CA1220330A - Method and apparatus for statically aligning shafts and monitoring shaft alignment - Google Patents
Method and apparatus for statically aligning shafts and monitoring shaft alignmentInfo
- Publication number
- CA1220330A CA1220330A CA000438059A CA438059A CA1220330A CA 1220330 A CA1220330 A CA 1220330A CA 000438059 A CA000438059 A CA 000438059A CA 438059 A CA438059 A CA 438059A CA 1220330 A CA1220330 A CA 1220330A
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- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- dual
- axis position
- axis
- alignment
- photodetector
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Classifications
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- G—PHYSICS
- G01—MEASURING; TESTING
- G01B—MEASURING LENGTH, THICKNESS OR SIMILAR LINEAR DIMENSIONS; MEASURING ANGLES; MEASURING AREAS; MEASURING IRREGULARITIES OF SURFACES OR CONTOURS
- G01B11/00—Measuring arrangements characterised by the use of optical techniques
- G01B11/26—Measuring arrangements characterised by the use of optical techniques for measuring angles or tapers; for testing the alignment of axes
- G01B11/27—Measuring arrangements characterised by the use of optical techniques for measuring angles or tapers; for testing the alignment of axes for testing the alignment of axes
- G01B11/272—Measuring arrangements characterised by the use of optical techniques for measuring angles or tapers; for testing the alignment of axes for testing the alignment of axes using photoelectric detection means
Abstract
METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR STATICALLY
ALIGNING SHAFTS AND MONITORING SHAFT ALIGNMENT
A B S T R A C T
A method and apparatus for statically aligning, checking or monitoring the alignment of a first shaft with a second shaft, one shaft being preferably chosen as a reference shaft to which the other shaft is aligned, the apparatus com-prising a first mount means mounted on the first shaft and having mounted thereon a first dual-axis radiation sensing means and means for providing a first radiation beam, a second mount means mounted on the second shaft and having mounted thereon a second dual-axis radiation sensing means and means for providing a second radiation beam, the first radiation beam oriented to impinge upon the second dual-axis radiation sensing means to generate a second signal, the second radiation beam oriented to impinge upon the first dual-axis radiation sensing means to generate a first signal, and readout means having defined align-ment conditions responsive to the first signal and the second signal for visually displaying shaft alignment, with alignment of the two shafts indicated by the first signal and the second signal coinciding with the defined alignment conditions.
ALIGNING SHAFTS AND MONITORING SHAFT ALIGNMENT
A B S T R A C T
A method and apparatus for statically aligning, checking or monitoring the alignment of a first shaft with a second shaft, one shaft being preferably chosen as a reference shaft to which the other shaft is aligned, the apparatus com-prising a first mount means mounted on the first shaft and having mounted thereon a first dual-axis radiation sensing means and means for providing a first radiation beam, a second mount means mounted on the second shaft and having mounted thereon a second dual-axis radiation sensing means and means for providing a second radiation beam, the first radiation beam oriented to impinge upon the second dual-axis radiation sensing means to generate a second signal, the second radiation beam oriented to impinge upon the first dual-axis radiation sensing means to generate a first signal, and readout means having defined align-ment conditions responsive to the first signal and the second signal for visually displaying shaft alignment, with alignment of the two shafts indicated by the first signal and the second signal coinciding with the defined alignment conditions.
Description
6 Field of Inventiorl i Z2~330 7 The present invention relates to alignment devices 8 directed to aligning two shafts which can be connected by a 9 coupling and, in particular, to static alignment devices which lo do not require shafts to be rotated to achieve alignment position 11 readings.
13 Non-rotating or static alignment devices have been 14 disclosed in Us Patent Nosy 4,115,925; 4,161,068 and 3,192,631.
Patent No. 4,115,925 provides three dimensional alignment detect 16 lion by the use of two universal joints with appropriately 17 mounted position sensors. The joints communicate through the 18 use of a telescoping connection mounted on one yoke of each 19 universal joint. The position sensors provide signals to a read-out controller which can indicate both angular and parallel mist 21 alignment conditions. This device is limited in accuracy by the 22 requirement of a precision machined telescoping connection, which 23 mechanical connection the present invention does not require. In 24 addition, the universal yokes, which translate the positions of the shafts into usable rectangular coordinate information, must 26 be made a minimum size to accommodate mounting the position 27 sensors. This is a problem since it places a limit on the minimum 28 mounting distance between the universal yokes as they sit on their 29 respective shafts. The present invention not using such universal joints accordingly permits substantially reducing the minimum 31 shaft-to-shaft mounting distance. Patent Jo. 4,161,068 provides 32 misalignment information by using mechanical target rods with v 33 micrometers in conjunction with two cooperating Moire fringe 34 pattern surfaces to detect angular misalignment. The present invention does not use mechanical target rods which can deflect.
36 In addition, the Moire fringe pattern surfaces must lie flat 6 against each other for operation and this is difficult tug achieve., 7 Furthermore, the Moire pat-tern generated is difficult to interpret !
8 in terms of magnitude and direction of misalignment. Patent No.
9 3,192,631 uses telescope elements having cross-hair graticules and cross-hair target screens. These particular elements can 11 provide an indication of the direction of misalignment, but they 12 cannot provide an indication of the magnitude of misaligned con-13 dictions and the shafts must be adjusted by trial and error until 14 the aligned conditions are met by visually looking through the telescopes. The present invention eliminates this trial and error 16 by providing immediate electronic signals representing simultan-17 easily the magnitude and direction of misalignment.
19 It is, therefore, a general object of this invention to provide a simple method and apparatus to statically align two 21 shafts, in three dimensions, with simultaneous detection of the 22 magnitude and direction of misaligned conditions and a displayed 23 indication of the movements and adjustments necessary to bring 24 the two shafts into alignment.
In general the present invention comprises a shaft 26 alignment or monitoring sensing structure having a support, a 27 dual-axis radiation sensing means mounted on the support to 28 provide a radiation beam. The static shaft alignment apparatus 29 when used for aligning or checking the alignment of two shafts to be coupled, utilizes two of the shaft alignment sensing 31 structures each mounted, respectively, on a shaft mount means 32 which locks each sensing structure, respectively, one each to a 33 shaft in lacing relation. The sensing structures can have phase 34 orientation means to orient each shalt mount means so that the radiation beams carried by the respective sensing structures impinge 36 upon the opposite facing dual-axis radiation sensing means. Each I
6 radiation sensing means responds to the radiation been conning 7 from the opposite sensing structure and generates a signal Russia 8 is sent to a readout having defined alignment conditions. The 9 signals from the two radiation sensing means jointly provide information, in one form being rectangular or angular coordinate if information, representing the magnitude and direction of misalign-12 mint as compared to the defined alignment conditions and accord 13 dingy replicate the axial misalignment positions of the two 14 shafts.
In particular, the shaft alignment apparatus for stall-16 gaily aligning a first shaft with a second shaft comprises a first 17 mount means mounted on the first shaft, the first mount means 18 having mounted thereon a first dual-axis radiation sensing means lo and a first radiation source, and a second mount means mounted on the second shaft, the second mount means having mounted thereon 21 a second dual-axis radiation sensing-means and a second radiation 22 source. The first radiation source is oriented to provide a 23 first radiation beam to the second dual-axis radiation source 24 means to generate a second signal and the second radiation source is oriented to provide a second radiation beam to the first dual-26 axis radiation sensing means to generate a first signal. A
27 readout means having defined alignment conditions is responsive 28 to the first signal and the second signal for visually displaying 29 shaft alignment, with alignment of the two shafts indicated by the first signal and second signal coinciding with the defined 31 alignment conditions. The readout compares the first and second 32 signals to the defined alignment conditions, and any deviation 33 of the first and second signals from the defined alignment condo-34 lions, which are calibrated conditions, is displayed as misalign-mint information in both magnitude and direction. With one shaft 36 chosen as the axial reference, the other shaft is adjusted into 33~
1 alignment with the reference shaft according to -the displayed misalignment information.
An additional object of this invention is to provide a shaft alignment apparatus which can avoid substantial parallel offset misalignment of the two shafts by incorporating the use of phase orientation means mounted on the first mount and second mount so as to accurately orient each mount to replicate calibrated conditions.
A further object of this invention is to provide shaft aligning apparatus which can align two shafts which can be axially coupled without having to rotate either shaft to obtain misalignment information.
An additional object of this invention is to provide a method and apparatus for shaft alignment that can be quickly and easily mounted and dismounted on the shafts.
A still further object of this invention is to provide a method and apparatus to quickly check the alignment of two shafts connected by a coupling without having to disconnect the coupling A further object of this invention is to provide a shaft alignment sensing structure that can be used to constantly monitor the alignment condition of two shafts coupled together.
Another object of this invention is to provide a method and apparatus which reduces trial and error required by prior art devices, and eliminates any mechanical connectors between the opposite facing sensing structures mounted on the shafts.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
With reference to the above objects of the invention and other objects and advantages which will appear in the following description taken in connection with the accompanying . - 5 -or I drawn s: lZ2~330 7 Figure 1 is a side view of the shaft aligr~ent apparatus 8 shown mounted on the two shafts;
9 Figure 2 is a top view of the shaft alignment apparatus shown mounted on the two shafts;
11 Figure 3 is a perspective view of one of the shaft 12 mount means showing mounted thereon a shaft alignment dual-axis 13 sensing structure;
14 inure 4 is a perspective view of one form of readout means displaying the misalignment information;
16 Figure 5 is a block diagram of one form of an electrical 17 circuit for operation with one of the radiation detectors;
18 Figure 6 shows a first variation of the shaft alignment 19 apparatus using single-axis position sensing detectors, Figure pa is a top view of the first variation of the 21 alignment apparatus shown in Figure 6;
22 Figure 7 is a perspective view of the first variation 23 of the alignment apparatus shown in Figure 6;
24 Y'lgure pa is a front view of one of the position radiation detectors;
26 Figure 7b is a first variation of the single-axis 27 position sensing detector showing its use in pairs to detect 28 angular position;
29 Figure 8 is a perspective view of a first variation of splitter beam means controlling the projection of the alignment 31 radiation beam;
32 Figure go is a front view of one of the position 33 radiation detectors having impinged upon it one of the projected 34 alignment radiation beams of Figure 8;
Figure 9 is one form of an electrical circuit for 36 operation with one of the radiation detectors of Figure pa, 7b or pa; and Jo 7 Figure 10 is a side view showing shaft alignment sensing 8 structures mounted for monitoring changes in alignment of 9 operating equipment.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
11 Referring in particular to the drawings, and initially 12 with respect to Figures 1, 2 and 3, Figure 1 shows the present 13 invention generally indicated at 8 as comprising two sensing 14 structures located at 9 and 10. Alignment sensing structures 9 and 10 are mounted on supports 28 and 26, respectively. The 16 shaft alignment apparatus of the present invention comprises 17 sensing structures 9 and 10 fixed to first mount means 30 and 18 second mount means 32, respectively. First mount means 30 and 19 second mount means 32 (best shown in Figure 3) are seated on first shaft pa of driving unit 4 and second shaft pa of driven 21 unit 6, respectively. Both mount means can in one configuration 22 be in the form of a V-block. The mount means 32 carries a pin 38 23 to which is attached a strap 40 terminating in threaded rod 42 24 having a thumb screw 44. Mount means 32 is secured to shaft pa by bringing strap 40 under shaft pa and inserting threaded rod 26 I into slot 46. Thumb screw 44 is adjusted until it tightly 27 engages surface 45. Mount means 30 can have a similar strap 28 and slot arrangement to secure it to shaft pa. In this manner 29 both mount means can be quickly mounted and dismounted from their respective shafts.
31 Referring back to Figures 1 and 2/ sensing structure 9 32 comprises a first dual-axis radiation sensing means 11 having a 33 first signal output lead 18 and a first alignment radiation 34 source 16~ The radiation sensing means 11 is mounted on fixture 22 which is secured to support 28. The fixture 22 can also 36 accommodate mounting thereon a first phase orientation means 34 3L~33~
6 which in one form can be a spirit level. Other forms can be 7 electronic levels and electronic vertical position sensors.
8 Similarly, as best shown in Figure 3, sensing structure 10 9 comprises a second dual-axis radiation sensing detector 12 having a second signal output lead 20 and a second alignment radiation 11 source 14. The second radiation sensing detector 12 12 is mounted on fixture 24 which is secured to support 26, which 13 fixture can also accommodate mounting thereon a second phase 14 orientation means 36.
The dual-axis radiation sensing detectors 11 and 12 16 can be dual-axis position sensing photo detectors which can in 17 one form be photoelectric optical sensors such as a dual-axis 18 electronic auto collimator. One example of the auto collimator 19 is the US Model 1000 Electronic Auto collimator manufactured by United Detector Technology, Culver City, California. This 21 electronic optical auto collimator comprises a two-axis lateral 22 effect photo diode that can detect the exact position of a spot 23 of projected radiation on its surface. For sensing detector 11 24 this would be alignment radiation beam aye and for sensing detector 12 the alignment radiation beam aye. Well known optics 26 in the fur of camera lens are also used as part of the auto-27 collimator, which optics focus the radiation beam onto the photo-28 diode. The photo diode of sensing detector 11 generally depicted 29 at 120 in Figure 5 has four electrode leads 122, 123, 124 and 125 on the edges of the detector which together provide a first 31 output current signal through lead 18 to readout 48 shown in 32 Figure 4. Electrode leads 122 and 123 provide a first axis signal 33 the taxis position signal as shown referenced to rectangular 34 coordinates superimposed on the radiation beams in Figure 3. the it 35 taxis signal is sent to an electronic amplification circuit 36 depicted in block diagram form at 126, which circuit can be 33~
1 located in readout 48. Amplification circuits for photo diode are well known in the art and are discussed here only generally. Electrode leads 122 and 123 are connected appropriately to amplifiers 128 and 129;
respectively which convert the taxis position signal output currents to proportional voltages at leads 130 and 132, respectively. Leads 130 and 132 are connected to both a difference and sum amplifier 134 and 13~, respectively, such that the difference signal output at lo lead 138 is proportional to the spot intensity and position of radiation beam aye, and the sum signal output at lead 140 it; proportional only to the spot intensity of radiation Boyle aye. on analog divider 142~ well known in the art, receives both the difference signal at lead 138 and the sum signal at lead 140 and divides the difference signal by the sum signal to generate the xl-axis position signal at lead 144 which is sent to amplifier 146. The output lead l~L8 from amplifier 146, carries a voltage representative of thy taxis position, which is detected and displayed on voltmeter 50 (also shown in Figure 4 as incorporated yin the readout).
Similarly and without detailed discussion, the second axis Saigon of the dual-axis position sensing photo diode 12t) senses the yuccas position at leads 124 and 1~5, which signal is sent to difference and summing amplifiers Wylie output signals divided by an analog divider as discussed previously, having its respective output signal amplified and detected for display on voltmeter 54.
The first alignment radiation beam aye shown in Figure 3, has superimposed on it (for discussion only), x', y' reference orthogonal coordinate axes. The first dual-axis position sensing detector 11 intercepts alignment radiation beam aye and through its photodetectors and associated amplification circuitry provides an taxis position and yuccas position of radiation beam aye 6 relative to the reference or calibrated) I', y' coordinates 7 shown. Operating similarly, the second dual-axis position sensing 8 detector 12 intercepts the second alignment radiation beam aye 9 from radiation source 16, and as described for the first Dallas position sensing detector 11, detector 12 through similar use of 11 photodetectors and associated amplification circulator provides an 12 x-axis position signal and y-axis position signal detected and 13 displayed on voltmeters 52 and 5Ç, respectively of readout 48.
14 Alignment radiation beam aye has superimposed on it x, y orthogon-at reference (or calibrated) coordinate axis. The x, y and Al, 16 y' coordinate axes superimposed on the respective radiation beams 17 can also be alternately physically established at the dual-axis 18 photodetectors of each respective dual-axis position sensing 19 detector 11 and 12. The reference (or calibrated) coordinate axes in this instance being established with respect to a caliber-21 lion bar to be discussed later.
22 The first and second dual-axis position sensing detectors 23 11 and 12 have been described with respect to a dual-axis photo-24 diode and associated optical lenses, as manufactured by United Detector Technology, as example only. The dual-axis detector, 26 however, could also be a dual-axis photo-conductive sensor, 27 photovoltaic sensor, various photo diodes in segmented, quadrant, 28 arrays and other radiation beam detector configurations capable 29 of providing a dual-axis position signal.
The first and second alignment radiation sources 14 and 31 16 generating the first and second radiation beam aye and aye, 32 respectively, can be as example infrared or light emitting diodes, 33 incandescent light with or without associated optical focusing 34 lenses, optical fibers and lasers. Which radiation source used will depend on the radiation sensing detector selected and its 36 specific responsivity, active area and spectral range I !
6 Readout 48 shown in Figure 4 comprises appropriate 7 electrical circuitry in one form typical to that described in 8 Figure 5 and position signal detectors and displays in the form 9 of meters 50r 52, 54, and 56 such as voltmeters, arm. meters or null-meters well known in the art. The x', y' output position 11 signals from detector 11 are connected by lead 18 through 12 circuitry previously discussed to meters 50 and 54, respectively, !
13 and the x, y output position signals from detector 12 are connect 14 ted by lead 20 through similar circuitry to meters 52 and 56, respectively. Meters 50, 52, 54 and 56 have a calibrated 16 alignment (or null) condition indicated in one form as points 17 58, and meter pointers aye, aye, aye and aye, respectively, 18 which pointers move + or - with respect to the alignment con-19 dictions 58 depending on the respective x', x, y' and y signal received. The reference or calibrated alignment conditions at 21 points 58 together in effect replicate the cross-points of the 22 x', y' and x, y axes. The + or - condition indicates which dir-23 cation one shaft should be moved with respect to the other to 24 bring them to the alignment conditions. The meters 50, 52, 54 and 56 are scaled so that the amount of movement of their respect 26 live pointers from the alignment condition 58 provide information 27 regarding the magnitude of movement or adjustment necessary to 28 bring the shafts into alignment. There also can be associated 29 with each meter a set of pictorial symbols 60, as at meter 54, to symbolically indicated how the driven unit should be adjusted 31 with respect to the driving unit.
32 the readout 48 is initially calibrated by locking both 33 mount means 30 and 32, with their respective dual-axis sensing 34 structures facing each other, on a calibration bar (not shown which is simply a round precision ground straight bar. Each 36 mount means is oriented similarly on the calibration bar, as 33~
6 depicted in Figure 1, a vertical orientation being Sheehan. Each 7 should be oriented similarly, otherwise if angularly out of 8 phase, the resulting alignment will result in tune respective axes ¦
9 of the shafts being in parallel alignment, effectively an axial offset, which may be desirable in some instances. However, 11 the great majority of shaft alignment situations require the two 12 shafts to be in axial or rectilinear alignment. To minimize 13 possible parched alignment and resulting axial offset when not 14 desired, the respective mount means can be accurately oriented (referred to as phase orientation) by the use of two spirit levels 16 34 and 36. Although a vertical orientation of the shaft align-17 mint apparatus is shown, it must be noted that the alignment 18 apparatus is not limited to a vertical orientation. For example, 19 if both mount means 30 and 32 are rotated 90 from the vertical in the same direction, and the respective spirit levels mounted 21 horizontally on supports 28 and 26, this will again permit awoke- ¦
22 rate phase orientation of the mount means and their respective 23 sensing structures to achieve rectilinear alignment. Accordingly,, 24 alignment of shafts pa and pa could be achieved by either vertical or horizontal orientation of the two mount means, or for that 26 matter, at any angle around the shaft circumferences as long as 27 the phase orientation used in the calibrated position is replica-28 ted.
29 After the mount means 30 and 32 are phase oriented on the calibration bar, internal nutting circuitry well known in the 31 art (but not shown) can, for example, operate with the respective 32 amplification circuitry shown in Figure 5, so that the pointers 33 of each meter, such as pointer Soar can be zeroed in at alignment 34 condition points 58 of the respective meters. Calibration of the alignment apparatus does not have to be done before each shaft 36 alignment job, but should be checked periodically depending on ~22~
6 the amount of mechanical use and abuse to the apparatus and 7 with substantial variations in ambient temperature.
8 Alignment of shafts pa and pa is simply accomplished 9 in the following manner with reference to Figures 1, 3 and 4.
Mount means 30 and 32 with their respective dual-axis position 11 sensing structures are secured, respectively, to each shaft as 12 previously described. The mount means are then phase oriented 13 similarly to the calibration orientation. Leads 18 and 20 are I connected to readout 48 to provide x, x', y and y' position sign nets are acted on by appropriate electrical circuitry previously 16 described, and displayed on meters 50, 52, 54 and 56. The 17 pointers of each meter will move according to the signals received 18 and provide real-time alignment information both in magnitude and 19 direction as to the misalignment condition. A typical display of information is shown in Figure 4. For simplification, one shaft 21 is chosen as a reverence shaft to which the other shaft will be 22 aligned. It is not necessary that a reference shaft be chosen 23 but this greatly simplifies the process since only one driving 24 unit need be shimmed or horizontally adjusted. The unit not I chosen as the reference unit is shimmed and horizontally adjusted, 26 according to the misalignment information displayed, until reply-27 cation of the calibrated alignment conditions 58 is achieved on 28 all four meters. When this occurs, the axes of the two shafts 29 have been rectilinearly positioned to replicate the reference axis of the calibration bar.
31 The x, y and x', y' position signals can also be used 32 together in combination to determine the angles at which the 33 respective radiation beams are striking the opposite facing 34 sensing structure. This could be useful in situations requiring the two shafts to be aligned within certain angular tolerances 36 as specified by the manufacturer of the coupling used to connect I
1 the two shafts.
Figures 6, pa and 7 show a first variation of the shaft alignment sensing structures. Sensing structures 71 and 73 comprise supports 68 and 70, respectively, each support having mounted thereon dual-axis radiation sensing means in the form of a first single-axis radiation detector 78 and a second single-axis radiation detector 82 (for y, y' coordinate position detection), respectively, and a third single-axis radiation detector 76 and a fourth singl~-axis radiation detector 80 (for x, x ' coordinate position detection) respectively. Also mounted on supports 68 and 70 are radiation sources 72 and 74, respectively, of the type previously described. Each support can also have mounted thereon phase orientation means 84 an 86 in the form of spirit levels also previously discussed. Utilizing two single-axis radiation detectors in lie of one dual-axis radiation sensing means on each sensing structure, requires two radiation beams for each sensing structure, one each for impinging on each single-axis radiation detector. One way to achieve this is to have each radiation source 72 and 74 comprise two individual radiation sources to provide individual radiation beams.
A simpler way is shown in Figures 6, pa and 7, where the radiation sources 72 and 74 are shown as a single radiation source providing two radiation beams, aye, 72b and aye, 74b, respectively. This can be accomplished by providing radiation beam splitter means for intercepting the radiation beam, which divides beam 75 from radiation source 74 into two alignment radiation beams. The splitter means can take the form of a cube splitter and reflecting mirrors. Cube splitter 92 which is partially transmissive and partially reflective, generates vertical alignment radiation beam aye and horizontal alignment radiation beam 74b. The two radiation beams aye and 74b are oriented and directed to impinge upon the ,.
;.. . .
I
6 third single-axis radiation detector 76 and the firs songless 7 radiation detector 78, respectively, which detectors are part ox 8 the opposite facing sensing structure 71. Beams aye and 74b 9 are oriented and directed through the use of reflecting mirrors on prisms 94, 96 and 98, respectively. The mirrors can be mounted 11 appropriately on support 70 to intercept the divided beams.
12 Likewise and with similar radiation beam splitter means, sensing 13 structure 71 orients and directs vertical alignment radiation 14 beam aye and horizontal alignment radiation beam 72b, to impinge upon the fourth single-axis radiation detector 80 and the second 16 single-axis radiation detector 82, respectively, which detectors 17 are part of the opposite facing sensing structure 73.
18 The sensing structures 71 and 73 are mounted each, 19 respectively, on shaft mount means 64 and 66 which are similar in structure and operation to the mount means previously described 21 in Figure 3. In this variation the alignment radiation beams aye, 22 72b, aye and 74b can in one form be laser beams. The single-axis I
23 radiation detectors 76, 78, 80 and 82 can be single-axis position ¦
24 sensing photodetectors such as photo diodes, photo conductive sensors, photovoltaic sensors and other radiation beam detector 26 configurations. I
27 Figure pa shows, as example, alignment radiation beam 28 aye impinging upon the face of single-axis radiation detector I 80 having a radiation sensing area 81. The alignment radiation beam aye is shown as a black dot on area 81 and detector 80 31 provides an output signal representing the position of beam aye 32 on this area. The other detectors operate in similar fashion.
33 One limitation of using a single narrow laser beam as shown is 34 that if the two shafts to be aligned are substantially misaligned the projected alignment radiation beam could end up impinging the 36 sensing structure at aye' and not be sensed by detector 80. If I
6 the initial starting conditions of the two shafts are expected 7 to generally have misalignment magnitudes typically greater than 8 the range of the particular detectors used, a second variation 9 of splitter means can be employed as shown in Figure 8.
Figure 8 shows the else of a laser for radiation source 11 74 having mounted on its output a cylindrical lens 77 which 12 diverges the laser beam into a ribbon of laser light 79. The 13 laser ribbon 79 is intercepted by the cube splitter 92 which 14 generates a vertical alignment radiation beam 79b and a horizon-tat alignment radiation beam aye Vertical beam 79b is oriented 16 and directed by mirror aye to impinge upon position detector 78 17 and horizontal beam aye is oriented and directed by mirrors aye 18 and aye to impinge upon position detector 76, both detectors 19 on sensing structure 71. Likewise, sensing structure 71 with a laser for radiation source 72 can have a similar cylindrical lens 21 and splitter means to generate a vertical alignment radiation 22 ribbon beam to impinge upon position photodetector 82, and a 23 horizontal alignment radiation ribbon beam aye to impinge upon 24 position sensing photodetector 80, both detectors on sensing structure 73. In contrast to the spot of radiation projected 26 by narrow beam aye on detector 80, the ribbon laser beam aye, 27 shown in Figure pa, can move substantially from its central lo-28 cation to positions aye' and aye" and still impinge detector 80 29 to generate a position signal. This permits extending the range I of detection to accommodate greater initial starting misalignment 31 conditions of the two shafts.
32 A variation in using the single axis position detectors 33 with the radiation ribbons described in Figure 8 is shown in 34 Figure 7b. Support on is shown in partial section with detector 82 mounted thereon as previously described. Also associated 36 with detector 82 is a second single-axis position detector aye 33~
6 mounted on the support by a spacer 85 such that detector aye 7 intercepts radiation beam 7~b ahead of detector 82. Spacing the 8 two detectors apart in this manner, such that detector 82 acts 9 as a rear detector and detector aye acts as a front detector, it is possible to detect the angle A of the radiation beam 72b 11 as defined between the two detector positions, which angle A
12 can be representative of the angular position of sensing structure 13 71 with respect to sensing structure 73. The two detectors lung-14 lion together in detecting position in one coordinate, such as the Coordinate yet provide a combined output signal represent 16 native of the angular position of radiation beam with respect to 17 that particular coordinate. This angular position can be electron-18 icily compared to the calibrated angular condition such as at 19 position C in Figure 7b, and accordingly provide shalt misalign-mint information in the angular mode. Likewise, position 21 detectors 76,78 and 80 can each have associated with them a second 22 detector mounted in front to similarly detect for their respective 23 coordinates the angles of radiation beams aye, 74b and aye, 24 respectively.
Figure 9 shows one form of electrical circuit to 26 process the signal from any one of the single axis position 27 photodetectors 76, 78, 80 and 82 for display on one of the 28 meters of readout 48. The photodetectors can, in one form, 29 be position sensing photo diodes of the Series LSC type, manufac-lured by United Detector technology. Photodetector 80, shown in 31 Figure 9 as one of the position sensing photo diodes, has three 32 pins aye, 83b and 83c to which are connected leads 101, 106, 110, 33 respectively. Lead 101 is connected to a load resistor Al 34 having its other end connected to lead 103. Lead 106 is connected to the negative side of a voltage source Al, to provide a back 36 voltage bias, and the positive side of Al is connected by lead I
1 104 to load resistor R2 having it other end connected to lead 103. Lead 110 is connected to a trimming or nutting resistor R4 having its other end connected by lead 108 to load resistor R3. The resistor R3 has its other end connected to lead 103. Positional reading of the radiation beam impinging on the active surface 81 of detector 80 is picked off leads 105 and 107 by a voltmeter, such as meter 56. Leads 105 and 107 are connected to leads 101 and 110, respectively. In essence, the photodetector 80 operates on the principle that when the radiation beam impinges exactly at the center of the detector active area, no electrical signal is generated (the null, zero or alignment condition however, any movement or placement of the radiation beam from the center will generate a continuous electrical signal proportional to the exact distance of the radiation beam from the center. In operation, during the calibration process as previously described, the four alignment radiation beams will be directed to their respective opposite facing photodetectors. Signals from these detectors sensed at readout 48 can then be nutted by adjusting resistor R4 of each photodetector circuit such that the respective pointer of each meter will be positioned at the alignment conditions 58. Placement of the sensing structures, one each on the two shafts to be aligned, will again direct the alignment radiatioll beams in the direction of their respective detectors and any deviation of the radiation beams from the center or null position on each detector will be displayed proportionally in magnitude and direction. These readings will be representative of the magnitude and direction of misalignment of the axis of the two shafts as compared to the axis of the calibration bar.
With reference to Figures 1 through 8 and the description of the sensing structures and shaft mount means r the method of I
6 statically aligning a firs shaft with a second shift, wherein, 7 the first shaft has mounted thereon a first dual-axis radiation 8 sensing means and a first radiation source providing a first 9 radiation beam and the second shaft has mounted thereon a second dual-axis radiation sensing means and a second radiation source 11 providing a second radiation beam, and readout means having 12 defined alignment conditions, comprises the steps of: orienting 13 the first radiation beam to the second dual-axis radiation sensing 14 means and generating a second signal representing the orientation of the first beam; orienting the second radiation beam to the firs 16 dual-axis radiation sensing means and generating a first signal 17 representing the orientation of the second radiation beam; sensing¦
18 the first and second signals at the readout means and visually 19 displaying the orientation of the first and second radiation beams; and adjusting the first shaft with respect to the second 21 shaft until the first signal and the second signal are replicating 22 the defined alignment conditions on the readout means. If the 23 first dual-axis radiation sensing means is comprised of a first 24 single-axis position sensing photodetector and a third single-axis¦
position sensing photodetector and the second dual-axis radiation;
26 sensing means is comprised of a second single-axis position 27 sensing photodetector and a fourth single-axis position photo-28 detector, then the method of static alignment just mentioned will 29 further include the steps of: providing or positioning a first radiation beam splitter means intercepting the first radiation 31 beam and generating a first vertical alignment radiation beam 32 directed to impinge upon the second single-axis position sensing 33 photodetector and a first horizontal alignment radiation beam 34 directed to impinge upon the fourth single-axis sensing photo-detector; and providing a second radiation beam splitter means 36 intercepting the second radiation beam and generating a second Jo 6 vertical alignment radiation hear directed to impirIge upon the 7 first single-axis position sensing photodetector and a second 8 horizontal alignment radiation beam directed to impinge upon the 9 third single-axis position sensing photodetector. join parallel offset is desired to be avoided, the method above can further 11 include the steps of: providing a first phase orientation means 12 for orienting the first dual-axis radiation sensing means and 13 first radiation source; and providing a second phase orientation 14 means for orienting the second dual-axis radiation sensing means and second radiation source.
16 Another object of the shaft alignment sensing structure 17 of the present invention is in its use for monitoring changes in 18 alignment of two coupled shafts during their operation. Figure 19 10 shows such an arrangement. The apparatus for monitoring the alignment of the driving unit 4 hazing driving shaft pa coupled 21 by coupling 7 to driven unit 6 having driven shaft pa, comprises:
22 the first support 28 mounted on the driving unit and carrying the 23 first dual-axis radiation sensing structure 9, and the second I support 26 mounted on the driven unit and carrying the second d~al-axis radiation sensing structure 10. the sensing structures 26 9 and 10 are as described in Figures 1, 2 and 3 or their vane-27 lions as described in Figures 6, pa, 7 and 8. As described 28 previously in these Figures, the first support carries a furriest Means in the form of a radiation source for providing a first 30 alignment radiation beam oriented to impinge upon the second dual-31 taxis radiation detector to generate a second signal at lead 20, 32 and the second support carries a second means in the form of a 33 radiation source or providing a second alignment radiation beam 34 oriented to impinge upon the first dual-axis radiation detector 35 It generate a first signal at lead I with toe first and second 36 signals being connected to readout 48. The first support can 1 also have first means for phase orienting 'eke first support on the driving unit and the second support can have second means for phase orienting the second support on the driven unit. The method of monitoring operating changes in the alignment of the driving unit shaft with respect to the driven unit shaft comprises the steps of:
sensing the position of the first alignment radiation beam on the second dual-axis radiation sensing means and generating the second signal representing the position of the first beam; sensing the position ox the second alignment radiation beam on the first dual-axis radiation sensing means and generating a first signal representing the position of the second beam; send the first and second signals to the readout for visual display, and calibrating the first and second signals to coincide with the defined alignment conditions on the readout The first and second signals on the readout will accordingly monitor operating changes in the alignment of the driving and driven unit shafts. In essence once the sensing structures are mounted on the units to be monitored, their respective signals can then be nutted out on the meters of readout 48 at the alignment conditions 58 to establish reference alignment conditions. Upon activation of the two units to normal operating condition, any change in the alignment between the two shafts will be detected by the sensing structures and-the magnitude and direction of this misalignment from the reference alignment conditions will be continually displayed at the readout.
While I have shown and described the preferred embodiments, various modifications and changes to the structures and their mode of operation may be made by those skilled it the art without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the accompanying claims
13 Non-rotating or static alignment devices have been 14 disclosed in Us Patent Nosy 4,115,925; 4,161,068 and 3,192,631.
Patent No. 4,115,925 provides three dimensional alignment detect 16 lion by the use of two universal joints with appropriately 17 mounted position sensors. The joints communicate through the 18 use of a telescoping connection mounted on one yoke of each 19 universal joint. The position sensors provide signals to a read-out controller which can indicate both angular and parallel mist 21 alignment conditions. This device is limited in accuracy by the 22 requirement of a precision machined telescoping connection, which 23 mechanical connection the present invention does not require. In 24 addition, the universal yokes, which translate the positions of the shafts into usable rectangular coordinate information, must 26 be made a minimum size to accommodate mounting the position 27 sensors. This is a problem since it places a limit on the minimum 28 mounting distance between the universal yokes as they sit on their 29 respective shafts. The present invention not using such universal joints accordingly permits substantially reducing the minimum 31 shaft-to-shaft mounting distance. Patent Jo. 4,161,068 provides 32 misalignment information by using mechanical target rods with v 33 micrometers in conjunction with two cooperating Moire fringe 34 pattern surfaces to detect angular misalignment. The present invention does not use mechanical target rods which can deflect.
36 In addition, the Moire fringe pattern surfaces must lie flat 6 against each other for operation and this is difficult tug achieve., 7 Furthermore, the Moire pat-tern generated is difficult to interpret !
8 in terms of magnitude and direction of misalignment. Patent No.
9 3,192,631 uses telescope elements having cross-hair graticules and cross-hair target screens. These particular elements can 11 provide an indication of the direction of misalignment, but they 12 cannot provide an indication of the magnitude of misaligned con-13 dictions and the shafts must be adjusted by trial and error until 14 the aligned conditions are met by visually looking through the telescopes. The present invention eliminates this trial and error 16 by providing immediate electronic signals representing simultan-17 easily the magnitude and direction of misalignment.
19 It is, therefore, a general object of this invention to provide a simple method and apparatus to statically align two 21 shafts, in three dimensions, with simultaneous detection of the 22 magnitude and direction of misaligned conditions and a displayed 23 indication of the movements and adjustments necessary to bring 24 the two shafts into alignment.
In general the present invention comprises a shaft 26 alignment or monitoring sensing structure having a support, a 27 dual-axis radiation sensing means mounted on the support to 28 provide a radiation beam. The static shaft alignment apparatus 29 when used for aligning or checking the alignment of two shafts to be coupled, utilizes two of the shaft alignment sensing 31 structures each mounted, respectively, on a shaft mount means 32 which locks each sensing structure, respectively, one each to a 33 shaft in lacing relation. The sensing structures can have phase 34 orientation means to orient each shalt mount means so that the radiation beams carried by the respective sensing structures impinge 36 upon the opposite facing dual-axis radiation sensing means. Each I
6 radiation sensing means responds to the radiation been conning 7 from the opposite sensing structure and generates a signal Russia 8 is sent to a readout having defined alignment conditions. The 9 signals from the two radiation sensing means jointly provide information, in one form being rectangular or angular coordinate if information, representing the magnitude and direction of misalign-12 mint as compared to the defined alignment conditions and accord 13 dingy replicate the axial misalignment positions of the two 14 shafts.
In particular, the shaft alignment apparatus for stall-16 gaily aligning a first shaft with a second shaft comprises a first 17 mount means mounted on the first shaft, the first mount means 18 having mounted thereon a first dual-axis radiation sensing means lo and a first radiation source, and a second mount means mounted on the second shaft, the second mount means having mounted thereon 21 a second dual-axis radiation sensing-means and a second radiation 22 source. The first radiation source is oriented to provide a 23 first radiation beam to the second dual-axis radiation source 24 means to generate a second signal and the second radiation source is oriented to provide a second radiation beam to the first dual-26 axis radiation sensing means to generate a first signal. A
27 readout means having defined alignment conditions is responsive 28 to the first signal and the second signal for visually displaying 29 shaft alignment, with alignment of the two shafts indicated by the first signal and second signal coinciding with the defined 31 alignment conditions. The readout compares the first and second 32 signals to the defined alignment conditions, and any deviation 33 of the first and second signals from the defined alignment condo-34 lions, which are calibrated conditions, is displayed as misalign-mint information in both magnitude and direction. With one shaft 36 chosen as the axial reference, the other shaft is adjusted into 33~
1 alignment with the reference shaft according to -the displayed misalignment information.
An additional object of this invention is to provide a shaft alignment apparatus which can avoid substantial parallel offset misalignment of the two shafts by incorporating the use of phase orientation means mounted on the first mount and second mount so as to accurately orient each mount to replicate calibrated conditions.
A further object of this invention is to provide shaft aligning apparatus which can align two shafts which can be axially coupled without having to rotate either shaft to obtain misalignment information.
An additional object of this invention is to provide a method and apparatus for shaft alignment that can be quickly and easily mounted and dismounted on the shafts.
A still further object of this invention is to provide a method and apparatus to quickly check the alignment of two shafts connected by a coupling without having to disconnect the coupling A further object of this invention is to provide a shaft alignment sensing structure that can be used to constantly monitor the alignment condition of two shafts coupled together.
Another object of this invention is to provide a method and apparatus which reduces trial and error required by prior art devices, and eliminates any mechanical connectors between the opposite facing sensing structures mounted on the shafts.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
With reference to the above objects of the invention and other objects and advantages which will appear in the following description taken in connection with the accompanying . - 5 -or I drawn s: lZ2~330 7 Figure 1 is a side view of the shaft aligr~ent apparatus 8 shown mounted on the two shafts;
9 Figure 2 is a top view of the shaft alignment apparatus shown mounted on the two shafts;
11 Figure 3 is a perspective view of one of the shaft 12 mount means showing mounted thereon a shaft alignment dual-axis 13 sensing structure;
14 inure 4 is a perspective view of one form of readout means displaying the misalignment information;
16 Figure 5 is a block diagram of one form of an electrical 17 circuit for operation with one of the radiation detectors;
18 Figure 6 shows a first variation of the shaft alignment 19 apparatus using single-axis position sensing detectors, Figure pa is a top view of the first variation of the 21 alignment apparatus shown in Figure 6;
22 Figure 7 is a perspective view of the first variation 23 of the alignment apparatus shown in Figure 6;
24 Y'lgure pa is a front view of one of the position radiation detectors;
26 Figure 7b is a first variation of the single-axis 27 position sensing detector showing its use in pairs to detect 28 angular position;
29 Figure 8 is a perspective view of a first variation of splitter beam means controlling the projection of the alignment 31 radiation beam;
32 Figure go is a front view of one of the position 33 radiation detectors having impinged upon it one of the projected 34 alignment radiation beams of Figure 8;
Figure 9 is one form of an electrical circuit for 36 operation with one of the radiation detectors of Figure pa, 7b or pa; and Jo 7 Figure 10 is a side view showing shaft alignment sensing 8 structures mounted for monitoring changes in alignment of 9 operating equipment.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
11 Referring in particular to the drawings, and initially 12 with respect to Figures 1, 2 and 3, Figure 1 shows the present 13 invention generally indicated at 8 as comprising two sensing 14 structures located at 9 and 10. Alignment sensing structures 9 and 10 are mounted on supports 28 and 26, respectively. The 16 shaft alignment apparatus of the present invention comprises 17 sensing structures 9 and 10 fixed to first mount means 30 and 18 second mount means 32, respectively. First mount means 30 and 19 second mount means 32 (best shown in Figure 3) are seated on first shaft pa of driving unit 4 and second shaft pa of driven 21 unit 6, respectively. Both mount means can in one configuration 22 be in the form of a V-block. The mount means 32 carries a pin 38 23 to which is attached a strap 40 terminating in threaded rod 42 24 having a thumb screw 44. Mount means 32 is secured to shaft pa by bringing strap 40 under shaft pa and inserting threaded rod 26 I into slot 46. Thumb screw 44 is adjusted until it tightly 27 engages surface 45. Mount means 30 can have a similar strap 28 and slot arrangement to secure it to shaft pa. In this manner 29 both mount means can be quickly mounted and dismounted from their respective shafts.
31 Referring back to Figures 1 and 2/ sensing structure 9 32 comprises a first dual-axis radiation sensing means 11 having a 33 first signal output lead 18 and a first alignment radiation 34 source 16~ The radiation sensing means 11 is mounted on fixture 22 which is secured to support 28. The fixture 22 can also 36 accommodate mounting thereon a first phase orientation means 34 3L~33~
6 which in one form can be a spirit level. Other forms can be 7 electronic levels and electronic vertical position sensors.
8 Similarly, as best shown in Figure 3, sensing structure 10 9 comprises a second dual-axis radiation sensing detector 12 having a second signal output lead 20 and a second alignment radiation 11 source 14. The second radiation sensing detector 12 12 is mounted on fixture 24 which is secured to support 26, which 13 fixture can also accommodate mounting thereon a second phase 14 orientation means 36.
The dual-axis radiation sensing detectors 11 and 12 16 can be dual-axis position sensing photo detectors which can in 17 one form be photoelectric optical sensors such as a dual-axis 18 electronic auto collimator. One example of the auto collimator 19 is the US Model 1000 Electronic Auto collimator manufactured by United Detector Technology, Culver City, California. This 21 electronic optical auto collimator comprises a two-axis lateral 22 effect photo diode that can detect the exact position of a spot 23 of projected radiation on its surface. For sensing detector 11 24 this would be alignment radiation beam aye and for sensing detector 12 the alignment radiation beam aye. Well known optics 26 in the fur of camera lens are also used as part of the auto-27 collimator, which optics focus the radiation beam onto the photo-28 diode. The photo diode of sensing detector 11 generally depicted 29 at 120 in Figure 5 has four electrode leads 122, 123, 124 and 125 on the edges of the detector which together provide a first 31 output current signal through lead 18 to readout 48 shown in 32 Figure 4. Electrode leads 122 and 123 provide a first axis signal 33 the taxis position signal as shown referenced to rectangular 34 coordinates superimposed on the radiation beams in Figure 3. the it 35 taxis signal is sent to an electronic amplification circuit 36 depicted in block diagram form at 126, which circuit can be 33~
1 located in readout 48. Amplification circuits for photo diode are well known in the art and are discussed here only generally. Electrode leads 122 and 123 are connected appropriately to amplifiers 128 and 129;
respectively which convert the taxis position signal output currents to proportional voltages at leads 130 and 132, respectively. Leads 130 and 132 are connected to both a difference and sum amplifier 134 and 13~, respectively, such that the difference signal output at lo lead 138 is proportional to the spot intensity and position of radiation beam aye, and the sum signal output at lead 140 it; proportional only to the spot intensity of radiation Boyle aye. on analog divider 142~ well known in the art, receives both the difference signal at lead 138 and the sum signal at lead 140 and divides the difference signal by the sum signal to generate the xl-axis position signal at lead 144 which is sent to amplifier 146. The output lead l~L8 from amplifier 146, carries a voltage representative of thy taxis position, which is detected and displayed on voltmeter 50 (also shown in Figure 4 as incorporated yin the readout).
Similarly and without detailed discussion, the second axis Saigon of the dual-axis position sensing photo diode 12t) senses the yuccas position at leads 124 and 1~5, which signal is sent to difference and summing amplifiers Wylie output signals divided by an analog divider as discussed previously, having its respective output signal amplified and detected for display on voltmeter 54.
