Laser curtain having an array of parabolic mirrors each focusing radiation on a corresponding detector positioned in mirror's focal point
OwnerWilliam D. Peterson, IIinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A laser beam fanned into a triangular plane configuration by mirrors, succeeding additional mirrors focusing the laser curtain rays back onto a spot, the spot having a light detecting, electrical transmitting element such that a square wave pulse is generated as the laser timely sweeps the collecting mirror, a breach in the square wave occurring when the laser ray curtain is penetrated breaking a laser beam, thus said penetration being detected, a system of three laser curtains in X, Y, and Z coordinates, having means of traversing an object to be measured, determining the exterior of each of its six sides.
Claims19
A measuring apparatus comprising:
- a laser curtain assembly, including:
- a light source which produces a high intensity collimated beam;
- a crystal mounted with respect to said light source and having planar surfaces in the path of said collimated beam to reflect said beam in a planar beam dispersion upon rotation of said crystal and to sweep said beam across an object to be measured,
- a collection mirror mounted away from said rotating crystal and with respect to said crystal such that such an object to be measured is in the optical pathway of said beam before reaching said collection mirror, said collection mirror being formed and adapted to reflect said beam to a focal point,
- a photodetector mounted with respect to said collection mirror to be at said focal point;
- and
- electronic measuring means linked with said photodetector for determining dimensions of said object by analysis of electronic pulses generated by said photodetector when said beam is received at said photodetector as compared to when said beam is blocked by an object to be measured.
A measuring apparatus, comprising:
- a laser curtain assembly, including:
- a laser source adapted to produce a laser beam,
- a polygonal-shaped rotating crystal mounted with respect to said laser source to rotate and reflect said laser beam through a planar beam dispersion,
- a concave collection mirror mounted with respect to said crystal to reflect said laser beam received from said crystal to a focal point, said collection mirror being positioned with respect to an object to be measured such that an object is in the optical pathway of said beam between said crystal and said collection mirror,
- a photodetector mounted with respect to said collection mirror to receive and detect beams reflected from said collection mirror;
- and
- electronic measuring means electronically linked with said photodetector for determining the dimensions of an object by analysis of electronic pulses generated by said photodetector when said beam is received from said collection mirror as compared to when said beam is blocked by an object.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.