# US 10,502,565 B2 · Leveling and positioning system and method

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- Number: US 10,502,565 B2
- Document ID: US10502565B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/154,433
- Filed: 2018-10-08
- Published: 2019-02-07
- Granted: 2019-12-10
- Earliest claimed: 2009-03-13
- Assignees: Otl Dynamics LLC
- Applicants: Otl Dynamics LLC
- Inventors: Richard S. Schubert; Robert P. Donker
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10502565B2

## CPC

- G01C 9/02: Details
- G01C 9/06: Electric or photoelectric indication or reading means
- G01C 9/28: Mountings
- G01C: MEASURING DISTANCES, LEVELS OR BEARINGS; SURVEYING; NAVIGATION; GYROSCOPIC INSTRUMENTS; PHOTOGRAMMETRY OR VIDEOGRAMMETRY (measuring liquid level G01F; radio navigation, determining distance or velocity by use of propagation effects, e.g. Doppler effects, propagation time, of radio waves, analogous arrangements using other waves G01S)

## Abstract

A level housing that includes a level housing body that extends along an axis X and includes an axis of symmetry about an axis Y that is perpendicular to the axis X; a first and second flange and a web that extends between the flanges, the first flange comprising a pair of first arms that extend from the web and the first arms defining a coupling slot that includes coupling faces and a channel, the first flange and first arms and second flange being symmetrical about axis Y, the second flange including a pair of second arms; and a plurality of coupling sockets defined by a portion of the web and flanges, the coupling sockets including a respective cavity that extends between the flanges.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A leveling assembly comprising:
a pole;
a plurality of separate level coupling wraps that encircle the pole, the level coupling wraps including first and second end-magnets disposed at respective ends of a wrap body with a plurality of central magnets disposed between the first and second end-magnets, the first end-magnet magnetically coupled to at least one of the second end magnet or one of the central magnets to encircle the pole;
an electronic leveling system coupled to the pole, the electronic leveling system including:
a level housing that extends along an axis X and that includes an axis of symmetry about an axis Y that is perpendicular to the axis X, the level housing including:
a first and second flange and a web that extends between the flanges, the first flange comprising a pair of first arms that extend from the web and the first arms defining a coupling slot that includes coupling faces and a channel, the first flange and first arms being symmetrical about axis Y, the second flange including a pair of planar second arms disposed relative to each other at an angle of substantially 90° such that the second flange can engage with 45° corners of a workpiece, the second flange further including a planar face disposed along an axis Z, which is perpendicular to the axis Y and axis X, the second flange and second arms being symmetrical about the axis Y, the first and second flanges extending laterally from the web to respective parallel planes Y1 and Y2 with the first and second flanges including planar faces that are respectively disposed along parallel planes Y1 and Y2,
a port defined by the web, the port holding a laser that extends a laser beam parallel to axis X,
a plurality of coupling sockets defined by a portion of the web and flanges, the coupling sockets including a respective cavity that extends between the flanges, the coupling sockets including a stop and socket coupling rails, with the stop comprising a bar that extends within the respective coupling socket proximate to an opening of the respective coupling socket proximate to one of the flanges,
a plurality of ports defined by and extending along a length of web, with a respective separate level coupling wrap extending through a respective one of the plurality of ports to couple the level housing to the pole; and
a plurality of elastic magnetic ligaments disposed within holes defined by the level housing, the elastic magnetic ligaments each including heads and ligament strings removably disposed within the holes, the ligament strings anchored to the level housing within the holes; and
a plurality of electronic leveling devices coupled within respective sockets of the level housing, the leveling devices including a first and second end with device coupling rails extending from sides of the leveling device and conforming to contours of the socket coupling rails, the leveling devices snugly held within a respective one of the sockets in a known orientation such that leveling and positioning measurements made with the leveling devices and level housing can be calculated, the plurality of leveling devices configured to be interchangeably disposed within any of the sockets.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The leveling assembly of claim 1, wherein the leveling devices comprise computing devices configured to determine and report a level status and position status of the respective leveling devices.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The leveling assembly of claim 1, wherein the leveling devices communicate via a wireless communication protocol to generate a sensing array to at least generate an average of level position sensing measurements made by the respective leveling devices.

