Universal multi-coordinate sensor

Claim 2

Multi-coordinate sensor means, comprising a mountable frame, a first torsionally rigid spring parallelogram suspension having a single degree of freedom and having one side fixedly mounted to said frame whereby the opposite side is movable with respect to said one side in essentially only the direction of said single degree of freedom, a second torsionally rigid spring parallelogram suspension having a single degree of freedom and having one side fixedly mounted to said opposite side of said first parallelogram suspension, said second degree of freedom being in a direction generally transverse to that of said first degree of freedom, whereby the opposite side of said second parallelogram suspension is movable with respect to said one side of said first parallelogram suspension in essentially only the directions of said first and second degrees of freedom, workcontacting probe-supporting means torsionally rigidly carried by said opposite side of said second parallelogram suspension, and first and second torsionally rigid force-transfer mechanisms connected to said frame and respectively and independently to the first and to the second of said opposite sides and including separate electrical force-developing transducers producing force only in said first and second directions, respectively, and a work-contacting probe element carried by said probe-supporting means.

Claim 3

Multi-coordinate sensor means, comprising a mountable frame, a first torsionally rigid spring parallelogram suspension having a single degree of freedom and having one side fixedly mounted to said frame whereby the opposite side is movable with respect to said one side in essentially only the direction of said single degree of freedom, a second torsionally rigid spring parallelogram suspension having a single degree of freedom and having one side fixedly mounted to said opposite side of said first parallelogram suspension, said second degree of freedom being in a direction generally transverse to that of said first degree of freedom, whereby the opposite side of said second parallelogram suspension is movable with respect to said one side of said first parallelogram suspension in essentially only the directions of said first and second degrees of freedom, work-contacting probe-supporting means torsionally rigidly carried by said opposite side of said second parallelogram suspension, and first and second torsionally rigid force-transfer mechanisms connected to said frame and respectively and independently to the first and to the second of said opposite sides and including separate electrical force-developing transducers producing force only in said first and second directions, respectively, and a work-contacting probe element carried by said probe-supporting means.

Claim 4

Multi-coordinate sensor means, comprising a mountable frame, a first torsionally rigid spring parallelogram suspension having a single degree of freedom and having one side fixedly mounted to said frame whereby the opposite side is movable with respect to said one side in essentially only the direction of said single degree of freedom, a second torsionally rigid spring parallelogram suspension having a single degree of freedom and having one side fixedly mounted to said opposite side of said first parallelogram suspension, said second degree of freedom being in a direction generally transverse to that of said first degree of freedom, whereby the opposite side of said second parallelogram suspension is movable with respect to said one side of said first parallelogram suspension in essentially only the directions of said first and second degrees of freedom, work-contacting probe-supporting means torsionally rigidly carried by said opposite side of said second parallelogram suspension, and first and second torsionally rigid force-transfer mechanisms connected to said frame and respectively and independently to the first and to the second of said opposite sides and including separate electrical force-developing transducers producing force only in said first and second directions, respectively, and a work-contacting probe element carried by said probe-supporting means.

Claim 5

Multi-coordinate sensor means according to claim 1, wherein said first and second directions are perpendicular.

Claim 6

Multi-coordinate sensor means according to claim 1, in which said work-contacting probe-supporting means includes a third torsionally rigid spring parallelogram suspension having a single degree of freedom and having one side fixedly related to the opposite side of said second parallelogram, said third degree of freedom being in a direction generally transverse to the respective directions of said first and second degrees of freedom, said work-contacting probe element being carried by the opposite side of said third parallelogram.

Claim 7

Multi-coordinate sensor means according to claim 3, in which said degrees of freedom are mutually perpendicular.

Claim 8

Multi-coordinate sensor means according to claim 4, in which said parallelograms are connected in a torsionally rigid array along a direction common to a single one of said degrees of freedom.

Claim 9

Multi-coordinate sensor means according to claim 1, in which each parallelogram suspension includes means electrically responsive to the magnitude of displacement of said opposite sides thereof.

Claim 10

Multi-coordinate sensor means according to claim 6, in which each parallelogram suspension includes a releasable mechanical-zero locating mechanism, and adjustable circuit means associated with said electrically responsive means for establishing an electrical-zero setting thereof when in the locked mechanical-zero position.

