Device for Balancing Rotation Bodies

The present invention relates to a device for balancing rotating bodies which are mounted on a shaft, especially grinding discs, by means of rotating inertia masses whose centre of gravity is adjustable relative to the body to be balanced.

According to Swiss Pat. No. 537 014, for example, it is possible to adjust each inertia mass in an automatic operation by means of an electric motor. Whilst the adjustment by means of electric motors has the advantage of being able to use a maximum inertia mass for the space available, the electric motor is relatively expensive and, above all, necessitates the use of slip rings disposed at the front end.

On the other hand, it is known to adjust the inertia masses by means of mechanical adjusting drives which are, however, susceptible to trouble and are very expensive. In addition, the mechanical adjusting drives require a relatively large amount of space which is then no longer available for the inertia mass. A balancing device is additionally known, therefore, in which the masses are balanced by the alternate actuation of two control knobs which require two adjusting mechanisms and therefore a relatively large amount of space.

By comparison, the object of the present invention is to provide a balancing device which comprises mechanical adjusting drives which on the one hand, have a very simple construction and, on the other hand, contain a large balancing mass relative to the space available.

According to the present invention there is provided a device for balancing rotating bodies which are mounted on a shaft, more especially grinding discs, by means of rotating inertia masses whose centre of gravity is adjustable relative to the body to be balanced, comprising two inertia masses which are adjustable by means of a single switch shaft, the switch shaft and the inertia masses being engaged one with the other by means of a self-locking worm gear arrangement.

The present invention will be described further, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal section through a balancing device according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-section through the device of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 shows the four positions of the switchgear of the device shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 1 shows, from left to right, a switch handle 1 and a brake knob 2 which are located on a switch shaft 3. The switch handle 1 is mounted on the switch shaft 3 by means of a ball bearing 4, whilst the brake knob 2 is connected to the switch shaft 3 by means of a securing screw 5. The switch shaft 3 is slidably disposed in a housing 6 and sealing mounted in the housing 6 by means of an O-ring 7. The housing 6 is securely connected to a grinding disc 9 to be balanced, by means of a flange 8. Mounted on the end of the switch shaft 3 is a worm shaft 10 which, see FIG. 3, comprises five worms 11a, b, c, d and e, each having different thicknesses and directions of rotation. The worm shaft 10 is hollow, and has four encircling notched grooves 12 in its bore, which slides over a guide shaft 13, which is secured on the housing 6 by means of a countersunk screw 14. The guide shaft 13 has a transverse bore 15 at one location, with engaging means being provided in this bore 15, which engaging means comprises a spring 16 and two balls 17, which both engage in one of the four notched grooves 12 during the displacement of the switch shaft 13. The four positions shown in FIG. 3 are therefore clearly determined.

The worm shaft 10 engages with two inertia masses 18 and 19 which each comprise a cylinder wall 20, a fillmass 21 and a gear arrangement. As can be seen especially from FIG. 2, one of the worms of the first worm shaft 10 is in engagement with a toothed wheel 22 on a second worm shaft 23 which is guided by two ball bearings 24 and secured by a Seeger circlip 33. The worm shaft 23 comprises a worm 25 which is in engagement with a worm wheel 26. This worm wheel 26 is mounted on the axle 27 by means of a needle bearing 32, said axle 27 being mounted on the fillmass 21 by Seeger circlips 34. It can also be seen from FIG. 2 that the inertia mass, which is available for the balancing of the masses, results from the difference between the one half of the cylinder wall, at the bottom of FIG. 2, and the upper half comprising the worm shaft 23, the worm wheel 25 with the axle 27, and the fillmass 21. It is possible to set this difference accurately by determination of the thickness of the wall 20 of the lower half of each cylinder 18, 19. The inertia mass cylinders 18 and 19 are each mounted, by a needle bearing 28, in the housing 6. The worm wheel 26 is in engagement with a toothed ring 30, positioned in the centre of the housing, by way of an inner toothed ring 29, so that the rotation of the grinding disc to be balanced by way of the housing 6, toothed ring 30, inner toothed ring 29, worm wheel 26 and second worm shaft 23 via toothed wheel 22, is transmitted to the first worm shaft 10 and thus to the switch shaft 3. In this case it should be emphasized that the worm gears operate in a self-locking manner.

To complete the balancing device, a vibration sensor (not shown) is included, plus an electronic device, which is associated therewith and is also not shown, having an indicator to show the extent of the imbalance. The indicating panel is generally subdivided into a green indicating zone and a red indicating zone, the balancing process being terminated if the indicating needle moves into the green zone.

In order to balance, for example, a grinding disc 9, the housing 6 of the balancing device is connected, via its flange 8, to the grinding disc 9, the electronic device is switched on and the disc is brought to working speed. In order to effect balancing, the switch shaft 3 is brought, by means of the switch handle 1, into one of the four positions shown in FIG. 3 and braked by means of the brake knob 2, whereby, viewed from top to bottom; in Position I the out-of-balance masses 18, 19 are displaced countercurrently right-left, RL; in Position II the out-of-balance masses are displaced concurrently to the left, LL; in Position III the out-of-balance masses are displaced concurrently to the right, RR; and in Position IV the out-of-balance masses are displaced countercurrently left-right, LR. The two extreme positions I and IV therefore correspond to a coarse adjustment, and the two inner positions II and III correspond to a fine adjustment. Thus, the four directions of rotation of the two masses 18,19 result from the direction of rotation, left or right, of the worms, from the thickness of the worms and from their spacing one from the other. The adjustment itself, i.e. the adjustment of the inertia masses, or the second worm shaft relative to the first worm shaft, is effected by braking the switch shaft 3, by means of the brake knob 2 which otherwise rotates at the same speed as the grinding disc 9, whilst the displacement of the switch shaft 3 into the four positions I to IV is effected by the ball-bearing-mounted switch handle 1. In this case the inertia masses 18, 19 are displaced very slowly as a result of the sharp reduction in speed caused by the worm gears, e.g. 1:2500, whereby a fine balancing is possible. For first-time balancing, balancing will initially be effected in the first position in order to ascertain the direction in which the needle swings. If the needle moves more intensely into the red zone, a counterbalance will be effected in the fourth position and subsequently in Positions II or III. It will generally be necessary for a cycle to be repeated one or more times until the needle remains in the green zone. For slight, subsequent adjustment as the grinding disc is worn down, an adjustment in Positions II and III will generally suffice. Balancing with a device of this type is very easy and can be effected within a very short time.