US 4,261,107 A · Coordinate locating device

Abstract

A coordinate locating device (8) includes an apparatus (10) having first, second, and third members (21,22,23) such that the first member (21) is movable on a base (14), the second member (22) is movable on the first member (21) and the third member (23) has a positionable element (30) and is movable on the second member (22). The device (8) also includes a laser transducer system (16) for establishing the locations of a starting point (52) and a first plane (54) through the starting point (52) which is associated with the first members (21), a second plane (58) having a second reference point (59) which is associated with the second member (22), and a third plane (62) having a third reference point (63) which is associated with the third member (23), and establishing the precise three dimensional location of the positionable element (30). Preferably, a plurality of laser beam reflectors are arranged in a preselected pattern on each of the first, second and third members (21,22,23) for reflecting a corresponding plurality of laser beams back toward the associated elements mounted on the base, first and second members (14,21,22) respectively, so that yaw, pitch and roll movements can be measured in addition to simple X, Y and Z linear displacement between the various moving stages thereof.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A coordinate locating device (8) for measuring relative movement between first and second members (21,22/22,23), comprising:

laser transducer means (19/20) for measuring four parameters of the six parameters including X, Y and Z linear displacement and yaw, pitch and roll movement between the members (21,22/22,23) and obtaining the X, Y, Z coordinates of a point (59,51) on the second member (22,23), said laser transducer means (19/20) providing a plurality of coherent beams of light individually having two different optical frequencies of opposite circular polarization, each of the selected four parameters being individually measured by laser interferometric techniques.

A coordinate locating device (8) comprising:

first and second members (14,21), said second member (21) being controllably movable relative to said first member (14);
and
laser transducer means (18) for precisely and individually measuring X, Y and Z linear displacement and yaw, pitch and roll movement of said second member (21) relative to said first member (14), said laser transducer means (18) including a plurality of laser beam reflectors (81-86) located on one of said members (14,21) in a preselected pattern and obtaining the X, Y, Z coordinates of a point (52,59,61) on the second member (21), said laser transducer means (18) providing a plurality of coherent beams of light individually having two different optical frequencies of opposite circular polarization.

In a coordinate locating device (8) of the type having a reference base (12) and first, second, and third members (21,22,23), the first member (21) being movable with respect to the reference base (12), the second member (22) being movable with respect to the first member (21), and the third member (23) being movable with respect to the second member (22), the improvement comprising:

first measuring stage means (18) for individually measuring X, Y and Z linear displacement and yaw, pitch and roll movement of said first member (21) on said base (12), said first measuring stage means (18) including means (64-86) for generating a plurality of coherent beams of light individually having two different optical frequencies of opposite circular polarization, directing, and reflecting a plurality of laser beams between said first member (21) and said base (12), said first measuring stage means (18) including three cube corner retroreflectors (81,82,83).

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Coordinate locating device

Life of this patent

Coordinate locating device

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims18