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US 5,469,741 AGranted
Apparatus and methods for detecting imbalance
AssigneeLucas Automation & Control Engineering, Inc.
InventorsGeorge Scourtes, John P. Gagneur
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AssigneeLucas Automation & Control Engineering, Inc.
InventorsGeorge Scourtes, John P. Gagneur
Estimating the term…
An internal combustion engine having a rotary crankshaft and pistons reciprocable in cylinders is tested for imbalance by suspending the engine from above to preclude vertical displacement of the engine and clamping the engine horizontally to preclude horizontal displacement thereof. Force sensors act on the engine to detect both vertical and horizontal forces imposed on the engine in response to rotation of the crankshaft by a crankshaft driver and resulting reciprocation of the pistons at speeds sufficient to cause the imposition of horizontal and vertical forces on the engine by a moving, unbalanced mass. The forces may be measured and oriented to enable the imbalance to be corrected. The cylinders are evacuated during rotation of the crankshaft to avoid the imposition of loads on the moving parts of the engine during the test. Changes in torque due to changes in the speed of rotation of the crankshaft may be detected by load cells which are responsive to rocking movements of the crankshaft driver.
Apparatus for testing for imbalance a workpiece having at least one rotatable element, said apparatus comprising means for positioning said workpiece in a test position;
Apparatus for testing for imbalance a workpiece having a rotatable shaft and at least one part coupled to said shaft for reciprocable movement in response to rotation of said shaft, said apparatus comprising frame means defining a test station;
Apparatus for testing for imbalance a workpiece having at least one rotary element, said apparatus comprising frame means defining a test station;
A method of testing for imbalance a workpiece having at least one rotary element, said method comprising clamping said workpiece in a test position under sufficient force to restrain virtually any movement of said workpiece from said position;
A method of testing for imbalance a workpiece having at least one rotary element, said method comprising immobilizing said workpiece in a test position from which said workpiece is virtually incapable of movement in either a horizontal or vertical plane;
A method of testing for imbalance a workpiece having rotary and reciprocable elements, said method comprising suspending said workpiece from an overhead support by vertically rigid supporting means so that said workpiece occupies a test position from which said workpiece is virtually immovable in a vertical plane;
A method of testing for imbalance an internal combustion engine having a rotary crankshaft and at least one piston coupled to said crankshaft for reciprocation in a cylinder, said method comprising immobilizing said engine in a test position from which said engine is virtually incapable of any movement;
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.