Sony Magnescale Incorporation

Tomoichi Isobe

Nobuyuki Suzuki

Kazuo Nagaoka

Sadao Wakabayashi

Hideharu Tsukamoto

Toshihiko Kanasugi

Tadahiko Shimano

Mitsuru Ohno

A linear scale features a removable scale channel and adjustable head assembly for easy, accurate, permanent positioning on a machine tool bed or other mobile device. The scale channel, and a matching positioning tool, has balls at opposite ends engaging a socketed mounting bracket. When in use, the flexible socket coupling is clamped into immobility by removable covers over open faces of the mounting brackets. During installation, the mounting brackets engage the positioning tool rather than the scale channel and with the flexible-socket couplings free to gimbal. The mounting brackets are fixed to the machine tool at a fixed axial spacing determined by the length of the positioning tool but at whatever angular attitude best suits the supporting surface of the machine tool. The positioning tool is then removed and replaced by the scale channel. The head assembly is fixed to a stationary stand opposite the scale channel. An adjustable mechanism allows the sliding head of the head assembly to move perpendicular to the axial direction relative to a base fixed to the stand.

Linear scale

Growing community of inventors

Chiba, Japan

Tomoichi Isobe