Apparatus and method for measuring a contoured surface
AssigneeABB AB
InventorsRobert J. Rucha, Daniel W. McGillis, Peter J. Deir
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A contact gauge for measuring a contoured surface on work piece is presented having a matching contoured profile and multiple sensors inserted in a gauge body. The gauge body uses bores filled with spherical balls. At least one ball from each bore contacts the contoured surface, which causes displacement of the ball. The displacement is transferred to and recorded by the sensor. The layout of the gauge permits multiple sensors to be mounted in a compact gauge housing and the gauge housing, in turn, may connected to a robotic arm for rapid and repeated use as an automated measurement apparatus for a component assembly line.
Claims22
An apparatus for measuring a contoured surface of a workpiece comprising:
- a housing comprising at least one bore;
- said at least one bore being adapted to slideably receive a plurality of contiguously aligned balls, wherein said at least one bore further comprises a proximal port and a distal port, and wherein said series of contiguously aligned balls includes a contour-contacting ball located at the proximal end of said at least one bore and an end ball residing at the distal end of said at least one bore;
- said contour-contacting ball having a portion extending outwardly from said bore at the distal port;
- said housing including at least one sensing element, said sensing element having a sensing end portion residing in the proximal end portion of said at least one bore and having an oppositely spaced data-transmitting end portion;
- said end ball being in mechanical and electrical contact with the sensing end portion of said sensing element;
- biasing means mounted in said at least one bore and being in mechanical and electrical contact with said sensing end portion and with said end ball;
- and
- said housing further including retaining means arranged to prevent escapement of said contour contacting ball from said at least one bore.
A contoured contact gauge for determining a reference feature for a contoured surface, said gauge comprising:
- a housing comprising a plurality of bores extending from a probe end to an oppositely positioned gauge tip;
- each of said plurality of bores being adapted to receive a sensor and biasing means;
- a plurality of contiguously aligned balls slideably received in each of said plurality of bores and wherein at least one of said contiguously aligned balls is in mechanical contact with the biasing means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.