JPS6274562 | END FACE GRINDING DEVICE FOR CRANK SHAFT |
JP2001347406 | CHUCKING METHOD OF ECCENTRIC SHAFT AND CHUCKING DEVICE |
JP2001277112 | WORK DEVICE |
JP2007206086A | 2007-08-16 | |||
US4706004A | 1987-11-10 | |||
JP2003251558A | 2003-09-09 | |||
JPH0957590A | 1997-03-04 | |||
KR20110036794A | 2011-04-11 |
What is claimed is: 1. A workpiece centering gauge for a grinding machine, comprising: a link having a first pivot configured to couple with the grinding machine; a first encoder that measures an angle of the link at the first pivot; a second pivot included with the link; a measuring fork configured to releasably contact an outer surface of an elongated workpiece; a surface feeler, having a transducer, included with the measuring fork that measures a workpiece diameter; and a second encoder that measures an angular position of the link relative to the measuring fork, wherein the angular position measured by the first encoder, the angular position measured by the second encoder, and a measured workpiece diameter are used to determine a deviation of the elongated workpiece from a centerline. 2. The workpiece centering gauge recited in claim 1, further comprising a link piston coupled to the grinding machine at one end and the link at another end for moving the link relative to the grinding machine. 3. The workpiece centering gauge recited in claim 1, further comprising a fork limiting rod coupled to the link at one end and the measuring fork at another end for limiting angular movement of the measuring fork. 4. The workpiece centering gauge recited in claim 1, wherein polar coordinates are calculated and then converted to cartesian coordinates. 5. The workpiece centering gauge recited in claim 1, wherein the elongated workpiece is a crankshaft. 6. The workpiece centering gauge recited in claim 1, wherein a master diameter is mounted in the machine, the measuring fork engages an outer surface of the master diameter, an angle is measured at the first encoder, and an angle is measured at the second encoder. 7. The workpiece centering gauge recited in claim 1, wherein the elongated workpiece is 1.5 meters (m) or greater. 8. A grinding machine including one or more grinding wheels, comprising: a workpiece holder that releasably holds an elongated workpiece and is configured to rotate the elongated workpiece about a longitudinal axis; and a workpiece centering gauge including: a link having a first pivot configured to couple with the grinding machine; a first encoder that measures an angle of the link at the first pivot; a second pivot included with the link; a measuring fork configured to releasably contact an outer surface of a workpiece; a transducer included with the measuring fork that measures a workpiece diameter; and a second encoder that measures an angular position of the link relative to the measuring fork, wherein the angular position measured by the first encoder, the angular position measured by the second encoder, and workpiece diameter size are used to determine the deviation of the elongated workpiece from a center. 9. The grinding machine recited in claim 8, further comprising a link piston coupled to the grinding machine at one end and the link at another end for moving the link relative to the grinding machine. 10. The grinding machine recited in claim 8, further comprising a fork limiting rod coupled to the link at one end and the measuring fork at another end for limiting angular movement of the measuring fork . 11. The grinding machine recited in claim 8, wherein polar coordinates are calculated and then converted to cartesian coordinates. 12. The grinding machine recited in claim 8, wherein the elongated workpiece is a crankshaft. 13. The grinding machine recited in claim 8, wherein the elongated workpiece is 1.5 meters (m) or greater. |
[0023] Movement of the link 66 and the measuring fork 68 can be effectuated using a variety of mechanisms, such as a linear piston. For example, a link piston 70 can pivotably attach to the grinding wheel assembly 24 and the link 66. As the link piston 70 expands in length, the angular position of the link 66 can change relative to the grinding wheel assembly 24 about the first pivot 58. The first encoder 60 can detect the angular position of the link 66 relative to the first pivot 58. The term “piston" can be broadly interpreted as any linear actuator, such as a ball screw or a hydraulic piston, however other mechanical mechanisms for moving the link 66 and the measuring fork 68 are possible. For example, the first pivot 58 and the second pivot 62 can use stepper motors to move the fink 66 and measuring fork 68 relative to the grinding wheel assembly 24. A fork limiting rod 72 can pivotably attach to the grinding wheel assembly 24 and the measuring fork 68. As the measuring fork 68 is moved toward the crankshaft 16, the angular position of the measuring fork 68 relative to the second pivot 62 can be limited. The second encoder 64 can detect the angular position of the measuring fork 68 relative to the second pivot 62.
[0024] After the link 66 and measuring fork 68 have been moved about the pivots 58, 62 into engagement with an outer surface 76 of the crankshaft 16 and the diameter of the crankshaft 16 has been measured, the workpiece centering gauge 12 can measure relative angles at and between the pivots 58, 62 using the first encoder 60 and the second encoder 64. A number of different types of encoders could be used to implement the first encoder 60 or the second encoder 64. The workpiece centering gauge 12 can be calibrated by mounting a master diameter on the workpiece holder 18 at a workpiece centerline. The measuring fork 68 can engage an outer surface of the master diameter to provide a known data point while the first encoder 60 measures an angle and the second encoder 64 measures an angle. Data from the surface feeler 100 as it contacts the master diameter can be combined with the measured angles by the gauge 12 to determine the diameter of the master diameter. The angles determined by the first encoder 60 and the second encoder 64 while the measuring fork 68 is engaged with the master diameter can calibrate the gauge 12 relative to the work centerline. If the calculated diameter or centerline of the master diameter does not match the known diameter or centerline, the gauge 12 can be adjusted so that future measurements are accurate. In one implementation, a Heidenhain type ECN413 encoder can be used. The measured angles can be used along with known length of the link 66 and the measuring fork 68 as well as the dimensions of the measuring fork 68 to determine the actual center of the crankshaft 16. In other implementations, it is possible to use more than two pivots and more than two encoders. [0025] The actual center of the crankshaft 16 can be calculated using the following variables, shown in Figure 8, and formulas detailed below. [0026] Constants for these calculations are: P (X,Y) - First pivot point with X axis in measuring position; L 1 – Length of a link from P to P’; L 21 – Length of a virtual upper sub arm; L 22 – Length of a virtual second sub arm from L 21 to gauge vee intersection; V – Included vee angle of the measuring fork; XI (^) – Angle between L 21 and L 22 , chosen to be 90 degrees; [0027] Even though the surface feeler may not be located in the center of the measuring fork 68, these calculations are based on the fact that the center of workpieces having various diameters travel in a line defined by the center of the vee. [0028] Variables provided by the two encoders and surface feeler are: Gamma1 (^1) – Angle from X axis (horizontal) to the first arm; Gamma4 (^4) – Angle from the first arm to L 21 ; C - Work radius; L – dimension from work center to gauge vee intersection; L OP – Distance from P’ to work center O; Gamma3 (^3)^– Included angle between first arm and hypotenuse from P’ to work center.(L OP ) [0029] A center of a workpiece, such as the crankshaft 16, can be derived as a series of three polar-to-rectangular coordinate conversions: L = C/Sin(V/2); L OP = SQRT ( L 21 ^2+ ( L 22 +L)^2)^ ^3^= ^4 – Atan(L 22 +L)/ L 21 )); P = X1, Y1 P’ = X1- L 1 *Cos(^1), Y1+ L 1 *Sin(^1) defined as X2, Y2 O = X2 + L OP *Cos(-^1 – ^3) , Y2 - Sin Cos(-^1 – ^3) [0030] An example follows of how the first pivot 58, the first encoder 60, the second pivot 62, and the second encoder 64, a known length (l) of the link 66, known dimensions of the measuring fork 68, and a measured diameter of the crankshaft 16 can be used to determine a deviation of the crankshaft centerline (O). The crankshaft 16 can extend along the Z-axis and the center (O) of the crankshaft 16 can be given a theoretical location of (0, 0), which indicates that the center is not offset from the Z-axis in either the X- or Y axes. Given this theoretical location of the centerline of the crankshaft 16, the workpiece centering gauge 12 can be moved to contact a location along the outer surface 74 of the crankshaft 12. The link piston 70 and the fork limiting rod 72 can lower the link 66 and the measuring fork 68 so that the fork 68 contacts the outer surface of the crankshaft 16. In one example, several theoretical calculations can be determined. For example, a distance between the first pivot 58 and the second pivot 62 can be 350mm and a theoretical distance between the second pivot 62 and the theoretical center (O) of the crankshaft 16 can be 291.9634 mm. The diameter of the crankshaft 16 at the location where the measuring fork 68 contacts the crankshaft surface may have been specified to be 181.275mm. The angle (a) at the first pivot 58 using the first encoder 60 can be 180 degrees and the theoretical angle (b) of the second pivot 62 