Skillet Conveyor Drive Adjusting Method and Tool
AssigneeGM Global Technology Operations LLC
InventorChristopher E. Bacalia
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and a tool are provided for adjusting a skillet conveyor drive having a motor-driven drive wheel mounted on an adjustable mounting mechanism including a threaded rod that is biased toward the skillet by a spring mechanism and wherein the compression of the spring is adjusted by rotating an adjusting nut. The method includes pulling on the threaded rod, measuring the force required for the pulling by reading a load cell indicator, using a look up table to correlate the measured force with a desired force, and then adjusting the nut to achieve the desire force. The tool can be removed and then moved to another skillet conveyor drive.
Claims18
A method for adjusting a skillet conveyor drive having a motor-driven drive wheel mounted on an adjustable mounting mechanism including a threaded rod that is biased toward the skillet by a spring mechanism and wherein the compression of the spring is adjusted by rotating an adjusting nut, said method comprising:
- determining the desired pounds of force by which the drive wheel should be forced against the skillet to obtain optimal operation of the skillet conveyor;
- pulling on the adjusting rod to compress the spring mechanism just enough to move the drive wheel away from engagement with the skillet;
- measuring the pounds of force that was needed to pull the adjustment rod to move the drive wheel away from engagement with the skillet;
- referring to a look up table that correlates a measured pounds of force at the condition in which the drive wheel is pulled away from engagement to the corresponding pounds of force that will be applied to the skillet when that compressive force is subsequently released by relieving the pulling on the adjusting rod to again let the drive wheel engage the skillet;
- and adjusting the adjusting nut as needed to adjust the measured pounds of force to that level which when the pulling of the adjusting rod is released will apply the drive wheel to the skillet at the earlier determined desired pounds of force by which the drive wheel should be forced against the skillet to obtain optimal operation of the skillet conveyor.
A method for adjusting a skillet conveyor drive having a motor-driven drive wheel mounted on an adjustable mounting mechanism including a threaded rod that is biased toward the skillet by a spring mechanism and wherein the compression of the spring is adjusted by rotating an adjusting nut, said method comprising:
- determining the desired pounds of force by which the drive wheel should be forced against the skillet to obtain optimal operation of the skillet conveyor;
- pulling on the adjusting rod to compress the spring mechanism just enough to move the drive wheel away from engagement with the skillet;
- said pulling being performed by an adjustment tool device including a load cell;
- reading the load cell to determine the pounds of force that was needed to pull the adjustment rod to move the drive wheel away from engagement with the skillet;
- referring to a look up table that correlates a measured pounds of force at the condition in which the drive wheel is pulled away from engagement to the corresponding pounds of force that will be applied to the skillet when that compressive force is subsequently released by relieving the pulling on the adjusting rod to again let the drive wheel engage the skillet;
- and adjusting the adjusting nut as needed to adjust the measured pounds of force to that level which when the pulling of the adjusting rod is released will apply the drive wheel to the skillet at the earlier determined desired pounds of force by which the drive wheel should be forced against the skillet to obtain optimal operation of the skillet conveyor.
An adjusting tool for adjusting a skillet conveyor drive having a motor-driven drive wheel mounted on an adjustable mounting mechanism including a threaded rod that is biased toward the skillet by a spring mechanism reacting against a fixed support and wherein the compression of the spring is adjusted by rotating an adjusting nut, said adjusting tool comprising:
- a tubular housing;
- legs that support the tubular housing against the fixed support, a piston within the tubular housing and having a threaded stem that is pulled by tightening a hex nut;
- and a load cell that is interposed between the hex nut and the tubular housing to measure the force that is needed to pull on the adjusting rod to compress the spring mechanism just enough to move the drive wheel away from engagement with the skillet.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.