The first alignment radiation beam aye shown in Figure 3, has superimposed on it (for discussion only), x', y' reference orthogonal coordinate axes. The first dual-axis position sensing detector 11 intercepts alignment radiation beam aye and through its photodetectors and associated amplification circuitry provides an taxis position and yuccas position of radiation beam aye 6 relative to the reference or calibrated) I', y' coordinates 7 shown. Operating similarly, the second dual-axis position sensing 8 detector 12 intercepts the second alignment radiation beam aye 9 from radiation source 16, and as described for the first Dallas position sensing detector 11, detector 12 through similar use of 11 photodetectors and associated amplification circulator provides an 12 x-axis position signal and y-axis position signal detected and 13 displayed on voltmeters 52 and 5Ç, respectively of readout 48.
14 Alignment radiation beam aye has superimposed on it x, y orthogon-at reference (or calibrated) coordinate axis. The x, y and Al, 16 y' coordinate axes superimposed on the respective radiation beams 17 can also be alternately physically established at the dual-axis 18 photodetectors of each respective dual-axis position sensing 19 detector 11 and 12. The reference (or calibrated) coordinate axes in this instance being established with respect to a caliber-21 lion bar to be discussed later.
22 The first and second dual-axis position sensing detectors 23 11 and 12 have been described with respect to a dual-axis photo-24 diode and associated optical lenses, as manufactured by United Detector Technology, as example only. The dual-axis detector, 26 however, could also be a dual-axis photo-conductive sensor, 27 photovoltaic sensor, various photo diodes in segmented, quadrant, 28 arrays and other radiation beam detector configurations capable 29 of providing a dual-axis position signal.
The first and second alignment radiation sources 14 and 31 16 generating the first and second radiation beam aye and aye, 32 respectively, can be as example infrared or light emitting diodes, 33 incandescent light with or without associated optical focusing 34 lenses, optical fibers and lasers. Which radiation source used will depend on the radiation sensing detector selected and its 36 specific responsivity, active area and spectral range I !
6 Readout 48 shown in Figure 4 comprises appropriate 7 electrical circuitry in one form typical to that described in 8 Figure 5 and position signal detectors and displays in the form 9 of meters 50r 52, 54, and 56 such as voltmeters, arm. meters or null-meters well known in the art. The x', y' output position 11 signals from detector 11 are connected by lead 18 through 12 circuitry previously discussed to meters 50 and 54, respectively, !
13 and the x, y output position signals from detector 12 are connect 14 ted by lead 20 through similar circuitry to meters 52 and 56, respectively. Meters 50, 52, 54 and 56 have a calibrated 16 alignment (or null) condition indicated in one form as points 17 58, and meter pointers aye, aye, aye and aye, respectively, 18 which pointers move + or - with respect to the alignment con-19 dictions 58 depending on the respective x', x, y' and y signal received. The reference or calibrated alignment conditions at 21 points 58 together in effect replicate the cross-points of the 22 x', y' and x, y axes. The + or - condition indicates which dir-23 cation one shaft should be moved with respect to the other to 24 bring them to the alignment conditions. The meters 50, 52, 54 and 56 are scaled so that the amount of movement of their respect 26 live pointers from the alignment condition 58 provide information 27 regarding the magnitude of movement or adjustment necessary to 28 bring the shafts into alignment. There also can be associated 29 with each meter a set of pictorial symbols 60, as at meter 54, to symbolically indicated how the driven unit should be adjusted 31 with respect to the driving unit.
32 the readout 48 is initially calibrated by locking both 33 mount means 30 and 32, with their respective dual-axis sensing 34 structures facing each other, on a calibration bar (not shown which is simply a round precision ground straight bar. Each 36 mount means is oriented similarly on the calibration bar, as 33~
6 depicted in Figure 1, a vertical orientation being Sheehan. Each 7 should be oriented similarly, otherwise if angularly out of 8 phase, the resulting alignment will result in tune respective axes ¦
9 of the shafts being in parallel alignment, effectively an axial offset, which may be desirable in some instances. However, 11 the great majority of shaft alignment situations require the two 12 shafts to be in axial or rectilinear alignment. To minimize 13 possible parched alignment and resulting axial offset when not 14 desired, the respective mount means can be accurately oriented (referred to as phase orientation) by the use of two spirit levels 16 34 and 36. Although a vertical orientation of the shaft align-17 mint apparatus is shown, it must be noted that the alignment 18 apparatus is not limited to a vertical orientation. For example, 19 if both mount means 30 and 32 are rotated 90 from the vertical in the same direction, and the respective spirit levels mounted 21 horizontally on supports 28 and 26, this will again permit awoke- ¦
22 rate phase orientation of the mount means and their respective 23 sensing structures to achieve rectilinear alignment. Accordingly,, 24 alignment of shafts pa and pa could be achieved by either vertical or horizontal orientation of the two mount means, or for that 26 matter, at any angle around the shaft circumferences as long as 27 the phase orientation used in the calibrated position is replica-28 ted.
29 After the mount means 30 and 32 are phase oriented on the calibration bar, internal nutting circuitry well known in the 31 art (but not shown) can, for example, operate with the respective 32 amplification circuitry shown in Figure 5, so that the pointers 33 of each meter, such as pointer Soar can be zeroed in at alignment 34 condition points 58 of the respective meters. Calibration of the alignment apparatus does not have to be done before each shaft 36 alignment job, but should be checked periodically depending on ~22~
6 the amount of mechanical use and abuse to the apparatus and 7 with substantial variations in ambient temperature.
8 Alignment of shafts pa and pa is simply accomplished 9 in the following manner with reference to Figures 1, 3 and 4.
Mount means 30 and 32 with their respective dual-axis position 11 sensing structures are secured, respectively, to each shaft as 12 previously described. The mount means are then phase oriented 13 similarly to the calibration orientation. Leads 18 and 20 are I connected to readout 48 to provide x, x', y and y' position sign nets are acted on by appropriate electrical circuitry previously 16 described, and displayed on meters 50, 52, 54 and 56. The 17 pointers of each meter will move according to the signals received 18 and provide real-time alignment information both in magnitude and 19 direction as to the misalignment condition. A typical display of information is shown in Figure 4. For simplification, one shaft 21 is chosen as a reverence shaft to which the other shaft will be 22 aligned. It is not necessary that a reference shaft be chosen 23 but this greatly simplifies the process since only one driving 24 unit need be shimmed or horizontally adjusted. The unit not I chosen as the reference unit is shimmed and horizontally adjusted, 26 according to the misalignment information displayed, until reply-27 cation of the calibrated alignment conditions 58 is achieved on 28 all four meters. When this occurs, the axes of the two shafts 29 have been rectilinearly positioned to replicate the reference axis of the calibration bar.
31 The x, y and x', y' position signals can also be used 32 together in combination to determine the angles at which the 33 respective radiation beams are striking the opposite facing 34 sensing structure. This could be useful in situations requiring the two shafts to be aligned within certain angular tolerances 36 as specified by the manufacturer of the coupling used to connect I
1 the two shafts.
Figures 6, pa and 7 show a first variation of the shaft alignment sensing structures. Sensing structures 71 and 73 comprise supports 68 and 70, respectively, each support having mounted thereon dual-axis radiation sensing means in the form of a first single-axis radiation detector 78 and a second single-axis radiation detector 82 (for y, y' coordinate position detection), respectively, and a third single-axis radiation detector 76 and a fourth singl~-axis radiation detector 80 (for x, x ' coordinate position detection) respectively. Also mounted on supports 68 and 70 are radiation sources 72 and 74, respectively, of the type previously described. Each support can also have mounted thereon phase orientation means 84 an 86 in the form of spirit levels also previously discussed. Utilizing two single-axis radiation detectors in lie of one dual-axis radiation sensing means on each sensing structure, requires two radiation beams for each sensing structure, one each for impinging on each single-axis radiation detector. One way to achieve this is to have each radiation source 72 and 74 comprise two individual radiation sources to provide individual radiation beams.
A simpler way is shown in Figures 6, pa and 7, where the radiation sources 72 and 74 are shown as a single radiation source providing two radiation beams, aye, 72b and aye, 74b, respectively. This can be accomplished by providing radiation beam splitter means for intercepting the radiation beam, which divides beam 75 from radiation source 74 into two alignment radiation beams. The splitter means can take the form of a cube splitter and reflecting mirrors. Cube splitter 92 which is partially transmissive and partially reflective, generates vertical alignment radiation beam aye and horizontal alignment radiation beam 74b. The two radiation beams aye and 74b are oriented and directed to impinge upon the ,.
;.. . .
I
6 third single-axis radiation detector 76 and the firs songless 7 radiation detector 78, respectively, which detectors are part ox 8 the opposite facing sensing structure 71. Beams aye and 74b 9 are oriented and directed through the use of reflecting mirrors on prisms 94, 96 and 98, respectively. The mirrors can be mounted 11 appropriately on support 70 to intercept the divided beams.
12 Likewise and with similar radiation beam splitter means, sensing 13 structure 71 orients and directs vertical alignment radiation 14 beam aye and horizontal alignment radiation beam 72b, to impinge upon the fourth single-axis radiation detector 80 and the second 16 single-axis radiation detector 82, respectively, which detectors 17 are part of the opposite facing sensing structure 73.
18 The sensing structures 71 and 73 are mounted each, 19 respectively, on shaft mount means 64 and 66 which are similar in structure and operation to the mount means previously described 21 in Figure 3. In this variation the alignment radiation beams aye, 22 72b, aye and 74b can in one form be laser beams. The single-axis I
23 radiation detectors 76, 78, 80 and 82 can be single-axis position ¦
24 sensing photodetectors such as photo diodes, photo conductive sensors, photovoltaic sensors and other radiation beam detector 26 configurations. I
27 Figure pa shows, as example, alignment radiation beam 28 aye impinging upon the face of single-axis radiation detector I 80 having a radiation sensing area 81. The alignment radiation beam aye is shown as a black dot on area 81 and detector 80 31 provides an output signal representing the position of beam aye 32 on this area. The other detectors operate in similar fashion.
33 One limitation of using a single narrow laser beam as shown is 34 that if the two shafts to be aligned are substantially misaligned the projected alignment radiation beam could end up impinging the 36 sensing structure at aye' and not be sensed by detector 80. If I
6 the initial starting conditions of the two shafts are expected 7 to generally have misalignment magnitudes typically greater than 8 the range of the particular detectors used, a second variation 9 of splitter means can be employed as shown in Figure 8.
Figure 8 shows the else of a laser for radiation source 11 74 having mounted on its output a cylindrical lens 77 which 12 diverges the laser beam into a ribbon of laser light 79. The 13 laser ribbon 79 is intercepted by the cube splitter 92 which 14 generates a vertical alignment radiation beam 79b and a horizon-tat alignment radiation beam aye Vertical beam 79b is oriented 16 and directed by mirror aye to impinge upon position detector 78 17 and horizontal beam aye is oriented and directed by mirrors aye 18 and aye to impinge upon position detector 76, both detectors 19 on sensing structure 71. Likewise, sensing structure 71 with a laser for radiation source 72 can have a similar cylindrical lens 21 and splitter means to generate a vertical alignment radiation 22 ribbon beam to impinge upon position photodetector 82, and a 23 horizontal alignment radiation ribbon beam aye to impinge upon 24 position sensing photodetector 80, both detectors on sensing structure 73. In contrast to the spot of radiation projected 26 by narrow beam aye on detector 80, the ribbon laser beam aye, 27 shown in Figure pa, can move substantially from its central lo-28 cation to positions aye' and aye" and still impinge detector 80 29 to generate a position signal. This permits extending the range I of detection to accommodate greater initial starting misalignment 31 conditions of the two shafts.
