angle to a longitudinal axis of said movable element;
- a first drive belt assembly mounted to said stationary belt mounting element and, spaced therefrom, an opposing second drive belt assembly mounted to said movable belt mounting element, with said first drive belt assembly comprising a first drive belt defining one opposing movable surface, said second drive belt assembly comprising a second drive belt defining another opposing movable surface, said second drive belt being spaced from said first drive belt so as to form a gap therebetween through which a length of vehicle ballasting weight is moved, each said drive belt being disposed over a plurality of pulleys so as to rotate as said pulleys rotate, said first drive belt assembly further comprising a drive gear, said second drive belt assembly further comprising a driven gear, at least one pulley from the corresponding plurality of pulleys being mounted so as to rotate with said drive gear, at least one pulley from the other plurality of pulleys being mounted so as to rotate with said driven gear, and said drive gear and said driven gear being mounted such that the rotation of said drive gear drives the rotation of said driven gear, said first drive belt and said second drive belt;
- a severing device mounted downstream from said drive belts for severing an incremental length of vehicle ballasting weight material from a length of vehicle ballasting weight material being moved downstream through said gap.
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Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.