Portable Axle Alignment Using Inverted Laser Emitter
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Solution Overview
Problem
The commercial trucking industry faces challenges in maintaining axle alignment due to the high cost and complexity of existing alignment systems, which are prone to measurement errors, and lacks affordable, portable, and accurate solutions for aligning truck and trailer axles.
Innovation Solution
A portable axle alignment system utilizing a single laser emitter, precise machined surfaces, and a phone application to determine alignment, which minimizes measurement errors and reduces costs by using a single laser emitter and increasing measurement sensitivity with longer laser beam distances.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single laser emitter is used for alignment measurements, then device complexity and cost are reduced, but measurement precision may be affected by calibration errors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies inversion by flipping the laser emitter 180 degrees to take measurements from both ends of the axle. This reverses the orientation of the laser, causing calibration errors to manifest in opposite directions. When the measurements are averaged, these opposite errors cancel each other out, eliminating the need for precise laser calibration while maintaining measurement accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the operational parameter of the laser emitter by rotating it 180 degrees between measurements. This parameter change allows the same laser to take measurements from both ends of the axle, and the averaging of these measurements compensates for calibration errors, achieving high precision with a single laser device.
2Measurement precision
If the laser beam travels a longer distance to the target, then measurement sensitivity to angular deviation increases, but the setup requires more space and may be more difficult to implement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the alignment system versatile by using the same single laser emitter for measurements at both ends of the axle. The laser is mounted on a wheel that can be positioned at either end, and the same target apparatus can measure from both directions. This multi-functionality allows long baseline measurements without requiring separate equipment for each end, making the system easier to implement despite the extended measurement distance.
3Ease of manufacture
If simple and inexpensive alignment systems are used, then cost is reduced, but reliability and measurement accuracy deteriorate due to less reliable measurement references
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service by using the alignment system itself to compensate for its own limitations. The single laser emitter serves dual purposes by measuring both ends of the axle, and the system's own repeated measurements from opposite orientations automatically cancel calibration errors. This self-compensation mechanism provides reliable measurements without requiring expensive external calibration standards or multiple precisely calibrated lasers.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system provides accurate and repeatable axle alignment with high precision, reducing the impact of laser emitter calibration errors and offering a cost-effective solution for both truck and trailer alignments.
Implementation Method 1
The system includes a laser emitter, truck laser targets, a trailer laser target, a king pin centering tool, and mounting bracketry. The laser emitter is mounted to a wheel such that the laser beam is projected perpendicular to the axis of the axle in question.
Data Source
AI summary
A portable laser emitter, laser targets, and method for aligning commercial truck and trailer axles are disclosed. The laser emitter is mounted to the wheel of a truck drive axle while the laser targets are mounted to the truck's steer wheels. Measurements are taken of the laser dot position on the laser targets for both ends of the axle. The measurements taken from either end of the axle are compared to determine the angle of the drive axle. This method may also be applied to a commercial trailer by using a floor standing laser target centered on the trailer king pin.