Weight Material Dispensing, Cutting and Applying System

Abstract

An apparatus for balancing a wheel includes a tool and an arm control module. The tool is mechanically coupled to an arm and includes a leading edge, a trailing edge, and a face surface that forms an arc between the leading and trailing edges. The arm control module actuates the arm to position the leading edge of the tool a predetermined distance from an edge of a deck of a cutting apparatus to receive a piece of non-segmented wheel weight material. A blade of a cutting apparatus passes between the edge of the deck and the leading edge of the tool to cut the piece from the non-segmented wheel weight material.

1 . An apparatus for balancing a wheel, the apparatus comprising:
 a tool that is mechanically coupled to an arm and that includes a leading edge, a trailing edge, and a face surface that forms an arc between the leading and trailing edges;   an arm control module that actuates the arm to position the leading edge of the tool a predetermined distance from an edge of a deck of a cutting apparatus to receive a wheel weight, wherein the cutting apparatus separates the wheel weight from a supply feed of wheel weight material; and   a sensor that detects presence or absence of the wheel weight on the tool.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the sensor detects the presence or absence of the wheel weight on the face surface of the tool within a second predetermined distance of the leading edge of the tool. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the sensor is located adjacent to the leading edge of the tool. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the face surface of the tool includes an aperture, and wherein the sensor is located within the aperture. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a second sensor that detects presence or absence of the wheel weight on the tool. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the arm control module selectively performs error handling in response to the sensor detecting that the wheel weight is absent from the tool. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the error handling includes wiping the face surface of the tool. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein, subsequent to the tool moving away from the cutting apparatus, application of the wheel weight to the wheel is skipped in response to the sensor indicating that the wheel weight is absent from the tool. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein, to receive the wheel weight, the arm control module positions the leading edge of the tool parallel to the edge of the deck and coplanar with a surface of the deck. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a cutter interfacing module that selectively outputs an in-position signal in response to the leading edge of the tool being located at the predetermined distance from the edge of the deck; and   a cutter actuator control module that waits to actuate the cutting apparatus until the in-position signal is received from the cutter interfacing module.   
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein a blade of the cutting apparatus passes between the edge of the deck and the leading edge of the tool to separate the wheel weight from the supply feed of the wheel weight material. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one magnetic device configured to attract the wheel weight to the face surface of the tool. 
     
     
         13 . A method for balancing a wheel, the method comprising:
 positioning a leading edge of a tool a predetermined distance from an edge of a deck to receive a wheel weight, wherein the tool includes a trailing edge and a face surface that forms an arc between the leading and trailing edges;   bringing the wheel weight into contact with the tool;   separating the wheel weight from a supply feed of wheel weight material;   subsequent to the separating, detecting presence or absence of the wheel weight on the tool; and   selectively moving the tool to apply the wheel weight to the wheel.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the wheel weight is connected to the tool prior to separating the wheel weight from the supply feed of wheel weight material. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein positioning the leading edge of the tool includes actuating an arm to which the tool is connected, and wherein moving the tool includes selectively actuating the arm. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising applying the wheel weight to the wheel, wherein applying the wheel weight to the wheel includes pressing the wheel weight against the wheel using a rolling motion. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising moving the tool to apply the wheel weight to the wheel along a first plane of the wheel beginning at the leading edge of the tool. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the moving is skipped in response to detecting the absence of the wheel weight on the tool. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 joining a first roll of wheel weight material with a second roll of wheel weight material using a splice; and   applying a splice indicium to the splice to allow detection of a location of the splice.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising, in response to detecting the splice indicium:
 cutting a spliced section of wheel weight material surrounding the location of the splice; and   discarding the spliced section of wheel weight material without applying the spliced section of wheel weight material to the wheel.