Electromechanical translation apparatus

A method of moving along a travel axis and in a selected direction a driven member comprising the following steps:

• providing translation apparatus including a driver mounted in a fixed position relative to a base, said driver comprising selectably operable forward, center and rear elements coupled in series and associated with the driven member and being arranged parallel to the travel axis, said forward and rear elements comprising means for clamping the driven member and said center element comprising means for varying the distance between said forward and rear elements;
• accelerating the driven member by operating said forward, center and rear elements so as to cause travel of the driven member relative to said base in the selected direction along the travel axis;
• and
• operating, subsequent to the step of accelerating, in a series of distinct steps, said forward, center and rear elements so as cause faster travel of the driven member relative to said base, including steps of operation, partially overlapping in time, of said forward and center elements and said center and rear elements and steps of clamping operation, non-overlapping and non-simultaneous in time, of said forward and rear elements.

Apparatus of moving a driven member along a travel axis and in a selected direction comprising:

• translation apparatus including a driver mounted in a fixed position relative to a base, said driver comprising selectably operable forward, center and rear elements coupled in series and associated with the driven member and being arranged parallel to the travel axis, said forward and rear elements comprising means for clamping the driven member and said center element comprising means for varying the distance between said forward and rear elements;
• means for accelerating the driven member by operating said forward, center and rear elements so as to cause travel of the driven member relative to said base in the selected direction along the travel axis;
• and
• means for operating, subsequent to the step of accelerating, in a series of distinct steps, said forward, center and rear elements so as cause faster travel of the driven member relative to said base, including steps of operation, partially overlapping in time, of said forward and center elements and said center and rear elements and steps of operation, non-overlapping in time, of said forward and rear elements.