US 6,546,639 B2Granted

Inclination measurement apparatus

OwnerFederico Singer, Yuval Singerinventors

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Abstract

Inclination measurement apparatus for measuring the inclination of a surface to the horizontal. The apparatus includes (a) a base plate for mounting the apparatus on the surface; (b) a ball bearing with i) a housing washer rigidly mounted on the base plate, and having a flat upper bearing surface, ii) a ball and cage thrust assembly set on the upper bearing surface, and iii) a shaft washer having a flat lower bearing surface set on the ball and cage thrust assembly, and being rotatable thereon between a first pair of diametrically opposite orientations defining a first measurement axis on the horizontal to the local gravity vector prevailing at the location of the apparatus; and (c) a first clinometer mounted on the shaft washer for obtaining an inclination measurement in each of the first pair of diametrically opposite orientations whereby the true inclination of the surface to the horizontal along the first measurement axis is determinable from the difference between the pair of measurement inclinations.

Claims10

Dependent claims

Inclination measurement apparatus for measuring the inclination of a surface to the horizontal, the apparatus comprising:

(a) a base plate for mounting the apparatus on the surface;
(b) a ball bearing including:
(i) a housing washer rigidly mounted on said base plate, and having a flat circular, continuous upper bearing surface,
(ii) a ball and cage thrust assembly having a plurality of balls each set on said upper bearing surface, and
(iii) a shaft washer having a flat circular, continuous lower bearing surface continuously set on said balls, and being rotatable thereon between a first pair of diametrically opposite orientations defining a first measurement axis on the horizontal to the local gravity vector prevailing at the location of the apparatus;
and
(c) a first clinometer mounted on said shaft washer for obtaining an inclination measurement at each of said first pair of diametrically opposite orientations whereupon the true inclination of the surface relative to the horizontal along said first measurement axis is determinable from the difference between said first pair of inclination measurements.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.