Renishaw Plc

Renishaw Metrology Limited

Andrew Geoffrey Butter

David R McMurtry

David Sven Wallace

David G Powley

Martin Simon Rees

Adrian C Welsford

David Adams

Peter J Wells

Graham A Hellen

Brian C Henning

David Roberts Mcmurtry

John Stuart Morse

Rhys David Turner

Benjamin George Hoy

A surface sensing device is mounted on an articulating probe head of a coordinate measuring machine. The device includes an elongate probe holder which is rotatable about an axis. An elongate sensing module includes a surface finish or surface roughness probe with a stylus tip. This is connected to the probe holder via an adjustable knuckle joint. To determine the geometry of the surface sensing device, including the tip normal and drag vector of the stylus tip, the orientations of the probe holder and the sensing module are determined by probing points which are spaced along their lengths, using a separate probe.

Method of calibrating a surface sensing device, corresponding calibrating program for a control computer and corresponding calibration kit

A storage apparatus for a measurement probe for use with a coordinate positioning machine. The storage apparatus including a storage unit having at least one receptacle for a measurement probe; and at least one temperature source for controlling the temperature of a measurement probe located in the at least one receptacle.

Storage apparatus

The disclosure relates to a storage apparatus for a measurement probe for use with a coordinate positioning machine. The storage apparatus has at least one receptacle for a measurement probe. At least one receptacle connector is provided for electrical connection with at least one probe connector on a measurement probe located in the receptacle. The one receptacle connector is configured such that it can be displaced so as to disconnect it from the probe connector of a measurement probe located in the receptacle.

Storage apparatus for a measurement probe

A measuring probe includes a suspension modulein which a stylus holderis suspended from a housing on a pair of diaphragms. At least one of the diaphragms is formed with spiral cut-outs whereby the stylus, which is connected at the center of the diaphragms, is able to move transversely of the axis of the housing as the stylus holder pivots when transverse forces are applied to the stylus tip. A transducer moduleis releasably supported on the suspension module by a kinematic mountingand is retained in position by magnets. The transducer module contains optical transducersfor measuring the deflection of the stylus.

Measuring probe with diaphragms and modules

The invention provides a modular measurement device having, attachable to the quill of a CMM, any one of a plurality of stylus support modules , or . Attachable to a stylus support module is a range of stylus modules . The stylus support modules have different spring rates to ensure that a near optimum response can be obtained for each stylus module used. The stylus modules may be configured so that each cannot be mistakenly fitted to the wrong stylus support module. The modules are held together by magnetic attraction, and the strength of attraction is cascaded so that the stylus module is removed first if pulled off.

Modular measurement device

A measuring probe includes a suspension module in which a stylus holder is suspended from a housing on a pair of diaphragms . At least one of the diaphragms is formed with spiral cut-outs whereby the stylus, which is connected at the centre of the diaphragms, is able to move transversely of the axis of the housing as the stylus holder pivots when transverse forces are applied to the stylus tip. A transducer module is releasably supported on the suspension module by a kinematic mounting and is retained in position by magnets . The transducer module contains optical transducers for measuring the deflection of the stylus.

An analogue probe 100 includes a fixed structure 110 and a stylus supporting member 112 suspended relative to the fixed structure 110 by three serially connected pairs of leaf springs 114,116,118. Displacement of the supporting member 112 relative to the fixed structure 110 is transduced by three opto-electronic scale and readhead transducers 136,144;138,146;140,148. The distorting effect of bending moments applied to the tip 130 of the stylus 128 upon leaf springs 114,118 is counteracted by an increased spacing between upper ends of leaf springs of a given pair, relative to the spacing between leaf springs at their lower ends; the resulting arrangement forming a trapezium as opposed to a rectangle. This enables longer styli to be employed before distortion of the leaf springs causes failure of the opto-electronic transducers due to unwanted tilting of the supporting member 112.

Analogue probe

An analogue probe has a fixed structure and a stylus supporting member connected to the fixed structure by three serially mounted pairs of leaf springs interconnected by first and second intermediate members. The stylus supporting member supports an elongate stem upon which a cube, which supports three scales, is mounted. Readheads are mounted on the fixed structure, in register with the scales, to transduce movement of the stylus supporting member in three substantially orthogonal directions. The alignment of the scales about the yaw axis (extending in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the scale) determines the alignment of the measuring axes of the probe, while the straightness of the lines of the scales determines the straightness of the axes.

A connecting device for connecting a shank 16 to a measuring probe 18 is disclosed, to enable the probe 18 to be incorporated on a machine tool for the purpose of tracing a contour of a model. The device includes first and second parts (20,22) connected to the shank and the probe respectively, retained together by a connecting bolt 50 which is spring-loaded by means of Belville washers 56. An arm 60 extends from the second part to engage the housing 14 of the spindle 10, and thereby prevent rotation of the spindle shaft 12. In the event of accidental spindle start-up the two parts 20,22 may rotate relative to each other (the shank rotating with the shaft 12); a thrust bearing 42 enabling sliding of the two parts.

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Wotton-under-Edge, United Kingdom

Andrew Geoffrey Butter