Contour-following apparatus for cleaning surfaces

An apparatus for supporting and guiding a tool along a stationary surface, said apparatus comprising:

• a vehicle;
• an instrument carriage assembly;
• a positioning assembly attached to said vehicle, said positioning assembly including means for urging said instrument carriage assembly into contact with said surface, said urging means maintaining an approximately constant resultant force between said instrument carriage assembly and said surface;
• means for adjusting a relief pressure of said positioning assembly;
• and
• gimbal means for securing said instrument carriage assembly to said positioning assembly, said gimbal means pivoting said instrument carriage assembly independently about two orthogonal axes so that, when said vehicle with said instrument carriage assembly is positioned so that said instrument carriage assembly is oriented approximately parallel to said surface, said gimbal means and said positioning assembly cooperate to maintain a position of said instrument carriage assembly relative to said surface.

A device for supporting and guiding a tool along a stationary surface, said device comprising:

• an instrument carriage assembly having a range of motion;
• gimbal means connected to said instrument carriage assembly, said gimbal means allowing said instrument carriage assembly to pivot independently about two orthogonal axes so that, when said instrument carriage assembly is positioned at a selected location relative to said surface, said gimbal means maintains said instrument carriage assembly in approximate alignment with said surface;
• means for applying a nearly constant force to said instrument carriage assembly over said range of motion, said force-applying means operably connected to said instrument carriage assembly;
• and
• means for adjusting said nearly constant force so that said instrument carriage assembly engages said surface, said adjusting means including means for adjusting a relief pressure thereof.