Shaft alignment device

A shaft alignment device for aligning a fixed shaft and a movable shaft for coupling comprising;

• a pair of substantially similar clamping members adapted to be secured one on each of said shafts, said clamping members each comprising;
• a rectangular base portion having a centrally located inverted V-slot in its bottom surface, a generally rectangular extended neck portion extending upwardly therefrom, a top portion extending laterally to one side beyond the width of said neck portion and machined on a radius to define a top surface forming an arc of a cirlce having its center concentric with the shaft on which said clamping member is mounted,
• said top portion having a transversely extending hole, with a center line coplanar with the center of said base member, receiving and supporting gauge-supporting members,
• a rectangular lower clamp member having a matching V-groove to said V-groove in the base portion,
• means to clamp said lower clamp member and said base portion securely around shafts of various size with said V-slots contacting the outer surface of said shafts,
• a pair of elongated gauge-supporting members supported one in each of said clamping members and extending normal thereto,
• one of said gauge-supporting members extending outward from one side of one of said clamping members, and the other gauge-supporting member extending outward from the other side of the other clamping member whereby said gauge-supporting members may be positioned extending toward each other in overlapping relation when said clamping members are positioned on said shafts for alignment thereof,
• a gauge holding rod extending laterally from and carried by the end of each of said gauge-supporting members, and
• a pair of dial indicator gauges mounted one on each of said rods, each having a feeler adapted to be positioned to contact the surface of the opposing clamping member whereby readings are taken from the surface thereof in different angular orientations of said apparatus on said shafts to determine the amount of misalignment and make adjustments in said alignment.

A method of aligning a fixed shaft and a movable shaft for coupling comprising;

• securing a pair of substantially similar clamping members one on each of said shafts, with an elongated gauge-supporting member supported in each of said clamping members extending normal thereto toward each other in overlapping relation, a gauge holding rod extending laterally from and carried by the end of each of said gauge-supporting members, and a pair of dial indicator gauges mounted one on each of said rods, each having a feeler,
• positioning each of said indicator gauges with the feelers of each contacting the surface of the opposing clamping member,
• making a horizontal adjustment of said shafts by zeroing said indicator gauges,
• rotating said clamping members together a distance of 180.degree., and reading said indicator gauges,
• resetting said indicator gauges to one-half said reading,
• rotating said clamping members together a further 180.degree.,
• adjusting said movable shaft horizontally until both indicator gauges read zero,
• making a vertical adjustment of said shafts by
• positioning said clamping members with both indicator gauges on top,
• resetting said indicator gauges to set the sag as a plus reading,
• rotating said clamping members together 180.degree. to the bottom,
• reading said indicator gauges in said bottom position,
• adjusting the vertical position of said movable shaft by the amount of said gauge readings to align said shafts vertically, and
• repeating the horizontal adjustment by the steps previously defined.