The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 13, 2002
Filed:
Nov. 25, 1998
Klaus Ulbrich, Flanders, NJ (US);
Electronic Measuring Devices, Inc., Budd Lake, NJ (US);
Abstract
A stylus is supported by an upper coupling member which is supported by a lower coupling member which is supported by a probe which is movably supported by a rail of a coordinate positioning machine. The coupling members are held together by a permanent magnet, and their relative positioning is established by first and second sets of positioning elements provided on the first and second coupling members respectively. The sets of positioning elements are mutually engagable in a plurality of angular orientations about the axis of the coupling to provide a plurality of angularly indexed positions at which the lower coupling member has stable and repeatable positions relative to the upper coupling member. The coupling is carried to the indexing dock where a carrier engages the lower coupling member, and the lower coupling member is released from the upper coupling member by energizing an electromagnet which repels the coupling members apart. The indexing dock rotates the lower coupling member about its axis to change its angular orientation of the lower coupling member relative to the upper coupling member. The stylus is connected to a stylus mount on the lower coupling member, and the stylus mount has a plurality of stylus-receiving mounting holes which have axes extending in different directions from the axis of the stylus mount and have different inclinations relative to the axis of the stylus mount. A plurality of lower coupling members can interchangeably be mounted on the upper coupling member. When not in use, the lower coupling members are held in storage docks which accept their lower coupling members regardless of their angular orientation about the coupling axes.