US5430948A — Coordinate measuring machine certification system

Claim 1

Independent Claim 157 words

A coordinate measuring machine certification apparatus comprising: a certified ballbar having a pair of spherical surfaces connected with a bar, each of said spherical surfaces having a certified diameter and defining a center of that ball and the distance between said center of one said spherical surface to said center of the other said spherical surface being a certified distance; and a positioning device for positioning said spherical surfaces in multiple known locations within the measurement volume of the coordinate measuring machine being certified including a bar support that supports said ballbar at a midpoint of said bar between said balls wherein said ballbar is supported free of attachments to said balls, said positioning device including a first rotational assembly for rotatably supporting said bar support for rotational motion about a horizontal axis in defined increments and a second rotational assembly for rotatably supporting said bar support for rotation motion about a vertical axis in defined increments.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 157 words

A coordinate measuring machine certification apparatus comprising: a certified ballbar having a pair of spherical surfaces connected with a bar, each of said spherical surfaces having a certified diameter and defining a center of that ball and the distance between said center of one said spherical surface to said center of the other said spherical surface being a certified distance; and a positioning device for positioning said spherical surfaces in multiple known locations within the measurement volume of the coordinate measuring machine being certified including a bar support that supports said ballbar at a midpoint of said bar between said balls wherein said ballbar is supported free of attachments to said balls, said positioning device including a first rotational assembly for rotatably supporting said bar support for rotational motion about a horizontal axis in defined increments and a second rotational assembly for rotatably supporting said bar support for rotation motion about a vertical axis in defined increments.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 23 words

The apparatus in claim 1 wherein said first rotational assembly supports said ballbar and said second rotational assembly supports said first rotational assembly.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 21 words

The apparatus in claim 1 wherein said bar support includes a stiffening member in order to resist droop in said bar.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 25 words

The apparatus in claim 1 including a first motor for rotating said first rotational assembly and a second motor for rotating said second rotational assembly.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 73 words

The apparatus in claim 4 including a proximity sensor positioned within the measurement volume of the coordinate measuring machine and connected with the positioning device for sensing the presence of a moveable portion of a coordinate measuring machine and a control responsive to said sensor in order to cause at least one of said first and second motors to index its associated rotational assembly when said moveable portion is adjacent said proximity sensor.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 14 words

The apparatus in claim 1 including means for vertically adjusting said first rotatable assembly.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 140 words

A coordinate measuring machine certification apparatus comprising: a certified ballbar having a pair of spherical surfaces connected with a bar; and a positioning device for positioning said spherical surfaces in multiple known locations within the measurement volume of the coordinate measuring machine being certified, said positioning device including a bar support that supports said ballbar at a midpoint of said bar between said balls wherein said ballbar is supported free of attachments to said balls, a horizontal pivot for said bar support that provides rotation of said bar support in a clockwise direction to position said ballbar in a first set of angular orientations and in a counterclockwise direction to position said ballbar in a second set of angular orientations, and a vertical pivot for said bar support that provides rotation of said bar support in substantially a complete revolution.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 140 words

A coordinate measuring machine certification apparatus comprising: a certified ballbar having a pair of spherical surfaces connected with a bar; and a positioning device for positioning said spherical surfaces in multiple known locations within the measurement volume of the coordinate measuring machine being certified, said positioning device including a bar support that supports said ballbar at a midpoint of said bar between said balls wherein said ballbar is supported free of attachments to said balls, a horizontal pivot for said bar support that provides rotation of said bar support in a clockwise direction to position said ballbar in a first set of angular orientations and in a counterclockwise direction to position said ballbar in a second set of angular orientations, and a vertical pivot for said bar support that provides rotation of said bar support in substantially a complete revolution.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 41 words

The apparatus in claim 7 including positional stops for positioning said ballbar at fixed angular increments in said clockwise and counterclockwise directions and in said full revolution, in order to allow said bar support to be positioned at predetermined stable positions.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 11 words

