U.S. patent application number 16/379568 was filed with the patent office on 2019-11-07 for in-process diameter measurement gage.
This patent application is currently assigned to Gagemaker, LP. The applicant listed for this patent is Gagemaker, LP. Invention is credited to Mark BEWLEY, Craig CLOUD, Kris L. DAWSON, Jimmy I. FRANK, John WOLFE, III.
Application Number | 20190339062 16/379568 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 65998080 |
Filed Date | 2019-11-07 |
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United States Patent
Application |
20190339062 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
FRANK; Jimmy I. ; et
al. |
November 7, 2019 |
IN-PROCESS DIAMETER MEASUREMENT GAGE
Abstract
An In-Process Diameter Gage comprises a Position Detection
Subsystem, preferably an optical switch and trigger, a Dimension
Measurement Subsystem, preferably comprising a wheel of known
diameter and a rotation encoder, and a Data Processing Subsystem,
all configured and arranged to determine a dimensional property of
a rotating part, such as diameter.
Inventors: |
FRANK; Jimmy I.; (Pasadena,
TX) ; WOLFE, III; John; (Pearland, TX) ;
CLOUD; Craig; (New Braunfels, TX) ; BEWLEY; Mark;
(Lakehills, TX) ; DAWSON; Kris L.; (Pearland,
TX) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Gagemaker, LP |
Pasadena |
TX |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
Gagemaker, LP
Pasadena
TX
|
Family ID: |
65998080 |
Appl. No.: |
16/379568 |
Filed: |
April 9, 2019 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
15611745 |
Jun 1, 2017 |
10254099 |
|
|
16379568 |
|
|
|
|
62344369 |
Jun 1, 2016 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G01B 11/105
20130101 |
International
Class: |
G01B 11/10 20060101
G01B011/10 |
Claims
1.-20. (canceled)
21. A system, comprising, a rotation detection subsystem configured
to detect rotation of a part; a transmitter configured to transmit
a signal representative of rotation of the part; a dimension
measurement subsystem configured to contact the rotating part, and
to generate data representative of a dimensional property of the
part; a communication component configured to receive a signal from
the rotation detection subsystem, and to transmit data
representative of the dimensional property; and a data processing
subsystem configured to receive the transmitted data, and to
determine and display a value of the dimensional property.
22. The system of claim 21, wherein the signal representative of
rotation of the part has consistent latency.
23. The system of claim 22, wherein the dimensional property of the
part is diameter.
24. The system of claim 23, wherein the dimension measurement
subsystem comprises a contact wheel of known diameter and a
rotation encoder configured to generate a plurality of signals for
each complete revolution of the wheel.
25. The system of claim 24, wherein the rotation detector subsystem
comprises an optical switch with a field of view, and a trigger
that rotates in time with the part into and out of the field of
view once every revolution of the part.
26. The system of claim 25, wherein the data generated by the
dimensional measurement subsystem comprises a total number of
signals for at least one revolution of the part.
27. The measurement system of claim 62, wherein the data generated
by the dimension measurement subsystem comprises a total number of
signals for at least 4 to 10 revolutions of the part.
28. The system of claim 23, wherein the data processing subsystem
is configured to determine diameter run out of the part.
29. The system of claim 26, wherein the part rotates at a speed of
between about 50 SFM and about 400 SFM.
30. The system of claim 22, wherein the property is taper.
31. The system of claim 24, wherein the contact wheel is biased
against the part with a force between about 7 lbf and about 9
lbf.
32. A method, comprising: rotating part from which a dimensional
measurement is required; generating a signal representative of when
the rotating part completes a revolution; contacting a measurement
device with a location on the rotating part to be measured; biasing
measurement device against the rotating part with a predetermined
force; generating a signal for each incremental revolution of the
part, so that a plurality of signals are generated for each
complete revolution of the part; generating data representative of
the number of plurality of signals generated for at least one
complete revolution of the part; determining a dimensional property
of the rotating part; and displaying the dimensional property.
33. The method of claim 32, further comprising transmitting the
signal representative of part revolution to the measurement device
with consistent latency.
34. The method of claim 32, wherein the dimensional property of the
part is diameter.
35. The method of claim 34, wherein the measurement device
comprises a contact wheel of known diameter and a rotation encoder
configured to generate a plurality of signals for each revolution
of the wheel.
36. The method of claim 35, wherein generating a signal
representative of when the rotating part completes a revolution
comprises an optical switch with a field of view, and a trigger
that rotates in time with the part into and out of the field of
view once every revolution of the part.