at the second encoder 64 can be 270 degrees (as measured on a coordinate plane). A theoretical distance from a point of contact of the measuring fork 68 to the second pivot 62 can be 206.4493mm. [0031] Given the values above, a distance from the centerline (O) of the crankshaft 16 to the first pivot 58 can be determined. In this example, it can be 555.4516566mm. A triangular relationship can exist between the first pivot 58, the second pivot 62, and the centerline of the crankshaft 16. The angle (a’) of the triangle at the first pivot 58 can be calculated as 49.62084375 degrees and the angle (b’) of the triangle at the second pivot 62 can be calculated as 90.98928877 degrees. An angle (c’) at the centerline of the crankshaft 16 relative to the first pivot 58 and the second pivot 62 can be calculated as 39.38986749 degrees. [0032] The theoretical values can be used as a calibration standard and compared with values that are derived from actual angular measurements measured with the first encoder 60, the second encoder 64, and the surface feeler 100 given the known dimensions of the link 66 and the measuring fork 68. In this example, the first encoder 60 may measure an angle (a) of 179.9869221 degrees and the second encoder 64 can measure angle (b) as 270.98928877 degrees. These angles are different than the theoretical angles of 180 and 270 degrees. Using the angles recorded by the first encoder 60 and the second encoder 64, deviations in the location of the center (c) of the crankshaft 16 can be calculated as 0.0033mm in the vertical (Y) direction and -0.0039mm in the horizontal (X) direction. This is one example of how these calculations can be carried out but other ways are possible. [0033] The computer processor 74 can provide input to and receive feedback from a number of components identified above. For example, the servo motors that control the movement of the machine bed 28 along the grinding wheel rails 30, the movement of the grinding wheel assembly 24 along the infeed rails 40, the operation of the spindle shaft 48, and/or the electric motors of the headstock 20 and the footstock 22, as well as the first encoder 60, and second encoder 64 can all receive an input signal from the computer processor 74, such as a commanded motor speed and direction, and also provide an output signal to the computer processor 74, such as actual angular position, angular shaft speed, and/or angular direction. The workpiece centering gauge 12 can provide output to the computer processor 74 in the form of a signal indicating position at the first encoder 60 or the second encoder 64. The computer processor 74 can be any type of device capable of processing electronic instructions including microprocessors, microcontrollers, host processors, controllers, and application specific integrated circuits (ASICs). It can be a dedicated processor used only to carry out the described methods or can be shared with other functionality carried out by the grinding machine 10. The computer processor 74 executes various types of digitally-stored instructions, such as software or firmware programs stored in computer-readable memory. However, it should be appreciated that other implementations are possible in which at least some of these elements could be implemented together on a printed circuit board. [0034] It is to be understood that the foregoing is a description of one or more embodiments of the invention. The invention is not limited to the particular embodiment(s) disclosed herein, but rather is defined solely by the claims below. Furthermore, the statements contained in the foregoing description relate to particular embodiments and are not to be construed as limitations on the scope of the invention or on the definition of terms used in the claims, except where a term or phrase is expressly defined above. Various other embodiments and various changes and modifications to the disclosed embodiment(s) will become apparent to those skilled in the art. All such other embodiments, changes, and modifications are intended to come within the scope of the appended claims. [0035] As used in this specification and claims, the terms "e.g.," “for example,” “for instance,” “such as,” and “like,” and the verbs “comprising,” “having,” “including,” and their other verb forms, when used in conjunction with a listing of one or more components or other items, are each to be construed as open- ended, meaning that the listing is not to be considered as excluding other, additional components or items. Other terms are to be construed using their broadest reasonable meaning unless they are used in a context that requires a different interpretation.