Abstract

An armature shaft having an eccentric cam body extending from one end thereof is gripped by an adjustable collet mechanism and rotated by a drive motor, preferably a stepping motor, having an output shaft movable in discrete increments. This rotation continues until an imaginary reference point on the periphery of the cam body reaches first and second angular positions. The preferred reference point is the point on the periphery of the end face of the cam body that is farthest from the axis of rotation of the armature shaft. The number of steps necessary to rotate the armature shaft so that the reference point is moved from the first angular position to the second angular position is determined as the armature shaft is rotated and used to determine the position of the reference point relative to a centerline between the first and second angular positions. Thereafter, the armature shaft is rotated from the second angular position by a number of steps computed by a programmable controller which controls the motor so that the cam body has the desired angular orientation relative to the axis of rotation of the armature shaft. After the shaft is oriented, the collet mechanism is moved, without disturbing the angular orientation of the shaft, to align the oriented shaft with a central aperture in a stack of lamination. Thereafter, the oriented shaft is inserted into the stack of laminations.

Other References

• See accompanying Information Disclosure Statement regarding prior art shaft orienting apparatus
• 1993-94 Positioning Control Systems and Devices catalog published by Parker Compumotor, Rohnert Park California, admitted to be prior ar