WO2001038017A1

WO2001038017A1 - Procedure and apparatus for measuring a vehicle in the straightening of a car body

Info

Publication number: WO2001038017A1
Application number: PCT/FI2000/000985
Authority: WO
Inventors: Olavi Venäläinen
Original assignee: Autorobot Finland Oy
Priority date: 1999-11-26
Filing date: 2000-11-13
Publication date: 2001-05-31
Also published as: FI19992533A; AU1526301A; FI108338B; ITMI20002544A1; IT1319135B1

Abstract

The present invention relates to a procedure and an apparatus in the straightening of a car body in measuring a vehicle, and a measure card of a car body using the procedure. In the place of a part or a partial entity (E) in a vehicle body or chassis (P), a separate dismountable space block (10) is placed or that said space block is positioned on the measuring jig (31) of a jig-straightening bench (30) and that the space block (10) in this manner, fastened either to the vehicle or to the measuring jig (31), is equivalent in length (L1) to the length (m1) of the dismounted part or partial entity. The measure card (100) comprises at least the following measure numbers (m1,m2); measure data (m2) for measuring from line 0 to the dismountable part or partial entity of the vehicle to its end face (T1) and that the measure card (100) comprises measure data (m1) which indicates the length (L1) of the part or partial entity (E).

Description

Procedure and apparatus for measuring a vehicle in the straightening of a car body .

The present invention relates to a procedure and an apparatus for measuring a vehicle m straightening a car body and a car body measure card utilizing the procedure

In stiaightenmg a car body, a vehicle is fastened to the fixing members of the straightening board during the straightening, and a traction force is directed at the damaged body of the vehicle with the aid of pull halters or equivalent, preferably from a hydraulic cylinder means The pulling of the damaged spot into the correct dimensions is monitored with the aid of measure card data In connection with the straightening board, a measuring aic can be placed, so that the vehicle can be measured m the course of the straightening to secure the straightening result

A problem m the currently used piocedure and apparatus designs relates to difficulties in utilizing measuie data m certain critical spots of the vehicle For instance, the precise locations of the support anus should be deterrmnable during the straightening work Merely the locations of the fixing screws of the support arms in the chassis beams are not enough when a right location for the support arms is being determined Most of the straightening is accomplished so that the parts or partial entities are dismantled, whereby no reliability can be obtained for their precise location using the current straightening methods

In the present application, the following procedure is proposed for improving the precision of the straightening work

The distance of a part or a partial entity is measured from the 0 line of the dimensioning and in addition, the measuring length of the part or the partial entity is measured or calculated, that is, its length between the fastening point and the outer surface. Thereafter, a separate space block is used in connection with the straightening, said block being aligned to the length of the part or the partial entity and placed in the place of the partial entity, so that from the outer surface of said space block, the progress of the straightening work is observed and when the ultimate measure, required for the location of the partial entity, is reached, the straightening is ended in said location of the vehicle body.

For a space block, a separate piece can be used which can be adjusted between the end surfaces thereof into a desired length, for instance in screw threads. Between said parts of the space block, a measuring scale is provided, on which the distance between the end faces of the space blocks can be read. In addition, said space block comprises advantageously a centering hole for instance for setting a fixing bolt, said fixing bolt being advantageously the fixing bolt wherewith the part or the partial entities is/are fastened onto the vehicle chassis.

The procedure of the invention is appropriate also for use in so-called jig- straightening benches, whereby a space block is fastened for a stop face in the jig or aligned to the length of a desired partial entity or part. In other respects, the straightening corresponds to the work done in the jig-straightening bench. Therefore, also in the jig-straightening bench system, a separate space block is made use of, which can be aligned to the length of a part or a partial entity and fastened into the jig to form its stop face in order to follow the spot to be straightened or against which the spot of the vehicle to be straightened has to be pulled in the straightening work.

The procedure and the apparatus of the invention in straightening a car body and the car body measure card to be used in the procedure are characterized in what is presented in the claims.

The invention is described below, reference being made to a number of advantageous embodiments of the invention presented in the figures of the accompanying drawings, whereto, however, the invention is not exclusively intended to be restricted.

Figures 1A and IB demonstrate the procedure of the invention.

Figure 2 presents a space block as an axonometric image.

Figure 3 presents the space block fastened to a so-called jig-straightening bench.

Figure 4 presents a measuring card utilizing the procedure of the invention.

