Renishaw Plc

Alan James Holloway

Benjamin Jason Merrifield

Edward Benjamin Egglestone

Anas F Jarjour

David R McMurtry

Kevyn Barry Jonas

Raymond J Chaney

David Allan Wright

Nigel Joseph Copner

Iain Robert Gordon-Ingram

Michael Homer

Jungang Huang

Raymond John Chaney

Anas Jarjour

Anas Francois Jarjour

A method assesses the beam profile of a light beam of a non-contact tool setting apparatus, the apparatus including a transmitter for emitting the light beam and a receiver for receiving the light beam. The receiver generates a beam intensity signal describing the intensity of received light. The apparatus is mounted to a machine tool having a spindle that is moveable relative to the non-contact tool setting apparatus. The method includes loading an object having an edge into the spindle of the machine tool and using the machine tool to move the spindle relative to the apparatus so that the edge of the object passes through the light beam. The beam profile of the light beam is then determined using the beam intensity signal generated at a plurality of positions during the step (ii) of moving the edge of the object through the light beam.

Apparatus and method for assessing the beam profile of a non-contact tool setting apparatus

A method for tool measurement using a non-contact tool setting apparatus mounted to a machine tool, which includes a transmitter for emitting a light beam having a beam width and a receiver for receiving the light beam. The receiver generates a beam intensity signal describing the intensity of received light. The method is for measuring a tool having a nominal tool diameter less than the beam width so fully inserting the tool feature into the light beam would only partially occlude the beam. The method includes moving the tool through the beam thereby causing a change in the intensity signal and generating a trigger signal when the intensity signal crosses a trigger threshold. The tool size is derived using the trigger signal generated. Also, a step of applying a tool length correction that accounts for the nominal tool diameter of the tool being less than the beam width.

Non-contact tool setting apparatus and method

A rotation detection apparatus, including: a beam source for emitting a beam of polarized light; a decohering arrangement for eliminating or reducing the degree of coherence between first and second independent polarization components of the polarized light to produce a decohered beam of polarized light; a detector for outputting a signal in dependence on the intensity of light incident thereupon, the detector arranged so that the decohered beam of polarized light is incident upon it; a polarizer for location in the path of the decohered beam of polarized light such that rotation of the polarizer relative to the decohered beam of polarized light results in a variation of the intensity of light incident upon the detector from the beam source and a corresponding variation in the signal output from the detector; and a processor for detecting the relative rotation based on the variation of the signal output from the detector.

Rotation detection apparatus

A frequency tuneable laser device includes a cavity mode selector and a cavity tuning arrangement. The cavity mode selector has a frequency response with a selection feature that is alignable in frequency with a selected cavity mode of the laser device. The cavity tuning arrangement includes a plurality of reflective elements arranged in optical series, and is used to adjust the effective optical path length of the laser cavity to move the cavity modes in frequency. The laser device further includes making the cavity mode selector and the cavity tuning arrangement perform a simultaneous coordinated movement such that respective frequencies of the selection feature and the selected cavity mode vary with substantially the same dependence on a parameter characterizing the simultaneous coordinated movement. For example, a periscope with a co-rotating etalon can be used to provide mode hop free tuning of the laser device.

Laser device

A frequency tuneable or chirped laser device is described that includes a laser cavity formed from a plurality of optical components. The optical components include a laser source for generating a beam of light, a spectral tuning element and one or more further optical components for directing the beam of light on to the spectral tuning element. At least one of the plurality of optical components is moveable in a first degree of freedom; such movement simultaneously altering the effective optical path length of the laser cavity and the tuning frequency of the spectral tuning element. The effective optical path length and the tuning frequency of the device are substantially insensitive to any movement of said at least one moveable optical component in degrees of freedom other than the first degree of freedom. This provides frequency tuning in which mode hopping is suppressed.

Frequency tuneable laser device

Rotary encoder apparatus is described that comprises one or more readheads and a radial scale. Each of the one or more readheads includes a light emitting portion for illuminating the radial scale and a light detecting portion for detecting interference fringes formed at a readhead analyzer plane. The readhead analyzer plane is tilted relative to the plane containing the radial scale. In a preferred embodiment, the readhead analyzer plane is tilted towards the center of rotation of the rotary encoder apparatus by the angle.

Rotary encoder apparatus

A measurement scale () is movable in plane x relative to a mask () and photodetector (). When a pattern of apertures in the mask () are in correlation with a pattern of apertures e.g. a reference mark in the scale () then light bands a b and c may propagate to the detector (). The relative sizes of the patterns is such that the light bands converge at the detector (). Other embodiments show light divergent and light inversion correlation of incongruent patterns.

Position determination system for determining the position of one relatively moveable part relative to another relatively movable part

A surface sensing device includes an articulating head adapted for attachment to the spindle of a measuring machine and having two relatively rotatable parts capable of rotation about two mutually perpendicular axes. The device additionally includes a stylus assembly having a relatively stiff hollow stylus carrier, and a relatively flexible hollow stylus. An optical transducer system is provided within the stylus assembly and comprises a fixed light source which directs a beam of light towards a stylus tip, and a retro-reflective component at the tip which reflects the beam back to a fixed detector. The arrangement is such that lateral displacement of the stylus tip when the tip is in contact with a surface can be measured directly.

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Swindon, United Kingdom

Alan James Holloway