Abstract:
A multi-dimensional measuring instrument, in which a measuring member support body (1) having a measuring member (2) is held movably on a material board (3), the measuring member (2) being brought into contact with the surface of a material to be measured which is placed on the material board (3), the quantity of relative movement of the measuring member (2) and the material being detected to determine the shape of the material. This measuring instrument has vertical surfaces (3A, 3B, 50A, 50B) on the material board (3), and air bearings (47, 52, 53) opposed to these vertical surfaces are provided on the leg portions (8, 9) of the measuring member support body (1) to thereby restrict the position of the measuring member support body (1) in the direction of X-axis.
Abstract:
For establishing extremely accurate length dimensions of working gauges it has been conventional practice to subject a working gauge member to a fine machining treatment and to compare the worked out dimension with standard gauge blocks, which are very expensive, or to control the dimension by means of still more expensive high precision measuring instrument. The invention provides for a system comprising both special standard gauge blocks (2) and special working gauge members (44) as well as an associated specialized measuring device (Fig. 3), by means of which a working gauge (44) may be produced by a simple length adjustment of two mutually fixably displaceable elements (4, 8), this adjustment being effected in the measuring device by comparison with the dimension of a standard gauge block as beforehand measured out in the measuring device. The gauge blocks (2) and the working gauges (44) may be similarly shaped, viz. consisting of a cylindrical body (4) and a measurement defining pin (8) projecting thereform, this conditioning a cheap design of the gauge blocks and an easy adjustability of the working gauges.
Abstract:
A vehicle-measuring machine which is used to measure positional deviation from any desired vehicle reference point when, for example, a mechanic is inspecting or repairing the vehicle. When a conventional model of this kind of vehicle-measuring machine is used, detecting and correcting any error is difficult because the vertical direction indicated by a vertical member can deviate from the vertical axis of the vehicle owing to the inclination of the vehicle. According to the present invention, an angle-varying unit is provided which varies the angle of each of lifting members with respect to a mount in various directions, i.e., longitudinally, laterally, and composites thereof, in accordance with the inclination of the vehicle, using the weight of the mount. This automatically shifts a reference portion corresponding to the deviation of the vertical member, thereby automatically correcting the error.
Abstract:
A guideway (10) of a guideway set in a coordinate measuring machine has a scale in the form of a metal strip clamped and bonded to an accessible face (46) of a spar (30), the latter being formed of a thermally stable material and being connected at one end to a reference position defined by a bracket (18) and a mounting plate (16) on the guideway (10). The spar (30) is mounted on the guideway (10) by spaced blocks (34) which are designed to accommodate any longitudinal movement of the guideway (10) due to thermal expansion, so that the spar (30) and the scale are effectively maintained in position. Because relative movement between the spar (30) and the scale is substantially prevented, the position of the scale is substantially fixed, providing improve scale accuracy.
Abstract:
A metrological apparatus has a movable arm which (15) moves up and down between two bearing members (13), both of which define datum positions for the arm (15). The arm (15) has air bearings on the bearing members (13), so that it adopts a position equidistant between the bearing members (13). In this way, the position of the arm (15) contains the average of the errors in the two datum positions defined by the bearing members (13). Where the bearing members (13) have symmetric errors, these will be cancelled. Since the path of maximum straightness of movement of the arm (15) is spaced from the bearing members (13), it is possible to put a workpiece (3) in this path and a turntable (5) for supporting the workpiece (3) is arranged to have its rotational axis in line with the path of maximum straightness. The vertical positon of each end of the arm (15) is measured using a respective grating (25) and the average of the measurements is taken to provide an accurate measurement of the height of the centre point of the arm (15) over the workpiece (3), substantially free of Abbe errors.
Abstract:
A wheel measuring machine (9) includes juxtaposed first and second spindles (23, 65) relatively movable toward and away from one another for mounting a wheel (10) to be measured therebetween. A first centering device (40) is mounted on the first spindle (23) to selectively center a first surface feature (12) of the wheel on an axis (16). The second spindle includes a second centering device (85, 95, 96) engageable with both the wheel and with the first spindle (23) to selectively center a second surface feature (13) on axis (16) when the first centering device (40) disengages the wheel (10). A distance transducer (15) sensingly engageable with a third surface feature (11) of the wheel (10) measures the distance between points along the third surface feature (11) and the spindle axis (16) once when the first surface feature (12) is centered on the axis (16) and again when the second surface feature (13) is so centered. From those measurements, parameter values describing dimensional relationships between the surface features are calculated.
Abstract:
A probe for a coordinate measuring machine or machine tool has a housing (10) from which extends a workpiece-contacting stylus (14). When the stylus (14) contacts a workpiece, as the probe is driven towards the workpiece, overtravel is permitted by deflection of a stylus holding member (12) within an overtravel module (18), out of a kinematic mount (20, 22). The contact with the workpiece is detected by sensors provided on a plate, board or wafer (26). In the event of excessive overtravel, in order to protect the fragile plate (26), a flange (36) on the stylus (14) contacts the housing (at 10A), and a kinematic mount (28, 30) disengages to permit the overtravel module (18) to fall away from the plate (26). Thus, any excess loading is taken between the flange (36) and the housing (at 10A), and is not transmitted through the plate (26).
Abstract:
The invention concerns a fixed gantry mount for a precision coordinate -measuring instrument, with a base (1), a first (2) and second (3) support and a crosspiece (4). Three of the four connections between the base (1), the first (2) and second (3) supports and the crosspiece (4) are designed as rotatable joints (14, 21, 31). The structure is thus not redundant in its static design features. The joints (14, 21, 31) can be designed as fishplate connections, the mount parts (1, 2, 3, 4) being made of sheet metal.
Abstract:
An apparatus for checking linear dimensions and other features of workpieces (42) comprises a support structure (2) carrying reference and support devices (40) adapted for supporting the workpiece to be checked (42). A linear support frame (210) carrying measuring heads (230) is connected to the support structure (2) through a coupling device (88) directly coupled to the support frame (210), substantially in a single limited zone or in a plurality of zones arranged close to one another for preventing deformations of the support frame (210).
Abstract:
In order to reduce the effect of temperature fluctuations and gradients, arising in the production zone, on the measurement accuracy of a co-ordinate measurement apparatus located therein, the latter is placed in a housing and is adjusted to specific ambient conditions by means of an air current injected into the housing. The sets of data needed for computerized correction of guide errors are produced at the time of acceptance of the apparatus, for several different ambient temperatures. In normal operation, the existing set of correction data is selected as a function of the measured temperature at a representative point and is used for correcting the measured values.