In Figure 1A, the procedure of the invention is demonstrated. As shown in Figure 1A, the distance from the so-called 0 line to the surface T, of a partial entity or a part E to be dismantled is measured with a measuring head of the car body measuring means. Simultaneously, the distance from the surface T, of the part to be dismantled to the surface T₂ of a fixed structure of the vehicle, such as beam P, is measured, whereto the part / or partial entity E is fastened. The distance L, between the surfaces T, and T₂ is calculated or measured straight with the aid of the measuring means. Thus, two measures are obtained; measure m₂, which indicates the distance in direction Y from line 0 to the part or partial entity to be dismantled, to its surface T, and in addition, a measure m, is obtained by calculation and/or directly measuring, which indicates the distance L, between the surface T, of the partial entity or part to be dismantled and the part to which the partial entity belongs, that is, measure m,.

When a partial entity or part E is dismantled in straightening a vehicle, the location of hole D, of the fixing bolt R, of the part / partial entity in direction Y should be known precisely. On the measure card we have the data of the space required by the partial entity to be dismantled, that is, measure m,, and the distance of the partial entity assembled from line 0, that is, measure m₂. As shown in Figure IB, a separate space block 10 is used, which is positioned in the place of the part/ partial entity of the vehicle dismantled, for instance, as shown in the figure, in the hole D, of bolt R,. The space block 10 can be adjusted in length L, precisely into the length of the measure m, read in the measure card and fixed with bolt R, to the vehicle, for instance to its chassis beam P, by rotating the bolt or screw R, into the threaded hole D,. The progress of the straightening is now read on the surface t, of the space block 10 and when the measure m₂ is reached in the straightening, the beam P to be straightened and its threaded hole D, into which the dismantled part or partial entity E is fastened, is at its right spot.

Figure 2 presents the space block 10 axonometrically as a separate image. The space block 10 comprises a first frame part l la,, which can be threaded in its threads 15a, in the counterthreads 15a₂ of the inner cavity O of the second frame part l la₂ and the measuring scale 12 goes with the first frame part l la, while fastened to the first frame part l la,. At the measure line 13 of the second frame part 1 la₂, the length L, of the space block 10 reached between the surfaces t, and t can be read, that is. the measure m,. The length m, is the same as the number m, in the measure card, which refers to the distance of the outer surface T, of the part / partial entity E from its fastening spot, that is, the surface T₂. Through the hole 14 of the space block 10, the screw R, can be taken into the counterthread hole D, of the beam P. In this manner, the space block 10 can be fastened to the beam P. The number m₂ in the measure card 100 refers to the measure, by which the outer surface T, of the partial entity or part E and hence, of the end face t, of the space block 10 used has to be located in the repaired vehicle and being in working order.

The procedure of the invention and the measure card 100 created therewith make possible considerable cost savings in the straightening work of a car body. Since in the prior art, the measure cards were provided with measures until for the partial entities or parts to be dismantled, the straightening had to be done when a part or partial entity was in place, which was often quite impossible. Therefore, by creating a measure card 100 which comprises the information of the length of the partial entity to be dismantled, the straightening of a vehicle can be carried out with the aid of the measure card and the space block 10 carefully also in instances in which the parts or partial entities have been dismantled from the vehicle, such as support arms, damper cushions, etc. With the aid of the procedure, great savings are achieved when cars no longer need to be dismantled in dimensioning the car while making measure cards. When making a measure card 100, a part or partial entity E need not be dismantled, instead, the dimensions m, and m₂ can be measured with the measuring means f and marked in the measure card 100.

When a space block 10 is used, the spot where e.g. the support arm is to be moved in the straightening work can be monitored precisely. The precise locations of said support arm or equivalent parts are moreover critical spots, and therefore, determining the location of the support arms is highly important in the straightening work.

Figure 3 presents a measuring jig 31 of a jig-straightening bench 30. A space block 10 of the invention is also useful for so-called jig-straightening benches 30. A jig-straightening bench 30 refers to a vehicle straightening apparatus, on the straightening board of which a vehicle is fastened, including in association therewith so-called measuring jigs 31. Said measuring jig 31 may include, in connection therewith, measuring scales of the measuring jig 31 indicating its location relative to the end stop face 31a. Thus, when a certain spot of a vehicle is to be straightened, the straightening pull is carried out until the spot of said vehicle reaches the spot determined by the stop face 31a of the measuring jig 31. In the jig-straightening bench, a straightening can be carried out also so that said stop face is placed onto a certain spot of the vehicle to be straightened and the progress of the measure numbers of said spot is monitored during the straightening pull on the measure lines of the measuring jig, and when a right measure coordinate for the spot to be straightened has been reached, the straightening is finished. As taught by the invention, the space block 10 is fastened to the measuring jig 31 when the stop face 31a is the end face t₂ of the space block 10. As in the earlier embodiment, the space block 10 is adjusted to the length L, of the part or partial entity E, that is, to the value indicated by the measure number m,. The measuring jig 31 is thereafter placed to the position indicated by the measure number m₂ with the aid of the measuring head f and the straightening pull is carried out against the surface t₂ of the space block, which acts as the stop face 31a of the measuring jig 31.

