Apparatus and method for automatically compensating for lateral runout

An on-vehicle brake lathe system for resurfacing a brake disc of a vehicle brake assembly, the on-vehicle brake lathe system comprising a lathe body with a driving motor, a cutting head operably attached to the lathe body, and a drive shaft, the on-vehicle brake lathe system being further defined by an alignment system including:

• an electronic controller operable to produce a control signal;
• an input adaptor configured to rotate with the drive shaft;
• an output adaptor configured to rotate with the drive shaft;
• at least one adjustment disc positioned between the input adaptor and the output adaptor, wherein an axial alignment of the input adaptor relative to the output adaptor is varied according to a rotational orientation of the adjustment disc;
• and
• an adjustment mechanism connected to receive the control signal from the electronic controller and configured to change the rotational orientation of the adjustment disc in response to the control signal from the electronic controller;
• wherein the adjustment mechanism comprises a stop disc operable in a first state to follow the rotation of the drive shaft and operable in a second state to rotate relative to the rotation of the drive shaft to change the rotational orientation of the adjustment disc.

An on-vehicle brake lathe system for resurfacing a brake disc of a vehicle brake assembly, the on-vehicle brake lathe system comprising a lathe body with a driving motor, a cutting head operably attached to the lathe body, and a drive shaft, the on-vehicle brake lathe system being further defined by an alignment system including:

• an electronic controller operable to produce a control signal;
• an input adaptor configured to rotate with the drive shaft;
• an output adaptor configured to rotate with the drive shaft;
• a first adjustment disc positioned between the input adaptor and the output adaptor;
• a second adjustment disc positioned between the input adaptor and the output adaptor, wherein the axial alignment of the input adaptor relative to the output adaptor is varied according to the rotational orientation, of the adjustment discs relative to each other;
• and
• an adjustment mechanism connected to receive the control signal from the electronic controller and configured to change the rotational orientation of the adjustment discs in response to the control signal from the electronic controller;
• wherein:
• the adjustment mechanism comprises a first stop disc associated with the first adjustment disc and a second stop disc associated with the second adjustment disc;
• each stop disc is operable in a first state to follow the rotation of the drive shaft and operable in a second state to rotate relative to the rotation of the drive shaft to change the rotational orientation of the associated adjustment disc;
• and
• the adjustment mechanism further comprises a stop mechanism associated with the stop discs.

An on-vehicle brake lathe system for resurfacing a brake disc of a vehicle brake assembly, the on-vehicle brake lathe system comprising a lathe body with a driving motor, a cutting head operably attached to the lathe body, and a drive shaft, the on-vehicle brake lathe system being further defined by an alignment system including:

• an electronic controller operable to produce a control signal;
• an input adaptor configured to rotate with the drive shaft;
• an output adaptor configured to rotate with the drive shaft;
• at least one adjustment disc positioned between the input adaptor and the output adaptor, wherein an axial alignment of the input adaptor relative to the output adaptor is varied according to a rotational orientation of the adjustment disc;
• an adjustment mechanism connected to receive the control signal from the electronic controller and configured to change the rotational orientation of the adjustment disc in response to the control signal from the electronic controller;
• and
• a component for measuring lateral runout of the brake disc of the vehicle brake assembly and providing the measurement to the electronic controller, wherein the electronic controller produces the control signal based on the measurement.

An automatic alignment assembly for use in an on-vehicle brake lathe system for resurfacing a brake disc of a vehicle brake assembly, the alignment system comprising:

• a component operable to produce a signal indicative of movement of the lathe body;
• an electronic controller connected to receive the signal from the component and operable to produce a control signal using the signal from the component;
• an input adaptor configured to rotate with a drive shaft of a brake lathe system;
• an output adaptor configured to rotate with the drive shaft;
• at least one adjustment disc positioned between the input adaptor and the output adaptor, wherein an axial alignment of the input adaptor relative to the output adaptor is varied according to a rotational orientation of the adjustment disc;
• and
• an adjustment mechanism connected to receive the control signal from the electronic controller and configured to change the rotational orientation of the adjustment disc in response to the control signal from the electronic controller.

An automatic alignment assembly for use in an on-vehicle brake lathe system for resurfacing a brake disc of a vehicle brake assembly, the alignment system comprising:

• an electronic controller operable to produce a control signal;
• an input adaptor configured to rotate with a drive shaft of a brake lathe system;
• an output adaptor configured to rotate with the drive shaft;
• at least one adjustment disc positioned between the input adaptor and the output adaptor, wherein an axial alignment of the input adaptor relative to the output adaptor is varied according to a rotational orientation of the adjustment disc;
• and
• an adjustment mechanism connected to receive the control signal from the electronic controller and configured to change the rotational orientation of the adjustment disc in response to the control signal from the electronic controller;
• wherein:
• the adjustment mechanism comprises a stop disc operable in a first state to follow the rotation of the drive shaft and operable in a second state to rotate relative to the rotation of the drive shaft to change the rotational orientation of the adjustment disc;
• and
• the adjustment mechanism further comprises a stop mechanism associated with the stop disc and operable to move between a first position in which the stop disc operates in the first state and a second position in which the stop disc is caused to operate in the second state.

