Laser Alignment, Inc.

Bruce A Boersma

David M Falb

Philip O Gerard

Brian G Zomberg

A rotating laser beam projector includes a power controller having a micro controller coupled to a laser power circuit which determines whether the laser beam emitted by the projector is rotating or stationary. When the laser beam is rotating, the laser power circuit delivers a first level of continuance power to the laser. When the laser beam is stationary, the laser power circuit delivers a second level of continuance power to the laser which is less than the first level of power. The micro controller communicates messages from the laser beam projector to a remotely positioned sensor assembly by rotating the laser beam at a first speed when no message is to be communicated and rotating the laser beam at a second speed, different from the first speed, when a message is to be communicated. The laser beam projector includes a bridge for delivering electrical power to a pendulum-supported device from a stationary source. A first conductor is affixed to the stationary source and a second conductor is electrically coupled to the pendulum-supporting device. At least one wire is bonded, such as by ball-and-stitch bonding, from the conductor to the second conductor across a gap.

Laser beam projector power and communication system

A self-levelling laser generator apparatus (10) includes a housing (12), a light source in the housing which produces a beam of collimated light, and a self-levelling mechanism (18). The self-levelling mechanism includes an electronically controllable signal source, such as a digital potentiometer (46), which is provided a command (44a-44c) from a programmed computer (38) to produce a controllable output (48). The output of (48) the digital potentiometer is summed by a summing circuit (34) with the output (28) of an inclination sensor (24) in order to produce a compensated inclination signal (36) which is provided as an input to computer 38. The computer additionally receives a calibration input (20, 21) indicative of deviation between the inclination of the laser beam and a predetermined grade. The computer produces a drive signal (50a, 50b) for the self-levelling mechanism (52, 54) that is a function of the compensation inclination signal. The output (44a-44c) supplied by computer 38 to the digitally controllable signal source (46) is a function of the tilt of the inclinometer and calibration numbers entered through calibration inputs (20, 21).

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Middleville, MI, United States of America

Bruce A Boersma