The apparatus in claim 8 wherein said positional stops are ball-detents.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 14 words

The apparatus in claim 8 wherein said positional stops are pins biased into sleeves.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 37 words

The apparatus in claim 7 including an extension member that selectively positions said horizontal pivot in at least two positions in order to provide movement of said ballbar throughout the measurement space of the coordinate measuring machine.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 31 words

The apparatus in claim 7 including a first motor for rotating said bar support about said horizontal axis and a second motor for rotating said bar support about said vertical axis.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 53 words

The apparatus in claim 12 including a sensor for sensing the presence of a moveable portion of a coordinate measuring machine and a control responsive to said sensor for causing at least one of said first and second motors to index said bar support when said moveable portion is sensed by said sensor.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 54 words

The apparatus in claim 7 wherein said vertical pivot includes a base member and a vertically elongated member pivotally supported at one end to said base member and wherein said horizontal pivot is supported at an opposite end of said vertically elongated member, wherein said horizontal pivot is spaced apart from said base member.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 21 words

The apparatus in claim 7 wherein said bar support includes a stiffening member in order to resist droop in said bar.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 30 words

The apparatus in claim 7 wherein said bar support includes a collar made from a heat-insulating material in order to provide a grasping point to allow replacement of the ballbar.

Claim 19

Independent Claim 128 words

A method for certifying a coordinate measuring machine having a three-dimensional coordinate measuring space and a measuring stylus having an articulating probe, including: providing a certified ballbar having a pair of spherical surfaces connected with a bar; positioning said certified ballbar in the coordinate measuring space using a positioning device having a bar support that supports said ballbar at a midpoint of said bar between said balls wherein said ballbar is supported free of attachments to said balls; measuring with the coordinate measuring machine coordinates at opposite locations on the surface of each of said balls including changing the orientation of the probe between the measurements; and processing said measured coordinates into measured surface parameters and comparing said measured surface parameters with known values of said surface parameters.

Claim 20

Independent Claim 128 words

A method for certifying a coordinate measuring machine having a three-dimensional coordinate measuring space and a measuring stylus having an articulating probe, including: providing a certified ballbar having a pair of spherical surfaces connected with a bar; positioning said certified ballbar in the coordinate measuring space using a positioning device having a bar support that supports said ballbar at a midpoint of said bar between said balls wherein said ballbar is supported free of attachments to said balls; measuring with the coordinate measuring machine coordinates at opposite locations on the surface of each of said balls including changing the orientation of the probe between the measurements; and processing said measured coordinates into measured surface parameters and comparing said measured surface parameters with known values of said surface parameters.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 35 words

The method of claim 17 including positioning said certified ballbar in the coordinate measuring space in multiple known locations using said positioning device and performing said measuring and processing at each of the multiple locations.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 29 words

The method of claim 18 including repeating said measuring and processing multiple times in said multiple known locations in order to determine the repeatability of the coordinate measuring machine.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 78 words

The method of claim 18 wherein said positioning said ballbar in the coordinate measuring space in multiple known locations includes rotating said bar support in a clockwise direction to position said ballbar in a first set of angular orientations and in a counterclockwise direction to position said ballbar in a second set of angular orientations, and rotating said bar in substantially a full vertical revolution while taking first and second sets of angular orientations at predefined radial positions.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 43 words

The method of claim 17 including measuring with the coordinate measuring machine coordinates at multiple points on the surface of both of said balls including changing the orientation of the probe between at least two of the measurements at each of said balls.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 31 words

The method of claim 21 including processing said measured coordinates into measured sphere separation distance parameters and comparing said measured sphere separating distance parameter with a known sphere separation distance parameter.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1998-07-10	1999-01-09	1999-07-11	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	2002-07-10	2003-01-09	2003-07-11	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2006-07-10	2007-01-09	2007-07-11	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Coordinate measuring machine certification system

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