32 A variation in using the single axis position detectors 33 with the radiation ribbons described in Figure 8 is shown in 34 Figure 7b. Support on is shown in partial section with detector 82 mounted thereon as previously described. Also associated 36 with detector 82 is a second single-axis position detector aye 33~
6 mounted on the support by a spacer 85 such that detector aye 7 intercepts radiation beam 7~b ahead of detector 82. Spacing the 8 two detectors apart in this manner, such that detector 82 acts 9 as a rear detector and detector aye acts as a front detector, it is possible to detect the angle A of the radiation beam 72b 11 as defined between the two detector positions, which angle A
12 can be representative of the angular position of sensing structure 13 71 with respect to sensing structure 73. The two detectors lung-14 lion together in detecting position in one coordinate, such as the Coordinate yet provide a combined output signal represent 16 native of the angular position of radiation beam with respect to 17 that particular coordinate. This angular position can be electron-18 icily compared to the calibrated angular condition such as at 19 position C in Figure 7b, and accordingly provide shalt misalign-mint information in the angular mode. Likewise, position 21 detectors 76,78 and 80 can each have associated with them a second 22 detector mounted in front to similarly detect for their respective 23 coordinates the angles of radiation beams aye, 74b and aye, 24 respectively.
Figure 9 shows one form of electrical circuit to 26 process the signal from any one of the single axis position 27 photodetectors 76, 78, 80 and 82 for display on one of the 28 meters of readout 48. The photodetectors can, in one form, 29 be position sensing photo diodes of the Series LSC type, manufac-lured by United Detector technology. Photodetector 80, shown in 31 Figure 9 as one of the position sensing photo diodes, has three 32 pins aye, 83b and 83c to which are connected leads 101, 106, 110, 33 respectively. Lead 101 is connected to a load resistor Al 34 having its other end connected to lead 103. Lead 106 is connected to the negative side of a voltage source Al, to provide a back 36 voltage bias, and the positive side of Al is connected by lead I
1 104 to load resistor R2 having it other end connected to lead 103. Lead 110 is connected to a trimming or nutting resistor R4 having its other end connected by lead 108 to load resistor R3. The resistor R3 has its other end connected to lead 103. Positional reading of the radiation beam impinging on the active surface 81 of detector 80 is picked off leads 105 and 107 by a voltmeter, such as meter 56. Leads 105 and 107 are connected to leads 101 and 110, respectively. In essence, the photodetector 80 operates on the principle that when the radiation beam impinges exactly at the center of the detector active area, no electrical signal is generated (the null, zero or alignment condition however, any movement or placement of the radiation beam from the center will generate a continuous electrical signal proportional to the exact distance of the radiation beam from the center. In operation, during the calibration process as previously described, the four alignment radiation beams will be directed to their respective opposite facing photodetectors. Signals from these detectors sensed at readout 48 can then be nutted by adjusting resistor R4 of each photodetector circuit such that the respective pointer of each meter will be positioned at the alignment conditions 58. Placement of the sensing structures, one each on the two shafts to be aligned, will again direct the alignment radiatioll beams in the direction of their respective detectors and any deviation of the radiation beams from the center or null position on each detector will be displayed proportionally in magnitude and direction. These readings will be representative of the magnitude and direction of misalignment of the axis of the two shafts as compared to the axis of the calibration bar.
With reference to Figures 1 through 8 and the description of the sensing structures and shaft mount means r the method of I
6 statically aligning a firs shaft with a second shift, wherein, 7 the first shaft has mounted thereon a first dual-axis radiation 8 sensing means and a first radiation source providing a first 9 radiation beam and the second shaft has mounted thereon a second dual-axis radiation sensing means and a second radiation source 11 providing a second radiation beam, and readout means having 12 defined alignment conditions, comprises the steps of: orienting 13 the first radiation beam to the second dual-axis radiation sensing 14 means and generating a second signal representing the orientation of the first beam; orienting the second radiation beam to the firs 16 dual-axis radiation sensing means and generating a first signal 17 representing the orientation of the second radiation beam; sensing¦
18 the first and second signals at the readout means and visually 19 displaying the orientation of the first and second radiation beams; and adjusting the first shaft with respect to the second 21 shaft until the first signal and the second signal are replicating 22 the defined alignment conditions on the readout means. If the 23 first dual-axis radiation sensing means is comprised of a first 24 single-axis position sensing photodetector and a third single-axis¦
position sensing photodetector and the second dual-axis radiation;
26 sensing means is comprised of a second single-axis position 27 sensing photodetector and a fourth single-axis position photo-28 detector, then the method of static alignment just mentioned will 29 further include the steps of: providing or positioning a first radiation beam splitter means intercepting the first radiation 31 beam and generating a first vertical alignment radiation beam 32 directed to impinge upon the second single-axis position sensing 33 photodetector and a first horizontal alignment radiation beam 34 directed to impinge upon the fourth single-axis sensing photo-detector; and providing a second radiation beam splitter means 36 intercepting the second radiation beam and generating a second Jo 6 vertical alignment radiation hear directed to impirIge upon the 7 first single-axis position sensing photodetector and a second 8 horizontal alignment radiation beam directed to impinge upon the 9 third single-axis position sensing photodetector. join parallel offset is desired to be avoided, the method above can further 11 include the steps of: providing a first phase orientation means 12 for orienting the first dual-axis radiation sensing means and 13 first radiation source; and providing a second phase orientation 14 means for orienting the second dual-axis radiation sensing means and second radiation source.
16 Another object of the shaft alignment sensing structure 17 of the present invention is in its use for monitoring changes in 18 alignment of two coupled shafts during their operation. Figure 19 10 shows such an arrangement. The apparatus for monitoring the alignment of the driving unit 4 hazing driving shaft pa coupled 21 by coupling 7 to driven unit 6 having driven shaft pa, comprises:
22 the first support 28 mounted on the driving unit and carrying the 23 first dual-axis radiation sensing structure 9, and the second I support 26 mounted on the driven unit and carrying the second d~al-axis radiation sensing structure 10. the sensing structures 26 9 and 10 are as described in Figures 1, 2 and 3 or their vane-27 lions as described in Figures 6, pa, 7 and 8. As described 28 previously in these Figures, the first support carries a furriest Means in the form of a radiation source for providing a first 30 alignment radiation beam oriented to impinge upon the second dual-31 taxis radiation detector to generate a second signal at lead 20, 32 and the second support carries a second means in the form of a 33 radiation source or providing a second alignment radiation beam 34 oriented to impinge upon the first dual-axis radiation detector 35 It generate a first signal at lead I with toe first and second 36 signals being connected to readout 48. The first support can 1 also have first means for phase orienting 'eke first support on the driving unit and the second support can have second means for phase orienting the second support on the driven unit. The method of monitoring operating changes in the alignment of the driving unit shaft with respect to the driven unit shaft comprises the steps of:
sensing the position of the first alignment radiation beam on the second dual-axis radiation sensing means and generating the second signal representing the position of the first beam; sensing the position ox the second alignment radiation beam on the first dual-axis radiation sensing means and generating a first signal representing the position of the second beam; send the first and second signals to the readout for visual display, and calibrating the first and second signals to coincide with the defined alignment conditions on the readout The first and second signals on the readout will accordingly monitor operating changes in the alignment of the driving and driven unit shafts. In essence once the sensing structures are mounted on the units to be monitored, their respective signals can then be nutted out on the meters of readout 48 at the alignment conditions 58 to establish reference alignment conditions. Upon activation of the two units to normal operating condition, any change in the alignment between the two shafts will be detected by the sensing structures and-the magnitude and direction of this misalignment from the reference alignment conditions will be continually displayed at the readout.
While I have shown and described the preferred embodiments, various modifications and changes to the structures and their mode of operation may be made by those skilled it the art without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the accompanying claims
Claims (45)
1. A shaft alignment apparatus for statical-ly aligning a first shaft with a second shaft, compri-sing:
a first dual-axis position sensing detector providing a first signal;
a second dual-axis position sensing detector providing a second signal;
first mount means for mounting the first dual-axis position sensing detector to the first shaft;
second mount means for mounting the second dual-axis position sensing detector to the second shaft;
a first alignment radiation source mounted on the first mount means and oriented to provide a first alignment radiation beam to the second dual-axis posi-tion sensing detector to generate the second signal;
a second alignment radiation source mounted on the second mount means and oriented to provide a second alignment radiation beam to the first dual-axis position sensing detector to generate the first signal;
and a readout means having defined alignment conditions and being responsive to the first signal and the second signal for visually displaying shaft align-ment, whereby with adjustment of the first shaft with respect to the second shaft, alignment of the first shaft with the second shaft will be indicated on the readout means according to the defined alignment condi-tions.
a first dual-axis position sensing detector providing a first signal;
a second dual-axis position sensing detector providing a second signal;
first mount means for mounting the first dual-axis position sensing detector to the first shaft;
second mount means for mounting the second dual-axis position sensing detector to the second shaft;
a first alignment radiation source mounted on the first mount means and oriented to provide a first alignment radiation beam to the second dual-axis posi-tion sensing detector to generate the second signal;
a second alignment radiation source mounted on the second mount means and oriented to provide a second alignment radiation beam to the first dual-axis position sensing detector to generate the first signal;
and a readout means having defined alignment conditions and being responsive to the first signal and the second signal for visually displaying shaft align-ment, whereby with adjustment of the first shaft with respect to the second shaft, alignment of the first shaft with the second shaft will be indicated on the readout means according to the defined alignment condi-tions.
2. A shaft alignment apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein the first dual-axis position sensing detector is a first dual-axis position photodetector and the second dual-axis position sensing detector is a second dual-axis position photodetector.
3. A shaft alignment apparatus as recited in claim 2 wherein the first dual-axis position photo-detector is a first electronic optical autocollimator, and the second dual-axis position photodetector is a second electronic optical autocollimator.
4. A shaft alignment apparatus as recited in claim 2 further including a first phase orientation means mounted on the first mount means and a second phase orientation means mounted on the second mount means.
5. A shaft alignment apparatus as recited in claim 4 wherein the first phase orientation means is a first spirit level and the second phase orientation means is a second spirit level.
6. A shaft alignment apparatus as recited in claim 2 wherein the first alignment radiation source is a first laser and the second alignment radiation source is a second laser.
7. A shaft alignment apparatus as recited in claim 2 wherein the first dual-axis position photo-detector comprises a first single-axis position sensing photodetector and a third single-axis position sensing photodetector, and the second dual-axis position photo-detector comprises a second single-axis position sens-ing photodetector and a fourth single-axis position sensing photodetector.
8. A shaft alignment apparatus as recited in claim 7 wherein the readout means is selectively res-ponsive to the first single-axis position sensing photodetector, second single axis position sensing photodetector, third single-axis position sensing photodetector and fourth single-axis position sensing photodetector.
9. A shaft alignment apparatus as recited in claim 8 wherein the first alignment radiation source comprises a first laser providing the first alignment radiation beam and a first radiation beam splitter means for intercepting the first alignment radiation beam and generating a first vertical alignment radia-tion beam oriented to intercept the second single-axis position sensing photodetector and a first horizontal alignment radiation beam oriented to intercept the fourth single-axis position sensing photodetector, and the second alignment radiation source comprises a second laser providing the second alignment radiation beam and a second radiation beam splitter means for intercepting the second alignment radiation beam and generating a second vertical alignment radiation beam oriented to intercept the first single-axis position sensing photodetector and a second horizontal alignment radiation beam oriented to intercept the third single-axis position sensing photodetector.
