US3613501A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method of and apparatus for use in producing a three-dimensional model of a piece of terrain
Assignee: Individual
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Filing: 1969-06-18
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Granted: 1971-10-19
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Expires: 1989-06-18
Abstract
Abstract Method of and apparatus for producing a three-dimensional model of a piece of terrain wherein a plan having contour lines, and a block of machineable material, are traversed in unison past a cursor and a motor-driven shaper element respectively, and the height of the shaper element above the block is controlled by moving a control member to bring the appropriate graduation of a height scale displayed in proximity to the plan and cursor into coincidence with a contour line as the latter passes the cursor during traverse, there being an operative connection between the control member and a height adjustment means for the shaping element. Alternatively the ratio of longitudinal traverse increment to height increment may be preset by operation of key switches each corresponding to a particular graduation on a modified stationary scale extending lengthwise of the direction of longitudinal traverse on both sides of a viewing point.
Inventors
- 👤 Norman Thomas Sanders
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-30 06:29
CPC Classifications
G; G09; G09B; G09B25/00; G09B25/06; B; B23; B23Q; B23Q17/00; B23Q17/24; B23Q33/00; B23Q35/00; B23Q35/04; B23Q35/08; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T409/00; Y10T409/30; Y10T409/30084; Y10T409/30112; Y10T409/301176; Y10T409/302856
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 22
Claim 1
Independent Claim
280 words
Apparatus for use in producing a three-dimensional model of a piece of terrain comprising: a. plan support means for supporting a plan of the terrain bearing contour marks representing respective altitudes, b. work support means for supporting a model blank, c. cursor means associated operatively with said plan support means and defining a viewing point on said plan, d. shaping means associated operatively with said work support means for acting on said model blank to form a surface thereon presenting, at each position thereof, a height or thickness of said material representative of a corresponding altitude on said plan, e. scanning means for effecting corresponding relative scanning on the one hand between said plan support means and said cursor means and on the other hand between said work support means and said shaping means, f. height-control means adjustable into a plurality of different settings pertaining to respective altitudes, g. height-adjusting means for determining the height of said shaping means relative to said work support means and operatively associated with said height-control means for control thereby to set said shaping means to a proper height for forming a surface on said model blank corresponding in relief at least approximately to that represented on said plan by said contour marks, h. and means for displaying in mutual proximity a showing of: i. said viewing point, ii. at least that portion of said plan which in consequence of said relative scanning is in a line of approach to said viewing point, iii. indicia extending along said line of approach and which by correlation with at least one of said contour marks intersecting said line provide data for proper setting of said height-control means.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
280 words
Apparatus for use in producing a three-dimensional model of a piece of terrain comprising: a. plan support means for supporting a plan of the terrain bearing contour marks representing respective altitudes, b. work support means for supporting a model blank, c. cursor means associated operatively with said plan support means and defining a viewing point on said plan, d. shaping means associated operatively with said work support means for acting on said model blank to form a surface thereon presenting, at each position thereof, a height or thickness of said material representative of a corresponding altitude on said plan, e. scanning means for effecting corresponding relative scanning on the one hand between said plan support means and said cursor means and on the other hand between said work support means and said shaping means, f. height-control means adjustable into a plurality of different settings pertaining to respective altitudes, g. height-adjusting means for determining the height of said shaping means relative to said work support means and operatively associated with said height-control means for control thereby to set said shaping means to a proper height for forming a surface on said model blank corresponding in relief at least approximately to that represented on said plan by said contour marks, h. and means for displaying in mutual proximity a showing of: i. said viewing point, ii. at least that portion of said plan which in consequence of said relative scanning is in a line of approach to said viewing point, iii. indicia extending along said line of approach and which by correlation with at least one of said contour marks intersecting said line provide data for proper setting of said height-control means.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
127 words
Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said scanning means comprises: a. longitudinal scanning means for effecting relative reciprocating movement between said plan support means and said cursor means on the one hand, and between said work support means and said shaping means on the other hand in a direction parallel to one dimension of said plan, b. transverse scanning means for effecting relative incremental scanning movemEnt in a direction transverse to said dimension between said plan support means and said cursor means on the one hand, and between said work support means and said shaping means on the other hand, whereby relative scanning takes place along a scanning path represented by a succession of parallel tracks collectively forming a raster covering the required area of the plan.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
51 words
Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein at least one of said longitudinal and transverse scanning means includes means for varying the ratio of relative scanning displacement imparted between said work support means and said shaping means to the relative scanning displacement imparted between said plan support means and said cursor means.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
119 words
Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein: a. said means for displaying indicia extending along said line of approach comprises means for presenting a plurality of graduation marks spaced apart lengthwise of said line of approach and defining a height scale, b. means are provided for moving said height scale in a direction lengthwise of the line of approach to enable a selected graduation mark to be registered with said viewing point coincident with the time of arrival of a selected contour mark thereat, c. means are provided forming an operative connection between said height scale and said height-control means for positioning said height scale longitudinally of said line of approach in conformity with the setting of said height-control means.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
134 words
Apparatus according to claim 4 wherein: a. said means for presenting said graduation marks comprises a strip or sheet element of light-transmitting material, b. means are provided for mounting said element in superposed relation to said plan, c. said means forming an operative connection between said height scale and said height-control means includes a cable means connected operatively to a movable output element of said height-control means and to a movable input element of said height-adjustment means, and subjected to longitudinal movement in response to operation of the former, d. said strip or sheet element of light-transmitting material is included in or connected to said cable means so that at any instant it occupies a position longitudinally of the height scale determined by the setting of both said height-control means and said height-adjustment means.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
108 words
Apparatus according to claim 4 wherein: a. said height-control means includes a manually operable control member having at least one finger piece movable in opposite directions along an adjustable path, b. said display means presents said height scale and said line of approach in an orientation such as to extend generally longitudinally of said adjustment path, c. said means forming an operative connection between said height scale and said height-control means provides for movement of said height scale in a direction to move a selected graduation mark away from said viewing point and towards said viewing point in response to alternations in the setting of said adustment means.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
73 words
Apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising means for varying the magnitude of the height adjustment of the shaping means produced in response to operation of the height-adjustment means for a given change of setting of the height-control means to enable the steepness of the gradients formed on said surface of said model to conform to those represented by said contour marks on said plan, or to be exaggerated or diminished as required.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
109 words
Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein: a. said height-control means includes means for generating a plurality of outputs representing respectively different values of height increment and scanning traverse increment ratios, b. said means for displaying indicia extending along said line of approach presents a series of graduation marks representing said different ratios respectively, c. said height-control means includes manually operable control means settable selectiveLy to provide an output representing a selected one of said ratios whereby an operator can select the ratio indicated by at least approximate coincidence between one of said graduation marks on said line of approach, and a selected contour mark intersecting said line of approach.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
39 words
Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said manually operable control means comprises a keyboard including a plurality of manually operable key elements and means for indicating the particular height to scanning traverse increment ratios to which they relate respectively.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
29 words
Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said means for displaying said viewing point, said portion of said plan, and said indicia comprises optical means for forming magnified images thereof.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
56 words
Apparatus according to claim 10 wherein said optical means includes: a. a housing extending over said cursor means, a portion of said plan adjacent thereto, and said means displaying said indicia, b. a light source in said housing for illuminating said portion of said plan, c. a display screen on which said magnified images are formed.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
95 words
Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein: a. said height-adjustment means includes actuating means responsive to an electrical height signal, b. said apparatus further includes reading means for generating said signal in response to playback of a record member thereby, and means for feeding said signal to said height-adjustment means, c. means are provided for correlating playback of said record member and operation of said scanning means whereby said shaping means is set to a proper height relative to said work support for each position of relative scan between said work support and said shaping means.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
77 words
Apparatus according to claim 11 wherein said apparatus further includes recording means including: a. means for advancing a record member through a recording station in correlation with relative scanning between said plan support means and said cursor means, b. a recording head at said station for impressing a record on said record member in response to an electrical signal, c. means for generating said electrical signal varying in dependence upon the altitude represented by said contour marks.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
44 words
Apparatus according to claim 11 wherein: a. said actuating means of said height-adjustment means provides stepless or continuous operation of said height-adjustment means, b. said reading means provides a height signal which is an analogue of the corresponding altitudes represented by said contour marks.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
39 words
Apparatus according to claim 11 wherein: a. said actuating means of said height-adjustment means provides stepwise operation of said height-adjustment means, b. said reading means provides a height signal which digitally represents the altitudes represented by said contour marks.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
232 words
A method of producing a three-dimensional model of a piece of terrain from data provided by a plan of the terrain bearing contour marks representative of respective altitudes, said method comprising the steps of: a. displaying in such mutual proximity to each other as to admit of concurrent viewing showing of i. a cursor means defining a viewing point ii. at least a portion of said plan iii. indicia extending along a line of approach on said portion of said plan leading to said viewing point and providing data for determining proper height adjustment of a shaping means for shaping a model blank, b. effecting relative scanning along a primary scanning path between said plan and said cursor means to cause said portion of said plan to pass said viewing point, c. viewing at least one of the contour marks intersecting said line of approach, d. effecting relative scanning along a secondary scanning path systematically relating to said primary scanning path between said model blank and said shaping means, e. positioning at least part of said data in substantial registration with at least one of said Contour marks at said viewing point and adjusting the height of said shaping means relative to said model blank in conformity with said data to form a surface on said model blank corresponding at least approximately to that represented on said plan by said contour marks.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
232 words
A method of producing a three-dimensional model of a piece of terrain from data provided by a plan of the terrain bearing contour marks representative of respective altitudes, said method comprising the steps of: a. displaying in such mutual proximity to each other as to admit of concurrent viewing showing of i. a cursor means defining a viewing point ii. at least a portion of said plan iii. indicia extending along a line of approach on said portion of said plan leading to said viewing point and providing data for determining proper height adjustment of a shaping means for shaping a model blank, b. effecting relative scanning along a primary scanning path between said plan and said cursor means to cause said portion of said plan to pass said viewing point, c. viewing at least one of the contour marks intersecting said line of approach, d. effecting relative scanning along a secondary scanning path systematically relating to said primary scanning path between said model blank and said shaping means, e. positioning at least part of said data in substantial registration with at least one of said Contour marks at said viewing point and adjusting the height of said shaping means relative to said model blank in conformity with said data to form a surface on said model blank corresponding at least approximately to that represented on said plan by said contour marks.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
60 words
A method according to claim 16 wherein said indicia provide data as to the present height of the shaping means, and adjustment of the height of said shaping means is effected to bring about at least approximate correspondence between said indicated height and the altitude represented by the contour mark at the time when said mark passes said viewing point.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
60 words
A method according to claim 17 wherein the height is displayed by displaying a succession of graduation marks spaced apart in a direction longitudinally of said line of approach and effecting movement of said graduation marks collectively in correspondence with adjustment of the height of said shaping means to bring the appropriate graduation mark into coincidence with said viewing point.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
150 words
A method according to claim 16 wherein: a. said indicia comprises a succession of graduation marks spaced apart along said line of approach, each pertaining to a respective ratio of height adjustment to scanning increment, graduation marks situated at respectively greater distances from the viewing point defined by said cursor element pertaining to successively smaller ratios, b. scanning and height adjustment is effected by way of a series of relative scanning displacements on the one hand between said plan and said cursor means, and on the other hand between said model blank and said shaping means, accompanied in the latter case by such respective corresponding incremental adjustments of the height of said shaping means relative to said surface of said model blank as are determined by registration or approximate registration between one of said graduation marks and a contour mark of identified numerical value intersecting with said line of approach.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
122 words
A method according to claim 16 comprising the further step of: a. effecting relative advancement of a record member through a record station in correspondence with distance scanned along said primary scanning path, b. impressing on said record member data representing the height to which said shaping means are required to be adjusted in accordance with the altitude represented by said viewed contour marks, c. subsequently controlling relative scanning movement along said model scanning path between said model blank and said shaping means in accordance with advancement of said record member through a reading station, d. controlling the height of said shaping means with respect to said surface of said model blank in accordance with the data recorded on said record member.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1974-10-18 | 1975-04-19 | 1975-10-19 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1978-10-18 | 1979-04-19 | 1979-10-19 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1982-10-18 | 1983-04-19 | 1983-10-19 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |