Slide adjustment system for brake rotor testing gauges
View Patent ↗An improved testing system for a manufactured rotary metal product having upper and lower surfaces. The testing system includes a gage frame with a fixed lower portion and a vertically movable gaging probe carrier in alignment with the lower portion configured for vertical movement between open and closed configurations to permit the loading and unloading of a product in the testing system. A shaft is provided for supporting the manufactured rotary metal product rotationally about a fixed axis within the gage frame, and at least one set of detectors is provided on each of the upper and lower gage frame portions to produce signals representative of the presence of predetermined characteristics on the upper and lower surfaces of the manufactured rotary metal product as the product is rotated. A set of compound slides are secured to the gage frame and configured to support the detectors for two-dimensional positional adjustments relative to a upper and lower surfaces of the manufactured rotary metal product supported on the shaft and to the gage frame upon which the slides are secured, when in the closed configuration.
1. An improved testing system for an manufactured rotary metal product having upper and lower surfaces, the testing system including a gage frame with a fixed lower portion and a vertically movable upper portion in alignment with the lower portion configured for movement between an open and closed configuration, a shaft for supporting the manufactured rotary metal product rotatably about a fixed axis of rotation within the gage frame, and at least one set of detectors configured to produce signals representative of the presence of predetermined characteristics on the upper and lower surfaces of the manufactured rotary metal product as the manufactured rotary metal product is rotated, the improvement comprising:
a first compound slide configured to support a first detector in said at least one set of detectors, said first compound slide configured for two-dimensional adjustment relative to a lower surface of a manufactured rotary metal product supported on the shaft; and
a second compound slide configured to support a second detector in said at least one set of detectors, said second compound slide configured for two-dimensional adjustment relative to an upper surface of the manufactured rotary metal product .
2. The improved testing system of claim 1 wherein said first detector and said second detector in said at least one set of detectors are vertically aligned, and
wherein said first compound slide and said second compound slide are in parallel vertical alignment.
3. The improved testing system of claim 1 wherein said first compound slide and said second compound slide have an overlapping range of vertical adjustment.
4. The improved testing system of claim 1 wherein each of said first compound slide and said second compound slide is configured to adjust a position of a detector in said set of detectors radially relative to the fixed axis of rotation of the shaft to accommodate manufactured rotary metal products of differing diameters; and
wherein each of said first and second compound slides is configured to adjust a position of a detector in said set of detectors parallel to the fixed axis of rotation of the shaft to accommodate manufactured rotary metal products of differing thickness.
5. The improved testing system of claim 4 wherein each of said first and second compound slides includes a first dove-tail slide configured to horizontally adjust a radial position of a detector in said set of detectors relative to the fixed axis of rotation of the shaft; and
wherein each of said first and second compound slides includes a second dove-tail slide configured to vertically adjust a position of a detector in said set of detectors parallel to the fixed axis of rotation of the shaft.
6. The improved testing system of claim 1 wherein said first compound slide is secured to the lower portion of the gage frame;
wherein said second compound slide is secured to the vertically movable upper portion of the gage frame; and
wherein the upper portion of the gage frame configured for movement parallel to the axis of rotation of the shaft to permit the loading and unloading of an manufactured rotary metal product on the shaft.
7. The improved testing system of claim 6 wherein said first compound slide is displaced horizontally from the lower portion of the gage frame, such that a portion of said second compound slide is disposed adjacent said first compound slide when the upper portion of the gage frame is in a closed configuration.
8. The improved testing system of claim 7 further including a spacer bracket secured between said first compound slide and said lower portion of the gage frame.
9. The improved testing system of claim 1 wherein said set of detectors includes at least one set of surface dimension detectors for producing signals representative of the presence of predetermined dimensional characteristics of the surface of the manufactured rotary metal product.
10. The improved testing system of claim 1 wherein said set of detectors includes at least one set of surface defect detectors for producing signals representative of the presence of predetermined surface defects on the manufactured rotary metal product.
11. The improved testing system of claim 1 further including a component sensor disposed on said first and second compound slides, said component sensor configured to identify the presence of an manufactured rotary metal product on the shaft.
12. The improved testing system of claim 11 wherein said component sensor includes an optical transceiver disposed on said second compound slide; and
an optical reflector disposed on said first compound slide, said optical reflector aligned with said optical transceiver;
wherein the presence of an manufactured rotary metal product on the shaft interrupts a line of sight between said optical transceiver and said optical reflector.