Nanometric drive apparatus

A nanometric drive apparatus, comprising:

• an elongated linear displacement shaft having a plurality of finely pitched threads at its forward end, the threads located adjacent to a plunger and capable of revolving within a nut body which surrounds said shaft;
• said shaft including an enlarged reentrant thimble located at mid-body along said shaft and a coarse adjustment knob integral with said shaft at the rearward end of said shaft, for controlling the rotation of said threads within said nut body;
• a nanometric displacement control knob surrounding said shaft and superimposed and concentric with said coarse adjustment knob;
• a harmonic wave generator means coupled to said nanometric displacement control knob and providing control independent of said coarse adjustment knob to achieve nanometric displacement of said shaft in an axial direction;
• and,
• said harmonic wave generator means including a deformable cup and a bearing friction sleeve attached to said deformable cup,
• said sleeve being in journaled engagement with said enlarged reentrant thimble, allowing said harmonic wave generator means to nanometrically drive said linear displacement shaft.

A nanometric drive apparatus comprising:

• a housing;
• a threaded elongated shaft having an axis, located and positioned for axial movement within said housing;
• a nanometric drive assembly, coupled to and concentric with said shaft, said nanometric drive assembly comprising:
• an inner flexible race member having an outer surface,
• an outer stationary ring gear having an inner circumference and radially inward directed means along said inner circumference for sequentially contacting said outer surface of said inner flexible race member;
• said outer surface of said inner flexible race member having outward radially directed means for contacting said inner circumference of said stationary ring gear;
• and,
• means for deforming said inner flexible race member and generating a harmonic wave within said inner race member, for transmitting to said threaded elongated shaft so that said shaft is nanometrically linearly displaced.