초록 ▼

A device and method to align the wheels of motor vehicles. A beam of collimated light from a low power visible laser is split into two generally parallel beams by a partially transmitting mirror and a series of plane front surface mirrors positioned in front and along side the vehicle being serviced

A device and method to align the wheels of motor vehicles. A beam of collimated light from a low power visible laser is split into two generally parallel beams by a partially transmitting mirror and a series of plane front surface mirrors positioned in front and along side the vehicle being serviced. The two beams are reflected from a set of plane mirrors attached to the rims of the wheels to be aligned. The vertical and horizontal angles of each of the wheel-mounted mirrors are set by calibrated lead-screws to cancel the angular displacement of the wheels expected when the wheels are properly aligned. The reflected beams are imaged through a large aperture beam combiner on a common viewing screen. Correct toe-in and camber settings are indicated when the laser beams reflected from the wheel-mounted mirrors overlap at the center of the viewing screen. The caster settings of the front wheels are measured by observing the angle at which the reflected spots travel across the screen when the steering wheel is turned the system can be used to align the front wheels only, or alternatively all four wheels simultaneously.

대표청구항 ▼

Apparatus for use in setting desired toe-in and camber angles on at least one pair of wheels on a vehicle, comprising: a plane mirror associated with each wheel; means for adjustably mounting ear mirror to its associated wheel at a selected relative angular orientation that corresponds to the desire

Apparatus for use in setting desired toe-in and camber angles on at least one pair of wheels on a vehicle, comprising: a plane mirror associated with each wheel; means for adjustably mounting ear mirror to its associated wheel at a selected relative angular orientation that corresponds to the desired toe-in and camber angles for that wheel such that when the wheels are set to the desired toe-in and camber angles, the mirrors are vertical and parallel to each other and face outwardly; means for generating first and second beams; incident beam transport means for directing said beams toward respective outer surfaces of the wheels to be aligned so as to impinge on said mirrors, said beams being parallel to each other and in a reference plane when they impinge of said mirrors; and reflected beam transport means for directing the beams reflected from said mirrors to a common region, said reflected beam transport means operating such that the reflected beams overlap at the common region when the toe-in and camber angles are correct.