10. A shaft alignment apparatus as recited in claim 2 wherein the first dual-axis position photo-detector comprises:
a first-front single-axis position sensing photodetector and a first rear single-axis position sensing photodetector, and a third front single-axis position sensing photodetector and a third rear single-axis position sensing photodetector, and wherein the second dual-axis position photodetector comprises:
a second front single axis position sensing photodetector and a second rear single-axis position sensing photodetector, and a fourth front single-axis position sensing photodetector and a fourth rear single-axis position sensing photodetector.
a first-front single-axis position sensing photodetector and a first rear single-axis position sensing photodetector, and a third front single-axis position sensing photodetector and a third rear single-axis position sensing photodetector, and wherein the second dual-axis position photodetector comprises:
a second front single axis position sensing photodetector and a second rear single-axis position sensing photodetector, and a fourth front single-axis position sensing photodetector and a fourth rear single-axis position sensing photodetector.
11. A shaft alignment apparatus for aligning a first shalt with a second shaft, comprising:
first mount means carrying a first dual-axis radiation sensing means, the first mount means being mountable on the first shaft;
second mount means carrying a second dual-axis radiation sensing means, the second mount means being mountable on the second shaft;
first radiation means for providing a first radiation beam, the first radiation means carried on the first mount means and oriented to project the first radiation beam to the second dual-axis radiation sensing means and generate a second signal;
a second radiation means for providing a second radiation beam, the second radiation means carried on the second mount means and oriented to pro-ject the second radiation beam to the first dual-axis radiation sensing means and generate a first signal;
and readout means having defined alignment condi-tions and being responsive to the first signal and the second signal for visually displaying shaft alignment, whereby with adjustment of the first shaft with respect to the second shaft, alignment of the first shaft with the second shaft will be indicated by the readout means when the first signal and the second signal coincide with the defined alignment conditions.
first mount means carrying a first dual-axis radiation sensing means, the first mount means being mountable on the first shaft;
second mount means carrying a second dual-axis radiation sensing means, the second mount means being mountable on the second shaft;
first radiation means for providing a first radiation beam, the first radiation means carried on the first mount means and oriented to project the first radiation beam to the second dual-axis radiation sensing means and generate a second signal;
a second radiation means for providing a second radiation beam, the second radiation means carried on the second mount means and oriented to pro-ject the second radiation beam to the first dual-axis radiation sensing means and generate a first signal;
and readout means having defined alignment condi-tions and being responsive to the first signal and the second signal for visually displaying shaft alignment, whereby with adjustment of the first shaft with respect to the second shaft, alignment of the first shaft with the second shaft will be indicated by the readout means when the first signal and the second signal coincide with the defined alignment conditions.
12. A shaft alignment apparatus as recited in claim 11 wherein the first dual-axis radiation sensing means is a first dual-axis photodetector and the second dual-axis radiation sensing means is a second dual-axis photodetector.
13. A shaft alignment apparatus as recited in claim 12 wherein the first dual-axis photodetector comprises a first single-axis position photodetector and a third single-axis position photodetector, and the second dual-axis photodetector comprises a second single-axis position photodetector and a fourth single-axis position photodetector.
14. A shaft alignment apparatus as recited in claim 13 wherein the first radiation means is a first laser and the second radiation means is a second laser.
15. A shaft alignment apparatus as recited in claim 14 further including first means for intercep-ting the first radiation beam and generating a first vertical alignment radiation beam oriented to impinge upon the second single-axis position photodetector and a first horizontal alignment radiation beam oriented to impinge upon the fourth single-axis position photo-detector, and second means for intercepting the second radiation beam and generating a second vertical align-ment radiation beam oriented to impinge upon the first single-axis position photodetector and a second hori-zontal alignment radiation beam oriented to impinge upon the third single-axis position photodetector.
16. A shaft alignment apparatus as recited in claim 12 wherein the first dual-axis photodetector comprises:
a first front single-axis position sensing photodetector and a first rear single-axis position sensing photodetector, and a third front single-axis position sensing photodetector and a third rear single-axis position sensing photodetector, and wherein the second dual-axis photodetec-tor comprises:
a second front single-axis position sensing photodetector and second rear single-axis position sensing photodetector, and a fourth front single-axis position sensing photodetector and a fourth rear single-axis position sensing photodetector.
a first front single-axis position sensing photodetector and a first rear single-axis position sensing photodetector, and a third front single-axis position sensing photodetector and a third rear single-axis position sensing photodetector, and wherein the second dual-axis photodetec-tor comprises:
a second front single-axis position sensing photodetector and second rear single-axis position sensing photodetector, and a fourth front single-axis position sensing photodetector and a fourth rear single-axis position sensing photodetector.
17. A shaft alignment apparatus as recited in claim 12 further including a first phase orientation means mounted on the first mount means and a second phase orientation means mounted on the second mount means.
18. Static shaft alignment apparatus, com-prising:
a first dual-axis radiation sensing means mounted on a second mount means;
a second dual-axis radiation sensing means mounted on a second mount means;
a first radiation source carried on the first mount means and oriented to provide a first radiation beam to the second dual-axis radiation sensing means to generate a second signal;
a second radiation source carried on the second mount means and oriented to provide a second radiation beam to the first dual-axis radiation sensing means to generate a first signal; and readout means having defined alignment condi-tions and being responsive to the first signal and second signal for visually displaying alignment.
a first dual-axis radiation sensing means mounted on a second mount means;
a second dual-axis radiation sensing means mounted on a second mount means;
a first radiation source carried on the first mount means and oriented to provide a first radiation beam to the second dual-axis radiation sensing means to generate a second signal;
a second radiation source carried on the second mount means and oriented to provide a second radiation beam to the first dual-axis radiation sensing means to generate a first signal; and readout means having defined alignment condi-tions and being responsive to the first signal and second signal for visually displaying alignment.
19. Static shaft alignment apparatus as recited in claim 18 wherein the first dual-axis radia-tion sensing means is a first dual-axis position photo-detector and the second dual-axis radiation sensing means is a second dual-axis position photodetector.
20. Static shaft alignment apparatus as recited in claim 19 wherein the first dual-axis posi-tion photodetector is a first dual-axis electronic optical autocollimator, and the second dual-axis posi-tion photodetector is a second dual-axis electronic optical autocollimator.
21. Static shaft alignment apparatus as recited in claim 19 further including a first phase orientation means mounted on the first mount means and a second phase orientation means mounted on the second mount means.
22. Static shaft alignment apparatus as recited in claim 19 wherein the first dual-axis posi-tion photodetector comprises a first single-axis posi-tion photodetector and a third single-axis position photodetector, and the second dual-axis position photo-detector, comprises a second single-axis position photodetector and a fourth single-axis position photo-detector.
23. Static shaft alignment apparatus as recited in claim 22 wherein the first radiation source is a first laser and the second radiation source is a second laser.
24. Static shaft alignment apparatus as recited in claim 23 further including a first radiation beam splitter means for intercepting the first radia-tion beam and generating a first vertical alignment radiation beam oriented to impinge upon the second single-axis position photodetector and a first horizon-tal alignment radiation beam oriented to impinge upon the fourth single-axis position photodetector, and a second radiation beam splitter means for intercepting the second radiation beam and generating a second ver-tical alignment radiation beam oriented to impinge upon the first single-axis position photodetector and a second horizontal alignment radiation beam oriented to impinge upon the third single-axis position photodetec-tor.
25. Static shaft alignment apparatus as recited in claim 19 wherein the first dual-axis posi-tion photodetector comprises:
a first front single-axis position sensing photodetector and a first rear single-axis position sensing photodetector, and a third front single-axis position sensing photodetector and a third rear single-axis position sensing photodetector, and wherein the second dual-axis position photodetector comprises:
a second front single-axis position sensing photodetector and a second rear single-axis position sensing photodetector, and a fourth front single-axis position sensing photodetector and a fourth rear single-axis position sensing photodetector.
a first front single-axis position sensing photodetector and a first rear single-axis position sensing photodetector, and a third front single-axis position sensing photodetector and a third rear single-axis position sensing photodetector, and wherein the second dual-axis position photodetector comprises:
a second front single-axis position sensing photodetector and a second rear single-axis position sensing photodetector, and a fourth front single-axis position sensing photodetector and a fourth rear single-axis position sensing photodetector.
26. A method of statically aligning a first shaft with a second shaft, wherein the first shaft has mounted thereon a first dual-axis radiation sensing means and a first radiation source providing a first radiation beam and the second shaft has mounted thereon a second dual-axis radiation sensing means and a second radiation source providing a second radiation beam, and readout means having defined alignment conditions, comprising the steps of:
orienting the first radiation beam to the second dual-axis radiation sensing means and generating a second signal representing the orientation of the first radiation beam;
orienting the second radiation beam to the first dual-axis radiation sensing means and generating a first signal representing the orientation of the second radiation beam;
sensing the first signal and second signal at the readout means and visually displaying the orienta-tion of the first radiation beam and the second radia-tion beam; and adjusting the first shaft with respect to the second shaft until the first signal and the second signal are replicating the defined alignment conditions on the readout means.
orienting the first radiation beam to the second dual-axis radiation sensing means and generating a second signal representing the orientation of the first radiation beam;
orienting the second radiation beam to the first dual-axis radiation sensing means and generating a first signal representing the orientation of the second radiation beam;
sensing the first signal and second signal at the readout means and visually displaying the orienta-tion of the first radiation beam and the second radia-tion beam; and adjusting the first shaft with respect to the second shaft until the first signal and the second signal are replicating the defined alignment conditions on the readout means.
27. The invention according to claim 26 wherein the first radiation sensing means is a first dual-axis position sensing photodetector and the second radiation sensing means is a second dual-axis position sensing photodetector.
28. The invention according to claim 27 wherein the first dual-axis position sensing photo-detector is a first dual-axis electronic optical auto-collimator and the second dual-axis position sensing photodetector is a second dual-axis electronic optical autocollimator.
29. The invention according to claim 27 wherein the first dual-axis position sensing photo-detector comprises a first single-axis position photo-detector and a third single-axis position photodetec-tor, and the second dual-axis position sensing photode-tector comprises a second single-axis position photode-tector and a fourth single-axis position photodetector.
30. The invention according to claim 29 wherein the first radiation source is a first laser and the second radiation source is a second laser, the further steps of:
providing a first radiation beam splitter means intercepting the first radiation beam and genera-ting a first vertical alignment radiation beam directed to impinge upon the second single-axis position photo-detector and a first horizontal alignment radiation beam directed to impinge upon the fourth single-axis position photodetector; and providing a second radiation beam splitter means intercepting the second radiation beam and gener-ating a second vertical alignment radiation beam direc-ted to impinge upon the first single-axis position photodetector and a second horizontal alignment radia-lion beam directed to impinge upon the third single-axis position photodetector.
providing a first radiation beam splitter means intercepting the first radiation beam and genera-ting a first vertical alignment radiation beam directed to impinge upon the second single-axis position photo-detector and a first horizontal alignment radiation beam directed to impinge upon the fourth single-axis position photodetector; and providing a second radiation beam splitter means intercepting the second radiation beam and gener-ating a second vertical alignment radiation beam direc-ted to impinge upon the first single-axis position photodetector and a second horizontal alignment radia-lion beam directed to impinge upon the third single-axis position photodetector.
