GB409077A - Improvements in devices for testing self propelled vehicles - Google Patents

Abstract

409,077. Testing wheel alignment of motor vehicles. HEENAN & FROUDE, Ltd., and WALKER, G. H., Worcester Engineering Works, Worcester. Dec. 24, 1932, No. 36552. [Class 106 (ii).] Apparatus for testing the wheel alignment of motor vehicles comprises means for supporting and rotating each of the wheels against brake resistance, means for counteracting the tendency which may exist for the wheels to creep sideways, and means for measuring the magnitude of such tendency. The vehicle is run on to fluted rollers 1, one for each wheel, which are driven from a suitable motor. It is held by clamps 4 or the like applied to the axle. As shown in Fig. 4, an adjustable stop 4<a> is arranged slightly to the rear of the front axle A. The stop comprises a roughened plate 5 engaging the axle and supported by a second plate 6 restrained from rearward movement by posts 7 which can rise and fall, but are prevented from moving backwardly by an adjustable drawbar 8. Rollers 9 allow one plate to move transversely relatively to the other. On the underside of the plate 6 is a pivot 10 for a lever 11 extending to the front over a scale 13 carried by the plate 6 and having a central zero. The pointer end 12 of the lever is held at zero by springs 14, but is also engaged by a projection 15 on the plate 5. When the brakes are applied and the rollers 1 rotated, if the brakes are equalized and no error exists in the disposition of the wheel tracks relatively to the king pins of the vehicle the pointer will remain at zero, otherwise the creep of the wheels sideways will be indicated by the pointer. In a modification, the clamp is of different construction and the pointer and scale are mounted on the drawbar, inclination of which due to side creep of the wheels deflects the pointer. Rails 22 serve to guide the vehicle to a central position in relation to the testing apparatus, such rails being adjustable to and from each other by a right and left hand screw 23 and gearing. To the same end idler rollers 25 carried by levers 26 on shafts 27 are operated by a linkage to be raised simultaneously, remaining symmetrically disposed to the vertical through the axis of the wheels to locate the latter vertically over the rollers 1. The power drum of Specification 387,371 may form one of the two idler rollers 25. The fluted rollers 1 underlying the front wheels are carried by a trolley 30 which after adjustment to the wheel base required, is locked to the underframe by a pivoted catch 30<a>. The trolley is held parallel with the rollers by two racks 32 engaging pinions 33 on a shaft 34, which also carries a wheel 35 engaging a pinion normally pressed out of engagement by which may be pressed in and turned by a handle to adjust the trolley. A locking catch 38 is also fitted. Specification 361,524 also is referred to.