Continuous air flow probe transducer gage assembly

In a probe transducer assembly adapted to selectively make gage measurements with respect to a part positioned proximate thereto comprising:

• a transducer gage housing having a rear end wall portion and a front end wall portion, said transducer gage housing defining a support shaft receiving bore in said rear end wall portion thereof, said front end wall portion defining a bearing bore therethrough;
• a support shaft fixed within said support shaft receiving bore, said support shaft extending longitudinally partially through said transducer gage housing, said support shaft being provided with spring engaging portion proximate to a rear portion thereof;
• a slidable hollow piston probe having a front end wall portion and slidably mounted on said support shaft so as to be selectively slidably extendable longitudinally through said bearing bore in said transducer gage housing to an extended position in measuring contact with a part positioned proximate thereto;
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• a bias spring making selective operative contact at a first end thereof with an inside surface of said front end wall portion of said piston probe, said bias spring making selective operative contact at a second end thereof with the spring engaging portion of said support shaft so as to urge said piston probe toward said extended position.

In a computer controlled fluid flow probe transducer gage assembly adapted to selectively make gage measurements with respect to a part positioned on a fixture proximate thereto comprising

• a fluid flow probe transducer gage housing selectively mounted on a part fixture, said fixture adapted to retain a part in gage measuring distance proximate to said probe transducer gage housing, said probe transducer gage housing being provided with a slidable fluid actuated piston probe;
• a fluid supply assembly provided in operative engagement with said fluid flow probe transducer gage housing, said fluid supply assembly in operative use engagement with a fluid flow control valve assembly adapted to selectively vary the rate of a continuous supply of fluid flow to said fluid flow probe transducer gage assembly so as to selectively actuate said piston probe from a retracted position to a soft contact measuring position against a part being measured;
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• a computer control center in operative engagement with said fluid flow probe transducer gage housing and with said fluid flow control valve assembly said computer control center adapted to control the actuation of said fluid actuated piston probe into soft measuring contact against the part being measured, said computer control center being adapted to selectively record a gage measurement of said fluid flow probe transducer.

In a cable actuated transducer gage assembly adapted to selectively make gage measurements with respect to a part positioned proximate thereto comprising:

• a transducer gage housing, said transducer gage housing having a selectively extendable piston probe slidably mounted therein so as to extend outwardly therefrom into measuring contact with a part positioned proximate thereto;
• a sensor in selective operative engagement with said slidable piston probe and said transducer gage housing so as to convert selective linear mechanical movement of said piston probe relative to said transducer gage housing into measurable electrical signal changes corresponding to such selectively liners mechanical movement of said piston probe;
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• an external actuating cable extending into said transducer gage housing into fixed operative engagement with said slidable piston probe, said actuating cable adapted to selectively move said piston probe into measuring contact with a part positioned proximate thereto and to positively retract said probe to a retracted position out of contact with the part.

In a computer controlled cable actuated probe transducer gage assembly adapted to selectively make gage measurements with respect to a part positioned proximate thereto compressing:

• a probe transducer gage assembly, said probe transducer gage assembly having a selectively extendable probe slidably mounted therein so as to extend outwardly therefrom into measuring contact with a part positioned proximate thereto;
• a sensor in selective operative engagement with said slidable probe and probe transducer gage assembly so as to convert selective linear mechanical movement of said probe relative to said transducer gage assembly into measurable electrical signal changes corresponding to such selectively linear mechanical movement of said probe;
• a solenoid actuated cable assembly extending into said probe transducer assembly in operative fixed engagement with said selectively slidable probe, said solenoid actuated cable assembly adapted to selectively move said probe into measuring contact with a part positioned proximate thereto and to positively move said probe to a retracted position out of contact with the part;
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• a computer control center in operative engagement with said sensor and said solenoid actuated cable assembly, said computer control center adapted to control the selective actuation of said solenoid actuated cable assembly so as to selectively move said probe into soft measuring contact with a part proximate thereto, said computer control center adapted to actuate said electronic sensing means so as to simultaneously record a gage measurement made by said probe.

In a probe transducer assembly adapted to selectively make gage measurements with respect to a part positioned proximate thereto comprising:

• a transducer gage housing, said transducer gage housing having a rear wall with a support shaft receiving bore therethrough, said transducer gage housing having a from wall with a beating bore therethrough;
• a support shaft fixedly mounted through said support shaft receiving bore so as to partially extend axially into said transducer gage housing;
• a hollow piston probe having a bore through a rear end wall thereof, said hollow piston probe slidably supported on said support shaft extending thereinto through said bore provided therein, said hollow piston probe adapted to make selectively extendable slidable support engagement through said bearing bore provided through said transducer gage housing front wall so that said hollow piston probe is supported at a rear portion thereof on said support shaft and at a forward portion thereof by said transducer gage housing front wall about said beating bore;
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• a piston probe actuator provided to selectively actuate hollow piston probe into its extended soft contact measurement position against a part positioned proximate thereto.