Claim 11

A multi-coordinate measuring machine, including a frame, work-holding means, work-contacting sensor-holding means, guide and reversible drive means for the relative placement of said work-holding and sensor-holding means; sensor means comprising a torsionally rigid spring parallelogram suspension having a single degree of freedom, one side of said parallelogram suspension being mounted to said sensor-holding means, a work-contacting probe carried by the opposite side of said parallelogram suspension, and said degree of freedom being alinged in accordance with the direction of said guide means; control means for said reversible drive including sensing-transducer means carried by said parallelogram suspension and electrically responsive to a displacement of said opposite sides, said control means being operative to effectively disconnect said drive upon onset of a displacement-detecting signal by said transducer, and said sensing-transducer means producing an electrical output signal reflecting the magnitude and direction of deflection of the said opposite sides of said suspension; and a torsionally rigid force-transfer mechanism independently connected between said one side and said opposite side and including an electrical force-developing transducer producing force only in the direction of movement of said opposite sides, the polarity of excitation of such transducer being in the work-contacting direction, said control means being further operative to connect said force-developing transducer for force development upon said drive disconnection.

Claim 12

A multi-coordinate measuring machine, including a frame, work-holding means, work-contacting sensor-holding means, guide and reversible drive means for the relative placement of said work-holding and sensor-holding means; sensor means comprising a torsionally rigid spring parallelogram suspension having a single degree of freedom, one side of said parallelogram suspension being mounted to said sensor-holding means, a work-contacting probe carried by the opposite side of said parallelogram suspension, and said degree of freedom being alinged in accordance with the direction of said guide means; control means for said reversible drive including sensing-transducer means carried by said parallelogram suspension and electrically responsive to a displacement of said opposite sides, said control means being operative to effectively disconnect said drive upon onset of a displacement-detecting signal by said transducer, and said sensing-transducer means producing an electrical output signal reflecting the magnitude and direction of deflection of the said opposite sides of said suspension; and a torsionally rigid force-transfer mechanism independently connected between said one side and said opposite side and including an electrical force-developing transducer producing force only in the direction of movement of said opposite sides, the polarity of excitation of such transducer being in the work-contacting direction, said control means being further operative to connect said force-developing transducer for force development upon said drive disconnection.

Claim 13

A machine according to claim 8, in which said parallelogram suspension includes a releasable mechanical-zero locating mechanism, and adjustable circuit means associated with said electrically responsive means for establishing an electrical-zero setting thereof when in the locked mechanical-zero position.

Claim 14

Multi-coordinate sensor means, comprising a mountable frame, a work-contact probe, and a torsionally stiff series of three interconnected play-free and friction-free single-axis guide systems, said series of systems interconnecting said frame and probe; each one of said guide systems having a single straight-line directional orientation which is orthogonally related to the other two guide systems, and each one of said systems including electric-transducer means producing an electric-signal output in accordance with a displacement in the axis direction of said one system; and torsionally rigid force-applying means mounted to said frame and having independent force-applying connection to a selected one of said guide systems in the single-axis direction that is unique to said selected one guide system, said force-applying means including electrically operable means for assuring a predetermined magnitude of force application to said selected one guide system and in a predetermined sense in the single-axis direction that is unique to said selected one guide system.

Claim 15

Multi-coordinate sensor means, comprising a mountable frame, a work-contact probe, and a torsionally stiff series of three interconnected play-free and friction-free single-axis guide systems, said series of systems interconnecting said frame and probe; each one of said guide systems having a single straight-line directional orientation which is orthogonally related to the other two guide systems, and each one of said systems including electric-transducer means producing an electric-signal output in accordance with a displacement in the axis direction of said one system; and torsionally rigid force-applying means mounted to said frame and having independent force-applying connection to a selected one of said guide systems in the single-axis direction that is unique to said selected one guide system, said force-applying means including electrically operable means for assuring a predetermined magnitude of force application to said selected one guide system and in a predetermined sense in the single-axis direction that is unique to said selected one guide system.

Claim 16

The sensor means of claim 10, in which said force-applying means is one of three independent force-applying means, each of which includes its own electrically operable means for force application and each of which is connected to a different one of the three guide systems and in the force-applying direction unique to directional orientation of the guide system to which it is connected.

Claim 17

The sensor means of claim 11, in which each of said guide systems includes a releasable mechanical-zero locating mechanism, and adjustable circuit means associated with the output of each of the respective transducers for establishing an electrical-zero setting thereof when in mechanical-zero position.