Jerry R Hill

US Patent:

43388183, Jul 13, 1982

Filed:

Jul 28, 1980

Appl. No.:

6/172724

Inventors:

Jerry M. Hill - North Little Rock AR
Ronald W. Carter - Conway AR

Assignee:

FMC Corporation - Chicago IL

International Classification:

G01M 122

US Classification:

73462

Abstract:

Force transducers are coupled to the shaft of a wheel unbalance measuring device to provide periodic electrical signals indicative of unbalance forces. Operation of the system while a known unbalance is mounted on the shaft provides data from which calibration constants for the system are calculated. The measuring system is adaptable to implement certain system self diagnostic processes. The system may continuously drive the shaft and display the force transducer output peak values so that the transducers may be monitored for excessive noise and for normal operation. The balancer shaft may also be run continuously and two plane unbalance displayed so that the stability of the system may be monitored. In each of the latter two diagnostic capabilities readings are taken by the system over a predetermined number of shaft revolutions so that noise frequencies imparted to the data by the drive components may be substantially eliminated.

US Patent:

47617497, Aug 2, 1988

Filed:

Jan 21, 1987

Appl. No.:

7/006031

Inventors:

Raymond Titsworth - Conway AR
J. Tom Lipe - Little Rock AR
James L. Dale - Conway AR
Hanford D. Monroe - Conway AR
Jerry M. Hill - North Little Rock AR

Assignee:

FMC Corporation - Chicago IL

International Classification:

G01B 7315
G01B 11275

US Classification:

364559

Abstract:

A wheel alignment system includes either four wheel mountable alignment heads or two alignment heads and two retroreflectors or two alignment heads alone together with a control console and display. A main process unit is included in the console for performing calculations and for controlling systems function control components communications sequences. Each console function control component includes its own controller. The control console further includes a CRT display module and optional voice instruction and printer output modules. A bar code reader is available for quick specifications entry. Communications and decision making instructions are downloaded from the controller in each console function control component to the main processing unit at initialization. Communication between the heads and the console is accomplished either through the use of conducting cords or infrared transmission and reception. Each alignment head also includes a controller which controls collection of alignment data in parallel at each head as well as serial transmission from each head to the console during discrete transmission periods as required by the main processing unit.

US Patent:

40460177, Sep 6, 1977

Filed:

Dec 16, 1976

Appl. No.:

5/751237

Inventors:

Jerry M. Hill - North Little Rock AR

Assignee:

FMC Corporation - San Jose CA

International Classification:

G01M 122

US Classification:

73462

Abstract:

A wheel balancing apparatus for balancing an out-of-balance wheel that is mounted on a rotatable shaft includes force transducers positioned in a horizontal plane against resiliently supported bearings for the shaft to thereby detect horizontal components of the imbalance forces created by the out-of-balance wheel. Photosensitive switches associated with the shaft produce phase-displaced analog signals, which signals are supplied to a pulse producing circuit for generating a train of count pulses on one of two output lines depending upon the direction of rotation of the shaft. A counter, which has a capacity exactly equal to the number of pulses generated by the pulse producing circuit per revolution of the shaft, is set when the horizontal component of the imbalance force for a particular correction plane associated with the counter equals zero. When a command to stop spinning the shaft has been issued, the shaft will slow down until it comes to a stop but the counter will continue to count through each cycle of shaft revolution so that it will stop at a position wherein the relative rotative position of the unbalanced weight can be determined. A digital-to-analog converter responsive to the counter output provides a ramp voltage to drive a null meter and thereby permit the operator to rotate the wheel after it stops until the position of weight imbalance for the particular correction plane is provided in the predetermined location for providing a corrective weight--as is ascertained by bringing the null meter to the null position.

US Patent:

49319647, Jun 5, 1990

Filed:

Sep 7, 1984

Appl. No.:

6/648442

Inventors:

Raymond Titsworth - Conway AR
J. Tom Lipe - Little Rock AR
James L. Dale - Conway AR
Hanford D. Monroe - Conway AR
Jerry M. Hill - North Little Rock AR

Assignee:

FMC Corporation - Chicago IL

International Classification:

G01B 7315
G01B 11275

US Classification:

364559

Abstract:

A wheel alignment system includes either four wheel mountable alignment heads or two alignment heads and two retroreflectors or two alignment heads alone together with a control console and display. A main processing unit is included in the console for performing calculations and for controlling systems function control components communications sequences. Each console function control component includes its own controller. The control console further includes a CRT display module and optional voice instruction and printer output modules. A bar code reader is available for quick specifications entry. Communications and decision making instructions are downloaded from the controller in each console function control component to the main processing unit at initialization. Communication between the heads and the console is accomplished either through the use of conducting cords or infrared transmission and reception. Each alignment head also includes a controller which controls collection of alignment data in parallel at each head as well as serial transmission from each head to the console during discrete transmission periods as required by the main processing unit.

US Patent:

44505299, May 22, 1984

Filed:

Jul 28, 1980

Appl. No.:

6/172723

Inventors:

Jerry M. Hill - North Little Rock AR
Joel T. Lipe - Little Rock AR

Assignee:

FMC Corporation - Chicago IL

International Classification:

G01M 122
G06F 1520

US Classification:

364508

Abstract:

An off the car wheel unbalance measuring system has a rotationally driven wheel mounting shaft supported in a framework pedestal together with a pair of force transducers mounted in the pedestal and in mechanical communication with and spaced along the shaft. The angular position of the shaft is monitored with respect to an angular reference position at a predetermined number of angular increments during each full revolution of the shaft by a shaft encoder. The encoder provides a reference pulse once each shaft revolution and a plurality of angular shaft position increment pulses each shaft revolution. The angular increment pulses are in the form of a dual signal the components of which have a predetermined phase relationship. The shaft reference pulse and the angular increment pulse are required to provide a reference indication as well as a predetermined number of angular increment indications in each shaft revolution. The encoder outputs are also observed to determine that the dual signal phasing is correct and the reference indication is further used to ascertain that the shaft speed is within a predetermined speed range.

US Patent:

44944004, Jan 22, 1985

Filed:

Jul 28, 1983

Appl. No.:

6/518164

Inventors:

Jerry M. Hill - North Little Rock AR

Assignee:

FMC Corporation - Chicago IL

International Classification:

G01M 122

US Classification:

73 1B

Abstract:

A dynamic balancing machine having a rotatably driven mounting shaft for articles to be balanced has a fixture upon which known weights are mounted at two known calibration planes ralative to the shaft. Data taken by force sensors coupled to the shaft during two shaft spins with the known weights mounted in each calibration plane are used to calculate sensor output correction factors applied to unbalance data taken during the spin of a mounted unbalanced article for a pair of unbalance measurement planes spaced along the shaft. The unbalance calibration and measurement planes are axially displaced along the shaft from the location of the force sensors. The disclosure is directed toward apparatus and method for obtaining machine calibration.