37. The method of claim 36, wherein the data representative of the
number of plurality of signals generated by the wheel comprises a
total number of signals for at least 4 to 10 revolutions of the
part.
38. The method of claim 34, further comprising determining a
diameter run out of the part. The method of claim 33, wherein the
part rotates at a speed of between about 50 SFM and about 400
SFM.
40. The method of claim 33, wherein the biasing force is between
about 7 lbf and about 9 lbf.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims benefit of and priority to U.S.
Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/344,369, filed on Jun. 1, 2016,
the entire contents of which are incorporated herein for all
purposes.
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
[0002] Not applicable.
REFERENCE TO APPENDIX
[0003] Not applicable.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention
[0004] The inventions disclosed and taught herein relate generally
to metrological devices and processes; and more specifically
related to an in-process diameter measurement gage and methods.
Description of the Related Art
[0005] U.S. Pat. No. 4,700,484, owned by Applicant, states "An
apparatus for measuring the diameter of an object is disclosed. A
rotatable wheel of known diameter capable of movement in three axes
is contacted with an object capable of rotation. The wheel is
attached to a shaft encoder, which produces pulses as the wheel
rotates. As the object is rotated, start and end reference marks
are sensed and the pulses produced by the shaft encoder are
counted. A microprocessor calculates the diameter of the object
knowing the wheel diameter and counts per revolution and the counts
per revolution of the object. The apparatus can be adapted to
measure the internal or external diameter of smooth objects or the
internal or external pitch diameter of threaded objects. The
apparatus can also use a calibrated object to measure the diameter
of a wheel of unknown diameter to allow the wheel to be used in
later measurements."
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS
[0006] The following figures form part of the present specification
and are included to further demonstrate certain aspects of the
present invention. The invention may be better understood by
reference to one or more of these figures in combination with the
detailed description of specific embodiments presented herein.
[0007] FIG. 1 illustrates a conceptual overview of one of many
possible embodiments of an In-Process Diameter Measurement
Gage.
[0008] FIG. 2 illustrates an embodiment of a Dimension Measurement
Subsystem suitable for use with the present invention.
[0009] FIG. 3 illustrates one of many "Settings" screens from an
embodiment of a Data Processing Subsystem suitable for use with the
present invention.
[0010] FIG. 4 illustrates an embodiment of the present invention
during a measurement cycle.
[0011] FIG. 5 illustrates the desired alignment between the contact
wheel and the part.
[0012] While the inventions disclosed herein are susceptible to
various modifications and alternative forms, only a few specific
embodiments have been shown by way of example in the drawings and
are described in detail below. The figures and detailed
descriptions of these specific embodiments are not intended to
limit the breadth or scope of the inventive concepts or the
appended claims in any manner. Rather, the figures and detailed
written descriptions are provided to illustrate the inventive
concepts to a person of ordinary skill in the art and to enable
such person to make and use the inventive concepts.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0013] The Figures described above and the written description of
specific structures and functions below are presented not to limit
the scope of what Applicants have invented or the scope of the
appended claims. Rather, the Figures and written description are
provided to teach any person skilled in the art how to make and use
the inventions for which patent protection is sought. Those skilled
in the art will appreciate that not all features of a commercial
embodiment of the inventions are described or shown for the sake of
clarity and understanding. Persons of skill in this art will also
appreciate that the development of an actual commercial embodiment
incorporating some or all aspects of the present inventions will
require numerous implementation-specific decisions to achieve the
developer's ultimate goal for the commercial embodiment. Such
implementation-specific decisions may include, and likely are not
limited to, compliance with system-related, business-related,
government-related and other constraints, which may vary by
specific implementation, location and from time to time. While a
developer's efforts might be complex and time-consuming in an
absolute sense, such efforts would be, nevertheless, a routine
undertaking for those of skill in this art having benefit of this
disclosure. It must be understood that the inventions disclosed and
taught herein are susceptible to numerous and various modifications
and alternative forms. The use of a singular term, such as, but not
limited to, "a," is not intended as limiting of the number of
items. Also, the use of relational terms, such as, but not limited
to, "top," "bottom," "left," "right," "upper," "lower," "down,"
"up," "side," and the like are used in the written description for
clarity in specific reference to the Figures and are not intended
to limit the scope of the invention or the appended claims.
