Renishaw Plc

Stephen Mark Angood

David R McMurtry

Christopher Kemp

Stephen Paul Hunter

Hugo George Derrick

Colin Ray Bulled

Marcus James Eales

David James Fook

Raymond J Chaney

Mark Adrian Vincent Chapman

David Andrew Larkham

David Roberts Mcmurtry

Raymond John Chaney

A coordinate positioning machine includes a plurality of drive axes, each being a rotary or linear drive axis, for positioning a platform within a working volume of the machine, and a separate linear counterbalance axis for counterbalancing the platform. With this arrangement the counterbalance axis can be substantially invariant to changes in orientation of the drive axes and can be counterbalanced by a simple counterweight. Also, an arrangement wherein the counterbalance axes and force generator are arranged so horizontal movement of the platform causes substantially no net movement of and/or no work to be done on the generator. Also, an arrangement wherein a series of counterbalance axes has at least one rotary counterbalance axis, and the generator is arranged behind or at a predetermined distance from the counterbalance axis. Also, an arrangement having a series of counterbalance axes with at most one rotary counterbalance axis between the generator and ground.

Coordinate positioning machine

A coordinate positioning arm includes: a base end and a head end; a drive frame for moving the head end relative to the base end; and a metrology frame for measuring a position and orientation of the head end relative to the base end. The drive frame includes a plurality of drive axes arranged in series between the base end and the head end. The metrology frame includes a plurality of metrology axes arranged in series between the base end and the head end. The metrology frame is adapted and arranged to be substantially separate and/or independent from the drive frame, for example by supporting the metrology frame substantially only at the base end and head end and by providing the metrology frame with sufficient degrees of freedom (via the metrology axes) to avoid creating an additional constraint between the metrology frame and the drive frame.

Coordinate positioning arm

A coordinate positioning machine that includes: a structure moveable within a working volume of the machine, a hexapod metrology arrangement for measuring the position of the structure within the working volume, and a non-hexapod drive arrangement for moving the structure around the working volume. Also, a coordinate positioning machine including a structure moveable within a working volume of the machine, a drive arrangement for moving the structure around the working volume in fewer than six degrees of freedom, and a metrology arrangement for measuring the position of the structure within the working volume in more degrees of freedom than the drive arrangement.

A coordinate positioning machine includes a drive frame and a metrology frame. The drive frame includes a drive arrangement for moving a structure around a working volume of the machine. The metrology frame includes a metrology arrangement for measuring the position of the structure within the working volume. The metrology arrangement is a hexapod metrology arrangement and the drive arrangement is a non-hexapod drive arrangement. The metrology frame has a coefficient of thermal expansion that is lower than that of the drive frame. The drive frame is coupled to the metrology frame via a coupling arrangement which prevents at least some distortion associated with any extra thermal expansion and contraction of the drive frame from being transferred to the metrology frame. The drive arrangement moves the structure around the working volume, and the metrology arrangement measures the position of the structure within the working volume.

A non-Cartesian coordinate positioning machine that includes an extendable leg assembly for positioning a component such as a measurement probe within a working volume of the machine. The extendable leg assembly includes a first member and a second member which move relative to one another when the extendable leg assembly changes length. The first member including an axial arrangement of magnets forming part of a linear motor for extending and retracting the extendable leg assembly, and at least one resilient member for absorbing at least some of any axial thermal expansion or contraction of the magnets in use.

A non-Cartesian coordinate positioning machine is provided that comprises an extendable leg assembly for positioning a component such as a measurement probe within a working volume of the machine, and a constraint member associated with the extendable leg assembly for providing a predetermined part of the extendable leg assembly with substantially a same orientation relative to gravity for a same position of the component within the working volume. In a preferred embodiment, the orientation relative to gravity is maintained substantially constant, so that a plane defined by the predetermined part is substantially aligned with gravity, as the component is moved around the working volume.

A positioning apparatus comprising first and second relatively moveable members, and a linear motor comprising at least one elongate stator assembly and at least one armature assembly respectively mounted to the first and second moveable members for effecting relative movement of the first and second moveable members, configured so at to permit longitudinal expansion and/or contraction of the at least one elongate stator assembly and/or of the at least one armature assembly relative to its respective member.

Positioning apparatus with relatively moveable members and a linear motor mounted thereon

A coordinate positioning apparatus comprising first and second relatively moveable bodies, at least the first body comprising at least one sheet or plate of material arranged to provide a load-bearing structure comprising a plurality of planar load-bearing members and on which at least one member is mounted to the first body via a mount which is coupled to at least three, non-parallel planar load-bearing members of the first body, such that the planes of said at least three non-parallel planar load-bearing members intersect each other at a common point.

Bearing mount

A rotation detection kit, comprising: a beam source; a receiver comprising at least one beam intensity sensor; a polarizer device for location in the path of a beam emitted from the beam source and received by the beam sensor; and a modulator. The modulator is configured to modulate at least one of i) the beam source and ii) a beam emitted by the beam source to create a discretely varying polarization orientation thereby defining first and at least second temporally spaced beam portions. The temporally spaced beam portions are incident on the polarizer device and the beam sensor and have substantially identical profiles and at least an initial common propagation axis toward the polarizer device.

Rotation detection kit

A rotation detection kit, comprising a source for generating at least a first polarized beam emitted along a propagation axis, a receiver comprising at least a first beam intensity sensor and an analyzer. The analyzer comprises a first polarizer device for location in the at least first polarized beam between the source and at least first beam intensity sensor. The first polarizer device is configured such that the receiver can measure rotation between the source and the analyzer about a first axis that is non-parallel to the propagation axis based on the at least first beam intensity sensor's output.

A measuring system for calibrating a machine in which a base () is attachable to a surface of the machine and a housing () is mountable on the base, wherein at least one surface of the base and at least one surface of the housing are each provided with a complementary part of a mounting device, such that when the two parts of the mounting device are connected together, the housing may be aligned in any of a plurality of predetermined directions. The base includes a lifting mechanism () which when lowered allows the complementary parts of the mounting device () of the housing () and the base () to be in contact and when raised causes them to at least partly break contact with one another. The level of the base () may be adjusted using a system of members and tapered rollers.

Aligning components of a measuring system

A measuring system for calibrating a machine in which a base () is attachable to a surface of the machine and a housing () is mountable on the base, wherein at least one surface of the base and at least one surface of the housing are each provided with a complementary part of a mounting device, such that when the two parts of the mounting device are connected together, the housing may be aligned in any of a plurality of predetermined directions. The base includes a lifting mechanism () which when lowered allows the complementary parts of the mounting device () of the housing () and the base () to be in contact and when raised causes them to at least partly break contact with one another. The level of the base () may be adjusted using a system of balls and tapered rollers.

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Portreath, United Kingdom

Stephen Mark Angood