An automatic alignment assembly for use in an on-vehicle brake lathe system for resurfacing a brake disc of a vehicle brake assembly, the alignment system comprising:

• an electronic controller operable to produce a control signal;
• an input adaptor configured to rotate with a drive shaft of a brake lathe system;
• an output adaptor configured to rotate with the drive shaft;
• at least one adjustment disc positioned between the input adaptor and the output adaptor, wherein an axial alignment of the input adaptor relative to the output adaptor is varied according to a rotational orientation of the adjustment disc;
• an adjustment mechanism connected to receive the control signal from the electronic controller and configured to change the rotational orientation of the adjustment disc in response to the control signal from the electronic controller;
• and
• a component for measuring lateral runout of the brake disc of the vehicle brake assembly and providing the measurement to the electronic controller, wherein the electronic controller produces the control signal based on the measurement.

An apparatus for aligning the axes of two rotating shafts comprising:

• an electronic controller operable to produce a control signal;
• a first input adaptor configured to rotate with a first shaft;
• second output adaptor configured to rotate with the second shaft;
• at least one adjustment disc positioned between the input adaptor and the output adaptor, wherein an axial alignment of the input adaptor relative to the output adaptor is varied according to a rotational orientation of the adjustment disc;
• an adjustment mechanism connected to receive the control signal from the electronic controller and configured to change the rotational orientation of the adjustment disc in response to the commands from the electronic controller;
• and
• a component operable to produce a signal indicative of movement of an element coupled to the input adaptor;
• wherein the electronic controller is connected to receive the signal from the component and operable to use the signal from the component in producing the control signal.

An on-vehicle brake lathe system for resurfacing a brake disc of a vehicle brake assembly, the on-vehicle brake lathe system including a lathe body with a driving motor, a cutting head operably attached to the body, and a drive shaft, the on-vehicle brake lathe system being further defined by an alignment system comprising:

• an input adaptor configured to rotate with the drive shaft;
• an output adaptor configured to rotate with the drive shaft;
• a stop disc system including one or more stop discs;
• one or more adjustment discs operable to rotate in response to the relative rotation of at least one stop disc, the one or more adjustment discs being operable to adjust the axial alignment of the drive shaft with respect to an axis of rotation of the brake disc;
• and
• a stop mechanism associated with the stop disc system wherein the stop mechanism is operable to cause at least one of the stop discs to rotate.

An on-vehicle brake lathe system for resurfacing a brake disc of a vehicle brake assembly, the on-vehicle brake lathe system comprising a lathe body with a driving motor, a cutting head operably attached to the body, and a drive shaft, the on-car brake lathe system further defined by an alignment system comprising:

• an input adaptor configured to rotate with the drive shaft;
• an output adaptor configured to rotate with the drive shaft;
• a stop disc system comprising two pairs of stop discs and a stop mechanism operable to cause any of the stop discs to rotate;
• and
• one or more adjustment discs operable to rotate in response to the relative rotation of at least one stop disc, the adjustment discs configured to be capable of adjusting the axial alignment of the drive shaft with respect to all axis of rotation of the brake disc.

An on-vehicle brake lathe system for resurfacing a brake disc of a vehicle brake assembly, the on-vehicle brake lathe system comprising a lathe body with a driving motor, a cutting head operably attached to the lathe body, and a drive shaft, the on-vehicle brake lathe system being further defined by an alignment system including:

• a component operable to produce a signal indicative of movement of the lathe body,
• an electronic controller operable to receive the signal from the component and to produce a control signal using the signal from the component;
• an input adaptor configured to rotate with the drive shaft;
• an output adaptor configured to rotate with the drive shaft;
• an adjustment element extending from one of the input adaptor and the output adaptor, wherein an axial alignment of the input adaptor relative to the output adaptor is varied according to an amount by which the adjustment element extends from the one of the input adaptor and the output adaptor;
• and
• an adjustment mechanism connected to receive the control signal from the electronic controller and configured to change the amount by which the adjustment element extends in response to the control signal from the electronic controller.

An automatic alignment assembly for use in an on-vehicle brake lathe system for resurfacing a brake disc of a vehicle brake assembly, the alignment system comprising:

• a component operable to produce a signal indicative of movement of the lathe body;
• an electronic controller connected to receive the signal from the component and operable to produce a control signal using the signal from the component;
• an input adaptor configured to rotate with a drive shaft of a brake lathe system;
• an output adaptor configured to rotate with the drive shaft;
• an adjustment element extending from one of the input adaptor and the output adaptor, wherein an axial alignment of the input adaptor relative to the output adaptor is varied according to an amount by which the adjustment element extends from the one of the input adaptor and the output adaptor;
• and
• an adjustment mechanism connected to receive the control signal from the electronic controller and configured to change the amount by which the adjustment element extends in response to the control signal from the electronic controller.