In a continuous fluid flow probe transducer gage assembly adapted for vertically oriented operative use to selectively make gage measurements with respect to a part positioned proximate mate thereabove comprising:

• a transducer gage housing adapted for a vertical oriented operative use position, said transducer gage housing having an actuating fluid inlet provided through a rear wall portion thereof, said transducer gage housing defining a fluid outlet through a forward wall portion thereof, said transducer gage housing defining a support shaft receiving bore through the rear wall portion thereof, said transducer gage housing defining a bearing bore through the forward wall portion thereof which is axially aligned with said support shaft receiving bore;
• a support shaft fixedly provided through said support shaft receiving bore so as to axially extend partially into said transducer gage housing;.
• a vertically oriented slidable hollow piston probe having a piston bore through a rear wall thereof, said piston bore receiving said support shaft therein such that said piston probe in slidable rear support engagement with said support shaft so as to be movably supported on said support shaft within said transducer gage housing, said piston probe in slidable forward engagement with said bearing bore through the front wall of said transducer gage housing, said slidable piston probe and said transducer gage housing coacting to define a fluid flow channel continuously extending longitudinally through said transducer gage housing from said fluid inlet to said fluid outlet so as to receive a continuous fluid flow through said fluid flow channel, said vertically oriented piston probe adapted to extend vertically into a slidable soft contact with an adjacent part being measured thereabove when said continuous fluid flow is selectively increased to an actating fluid flow rate introduced through said fluid flow channel so as to vertically actuate said piston probe into its soft contact measurement position, said piston probe adapted to make a gravity induced retraction to its rest position when the flow of actuating fluid is selectively reduced;
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• a sensor in selective operative use engagement with said slidable hollow piston probe assembly and said transducer gage housing so as to convert selective linear mechanical movement of said movable piston probe within said transducer gage housing into measurable electrical signal changes corresponding to such selective linear mechanical movement of said piston probe relative to said transducer gage housing.

In a probe transducer gage assembly modified for use in a lockable fixture mounting assembly comprising:

• a lipped sleeve adapted for insertion into a bore through a fixture, said sleeve having an annular fixture engaging lip portion at one end thereof, said sleeve having a threaded portion;
• a transducer gage assembly having a threaded portion adapted to threadably engage the threaded portion of said sleeve when said transducer gage assembly is threaded into its operative use position within said bore;
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• a locking sleeve assembly which is adapted to matingly engage a portion of said transducer gage assembly extending rearwardly from the fixture upon which said transducer gage assembly is mounted, said locking sleeve assembly adapted to abuttingly engage the fixture, said locking sleeve assembly releasably engaging the transducer gage assembly in its operative use position and cooperating with said lipped sleeve to secure said transducer gage assembly in said bore.

A transducer gage assembly adapted to selectively make gage measurements with respect to a part positioned proximate thereto and adapted to be connected to a supply of pressurized fluid, said transducer gage assembly comprising:

• a housing having a fluid inlet adapted to be connected to a supply of pressurized fluid and a fluid outlet defined therein and a bore defined in said housing in fluid communication with said fluid inlet and said fluid outlet;
• a piston slidably disposed in said bore, said housing and said piston cooperating to define a fluid flow channel extending through said housing providing fluid communication between said fluid inlet and said fluid outlet, said piston being selectively movable relative to said housing between a retracted position and a measuring position;
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• an electronic sensor operatively engaging said piston to convert mechanical movement of said piston into a corresponding electrical signal.

In a computer controlled fluid flow probe transducer gage assembly adapted to selectively make gage measurements with respect to a part positioned on a fixture proximate thereto comprising:

• a fluid flow probe transducer gage housing selectively mounted on a part fixture, said fixture adapted to retain a part in gage measuring distance proximate to said probe transducer gage housing, said probe transducer gage housing being provided with a slidable fluid actuated piston probe;
• a fluid supply assembly provided in operative engagement with said fluid flow probe transducer gage housing, said fluid supply assembly in operative use engagement with a fluid flow control valve assembly adapted to selectively vary the rate of a continuous supply of fluid flow to said fluid flow probe transducer gage assembly so as to selectively actuate said piston probe from a retracted position to a soft contact measuring position against a part being measured;
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• a computer control center in operative engagement with said fluid flow probe transducer gage housing and with said fluid flow control valve assembly said computer control center adapted to control the actuation of said fluid actuated piston probe into soft measuring contact against the part being measured, said computer control center being adapted to selectively record a gage measurement of said fluid flow probe transducer.