The space block 10 can, while being fastened to the measuring jig 31, be fastened further with a screw R₂ onto the beam P of the vehicle, into its threaded hole D_b to the screw R,. The straightening, its progress is monitored with a separate measuring head f or on the basis of the measuring scales of the measuring jig 31.

Claims

1. A procedure in the straightening of a car body, concerning the measuring of a vehicle, characterized in that in the place of a part or partial entity (E) to be dismantled in a vehicle body or in its chassis, a separate dismountable space block (10) is placed, or that said space block is placed in the measuring jig (31) of a jig- straightening bench (30) and that the space block (10), while being fastened either to the vehicle or to the measuring jig (31), corresponds in length (L,) to the length (m,) of the dismantled part or partial entity.

2. Procedure according to claim 1 in the straightening of a car body, concerning the measuring of a vehicle, characterized in that the space block (10) is placed in the place of a dismantled part or partial entity (E) in the vehicle to be straightened during the straightening, so that the progress of the straightening is monitored in the method on the surface (t₂) of the space block (10) and the progress of the straightening is compared with the measure data (m₂) of the part or partial entity obtained on a measure card (100), said data referring to the distance from line 0 to the surface of the space block (10), and when the distance of the space block (10) from line 0 corresponds to the measure data (m₂), the straightening pull is finished at said spot of the vehicle being straightened, such as car body or its chassis beam

(P).

3. Procedure according to claim 2, characterized in that in the procedure a space block (10) is fastened to the vehicle with a holder (R,) which is used as the holder of the part or partial entity (E) to the vehicle.

4. Procedure according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that in the procedure a space block (10) is used, comprising a centre hole (14), through which the holder, advantageously a fixing bolt (R,), is carried further to the vehicle, such as to the fixing hole (D,) of the chassis beam (P) of the vehicle.

5. Procedure according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that in the procedure, the space block (10) is adjusted on its stop faces (t,,t₂) into a measure (m,), which can be read in the measure card (100) and which corresponds to the length (L,) of the part or partial entity.

6. Procedure according to claim 1 in the straightening of a car body or in measuring the body of a vehicle, characterized in that a space block (10) is positioned in a jig-straightening bench (30) so that the space block (10) is placed to correspond in length (L,) to the length (L,) of the part or partial entity (E) being dismantled, whereby in the straightening work, the vehicle is pulled to its right measure against the surface (t,) of the space block (10) or in which procedure the space block (10) is positioned onto the target of the vehicle to be straightened, and the progress of the straightening is monitored and it is not finished until the space block (10) in the measuring jig (31) has reached the measure coordinates, which correspond to the right measure numbers of the spot being repaired.

7. An apparatus used in the procedure according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a separate space block (10) is provided, which can be adjusted between its end faces (t,,t₂) to the measure value (m,) of the length (L,) of the partial entity or part (E) of the measure card (100) and which can be positioned in the place of the part or partial entity (E) onto the vehicle being straightened, such as the chassis beam (P).

8. The apparatus according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the space block (10) comprises a first frame part (l la,) and a second frame part (l la₂), placeable in different positions relative to each other, preferably by rotation, and that a measuring scale (12) is provided, whereby at the measure line (13) of the frame part (l la₂) the length (L,) between the end faces (t,,t₂) of the space block (10) can be read on the measuring scale (12).

9. The apparatus according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the frame part (l la,) comprises threads (15a,), disposed cooperatively with the counterthreads (15₂) in the second frame part (1 la₂), and that the frame parts (l la, and 1 la₂) comprise a through hole (14), wherethrough the fixing bolt (R,) can be taken onto the vehicle being repaired.

10. A measure card (100) for a car body utilizing the procedure, characterized in that the measure card (100) comprises at least the following measure numbers (m,, m₂); measure data (m₂) for the measurement from line O to the part or partial entity of the vehicle to be dismounted, to its end face T,), and that the measure card (100) comprises measure data (m,) indicating the length (L,) of the part or partial entity (E).