Rotating reflector level rod

Claim 1

Surveying apparatus for measuring vertical and horizontal distances - by using for instance a laser beam as the light source of electronic distance measuring equipment - comprising: a structural framework of standardized length containing a rotating reflector mechanism, also including means for aligning said structure and reflector mechanism for impinging a laser beam symmetrically on said rotating reflector, and further including reflecting surfaces at top and bottom of said structure with means to re-direct said laser beam to electronic distance measuring equipment; said rotating reflector mechanism comprising the combination of an arrangement of rotating reflectors to receive the projected laser beam with means to impinge said laser beam symmetrically about the center of said reflectors and that said reflectors are rotatably mounted with means to intercept, align, and direct the impinged laser beam both horizontally and either downward or upward to respectively fixed reflecting surfaces which are located at bottom and top of said structural framework, so that the said laser beam is in turn reflected back to the distance measuring equipment for determining the horizontal and vertical distances; said rotating reflector comprising: an arrangement of a rotating axle mounted in a supporting frame which is geared to slide vertically in the channel tracks included in the said structural framework; said rotating axle is further gearedthrough a slow motion or gear reduction mechanism-to a vertical angle circle arrangement with means for vertical angle readings; means for attaching, stabilizing, and rotating said structural framework in the center of a horizontally rotating mounting ring which is geared to a tripod head; a ground support base with means to stabilize, support, and secure the said structural framework and said adjustable tripod while resting the said structure on top of a station marker; said ground support base includes a horizontally rotating flange in which said structural framework is rotated about a vertical axis for intercepting said laser beam.

Claim 6

A method for determing elevations, utilizing a laser distance measuring source is comprised of the following steps; impinging a laser beam about the center of a rotating reflector, the distance between said center and the source of said laser beam being designated Dh, rotating said rotating reflector so as to reflect said impinged beam symmetrically centered on a base reflector, said distance between the center of the reflector and the source of laser beam plus the distance between said center of the reflector and the base reflector being measured as (Dh + Db), determining said elevation of the center of said rotating reflector above said base reflector being calculated by subtracting Dh from (Dh + Db), determining the accuracy of said measurements being determined by impinging said laser beam upwardly to a top reflector, the distance between the center of said rotating reflector and the top reflector plus the distance between the center of said rotating reflector anD said laser beam source being measured as (Dh + Dt), determining the distance between the center of rotating reflector and said top reflector being calculated by subtracting Dh from (Dh + Dt), determining the accuracy of the elevational measurements Db and Dt being determined by comparing said reading for Db and Dt against the physical measurement (K) of the apparatus which includes the bottom and top reflectors.

Claim 7

A method for determing elevations, utilizing a laser distance measuring source is comprised of the following steps; impinging a laser beam about the center of a rotating reflector, the distance between said center and the source of said laser beam being designated Dh, rotating said rotating reflector so as to reflect said impinged beam symmetrically centered on a base reflector, said distance between the center of the reflector and the source of laser beam plus the distance between said center of the reflector and the base reflector being measured as (Dh + Db), determining said elevation of the center of said rotating reflector above said base reflector being calculated by subtracting Dh from (Dh + Db), determining the accuracy of said measurements being determined by impinging said laser beam upwardly to a top reflector, the distance between the center of said rotating reflector and the top reflector plus the distance between the center of said rotating reflector anD said laser beam source being measured as (Dh + Dt), determining the distance between the center of rotating reflector and said top reflector being calculated by subtracting Dh from (Dh + Dt), determining the accuracy of the elevational measurements Db and Dt being determined by comparing said reading for Db and Dt against the physical measurement (K) of the apparatus which includes the bottom and top reflectors.