Gaging apparatus and method

Claim 2

In combination: a gauge head having a probe which is movable in a rectilinear path coinciding with an axis thereof, said probe having a fluid-actuated piston operatively associated therewith, anD an apparatus for compensating for the weight of said probe to keep the force exerted by said probe against a workpiece substantially constant with said gauge head and said axis arranged at any desired angle of inclination from a reference plane, said apparatus controlling the pressure of a fluid acting against said piston as a function of the angle of inclination of said axis from said reference plane to thereby control said force exerted by said probe.

Claim 3

A combination as set forth in claim 1 in which said gauge head has a fluid chamber which has a longitudinal axis coinciding with said axis of said probe and said probe has said fluid-actuated piston comprising the rear portion thereof with said piston being supported for sliding movement in said chamber, said apparatus controlling the pressure of said fluid in said chamber and hence the pressure acting against said piston.

Claim 4

A combination as set forth in claim 1 in which said gauge head has a fluid chamber which has a longitudinal axis coinciding with said axis of said probe and said probe has said fluid-actuated piston comprising the rear portion thereof with said piston being supported for sliding movement in said chamber, said apparatus comprising an open-jet control apparatus which utilizes air as an operating medium and controls the pressure of air in said chamber and hence the pressure of air acting against said piston, and said apparatus having its principal control components fixed to said gauge head for simultaneous movement therewith.

Claim 5

A combination as set forth in claim 1 in which said reference plane comprises a horizontal plane and said apparatus is operatively connected to said gauge head and comprises, a first planar surface having an orifice provided therein for ejecting fluid outwardly therefrom in a direction substantially perpendicular to said first planar surface, a weighted movable member having a second planar surface which is arranged parallel to said first planar surface and is supported for limited rectilinear movement toward and away from said first planar surface along a second axis arranged parallel to the axis of said probe, and fluid conduit means having one end means connected to said orifice and its opposite end means associating with a fluid source supplying fluid to said piston, said second planar surface being urged more closely adjacent said first planar surface by gravity acting against said weighted member as said probe and weighted member are moved so that said parallel axes are simultaneously moved from positions parallel to said horizontal plane toward vertical positions to thereby provide a fluid pressure signal in said fluid conduit means which increases in direct proportion to the sine of said angle of inclination from said horizontal plane.

Claim 6

A combination as set forth in claim 4 and further comprising noncontact means associating with said probe for precisely determining its position during gauging contact of its outer tip against a workpiece to thereby provide precise dimensional measurements of said workpiece.

Claim 7

A combination as set forth in claim 5 in which said noncontact means comprises electro-optical means.

Claim 8

A combination as set forth in claim 4 in which said weighted member comprises an elongated rodlike member having an axis coinciding with said second axis and having said second planar surface arranged perpendicular to said second axis and defining an end surface of said rodlike member.

Claim 9

A combination as set forth in claim 4 in which said apparatus further comprises fluid-bearing means supporting said weighted member for frictionless movement.

Claim 10

A combination as set forth in claim 4 in which said weighted member comprises an elongated rodlike member and said apparatus further comprises fluid-bearing means supporting said rodlike member for frictionless movement and a pair of mechanical springs engaging opposite end portions of said rodlike member and resiliently holding said rodlike member and its second planar surface adjacent said first planar surface.

Claim 11

A combination as set forth in claim 4 in which said weighted member comprises an elongated rodlike member having an axis coinciding with said second axis and having said second planar surface arranged perpendicular to said second axis and defining an end surface of said rodlike member, and said apparatus further comprises, a supporting housing, a tubular member carried within said housing and having a bore which receives said rodlike member therethrough, means for providing air under regulated pressure between said tubular member and said rodlike member to provide an air bearing therebetween and support said rodlike member for frictionless axial sliding movement, and a pair of mechanical springs, each of said springs acting between an associated end portion of said rodlike member and an end of said housing and said springs resiliently holding said rodlike member and its second planar surface adjacent said first planar surface while allowing said second planar surface to move more closely toward said first planar surface with an increase in said angle of inclination.

Claim 12

In a gauge head having a fluid chamber therein and having a gauging probe provided with a piston defining the rear portion thereof, with said piston being arranged within said fluid chamber and being axially slidable in a rectilinear path coinciding with the longitudinal axis of said probe, an apparatus adapted to control the force exerted by said gauging probe against a workpiece by controlling the pressure of a fluid in said fluid chamber as a function of the sine of the angle of inclination of said longitudinal axis from a horizontal plane to thereby maintain the force exerted by said gauging probe against said workpiece substantially constant at all angles of inclination, said apparatus comprising, a support carried by said gauge head, a first planar surface carried by said support and having an orifice provided therein for ejecting fluid outwardly therefrom in a direction substantially perpendicular to said first planar surface, a weighted movable member having a second planar surface arranged parallel to said first planar surface and supported by said support for limited rectilinear movement toward and away from said first planar surface along a second axis arranged parallel to the axis of said probe, fluid supply means for supplying fluid of said fluid chamber, and fluid conduit means having one end means connected to said orifice and its opposite end means associating with said fluid supply means, said second planar surface being urged more closely adjacent said first planar surface by gravity acting against said weighted member as said probe and weighted member are moved so that said parallel axes are simultaneously moved from positions parallel to said horizontal plane toward vertical positions to thereby provide a fluid pressure signal in said fluid conduit means which increases in direct proportion to the sine of said angle of inclination from said horizontal plane, said signal operatively associating with said fluid supply means to provide a pressure in said fluid chamber corresponding to said signal.

