Winding – tensioning – or guiding – Unwinding – With material end separator
Reexamination Certificate
2002-03-28
2003-09-09
Williams, Hezron (Department: 2856)
Winding, tensioning, or guiding
Unwinding
With material end separator
C073S468000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06616089
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a system for dispensing adhesive imbalance correction weight for correcting imbalance in rotary elements. The invention is disclosed in the context of correcting imbalance in vehicle wheel-and-tire assemblies. The invention is believed to be useful in other applications as well.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In recent years, some vehicle wheel designs have evolved that do not permit the use of pound-on imbalance correcting weights on the outwardly facing, or “curb” side of the wheel. These wheels are sometimes called “flangeless” or “soft face” wheels. Flangeless or soft face wheels generally require adhesive weights to be applied from the car side of the tire and wheel assembly to the inside diameter of the wheel to correct some portion of the imbalance in the assembly. Currently, an operator selects a specific size weight from a row of bins, removes the protective tape and applies the weight to the wheel. This process is slow and it is easy for the operator to select the wrong weight. In addition, typical currently available adhesive weights are made from pieces of lead with protective coatings to reduce the likelihood of direct worker contact with the lead. These one-piece weights are preformed to a specific wheel radius. Workers sometimes reshape the weights to the radius of a wheel for which the weights were not originally made. Otherwise, optimal adherence of the adhesive weight will not be achieved. These characteristics lead to additional work and rework at imbalance correcting stations for wheel and tire assemblies.
Another currently available system pulls extruded lead, with adhesive already applied, from a coil of extruded lead, forms the extruded lead to a particular radius, and then cuts the amount of extruded lead necessary to achieve a particular amount of imbalance correction. Weights formed using this system leave the ends of the lead weights exposed to contact with workers. This exposed lead is unacceptable to many manufacturers. Also, as noted, this system forms the extruded lead to only one radius. Again, this means that if the weight is to be applied to a wheel having another radius, the worker must reshape the weight to the desired curvature. Additionally, lead is heavy, resulting in the coils having limited capacity. This results in frequent replacement of the somewhat unwieldy coils.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to several aspects of the invention, apparatus is provided for dispensing imbalance correction weight for attachment to a rotary element to reduce an imbalance in the rotary element. The imbalance correction weight includes one or more individual weights provided on a length of tape.
According to one of these aspects of the invention, the apparatus includes a blade and an anvil which cooperate to cut the tape, and a sequencer for sequencing relative movement of the blade and the anvil in a blade-moving stroke and an anvil-moving stroke, respectively.
Illustratively according to this aspect of the invention, the sequencer includes a spring for biasing the blade away from the anvil to sequence the anvil-moving stroke to occur before the blade-moving stroke.
Further illustratively according to this aspect of the invention, the apparatus includes a blade carriage carrying the blade, and an anvil carriage carrying the anvil. The blade carriage and the anvil carriage are mounted on a frame for relative movement.
Additionally illustratively according to this aspect of the invention, the sequencer includes a stop for engaging the anvil carriage to end the anvil-moving stroke.
Illustratively according to this aspect of the invention, the stop includes a first adjustable member for adjusting the excursion of the anvil during the anvil-moving stroke.
Further illustratively according to this aspect of the invention, the stop includes a second adjustable member engaging the anvil carriage to position the anvil before the anvil-moving stroke. The first adjustable member engages the anvil carriage to end the anvil-moving stroke.
Additionally illustratively according to this aspect of the invention, a motor is coupled to the blade carriage and the anvil carriage for moving the blade during the blade-moving stroke and the anvil during the anvil-moving stroke.
Illustratively according to this aspect of the invention, the motor includes a cylinder and a rod extensible from the cylinder in response to fluid flow. The cylinder is coupled to one of the anvil carriage and the blade carriage. The rod is coupled to the other of the anvil carriage and the blade carriage.
According to yet another aspect of the invention, the apparatus includes a tape divider for dividing the tape, and a sensor for counting individual weights. The tape divider divides the tape when the sensor has counted a number of individual weights necessary to reduce the imbalance.
Illustratively according to this aspect of the invention, the sensor is a photosensor.
Additionally illustratively according to this aspect of the invention, the sensor is positioned immediately upstream from a dividing zone in which the tape divider operates to divide the tape.
Further illustratively according to this aspect of the invention, the apparatus includes a guide for directing the imbalance correction weight toward the tape divider. The guide includes a wall and a bias mechanism for sequentially biasing one or more individual weights against the wall. The sensor is positioned to count a weight when the weight is biased against the wall by the bias mechanism.
Illustratively according to this aspect of the invention, the wall includes an opening. The sensor senses the weight through the opening.
Further illustratively according to this aspect of the invention, the guide includes a channel through which the imbalance correction weights pass on their way to the tape divider, and the sensor is positioned across the channel from the bias mechanism.
According to another aspect of the invention, the apparatus includes a tape divider for dividing the tape and a guide for directing the imbalance correction weight toward the tape divider. The guide includes a wall and a bias mechanism between which the imbalance correction weight is directed. The bias mechanism yieldably biases a portion of the imbalance correction weight against the wall.
Illustratively according to this aspect of the invention, the bias mechanism includes a body and a first bias element for yieldably biasing a portion of the body toward the wall to bias a portion of the imbalance correction weight against the wall.
Further illustratively according to this aspect of the invention, the apparatus including a frame. The body is mounted on the frame for pivotal movement in response to variations in the size of the individual weights and the compressibility of the tape.
Additionally illustratively according to this aspect of the invention, the bias mechanism includes a second bias element for yieldably biasing the portion of the body away from the wall to maintain a space between the body and the wall when no imbalance correction weight is between the body and the wall.
Illustratively according to this aspect of the invention, the first bias element exerts a force on the body of a first distance from a pivot axis of the body and the second bias element exerts a force on the body at a second distance from the pivot axis, the first distance being greater than the second distance.
Further illustratively according to this aspect of the invention, each of the first and second bias elements includes a plunger and a spring yieldably biasing the plunger against the body.
According to yet another aspect of the invention, the individual weights are provided on a first side of a length of tape, and a removable backing is provided on a second side of the tape. The apparatus includes a tape divider for dividing the tape and a driver for removing the backing from the second side to move the imbalance correction weight toward the tape divider.
Illustratively according to this aspect of the invention, the driver includes a w
Eck Todd L.
Gross Peter L.
Barnes & Thornburg
Bellamy Tamiko
Illinois Tool Works Inc.
Williams Hezron
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