[0014] Particular embodiments of the invention may be described
below with reference to block diagrams and/or operational
illustrations of methods. It will be understood that each block of
the block diagrams and/or operational illustrations, and
combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and/or operational
illustrations, can be implemented by analog and/or digital
hardware, and/or computer program instructions. Such computer
program instructions may be provided to a processor of a
general-purpose computer, special purpose computer, ASIC, and/or
other programmable data processing system. The executed
instructions may create structures and functions for implementing
the actions specified in the block diagrams and/or operational
illustrations. In some alternate implementations, the
functions/actions/structures noted in the figures may occur out of
the order noted in the block diagrams and/or operational
illustrations. For example, two operations shown as occurring in
succession, in fact, may be executed substantially concurrently or
the operations may be executed in the reverse order, depending upon
the functionality/acts/structure involved.
[0015] We have invented a system configured to determine or measure
one or more dimensional properties of a manufactured item or part,
preferably, but not exclusively during the manufacturing phase. For
example and without limitation, the system can be used to determine
or measure, among other parameters, inside or outside diameter,
thread profile parameters, such as minor diameter, pitch diameter,
major diameter, pitch, flank angle, and thread length. For purposes
of this disclosure, the item being measured will be referred to as
the "part." In a preferred implementation of this invention, one or
more dimensional properties of the part, such as a threaded pipe,
is measured while the part is rotating, such as during manufacture.
For example, measurements may be taken while the part is rotating
at speeds typically associated with machining or grinding
operations. More specifically, measurement may be taken at
rotational speeds up to about 400 SFM and higher. Accuracies and
repeatability down to at least about 0.0002'' (0.2 mils) are
achievable and the diameter that the system can determine is
effectively unlimited. The system eliminates the need for
inaccurate pi (.pi.) tapes or custom-built micrometers, which can
require two or even three people to make accurate measurements. For
example, when the invention is implemented with a CNC manufacturing
device, the invention may be called for by the CNC program from the
tool holder and implemented to make measurements at the proper time
and location. Alternately, the invention may be implemented
automatically and continuously during manufacture or may be
implement manually as desired. Further, the dimensional information
generated by the invention may be integrated into the CNC program.
For purposes of this disclosure, a lathe will be used as the
manufacturing device and the manufactured part will be a threaded
pipe. It will be understood that the invention is not limited to
this specific manufacturing device or this specific manufactured
part.
[0016] Our system comprises three main subsystems: a Position
Detection Subsystem, a Dimension Measurement Subsystem and a Data
Processing subsystem. The Position Detection Subsystem is
configured to detect and indicate a specific rotational position of
the part during the measurement process. By specific rotational
position, it is meant at least a time-referenced location or event,
and not necessarily a coordinate location in space, although the
latter is within the scope of the present invention. A Position
Detection Subsystem preferably comprises an optical switch or
detector in which, for example, a trigger, such as a reflector, is
attached to a rotating component of the lathe whose rotation is
representative, directly or indirectly, of the rotation (e.g.,
revolutions per minute) of the part. In one implementation, the
optical detector is a light switch and reflector combination, the
output of which is, for example, a voltage pulse every time the
reflector passes through the light beam. The OPB740 optical
detector available from Optek Technology has been found suitable
for this purpose, and the specifications and operational
characteristics of that device are incorporated herein by
reference.
[0017] It should be appreciated that the Position Detection
Subsystem does not have to detect the absolute (angular) positon of
the pipe relative to the lathe or other, or other reference point,
but rather only a repeatable, relative position, such as the
rotating reflector passing through the fixed light beam. While it
is presently preferred that the Position Detection Subsystem
indicate simply a completed revolution of the part, it may be
desirable in some embodiments of the invention for the Position
Detection Subsystem to detect the absolute position of the part in
space. For example, triggers (e.g., reflectors) could be located
90.degree. apart, and a datum of the part to be measure can be
oriented in the lathe relative to one or more of these
triggers.
[0018] Preferably, the Position Detection Subsystem is mounted in
an out-of-the way, or remote, or protected, or sealed location on
the lathe so that the subsystem is not damaged or fouled during
machining operations. Because of the dedicated mounting location,
it is desired, but not required, that the Position Detection
Subsystem be hard wired for power. Alternately, the Position
Detection Subsystem can be battery powered. It is preferred, but
not required, that the Position Detection Subsystem report a
condition of the power source through the communication
component.
[0019] The Position Detection Subsystem also may comprise a wired
and/or wireless communication component, such as a radio frequency
transmitter, configured to transmit a signal representative of the
pipe position, including, but not limited to, an analog signal,
such as a voltage pulse or digital data, or both. It will be
appreciated that this communication component may be a one-way
communication pathway from the Position Detection Subsystem to the
Dimension Measurement Subsystem and/or to the Data Processing
Subsystem. In other words, in certain embodiments, it may not be
necessary for the Dimension Measurement Subsystem or the Data
Processing Subsystem to send data or information to the Position
Detection Subsystem.
