Inspection device and method for cylindrical work pieces

A device for checking the concentricity of a cylindrical workpiece, comprising:

• a frame;
• a first bearing support rotatably mounted on said frame for supporting said workpiece at a position under said workpiece, the intersection of said first bearing support and said workpiece defining a first tangent;
• a second bearing support rotatably mounted on said frame for supporting said workpiece at a position on one side of said workpiece, said workpiece thereby being allowed to rotate freely on said first and second bearing supports, the intersection of said second bearing support and said workpiece defining a second tangent orthogonal to said first tangent, said first and second bearing supports locating said cylindrical workpiece geometrically in a reference position to allow a measurement of the diameter of said workpiece to be made between said first bearing support and the location opposite the intersection of said first bearing support and said workpiece, said diameter being measured as said workpiece is rotated on said first and second bearing supports to check the concentricity of said workpiece;
• and
• biasing means for maintaining said workpiece in contact with said first and second bearing supports.

A device for checking the concentricity of a cylindrical workpiece, comprising:

• a frame;
• lower support means mounted on said frame for rotatably supporting said workpiece at a first location on the exterior perimeter of said workpiece, said first location defining a first tangent;
• side support means mounted on said frame for rotatably supporting said workpiece at a second location on the exterior perimeter of said workpiece, said second location defining a second tangent orthogonal to said first tangent;
• biasing means for retaining said workpiece on said first and second support means;
• and
• indicator means for measuring the diameter of said workpiece at a third location on the exterior of said workpiece opposite said first location, the diameter of said workpiece being measured between said first location and said third location while said workpiece is rotated.

A device for checking the concentricity of a cylindrical workpiece, comprising:

• a lower frame member;
• a lower bearing support for locating and carrying said cylindrical workpiece;
• a side frame member;
• a side bearing support for carrying said cylindrical workpiece at a location 90.degree. from said lower bearing support;
• and
• means for retaining said workpiece in contact with said lower and side bearing supports while said workpiece is rotated to check concentricity thereof at a location on said workpiece opposite said lower bearing support.

A method of checking concentricity in a cylindrical workpiece, comprising:

• supporting said workpiece on a first bearing;
• establishing a reference point from which the diameter of said workpiece may be monitored;
• maintaining said workpiece on said first bearing by using a second bearing to orient said workpiece on said first bearing, said second bearing contacting said workpiece at a location defining a tangent orthogonal to the tangent defined by the point at which said first bearing contacts said workpiece;
• biasing said workpiece to maintain said workpiece in contact with said first and second bearings;
• rotating said workpiece on said first and second bearings;
• and
• monitoring the diameter of said workpiece with respect to said reference point as said workpiece is rotated to check the concentricity of said workpiece.

A method of checking the concentricity of a cylindrical workpiece comprising:

• supporting said workpiece for rotation at a first location on the outer perimeter of said workpiece adjacent one end of said workpiece;
• supporting said workpiece for rotation at a second location on the outer perimeter of said workpiece, said second location being 90.degree. from said first location;
• measuring the outer diameter of said workpiece at a third location on the outer perimeter of said workpiece adjacent said one end of said workpiece, said third location being 180.degree. from said first location;
• and
• rotating said workpiece to check for differing diameters around the perimeter of said workpiece at said one end of said workpiece.

A holding fixture for rotatably supporting a thin-walled cylindrical workpiece so that measurements of concentricity can be made comprising:

• a base plate providing a first horizontal reference plane along the upper surface thereof;
• an upright plate rigidly mounted to the base plate at right angles thereto and defining a vertical reference plane along a surface adjacent the base plate;
• a pair of end supports mounted to opposite edges of the base plate and extending above the horizontal reference plane;
• a first axle removably mounted between said end supports and extending along the horizontal reference plane in contact therewith;
• a pair of support rollers mounted for rotation on said axle adjacent opposite ends thereof;
• a pair of recesses in the base plate situated to receive the portions of the support rollers extending below the axle;
• a second axle mounted in a fixed position in contact with the vertical reference plane and carrying a support roller thereon approximately midway between opposed edges of the upright plate, the first and second axles being positioned so that their centers lie on two orthogonal diameters of the workpiece when a workpiece is positioned on the fixture, the support roller on the second axle being partially received within a recess in the upright plate along the vertical reference plane surface;
• and
• a hinged plate pivotably connected to the base plate along an edge remote from the upright plate, the hinged plate having a shaft supporting a pair of guide rollers for urging the workpiece against the support rollers of the first and second axles as the workpiece is rotated thereon.