Structural surface measuring and aligning apparatus and method

A method of shimming a structural surface, comprising:

• defining a reference plane in a fixed condition relative to the structural surface;
• locating a measurement portion of a measuring device at a first position along the structural surface;
• taking a first differential distance measurement between the structural surface and the reference plane at the first position to determine a first differential distance;
• relocating the measurement portion at a second position along the structural surface;
• taking a second differential distance measurement between the structural surface and the reference plane at the second position to determine a second differential distance;
• preparing a first spacer having a thickness based upon said first differential distance and a second spacer having a thickness based upon said second differential distance;
• providing a second measurement portion of a second measuring device along a horizontally level connecting axis one of common with or parallel to the measurement portion of the measuring device;
• spacing apart a first leading end of the measurement portion and a second leading end of the second measurement portion in an X-axis direction a desired distance for alignment of the structural surface and an other structural surface spaced apart from and facing the structural surface;
• locating the second measurement portion at a third position along the other structural surface;
• taking a third differential distance measurement at said third position between the other structural surface and an other reference plane, the other reference plane being coincident with the second leading end when the first leading end is aligned with the reference plane;
• relocating the second measurement portion at a fourth position along the other structural surface;
• and
• taking a fourth differential distance measurement between the other structural surface and the other reference plane at the fourth position.

A method, of shimming a structural surface, comprising:

• defining a reference plane in a fixed condition relative to the structural surface;
• locating a measurement portion of a measuring device at a first position along the structural surface;
• taking a first differential distance measurement between the structural surface and the reference plane at the first position to determine a first differential distance;
• relocating the measurement portion at a second position along the structural surface;
• taking a second differential distance measurement between the structural surface and the reference plane at the second position to determine a second differential distance;
• and
• preparing a first spacer having a thickness based upon said first differential distance and a second spacer having a thickness based upon said second differential distance, said preparing including advancing a spacer stock to contact a gate which is spaced from a cutting blade a distance based upon each of said first and second distances.

An apparatus for taking measurements for spacers to be mounted to a structural surface for leveling thereof, comprising:

• a device or structure defining a specified reference plane oriented in fixed spaced apart relation to the structural surface;
• a measurement portion which is locatable at positions along the structural surface at which the spacers are to be mounted, said measurement portion being operable for advancement and retraction relative to the structural surface and including a leading end contactable with the structural surface when advanced, and alignable with said reference plane when retracted;
• and
• a reference portion to which said measurement portion is movably mounted and against which a particular distance traversed by said measurement portion by said advancement and retraction is measurable at each of said positions along the structural surface at which the spacers are to be mounted, said reference portion being fixable relative to the reference plane, at least while each of said measurements are being taken at each of said positions along the structural surface at which the spacers are to be mounted.

An apparatus for taking measurements for spacers to be mounted to a structural surface for leveling thereof, comprising:

• a reference portion fixable in an orientation relative to the structural surface;
• a measurement portion mounted to said reference portion such that said measurement portion is locatable at positions along the structural surface at which the spacers are to be mounted, said measurement portion being advanceable and retractable relative to the structural surface and including a leading end contactable with the structural surface when advanced;
• and
• a displacement indicator indicating a distance between a position in which the leading end is in contact with the structural surface and another position in which the leading end is aligned with a reference plane spaced apart from said structural surface, said displacement indicator comprising a linear displacement probe.

An apparatus for taking measurements for spacers to be mounted to a structural surface for leveling thereof, comprising:

• a reference portion fixable in an orientation relative to the structural surface said reference portion including a gantry frame locatable generally parallel with and spaced apart from said structural surface, said gantry frame including bilateral vertical braces and bottom and top X-axis guides;
• a measurement portion mounted to said reference portion such that said measurement portion is locatable at positions along the structural surface at which the spacers are to be mounted, said measurement portion being advanceable and retractable relative to the structural surface and including a leading end contactable with the structural surface when advanced, said measurement portion further including a Y-axis guide slidably mounted to said gantry frame for location thereof along an X-axis direction to positioned between the vertical braces, said measurement portion further including a Z-axis guide mounted to said Y-axis guide carrying a read head at an end thereof, said read head being advanceable and retractable relative to the structural surface;
• and
• a displacement indicator indicating a distance between a position in which the leading end is in contact with the structural surface and another position in which the leading end is aligned with a reference plane spaced apart from said structural surface.

An apparatus for taking measurements for spacers to be mounted to a structural surface for leveling thereof, comprising:

• a reference portion fixable in an orientation relative to the structural surface;
• a measurement portion mounted to said reference portion such that said measurement portion is locatable at positions along the structural surface at which the spacers are to be mounted, said measurement portion being advanceable and retractable relative to the structural surface and including a leading end contactable with the structural surface when advanced;
• and
• a displacement indicator indicating a distance between a position in which the leading end is in contact with the structural surface and another position in which the leading end is aligned with a reference plane spaced apart from said structural surface,
• said reference portion includes a Y-axis guide mounted in a fixed condition to the structural surface and an other structural surface facing said structural surface and spaced apart therefrom;
• and
• said measurement portion includes a Z-axis guide mounted to said Y-axis guide, said Z-axis guide carrying a first read head at first an end thereof and a second read head on a second end thereof, said first read head being advanceable and retractable relative to the structural surface, and a second read head being advanceable and retractable relative to the other structural surface, a distance of spacing between respective leading ends of the first and second read heads being adjustable to correspond with a desired shimmed spacing between the structural surface and the other structural surface.

An apparatus for taking measurements for spacers to be mounted to a structural surface for leveling thereof, comprising:

• a reference portion fixable in an orientation relative to the structural surface;
• a measurement portion mounted to said reference portion such that said measurement portion is locatable at positions along the structural surface at which the spacers are to be mounted, said measurement portion being advanceable and retractable relative to the structural surface and including a leading end contactable with the structural surface when advanced, said measurement portion including a read head member slidably mounted to a body, said body including a front end for contacting a structural surface, said read head including a leading end for contacting the structural surface when aligned with the front end, and said reference portion being separate of said measurement portion and including a reference plane indicator against which an alignment of said leading end can be judged;
• and
• a displacement indicator indicating a distance between a position in which the leading end is in contact with the structural surface and another position in which the leading end is aligned with a reference plane spaced apart from said structural surface.

An apparatus for taking measurements for spacers to be mounted to a structural surface for leveling thereof, comprising:

• a reference portion fixable in an orientation relative to the structural surface, said reference portion including a straight edge main member having a linear straight surface serving as a single axis reference surface from which to measure relative thereto;
• a measurement portion mounted to said reference portion such that said measurement portion is locatable at positions along the structural surface at which the spacers are to be mounted, said measurement portion being advanceable and retractable relative to the structural surface and including a leading end contactable with the structural surface when advanced, said measurement portion including an adjustable read head member which is zeroed when a leading end of the read head member is aligned with the linear straight surface;
• and
• a displacement indicator indicating a distance between a position in which the leading end is in contact with the structural surface and another position in which the leading end is aligned with a reference plane spaced apart from said structural surface.