31. The invention according to claim 27 further including the steps of:
providing a first phase orientation means for orienting the first dual-axis radiation sensing means and first radiation source on the first shaft; and providing a second phase orientation means for orienting the second dual-axis radiation sensing means and second radiation source on the second shaft.
providing a first phase orientation means for orienting the first dual-axis radiation sensing means and first radiation source on the first shaft; and providing a second phase orientation means for orienting the second dual-axis radiation sensing means and second radiation source on the second shaft.
32. A method of statically aligning a first shaft with a second shaft, wherein the first shaft has mounted thereon a first dual-axis radiation sensing means and first radiation source providing a first radiation beam and the second shaft has mounted thereon a second dual-axis radiation sensing means and a second radiation source providing a second radiation beam, and readout means having defined alignment conditions, comprising the steps of:
sensing the position of the first radiation beam on the second dual-axis radiation sensing means and generating a second signal representing the post-tion of the first radiation beam;
sensing the position of the second radiation beam on the first dual-axis radiation sensing means and generating a first signal representing the position of the second radiation beam; and replicating the defined alignment conditions on the readout means by adjusting the first shaft with respect to the second shaft until the first signal and second signal coincide with the defined alignment con-ditions.
sensing the position of the first radiation beam on the second dual-axis radiation sensing means and generating a second signal representing the post-tion of the first radiation beam;
sensing the position of the second radiation beam on the first dual-axis radiation sensing means and generating a first signal representing the position of the second radiation beam; and replicating the defined alignment conditions on the readout means by adjusting the first shaft with respect to the second shaft until the first signal and second signal coincide with the defined alignment con-ditions.
33. The invention according to claim 32 wherein the first radiation sensing means is a first dual-axis position sensing photodetector and the second radiation sensing means is a second dual-axis position sensing photodetector.
34. The invention according to claim 32 further including the steps of:
providing a first phase orientation means for orienting the first dual-axis position sensing photo-detector and first radiation source on the first shaft and;
providing a second phase orientation means for orienting the second dual-axis position sensing photodetector and second radiation source of the second shaft.
providing a first phase orientation means for orienting the first dual-axis position sensing photo-detector and first radiation source on the first shaft and;
providing a second phase orientation means for orienting the second dual-axis position sensing photodetector and second radiation source of the second shaft.
35. The invention according to claim 34 wherein the first dual-axis position sensing photo-detector a first single-axis position photodetector and a third position photodetector, and the second dual-axis position sensing photodetector comprises a second single-axis position photodetector and a fourth single-axis position photodetector.
36. The invention according to claim 35 wherein the first radiation source is a first laser and the second radiation source is a second laser, the further steps of:
positioning a first radiation beam splitter means intercepting the first radiation beam and direc-ting a first vertical alignment radiation beam to im-pinge upon the second single-axis position photodetec-tor and a first horizontal alignment radiation beam to impinge upon the fourth single-axis position photo-detector; and positioning a second radiation beam splitter means intercepting the second radiation beam and direc-ting a second vertical alignment radiation beam to impinge upon the first single-axis position photodetec-tor and a second horizontal alignment radiation beam to impinge upon the third single-axis position photodetec-tor.
positioning a first radiation beam splitter means intercepting the first radiation beam and direc-ting a first vertical alignment radiation beam to im-pinge upon the second single-axis position photodetec-tor and a first horizontal alignment radiation beam to impinge upon the fourth single-axis position photo-detector; and positioning a second radiation beam splitter means intercepting the second radiation beam and direc-ting a second vertical alignment radiation beam to impinge upon the first single-axis position photodetec-tor and a second horizontal alignment radiation beam to impinge upon the third single-axis position photodetec-tor.
37. Apparatus for monitoring the alignment of a driving unit having a driving shaft and a driven unit having a driven shaft, the driving shaft and the driven shaft interconnected by a coupling, comprising:
a first support mountable on the driving unit, the first support carrying a first dual radiation sensing means;
a second support mountable on the driven unit, the second support carrying a second dual-axis radiation sensing means;
first means carried on the first support for providing a first alignment radiation beam oriented to impinge upon the second dual-axis radiation sensing means and generate a second signal;
second means carried on the second support for providing a second alignment radiation beam orien-ted to impinge upon the first dual-axis radiation sen-sing means and generate a first signal; and readout means having defined alignment condi-tions and being responsive to the first signal and the second signal for visually displaying the alignment of the driving shaft with respect to the driven shaft.
a first support mountable on the driving unit, the first support carrying a first dual radiation sensing means;
a second support mountable on the driven unit, the second support carrying a second dual-axis radiation sensing means;
first means carried on the first support for providing a first alignment radiation beam oriented to impinge upon the second dual-axis radiation sensing means and generate a second signal;
second means carried on the second support for providing a second alignment radiation beam orien-ted to impinge upon the first dual-axis radiation sen-sing means and generate a first signal; and readout means having defined alignment condi-tions and being responsive to the first signal and the second signal for visually displaying the alignment of the driving shaft with respect to the driven shaft.
38. The invention according to claim 37 wherein the first dual-axis radiation sensing means is a first dual-axis position sensing photodetector and the second dual-axis radiation sensing means is a second dual-axis position sensing photodetector.
39. The invention according to claim 38 wherein the first dual-axis position sensing photo-detector is a first dual-axis electronic optical auto-collimator and the second dual-axis position sensing photodetector is a second dual-axis electronic optical autocolllimator.
40. The invention according to claim 38 wherein the first dual-axis position sensing photo-detector comprises a first single-axis position photo-detector and a third single-axis position photodetec-tor, and the second dual-axis position sensing photo-detector comprises a second single-axis position photo-detector and a fourth single-axis position photodetec-tor.
41. The invention according to claim 40 further including first means for intercepting the first alignment radiation beam and generating a first vertical radiation beam directed to impinge upon the second single-axis position sensing photodetector and a first horizontal radiation beam directed to impinge upon the fourth single-axis position sensing photo-detector, and second means for intercepting the second alignment radiation beam and generating a second verti-cal radiation beam directed to impinge upon the first single-axis position sensing photodetector and a second horizontal radiation beam directed to impinge upon the third single-axis position sensing photodetector.
42. The invention according to claim 37 further including first means for phase orienting the first support on the driving unit and second means for phase orienting the second support on the driven unit.
43. The invention according to claim 42 wherein the first means for orienting the first support is a first spirit level and the second means for orien-ting the second support is a second spirit level.
44. The invention according to claim 37 wherein the first means for providing a first alignment radiation beam is a first laser and the second means for providing a second alignment radiation beam is a second laser.
45. A method of monitoring operating changes in the alignment of a driving unit having a driving shaft and a driven unit having a driven shaft, the driving shaft and driven shaft interconnected by a coupling, wherein the driving unit has mounted thereon a first dual-axis radiation sensing means and means for providing a first alignment radiation beam, and the driven unit has mounted thereon a second dual-axis radiation sensing means and means for providing a se-cond alignment radiation beam, and readout means having defined alignment conditions, comprising the steps of:
sensing the position of the first alignment radiation beam on the second dual-axis radiation sen-sing means and generating a second signal representing the position of the first alignment radiation beam;
sensing the position of the second alignment radiation beam on the first dual-axis radiation sensing means and generating a first signal representing the position of the second alignment radiation beam;
sending the first signal and the second sig-nal to the readout means for visual display; and cali-brating the first and second signals to coincide with the defined alignment conditions, whereby the first and second signals will monitor operating changes in the alignment of the driving unit with respect to the driven unit as compared to the defined alignment condi-tions.
sensing the position of the first alignment radiation beam on the second dual-axis radiation sen-sing means and generating a second signal representing the position of the first alignment radiation beam;
sensing the position of the second alignment radiation beam on the first dual-axis radiation sensing means and generating a first signal representing the position of the second alignment radiation beam;
sending the first signal and the second sig-nal to the readout means for visual display; and cali-brating the first and second signals to coincide with the defined alignment conditions, whereby the first and second signals will monitor operating changes in the alignment of the driving unit with respect to the driven unit as compared to the defined alignment condi-tions.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| US430,333 | 1982-09-30 | ||
| US06/430,333 US4518855A (en) | 1982-09-30 | 1982-09-30 | Method and apparatus for statically aligning shafts and monitoring shaft alignment |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA1220330A true CA1220330A (en) | 1987-04-14 |
Family
ID=23707087
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA000438059A Expired CA1220330A (en) | 1982-09-30 | 1983-09-30 | Method and apparatus for statically aligning shafts and monitoring shaft alignment |
Country Status (8)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| US (1) | US4518855A (en) |
| JP (1) | JPS5984107A (en) |
| AU (1) | AU567511B2 (en) |
| CA (1) | CA1220330A (en) |
| DE (1) | DE3335336C2 (en) |
| FR (1) | FR2534017A1 (en) |
| GB (1) | GB2128324B (en) |
| IT (1) | IT1168893B (en) |
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| DE3419059A1 (en) * | 1984-05-22 | 1985-11-28 | Prüftechnik KG Dieter Busch + Partner GmbH & Co, 8045 Ismaning | DEVICE FOR DETECTING CHANGES IN THE MUTUAL POSITION OF SPECIAL ASSEMBLED MACHINES |
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| DE3531615A1 (en) * | 1985-09-04 | 1987-03-05 | Busch Dieter & Co Prueftech | DEVICE FOR DETECTING AND MONITORING CHANGES IN THE POSITION OF SHAFTS |
| DE3625641A1 (en) * | 1986-07-29 | 1988-02-11 | Busch Dieter & Co Prueftech | ELECTRO-OPTICAL DEVICE FOR PERMANENTLY MONITORING THE REMOTE SPACIAL LOCATION OF TWO MACHINES OR MACHINE PARTS |
| BE1001345A3 (en) * | 1988-01-07 | 1989-10-03 | Picanol Nv | Device for extending guides in gripper weaving machine - has guides mounted on supports only allowing vertical or horizontal adjustment, with laser beam(s) parallel to guide and position detected |
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| US5386123A (en) * | 1992-08-20 | 1995-01-31 | Xerox Corporation | Beam steering sensor for a raster scanner using a lateral effect detecting device |
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-
1982
- 1982-09-30 US US06/430,333 patent/US4518855A/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
-
1983
- 1983-09-27 AU AU19640/83A patent/AU567511B2/en not_active Ceased
- 1983-09-28 IT IT49052/83A patent/IT1168893B/en active
- 1983-09-29 JP JP58181752A patent/JPS5984107A/en active Pending
- 1983-09-29 DE DE3335336A patent/DE3335336C2/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
- 1983-09-30 GB GB08326241A patent/GB2128324B/en not_active Expired
- 1983-09-30 CA CA000438059A patent/CA1220330A/en not_active Expired
- 1983-09-30 FR FR8315625A patent/FR2534017A1/en active Pending
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|---|---|
| US4518855A (en) | 1985-05-21 |
| GB8326241D0 (en) | 1983-11-02 |
| DE3335336C2 (en) | 1995-05-18 |
| JPS5984107A (en) | 1984-05-15 |
| IT8349052A0 (en) | 1983-09-28 |
| AU1964083A (en) | 1984-04-05 |
| AU567511B2 (en) | 1987-11-26 |
| DE3335336A1 (en) | 1984-04-05 |
| GB2128324A (en) | 1984-04-26 |
| GB2128324B (en) | 1986-09-10 |
| IT1168893B (en) | 1987-05-20 |
| FR2534017A1 (en) | 1984-04-06 |
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