Claim 13

In a gauge head having a fluid chamber therein and having a gauging probe provided with a piston defining the rear portion thereof, with said piston being arranged within said fluid chamber and being axially slidable in a rectilinear path coinciding with the longitudinal axis of said probe, an apparatus adapted to control the force exerted by said gauging probe against a workpiece by controlling the pressure of a fluid in said fluid chamber as a function of the sine of the angle of inclination of said longitudinal axis from a horizontal plane to thereby maintain the force exerted by said gauging probe against said workpiece substantially constant at all angles of inclination, said apparatus comprising, a support carried by said gauge head, a first planar surface carried by said support and having an orifice provided therein for ejecting fluid outwardly therefrom in a direction substantially perpendicular to said first planar surface, a weighted movable member having a second planar surface arranged parallel to said first planar surface and supported by said support for limited rectilinear movement toward and away from said first planar surface along a second axis arranged parallel to the axis of said probe, fluid supply means for supplying fluid of said fluid chamber, and fluid conduit means having one end means connected to said orifice and its opposite end means associating with said fluid supply means, said second planar surface being urged more closely adjacent said first planar surface by gravity acting against said weighted member as said probe and weighted member are moved so that said parallel axes are simultaneously moved from positions parallel to said horizontal plane toward vertical positions to thereby provide a fluid pressure signal in said fluid conduit means which increases in direct proportion to the sine of said angle of inclination from said horizontal plane, said signal operatively associating with said fluid supply means to provide a pressure in said fluid chamber corresponding to said signal.

Claim 14

An apparatus as set forth in claim 11 in which said fluid supply means comprises an absolute pressure regulator.

Claim 15

An apparatus as set forth in claim 11 in which said weighted member comprises an elongated rodlike member having an axis coinciding with said second axis and having said second planar surface arranged perpendicular to said second axis and defining an end surface of said rodlike member. 14 An apparatus as set forth in claim 11 in which said apparatus further comprises fluid bearing means supporting said weighted member for frictionless movement.

Claim 16

An apparatus as set forth in claim 11 in which said weighted member comprises an elongated rodlike member and said apparatus further comprises fluid bearing means supporting said rodlike member for frictionless movement and a pair of mechanical springs engaging opposite end portions of said rodlike Member and resiliently holding said rodlike member and its second planar surface adjacent said first planar surface.

Claim 17

An apparatus as set forth in claim 11 in which said weighted member comprises an elongated rodlike member having an axis coinciding with said second axis and having said second planar surface arranged perpendicular to said second axis and defining an end surface of said rodlike member, said support comprises a supporting housing and said apparatus further comprises, a tubular member carried within said housing and having a cylindrical bore which receives said rodlike member therethrough, means for providing air under regulated pressure between said tubular member and said rodlike member to provide an air bearing therebetween and support said rodlike member for frictionless axial sliding movement, and a pair of compression springs, each of said springs acting between an associated end portion of said rodlike member and an end of said supporting housing and said springs resiliently holding said rodlike member and its second planar surface adjacent said first planar surface while allowing said second planar surface to move more closely toward said first planar surface with an increase in said angle of inclination.

Claim 18

An apparatus as set forth in claim 11 in which said fluid pressure signal comprises an air pressure signal and further comprising an adjustable restrictor in flow communication with said fluid conduit means for controlling the magnitude of said air pressure signal to said fluid supply means and thereby control the effectiveness of the air pressure signal.

Claim 19

An apparatus as set forth in claim 17 and further comprising means for supplying air under regulated pressure to said orifice and a pneumatic pressure control relay installed in said fluid conduit means and cooperating with said adjustable restrictor for controlling the magnitude of said air pressure signal.

Claim 20

In combination: a gauge head having a movable workpiece-contacting probe, said gauge head having workpiece contact force control means, and apparatus for keeping the force exerted by said probe against a workpiece substantially constant with said gauge head arranged at any desired orientation with respect to a reference plane, said apparatus being responsive to said orientation and operatively associated with said control means to thereby control the force exerted by said probe against a workpiece.

Claim 21

In combination: a gauge head having a movable workpiece-contacting probe, said gauge head having workpiece contact force control means, and apparatus for keeping the force exerted by said probe against a workpiece substantially constant with said gauge head arranged at any desired orientation with respect to a reference plane, said apparatus being responsive to said orientation and operatively associated with said control means to thereby control the force exerted by said probe against a workpiece.

Claim 24

A method as set forth in claim 20 in which said fluid comprises air and said controlling step comprises controlling the absolute pressure of said air in said fluid chamber using an absolute pressure regulator.

Claim 25

A method as set forth in claim 21 and comprising the further step of determining the position of said gauging probe relative to said gauge head with a noncontact position sensor to provide precise dimensional measurements of said workpiece.

Claim 26

A method as set forth in claim 21 in which said controlling step comprises controlling said absolute pressure regulator with an air back pressure system.