Spectra-Physics Gmbh

Peter S Winckler

Edward E Hart

Douglas B Monnin

Daniel R Klemer

John P Dugan

A pendulous compensator for use in a light beam projector including a light beam source comprises first and second upper pulleys spaced from one another and secured to the light beam projector. First and second lower pulleys are positioned beneath the first and second upper pulleys and supported by filament strands, tapes, loops or the like extending around the upper and lower pulleys. A pendulum mirror is secured to and supported between the first and second lower pulleys for receiving a light beam from the light beam source and reflecting the light beam in a desired angular orientation relative to horizontal. The first and second lower pulleys in the pendulum mirror are supported such that the pendulum mirror is moved to compensate for tilting of the light beam projector. The first and second upper pulleys or a folding mirror may be controlled to select a grade angle relative to horizontal of a projected light beam. A portion of the light beam may also be directed to the rear side of the pendulum mirror to also provide for the projection of a substantially vertically oriented light beam from the projector.

Pendulous compensator for light beam projector

Motion damping apparatus is provided for use in a light beam projector including a light beam and a pendulous compensator adapted to movably support a mirror for deflecting the light beam to compensate for tilting of the projector. The apparatus comprises at least one motion damping plate formed of an electrically conducting material and coupled to the pendulous compensator. Magnets are positioned adjacent the damping plate for generating a magnetic field through which the plate passes as the result of motion of the pendulous compensator such that the motion is damped by the interaction of magnetic fields produced by the magnets and by eddy currents generated in the plate by its movement within a magnetic field. The motion damping plate preferably is curvilinear and coupled to the pendulous compensator to move in substantial conformity with a corresponding curvilinear plane defined by the movement of the pendulous compensator. In this way, the plate can be closely spaced to the magnets for efficient damping operation with the spacing being substantially maintained without contact between the plate and the magnets throughout the operating range of the pendulous compensator.

Magnetic motion damping system for pendulous compensator

An orthogonal light plane generator is associated with a primary light plane generator to convert a portion of a first light plane projected by the primary light plane generator into a second light plane substantially orthogonal to the first light plane. The orthogonal light plane generator comprises a diverter which defines three or more reflecting surfaces for receiving a portion of the first light plane and redirecting that portion as the second light plane. The three or more reflective surfaces are oriented relative to one another such that tilting of the orthogonal light plane generator is compensated to maintain the orthogonality between the two light planes. Tilting about one axis results in offset of the second light plane and tilting about a second axis orthogonal to the first results in a shifting of the sector within which the second light plane is projected, but tilting about either axis does not affect the orthogonality between the planes. Preferably the three or more reflective surfaces are defined by one or more prisms formed of an optical material having an index of refraction which enlarges the sector angle encompassed by the second light plane when compared to mirrored surfaces supported within air. The performance of the diverter can be further enhanced by optical devices positioned at its input and/or output. The optical devices can be one or more conventional lenses or angled wedges of optical material.

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Dayton, OH, United States of America

Peter S Winckler