Electronic test head positioner for test systems

Claim 1

A system for maintaining an object in a substantially weightless condition without the effect of gravity comprising: support means having a first continuously vertical axis; positioner means coupled to the support means and having a vertical movement with respect to the support means and movement in a horizontal plane, the positioner means including cradle means for attaching the object; counterbalancing means coupled to the positioner means to provide a substantially weightless condition to the positioner means with the object attached whereby said positioner means is free to manually move vertically from a predetermined lowermost to a predetermined uppermost position free of mechanical restraints between the two positions; and the positioner means including continuously horizontal linear motion guide means for providing horizontal movement of the object with respect to the support means, the positioner means including a second continuously vertical axis, means for pivotally mounting the object about the second continuously vertical axis, at least one of said continuously vertical axes being free to rotate as the positioner means is manually extended, the positioner means having an additional continuously horizontal axis for providing rotation of the object about said additional continuously horizontal axis whereby as the object is extended in the horizontal plane and rotated, the two vertical axes, the horizontal linear motion guide means, and the additional horizontal axis themselves support the weight of the positioner means with the cradle means and the attached object without the effect of gravity.

Claim 2

A system for maintaining an object in a substantially weightless condition without the effect of gravity comprising: support means having a first continuously vertical axis; positioner means coupled to the support means and having a vertical movement with respect to the support means and movement in a horizontal plane, the positioner means including cradle means for attaching the object; counterbalancing means coupled to the positioner means to provide a substantially weightless condition to the positioner means with the object attached whereby said positioner means is free to manually move vertically from a predetermined lowermost to a predetermined uppermost position free of mechanical restraints between the two positions; and the positioner means including continuously horizontal linear motion guide means for providing horizontal movement of the object with respect to the support means, the positioner means including a second continuously vertical axis, means for pivotally mounting the object about the second continuously vertical axis, at least one of said continuously vertical axes being free to rotate as the positioner means is manually extended, the positioner means having an additional continuously horizontal axis for providing rotation of the object about said additional continuously horizontal axis whereby as the object is extended in the horizontal plane and rotated, the two vertical axes, the horizontal linear motion guide means, and the additional horizontal axis themselves support the weight of the positioner means with the cradle means and the attached object without the effect of gravity.

Claim 3

A system for maintaining an object in a substantially weightless condition without the effect of gravity comprising: support means having a first continuously vertical axis; positioner means coupled to the support means and having a vertical movement with respect to the support means and movement in a horizontal plane, the positioner means comprises cradle means including object attachment means, the object attachment means having pivoting means secured to the cradle means for providing rotation of the attachment means about a further axis; counterbalancing means coupled to the positioner means to provide a substantially weightless condition to the positioner means with the object attached; and the positioner means including continuously horizontal linear motion guide means for providing horizontal movement of the object with respect to the support means, the positioner means including a second continuously vertical axis, means for pivotally mounting the object about the second continuously vertical axis, at least one of said continuously vertical axes being free to rotate as the positioner means is manually extended, the positioner means having an additional continuously horizontal axis for providing rotation of the object about said additional continuously horizontal axis whereby as the object is extended in the horizontal plane and rotated, the two vertical axes, the horizontal linear motion guide means, and the additional horizontal axis themselves support the weight of the positioner means with the cradle means and the attached object without the effect of gravity.

Claim 4

A system for maintaining an object in a substantially weightless condition without the effect of gravity comprising: support means having a first continuously vertical axis; positioner means coupled to the support means and having a vertical movement with respect to the support means and movement in a horizontal plane, the positioner means comprises cradle means including object attachment means, the object attachment means having pivoting means secured to the cradle means for providing rotation of the attachment means about a further axis; counterbalancing means coupled to the positioner means to provide a substantially weightless condition to the positioner means with the object attached; and the positioner means including continuously horizontal linear motion guide means for providing horizontal movement of the object with respect to the support means, the positioner means including a second continuously vertical axis, means for pivotally mounting the object about the second continuously vertical axis, at least one of said continuously vertical axes being free to rotate as the positioner means is manually extended, the positioner means having an additional continuously horizontal axis for providing rotation of the object about said additional continuously horizontal axis whereby as the object is extended in the horizontal plane and rotated, the two vertical axes, the horizontal linear motion guide means, and the additional horizontal axis themselves support the weight of the positioner means with the cradle means and the attached object without the effect of gravity.

Claim 5

The system of claims 1 or 2 in which the positioner means includes additional means for mounting said positioner means on the support means, and means for rigidly connecting said additional mounting means to prevent relative vertical movement between said cradle means and the additional mounting means.

Claim 6

The system of claims 1 or 2 in which both the continuously horizontal guide means and the additional continuously horizontal axis are free of vertical movement with respect to each other.

Claim 7

The system of claims 1 or 2 in which at least the second continuously vertical axis, the horizontal guide means and the additional horizontal axis are all free of vertical movement among themselves.

Claim 8

The system of claims 1 or 2 in which positioner means includes means for mounting the positioner means on the support means and in which the second continuously vertical axis, the horizontal guide means and the additional horizontal axis are all free of vertical movement with respect to the mounting means.

Claim 9

The system of claims 1 or 2 in which the guide means includes means for providing only horizontal movement of the cradle means with respect to the support means.

Claim 14

The system of claims 1 or 2 in which said counterbalancing means includes a fluid cylinder and piston rod, one of which is rigidly fixed to the support means and the other supports the positioner assembly, means for setting the fluid pressure in the fluid cylinder to a predetermined value and for maintaining that value substantially constant for all vertical positions of the positioner means.