[0020] In a preferred embodiment, the Position Detection Subsystem
may comprise a one-way wireless communication pathway with the
Dimension Measurement Subsystem. In this embodiment, the
communication pathway is desired to be as instantaneous as possible
and with repeatable or consistent latency. Inconsistency or
variability in latency or a varying delay of this signal
transmission will adversely affect the accuracy of the dimensional
measurements because the relationship between the completion of a
part revolution and part measurements will vary along with the
varying latency. One form of acceptable wireless communication
protocol with repeatable, consistent latency is a simple analog
radio signal. For example, the Texas Instrument chip model no.
CC1101 is suitable for this one-way analog communication link, and
the specifications and operational characteristics are incorporated
herein by reference.
[0021] Alternately, a wireless digital communication protocol may
be used if the latency, and variability of the latency does not
adversely affect the accuracy and/or precision of the ultimate
measurement. For example, if the embodiment under consideration
merely requires an indication that a part revolution has been
completed, a wireless digital communication protocol in which the
same predetermined digital "word" is sent every time to indicate
that a part revolution has been completed, the latency and
variability of the latency, if any, in such communications likely
will be acceptable for purposes of this invention. Still further,
there are known methodologies for dealing with varying
communication latencies, such as transmitting time stamps with the
data, and/or other information that allows a processor, such as the
Dimension Measurement Subsystem or the Data Processing Subsystem,
to correct for the varying latency. All of these communication
protocols and others known, but not discussed herein, may be used
with various embodiments of the inventions disclosed herein.
[0022] The Dimension Measurement Subsystem, sometimes referred to
as a gage head, may comprise a one or more transducers configured
to measure or determine a physical attribute, property or parameter
of the part. The Dimension Measurement Subsystem may be mounted to
or adjacent the lathe, so that it can be manually or automatically
moved into measurement positon, as desired. As mentioned above, the
Dimension Measurement Subsystem also can be implemented as a
machine tool retrievable by the tool arm, as desired. It is
preferred, but not required, that the Dimension Measurement
Subsystem be battery powered and comprise a first communication
component configured to receive a wired or wireless communication
from the Position Detection Subsystems. For example, the first
communication component may comprise a radio frequency receiver
configured to receive the radio frequency signal transmitted by the
Position Detection Subsystem.
[0023] To measure or determine, for example, the diameter of the
part (e.g., pipe) or of an area on the part, the Dimension
Measurement Subsystem may be configured as a perimeter transducer
comprising a contact wheel of known diameter coupled to a rotation
encoder. For example and not limitation, a rotation encoder
manufactured by BEI Sensor, model H25, having a resolution of about
12,500 increments per revolution, and even up to about 50,000
increments per revolution, has been found suitable for determining
diameters with this invention, and the specifications and
operational characteristics of that device are incorporated herein
by reference.
[0024] While absolute rotation encoders may be utilized,
incremental rotation encoders are sufficient for purposes of this
invention. The contact wheel makes contact with the part at the
location to be measured and the wheel is biased against the pipe
with a predetermined force sufficient to maintain measurement
contact between the wheel and the pipe, preferably without causing
appreciable elastic or plastic deformation. The contact wheel may
be made from the same material as the part, but preferably, the
wheel is made from hardened steel. For example, an aluminum contact
wheel may be used for an aluminum pipe. However, a preferred
embodiment contemplates a hardened steel contact wheel (e.g., HRC
of about 65) for all parts. In such circumstances, any differences
in material properties between the wheel and part (such as, modulus
of elasticity) may be accounted for as described herein. The
contact wheel should be aligned with the part to minimize skipping,
skidding, sliding, or other measurement contact errors. Further, it
is preferred, but not required that the contact portion of the
contact wheel have a transverse radius equal to the radius of the
wheel. Such structural arrangement minimizes the measurement error
that can be caused by misaligned (e.g., out of normal) contact
wheel to the pipe. Alternately, the contact portion of the wheel
can be dimensioned to measure individual thread diameters or thread
artifacts as desired.
[0025] In addition, the Dimension Measurement Subsystem preferably
comprises logic/processing circuits and/or components configured to
process data, such as by accumulating, encoder pulses
representative of the rotation of the contact wheel. For example,
and not limitation, such circuitry and components may comprise one
or more counters, buffers, memory locations and/or software. In a
preferred embodiment, when the Position Detection Subsystem
transmits a signal indicating the relative position of the rotating
component and therefore, of the part to be measured (e.g., pipe),
the Dimension Measurement Subsystem reads and resets the
accumulated encoder counts and writes the accumulated count to a
buffer, memory location, or communication component. The Dimension
Measurement Subsystem circuits and components preferably
continuously accumulate the number of encoder pulses, such as by
incrementing, until the next signal from the Position Detection
Subsystem is received at which time the number of accumulated
encoder pulses are again written to a buffer, memory location, or
communication component and the counter reset to zero counts.
[0026] In general, it is preferred, but not required that the
counter, buffer or memory location that increments the encoder
pulse count have a capacity greater than at least the number of
pulses that can be generated during one revolution of the contact
wheel. For example, if the rotational encoder can generated 50,000
pulses per revolution, it is desired that the counter, buffer or
memory location that stores the pulse count have a capacity greater
than 50,000 counts or can store data representing a count greater
than 50,000. It is also preferred that the counter, buffer or
memory location that increments encoder pulse counts have a
capacity is greater than the number of pulses for a revolution of
the part, and most preferably greater than about 4 to about 10
revolutions of the part. The Dimension Measurement System also may
comprise a removable memory, such as a memory card, on which pulse
counts, revolution signals and other data may be written as a
backup to the data transmission.
[0027] In general, it also is preferred that the contact wheel
diameter (or radius) be smaller than the diameter (or radius) of
the part to be measured. For example, in a preferred embodiment,
the contact wheel is a precision component made from hardened steel
and having a diameter of 3.75 inches. It is preferred that the part
diameter always be greater than the contact wheel diameter. It will
be appreciated that when the contact wheel diameter is less than
the part diameter, the contact wheel will complete more than one
revolution before the part completes one revolution. In other
words, and for example only, the contact wheel may complete 4.2
revolutions between position signals generated by the Position
Detection Subsystem (indicating one revolution of the part). Thus,
it may be beneficial to configure the counter, buffer or memory
location that increments the encoder pulse count to have capacity
greater than a multiple of the encoder pulses generated by one
revolution of the contact wheel. In the example mentioned above,
the counter, buffer or memory location may be configured to have a
capacity greater than 500,000 counts or to store data representing
a count greater than 500,000.
[0028] Depending on the specific implementation of the Dimension
Measurement Subsystem, each time a part position signal is received
by the Dimension Measurement Subsystem, the accumulated pulse count
(e.g., 210,000 counts) may be transmitted to the Data Processing
Subsystem. Alternately, the system can be configured to transmit
counts only after a specified number of part revolutions have
occurred. For example, if it is desired to determine part diameter
from data generated from 5 part revolutions, the Dimension
Measurement Subsystem may be configured to transmit to the Data
Processing Subsystem a count representative of 5 revolutions of the
part (e.g., 1,050,000 counts). In these particular embodiments, the
Dimension Measurement Subsystem has limited data processing
capabilities, and may or may not be configured to calculate or
determine the actual part dimension, such as diameter. Rather the
Data Processing Subsystem may be configured to receive information
from the Dimension Measurement Subsystem (and the Position
Detection Subsystem, if desired) and thereafter calculate or
determine (and display) the actual part dimension, such as
diameter. Alternately, embodiments of system may comprise Dimension
Measurement Subsystems that have more sophisticated data processing
and visual display capabilities, such as the capability to
calculate or determine the desired part dimension, and/or to
display the measured part dimension. Still further, the Dimension
Measurement Subsystem can be configured to send an alert signal if
the part is rotating at a speed greater than a specified maximum,
or slower than a specified minimum. The Dimension Measurement
Subsystem also can be configured to detect count variations during
a part measurement cycle, which indicate a surface speed change or
ovality.
[0029] In general, the data collection process is repeated a
preselected number of times, such as about 4 to about 10 part
revolutions, until sufficient data has been collected to ensure an
accurate measurement of the part. The data from the Dimension
Measurement Subsystem may be transmitted to the Data Processing
Subsystem by radio frequency, such as Bluetooth communication
protocol, other wireless or radio frequency data protocol, or by
hard wire.
[0030] In addition to or in place of a contact wheel rotation
encoder, as described above, the Dimension Measurement Subsystem
(or gage head) may also comprise an inclinometer, a radial
displacement transducer, a surface roughness transducer and/or an
axial displacement transducer. It will be appreciated that the
terms "radial" and "axial" are relative to the part (e.g., pipe).
An inclinometer can be used to measure angles, such as flank or
thread angle; a radial displacement transducer, such as an LVDT,
can be used to determine properties such as ovality and thread
height; an axial displacement transducer can be used to determine
properties such as thread pitch or length; and a surface roughness
transducer can be configured to measure the surface roughness of
the manufactured part. As discussed with respect to diameter, the
Dimension Measurement Subsystem may be configured to accumulate the
data (whether digital or analog) from these transducers and
transmit the data to the Data Processing Subsystem, preferably
after one or more revolutions of the part, as indicated by the
Position Detection Subsystem. Alternately, the Dimension
Measurement Subsystem may accumulate data from the transducers,
manipulate or transform the data, and then transmit data to the
Data Processing Subsystem.
[0031] The Data Processing Subsystem, which may be a dedicated
central processing unit (CPU) with display, a smartphone, a tablet
or the like, is configured to process information and data from the
Dimension Measurement Subsystem (and Position Detection System, as
desired) and display the measured, calculated or determined
dimensional parameter, such as diameter, based on received and
inputted data. For example, and without limitation, if the system
is programmed to require 4 part revolutions per measurement, and
the Dimension Measurement Subsystem records about 200,000 contact
wheel encoder pulses for each part revolution, the average encoder
pulses per part revolution (e.g., 200,000) may be used along with
the known diameter of the contact wheel to calculate the diameter
of the pipe using known relationships between circumference and
diameter. Similar calculations or determinations may be made for
other dimensional properties from data from other transducers. For
example, a diameter measurement may be made at one part location,
then the Dimension Measurement Subsystem relocated a known distance
(e.g., 1 inch) to another location and diameter measurements taken
at that location. In addition to diameters of the part, the taper
of the part between the measurement locations can be determined.
Still further, run out of the part can be calculated from data from
one or more revolutions of the part.
[0032] The communication link between the Dimension Measurement
Subsystem and the Data Processing Subsystem may be wired or
wireless, and may utilize a digital or other communication protocol
because consistent latency is not as important, if at all, as
compared to the Position Detection Subsystem to Dimension
Measurement Subsystem link. Moreover, it is desired that
substantive data be transmitted to the Data Processing Subsystem,
whereas the information transmitted to the Dimension Measurement
Subsystem by the Position Detection Subsystems preferably need only
be the occurrence of an event, and not necessarily substantive
data.
[0033] The Data Processing Subsystem may comprise error correction
algorithms and other algorithms such as direction of rotation
algorithms. The Data Processing Subsystem may also allow the
operator to enter information about the setup that can affect the
measured or calculated dimension or property. This information may
include the contact wheel diameter, the part temperature,
transducer temperature (e.g., wheel temperature), part material,
and taper of the part, for example.
[0034] It will be appreciated that a Position Detection Subsystem
and a Dimension Measurement Subsystem can be deployed on a
plurality of manufacturing machines in a facility, so long as the
wireless communication link between the subsystems on an individual
machine do not interfere with the communication links on adjacent
machines. Each machine (e.g., each Dimension Measurement Subsystem
on a machine) may communicate, such as by Bluetooth protocol, with
a primary Data Processing Subsystem for the facility and/or with
secondary data processing subsystems or display subsystems
associated with each machine, including smart phones and
tablets.
[0035] Turning now to the Figures, which illustrate one or more
non-limiting embodiments of the disclosed inventions, FIG. 1
illustrates an overview of an In-Process Diameter Measurement Gage
100 utilizing aspects of inventions discussed above. Illustrated in
FIG. 1 is a machine 102, such as a lathe, comprising a motor 104, a
shaft 106 and a chuck 108. Part 110, such as a threaded pipe or
other component, is illustrated secured to the chuck, as is typical
during machining operations. The system 100 is illustrated to
comprise a Position Detection Subsystem 120, a Dimension
Measurement Subsystem 130, and a Data Processing Subsystem 140.
[0036] As described above, the Position Detection Subsystem
comprises an optical sensor 122 and an optical sensor trigger 124.
The trigger 124, such as a reflector, is affixed to a component of
the machine 102, such as shaft 106, that is representative of the
rotation of part 110. The sensor 122 is mounted in operational
alignment with the trigger 124 to detect when the trigger passes by
the optical sensor 122, as an indication of a complete revolution
of the part. The sensor 122 is illustrated to be wired to a control
unit 126, which may receive hard wired power or be battery powered.
The control unit 126 receives information from the sensor 122, such
as a voltage pulse or spike when the trigger 124 passes the sensor
122, and manipulates that information, as required, for
transmission to the Dimension Measurement Subsystem 130.
[0037] The control unit 126 comprises a transmitter configured to
wirelessly transmit a single, predetermined digital word to the
Dimension Measurement Subsystem, the receipt of which indicates
that the part 110 has completed one revolution. In this embodiment,
the digital word transmitted by the control unit 126 has no meaning
other than the sensor 122 has detected a triggering event. Although
not shown, control unit 126, also may communicate with the Data
Processing Unit 140, either wired or wirelessly, to communicate
parameters of operation, such as rotational speed of the part
(RPM), or battery life, or power status.
[0038] As described above, and referring also to FIG. 2, the
Dimension Measurement Subsystem 130 comprises a contact wheel 202,
which is preferably a hardened steel wheel having a precision
ground diameter between about 2 inches and about 6 inches, and most
preferably about 3.75 inches. The wheel 202 is coupled, preferably
removably coupled, to an encoding transducer 204 configured to
generate a signals indicative of rotation of the wheel. For
example, as described above, the encoder 204 may generate about
50,000 signals (e.g., pulses) for each complete revolution of the
wheel 202. In other words, for a wheel 202 having a diameter of
3.75 inches, each encoder 204 pulse represents about 0.00024 inches
of circumferential travel by the wheel 202. The wheel 202 and the
encoder 204 are supported by a body 206, which is in turn supported
by a shank 208. The shank 208 may be configured to be mounted in a
standard tool block, so that it can rotate and contact the part to
be measured. The body 206 comprises a radial translation assembly
210 configured to allow the wheel 202 and encoder 204 to displace
radially toward and away from the part (shown in FIG. 1). It is
preferred that the radial translation assembly 210 includes a
biasing element, such as a spring, that causes the wheel 202 to
displace toward the part 110. The biasing element may be configured
to apply a force between the wheel 202 and the part 110 to ensure
accurate tracking of the wheel 202 on the part 110. It is preferred
that the applied force be in a range of about 5 lbf to about 10
lbf, and most preferably about 8 lbf.+-.1 lbf. In a preferred
implementation, the body includes at least one visual indicator,
such as a green LED, that illuminates when the correct tracking
force is applied to the part 110.
[0039] As discussed above, the Dimension Measurement Subsystem 130
also comprises electronic circuits on one or more circuit boards
220 providing an encoder data management component, and at least a
wired or wireless receiver component for receiving transmissions
from the Position Detection Subsystem 120, and a wired or wireless
communication component for transmitting information to the Data
Processing Subsystem 140.
[0040] As disclosed above, the Data Processing Subsystem 140, may
comprise a dedicated processing unit with data input functionality
and visual display, a laptop or desktop computer, a computer table
or smart phone. In some implementations, the Data Processing
Subsystem 140 will comprise a dedicated processing unit that is
mounted to or adjacent the machine 102. In other implementations,
the Data Processing Subsystem 140 will comprise a computer at a
location remote from the machine 102. It is preferred that the Data
Processing System 140 be configured to receive data from at least
the Dimension Measurement Subsystem 130 and to calculate or
determine the dimensional measurement of the part, such as
diameter. The Data Processing Subsystem may also be configured to
receive data from the Position Detection Subsystem for purposes of
dimensional calculation or determination, or for purposes of system
operational characteristics or both.
[0041] FIG. 3 illustrates one of many possible "Settings" screens
300 on a Data Processing Subsystem 140 suitable for use with the
present inventions. The Data Processing Subsystem 140 screen 300
may display a field 302 for inputting the known diameter of the
contact wheel 202, such as 3.75 inches. Additionally, a measured
temperature of the contact wheel and a measured temperature of the
part 102 may be manually entered or automatically uploaded into
fields 304 and 306. The material of the part, such as cast steel,
cold rolled steel, stainless steel, other steel, malleable iron,
aluminum alloys, monel alloys, Inconel alloys, pure titanium, 6A14V
titanium, or others may be inputted into field 308. If desired or
required, screen 300 can allow the operator to select a discrete
channel for wireless communication between the Data Processing
Subsystem 140 and the Dimension Measurement Subsystem 130.
[0042] The Data Processing Subsystem 140 also may provide a contact
wheel 202 calibration or compensation capability as illustrated by
field 310. For example, a certified master part (not shown) of
known diameter (e.g., 8.02211 inches) may be chucked into the
machine 102, and the In-Process Diameter Gage 100 set up as
disclosed herein. Thereafter, the system 100 may be used to measure
the diameter of the certified master part. If the measured diameter
of the certified master part is different than the known diameter
of the certified master part (i.e., 8.02211 inches), the measured
diameter can be used along with the known diameter to calculate an
effective or calibrated or compensated diameter of the contact
wheel 202 using an equation similar to the following:
WheelDiameter.sub.CORRECTED=MasterDiameter.sub.SPECIFIED.times.[Wheel
Diameter.sub.SPECIFIED/Measured Result].
[0043] As shown in FIG. 3, the calibration routine on the Data
Processing Subsystem has calculated the effective diameter of the
supposed 3.75 inches diameter wheel to be 3.618 inches, as shown in
field 302.
[0044] The Data Processing Subsystem 140 also may provide a
measurement error correction based on the temperatures of the part
110 and wheel 202 and the differences between the modulus of
elasticities of the contact wheel 202 and the part 110. For
example, if the contact wheel 202 is hardened steel and is biased
against the part 110 with a force of between about 5 lbf and about
10 lbf, there may be elastic deformation of the part 110 at the
contact point of the wheel 202 sufficient to affect the accuracy of
the measurements. The Data Processing Subsystem 140 can be
configured to compute an error correction or measurement
compensation based on the differences in material properties,
temperature, and biasing force.
[0045] FIG. 4 illustrates the preferred alignment between the part
102 and the Dimension Measurement Subsystem 130 to ensure accurate
dimensional measurements. When the part 110 is coupled to the
rotating machinery, such as chucked to a lathe, the chuck 104 and
the part 110 will define an axial axis "X" and two orthogonal axes
"Y" and "Z". It is preferred that the plane or face of the contact
wheel 202 be parallel to the Y and Z axes within about 0.005 inch
across the face of the contact wheel 202.
[0046] FIG. 5 illustrates the In-Process Diameter Gage 100 in use
measuring the diameter of a part 102. The Position Detection
Subsystem 120 comprising optical switch 122 and trigger 124 are
shown relative to the chuck 108, and in position to cause a signal
indicative of full revolution of the part 102. The Dimension
Measurement Subsystem 130 comprising contact wheel 202 is shown in
biased contact with the outer surface of part 110. As the part 110
rotates in a clockwise direction, the wheel 202 rotates in a
counterclockwise direction, as illustrated. Because of the relative
sizes of the wheel 202 and the part 110, the wheel 202 will
complete multiple revolutions for each complete revolution of the
part 110. As illustrated in FIG. 5, the wheel 202 will complete
four revolutions and part of a fifth revolution before the optical
switch is triggered indicating a complete revolution of the part
110. Assuming the Dimension Measurement Subsystem 130 encodes
50,000 counts per wheel 202 revolution, the Dimension Measurement
Subsystem 130 will accumulate about 235,714 counts per part 110
revolution. During a measurement cycle, the first time the trigger
124 passes the optical switch 122, the Dimension Measurement System
starts measuring the part by accumulating rotary encoder 204
counts. Each time the trigger passes the optical switch, a counter
is incremented by 1 revolution until the present number of part
revolutions has been achieved. Thereafter, the Data Processing
Subsystem can display the determined measurement. As discussed
above, this count data can be transmitted to the Data Processing
Subsystem upon completion of each part revolution (e.g., after the
optical switch 122 signal has been received) or after the
completion of the set number of part revolutions have been
completed (such as 5 part revolutions).
[0047] Other and further embodiments utilizing one or more aspects
of the inventions described above can be devised without departing
from the spirit of our invention. For example, the rotary encoder
204 may be replaced with other encoders or transducers, as
discussed above, or other encoders or transducer may be included
with the rotary encoder 204. As further example, a combined rotary
encoder and axial displacement transducer may be used to measure
thread diameter and thread lead or pitch. Further, the various
methods and embodiments of the methods of manufacture and assembly
of the system, as well as location specifications, can be included
in combination with each other to produce variations of the
disclosed methods and embodiments. Discussion of singular elements
can include plural elements and vice-versa.
[0048] The order of steps can occur in a variety of sequences
unless otherwise specifically limited. The various steps described
herein can be combined with other steps, interlineated with the
stated steps, and/or split into multiple steps. Similarly, elements
have been described functionally and can be embodied as separate
components or can be combined into components having multiple
functions.
[0049] The inventions have been described in the context of
preferred and other embodiments and not every embodiment of the
invention has been described. Obvious modifications and alterations
to the described embodiments are available to those of ordinary
skill in the art. The disclosed and undisclosed embodiments are not
intended to limit or restrict the scope or applicability of the
invention conceived of by the Applicants, but rather, in conformity
with the patent laws, Applicants intend to fully protect all such
modifications and improvements that come within the scope or range
of equivalent of the following claims.
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