### Claim 4

An electronic leveling system comprising:
a level housing that extends along an axis X and includes an axis of symmetry about an axis Y that is perpendicular to the axis X, level housing including:
a first and second flange and a web that extends between the flanges, the first flange comprising a pair of first arms that extend from the web and the first arms defining a coupling slot that includes coupling faces and a channel, the first flange and first arms being symmetrical about axis Y, the second flange including a pair of planar second arms disposed relative to each other at an angle of substantially 90° such that the second flange can engage with 45° corners of a workpiece, the second flange further including a planar face disposed along an axis Z that is perpendicular to the axis Y and axis X, the second flange and second arms being symmetrical about the axis Y, the first and second flanges extending laterally from the web to respective planes Y1 and Y2 with the first and second flanges including planar faces that are respectively disposed along planes Y1 and Y2, and
a plurality of coupling sockets defined by a portion of the web and flanges, the coupling sockets including a respective cavity that extends between the flanges; and
one or more electronic leveling devices coupled within one or more respective sockets of the level housing, the one or more leveling devices snugly held within a respective socket in a known orientation such that leveling and positioning measurements made with the one or more leveling devices and level housing can be calculated.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The electronic leveling system of claim 4, wherein the level housing further comprises a port defined by the web, the port holding a laser configured to extend a laser beam parallel to axis X.

### Claim 6 (depends on 4)

The electronic leveling system of claim 4, wherein the level housing further includes a plurality ports defined by and extending along a length of web.

### Claim 7 (depends on 4)

The electronic leveling system of claim 4, wherein the level housing further includes a plurality of elastic magnetic ligaments disposed within holes defined by the level housing, the elastic magnetic ligaments each including heads and ligament strings removably disposed within the holes.

### Claim 8 (depends on 4)

The electronic leveling system of claim 4, wherein the coupling sockets include socket coupling rails, and wherein the leveling device includes device coupling rails extending from sides of the leveling device and conforming to contours of the socket coupling rails.

### Claim 9 (depends on 4)

The electronic leveling system of claim 4, wherein the one or more leveling device comprises a computing device configured to determine and report a level status of the one or more leveling device.

### Claim 10

A level housing comprising:
a level housing body that extends along an axis X and includes an axis of symmetry about an axis Y that is perpendicular to the axis X;
a first and second flange and a web that extends between the flanges, the first flange comprising a pair of first arms that extend from the web and the first arms defining a coupling slot that includes coupling faces and a channel, the first flange and first arms and second flange being symmetrical about axis Y, the second flange including a pair of second arms; and
a plurality of coupling sockets defined by a portion of the web and flanges, the coupling sockets including a respective cavity that extends between the flanges.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The level housing of claim 10, wherein the second arms are disposed relative to each other at an angle of substantially 90° such that the second flange can engage with 45° corners of a workpiece.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The level housing of claim 10, wherein the second flange further includes a planar face disposed along an axis Z that is perpendicular to the axis Y and the axis X.

### Claim 13 (depends on 10)

The level housing of claim 10, wherein the first and second flanges extend laterally from the web to respective planes Y1 and Y2 with the first and second flanges including planar faces that are respectively disposed along planes Y1 and Y2.

### Claim 14 (depends on 10)

The level housing of claim 10, wherein the one or more coupling sockets are configured such that a plurality of leveling devices are respectively configured to be snugly held within a respective socket in a known orientation with the plurality of leveling devices configured to be interchangeably disposed within any of the sockets.

### Claim 15 (depends on 10)

The level housing of claim 10, wherein the level housing comprises a laser configured to extend a laser beam parallel to axis X.

### Claim 16 (depends on 10)

The level housing of claim 10, wherein the level housing further includes a plurality ports defined by the web.

### Claim 17 (depends on 10)

The level housing of claim 10, wherein the level housing further includes a plurality of elastic ligaments disposed within holes defined by the level housing.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The level housing of claim 17, wherein, the elastic ligaments each include heads and ligament strings removably disposed within the holes.

### Claim 19 (depends on 10)

The level housing of claim 10, wherein the coupling sockets include socket coupling rails.