US 5,215,296 AGranted

Apparatus for mechanical positioning

AssigneePhillip A. Adams

InventorsPhillip A. Adams, John Toboada

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Abstract

Method and apparatus for the fixturing and positioning of objects such as workpieces or lenses in a repeatably presettable position relative to, for example, a cutting tool or other optical components includes a fixed base (40), a carriage (20) and a lead screw (30) rotatable with respect to the fixed base. The carriage (20) translates relative to the base and moves objects attached to it. The exact position of the carriage is indexed by first pressing a button (80A) to release an inside threaded concave cylindrical clamping piece (64) between the carriage and the lead screw and manually moving the carriage (20) to a desired location dictated by a scale (42A, 42B) on the fixed base (40) to relocate to a course number of thread pitch spacings. Once relocated the button (80A) is released, the carriage (20) is again clamped to the lead screw and the carriage finally incremented into a more accurate fine position with respect to the scale (42A, 42B) by an indexed rotation of a lead screw thumb screw (32) with respect to the scale.

Claims13

Dependent claims

An apparatus for positioning and/or maintaining a workpiece or other component in a predetermined position relative to a cutting tool or other reference point, said apparatus comprising:

a fixed base having a generally U-shaped cross-section open at the top;
a carriage generally coextensive in length to said base and longitudinally movable in rolling movement relative to said base;
means for attaching a workpiece or other component to said carriage;
a longitudinal lead screw rotatably mounted to end plates of said base;
means for releasably clamping said carriage to said lead screw;
a two-position indexer extending from said carriage and movable to one position for temporarily releasing said means for releasably clamping from said lead screw to permit coarse-positioning longitudinally rolling translation of said carriage relative to said base, and movable to a second position to clamp said carriage to said lead screw;
means for rotating said lead screw to micro adjust the position of the carriage;
means for indicating a position of said carriage relative to said base, and
a clamp for securing said carriage to said base, once a desired micro adjusted position is established.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.