US4571799A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method for producing air bearing pads for positioning table
Assignee: JPMorgan Chase Bank NA
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Filing: 1982-08-26
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Granted: 1986-02-25
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Expires: 2002-08-26
Abstract
Abstract Air bearing pads for supporting a one-axis table in a granite bridge positioning apparatus on a thin film of air include machine-thinned sections for providing resilience to the pads in order to permit flexing sufficient to accommodate surface irregularities on the supporting surface. A single air pressure regulator provides a source of pressurized air to flow-control devices of a plurality of air bearing pads supporting a one-axis table. The individual flow-control devices adjust the flow of air to their respective air bearing pads to individually adjust the lift of the pads.
Inventors
- 👤 Anwar Chitayat
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-01 20:35
CPC Classifications
F; F16; F16C; F16C29/00; F16C29/001; B; B23; B23Q; B23Q1/00; B23Q1/25; B23Q1/26; B23Q1/38; B23Q1/385; F16C29/02; F16C29/025; F16C32/00; F16C32/06; F16C2322/00; F16C2322/39; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T29/00; Y10T29/49; Y10T29/49636; Y10T29/49639
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 4
Claim 1
Independent Claim
172 words
A method of making an air bearing pad of the type having an upper portion, a lower portion and a neck portion joining centers of said upper and lower portions, said air bearing pad being of a type having air channels therein terminating in a bottom surface thereof, comprising: forming a block of metal having said bottom surface; grinding and lapping said bottom surface; then machining said block of metal to form said neck portion; performing the machining step by machining said block of metal to a predetermined reduced limit, and thereby causing said neck portion to include a section which is relatively weaker than a remainder of said block of metal and thus capable of slight lateral deformation with respect to said remainder; and performing the machining step without applying sufficient stress to said block of metal to produce a strain exceeding an elastic deformation limit of the material forming said neck portion whereby a relationship of said ground and lapped bottom surface with respect to said upper portion is retained.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
172 words
A method of making an air bearing pad of the type having an upper portion, a lower portion and a neck portion joining centers of said upper and lower portions, said air bearing pad being of a type having air channels therein terminating in a bottom surface thereof, comprising: forming a block of metal having said bottom surface; grinding and lapping said bottom surface; then machining said block of metal to form said neck portion; performing the machining step by machining said block of metal to a predetermined reduced limit, and thereby causing said neck portion to include a section which is relatively weaker than a remainder of said block of metal and thus capable of slight lateral deformation with respect to said remainder; and performing the machining step without applying sufficient stress to said block of metal to produce a strain exceeding an elastic deformation limit of the material forming said neck portion whereby a relationship of said ground and lapped bottom surface with respect to said upper portion is retained.
Claim 3
Independent Claim
223 words
A method of making a set of air bearing pads for supporting a load at a plurality of locations above a surface, said air bearing pads being of a type having air channels therein terminating in a bottom surface thereof, comprising: forming a plurality of substantially identical blocks of metal each having said bottom surface; grinding and lapping all of said bottom surfaces as a set whereby said blocks of metal remain substantially identical; then machining each of said blocks of metal to form a neck portion joining a center of an upper portion to a center of a lower portion, said bottom surface being on said lower portion; performing the machining step by machining each of said blocks of metal to respective predetermined reduced limits, and thereby causing each of said neck portions thereof to include a section which is relatively weaker than a remainder of said each of said blocks of metal, and thus capable of slight lateral deformation with respect to said remainder; and performing the machining step without applying sufficient stress to any of said blocks of metal to produce a strain exceeding an elastic deformation limit of the material forming said neck portion whereby a relationship of said ground and lapped bottom surfaces thereof with respect to said remainder of said set of air bearing pads is retained.
Claim 4
Independent Claim
223 words
A method of making a set of air bearing pads for supporting a load at a plurality of locations above a surface, said air bearing pads being of a type having air channels therein terminating in a bottom surface thereof, comprising: forming a plurality of substantially identical blocks of metal each having said bottom surface; grinding and lapping all of said bottom surfaces as a set whereby said blocks of metal remain substantially identical; then machining each of said blocks of metal to form a neck portion joining a center of an upper portion to a center of a lower portion, said bottom surface being on said lower portion; performing the machining step by machining each of said blocks of metal to respective predetermined reduced limits, and thereby causing each of said neck portions thereof to include a section which is relatively weaker than a remainder of said each of said blocks of metal, and thus capable of slight lateral deformation with respect to said remainder; and performing the machining step without applying sufficient stress to any of said blocks of metal to produce a strain exceeding an elastic deformation limit of the material forming said neck portion whereby a relationship of said ground and lapped bottom surfaces thereof with respect to said remainder of said set of air bearing pads is retained.
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) | 1989-02-24 | 1989-08-26 | 1990-02-25 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1993-02-24 | 1993-08-26 | 1994-02-25 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1997-02-24 | 1997-08-26 | 1998-02-25 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |