US 6,430,828 B1 · Coordinate positioning apparatus with indexable stylus, components thereof, and method of using it

Abstract

A stylus is supported by an upper coupling member which is supported by a lower coupling member which is supported by a probe which is movably supported by a rail of a coordinate positioning machine. The coupling members are held together by a permanent magnet, and their relative positioning is established by first and second sets of positioning elements provided on the first and second coupling members respectively. The sets of positioning elements are mutually engagable in a plurality of angular orientations about the axis of the coupling to provide a plurality of angularly indexed positions at which the lower coupling member has stable and repeatable positions relative to the upper coupling member. The coupling is carried to the indexing dock where a carrier engages the lower coupling member, and the lower coupling member is released from the upper coupling member by energizing an electromagnet which repels the coupling members apart. The indexing dock rotates the lower coupling member about its axis to change its angular orientation of the lower coupling member relative to the upper coupling member. The stylus is connected to a stylus mount on the lower coupling member, and the stylus mount has a plurality of stylus-receiving mounting holes which have axes extending in different directions from the axis of the stylus mount and have different inclinations relative to the axis of the stylus mount. A plurality of lower coupling members can interchangeably be mounted on the upper coupling member. When not in use, the lower coupling members are held in storage docks which accept their lower coupling members regardless of their angular orientation about the coupling axes.

Claims33

Dependent claims

A method of operating a coordinate positioning machine in which a workpiece sensing device is connected to a movable member of the machine by a coupling assembly which includes a first coupling member and a second coupling member, said first coupling member being supported by said movable member of the machine, said second coupling member being supported by said first coupling member, said workpiece sensing device being supported by said second coupling member, said first and second coupling members respectively having first and second sets of positioning elements which are mutually engagable in a plurality of angular orientations about a coupling axis to provide a plurality of angularly indexed positions at which the second coupling member has stable and repeatable positions relative to said first coupling member, said machine having an indexing dock for rotating said second coupling member about said coupling axis, said method including the following steps:

a) moving said movable member of the machine to carry said coupling assembly and workpiece sensing device to said indexing dock;
b) engaging said second coupling member with a rotatable carrier on said indexing dock;
c) moving said rotatable carrier to rotate said second coupling member about said coupling axis to change the angular orientation of said second coupling member relative to said first coupling member;
and,
d) moving said movable member to carry said probe and coupling assembly away from said indexing dock.

2 more elements

A coordinate positioning machine, comprising:

a storage dock assembly including storage docks;
an indexing apparatus for orienting a workpiece sensing device relative to a movable member of the coordinate positioning machine, said indexing apparatus including,
a coupling assembly for supporting the workpiece sensing device from the movable member of the machine, said coupling assembly including first and second coupling members, said first coupling member being supported by the movable member of the machine, said second coupling member being supported by said first coupling member, said workpiece sensing device being supported by said second coupling member, said coupling assembly having a coupling axis about which the second coupling member is angularly orientable relative to said first coupling member,
first and second sets of positioning elements provided on said first and second coupling members respectively, said sets of positioning elements being mutually engageable in a plurality of angular orientations about said coupling axis to provide a plurality of angularly indexed positions at which the second coupling member has stable and repeatable positions relative to said first coupling member, and
said storage dock assembly including an indexing dock for changing the angular orientation of the second coupling member relative to the first coupling member, said movable member of the machine being operable to carry the coupling assembly to the indexing dock, said indexing dock including a carrier for engaging the second coupling member, said carrier being rotatable about said coupling axis to change the angular orientation of said second coupling member relative to the first coupling member.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Coordinate positioning apparatus with indexable stylus, components thereof, and method of using it

Life of this patent

Coordinate positioning apparatus with indexable stylus, components thereof, and method of using it

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims33