Method of and apparatus for calibrating machines including a measuring probe and a measuring apparatus
US5446545A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 15, 1994 |
| Grant date | Aug 29, 1995 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 15, 2014 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01B21/042
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
In a method of calibrating the measuring performance and apparatus for a machine, the conventional physical length bar is simulated by moving a retro-reflector to various positions along a track. A laser beam of an interferometer is aligned with the track using the retro-reflector at two extreme positions in order to define a measurement axis for the calibration. The retro-reflector has a part-spherical surface on its rear face which is centered on the nodal point of the retro-reflector. By contacting the reference surface with a probe on the machine at several points, the center of the sphere at the two positions of the retro-reflector can be calculated and hence the measurement axis is defined in the machine frame of reference. Measurements are taken with the interferometer of the position of the retro-reflector at several points on the measurement axis, and at each point the measuring probe is brought into contact with the spherical surface of retro-reflector (preferably at the intersection of the measurement axis and the surface) to make a second measurement of the retro-reflector's position. The accurate measurement of the interferometer is compared to the machine's measuremen…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.