Apparatus and method for positioning tooling
US6223413A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jan 27, 1999 |
| Grant date | May 1, 2001 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jan 27, 2019 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10T409/308288
- WIPO fieldMachine tools
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
Apparatus and method for positioning tooling for operation on a curved workpiece wherein a gantry beam assembly having a movable head assembly thereon carrying tooling is pivotally connected on a pivot axis to a pair of spaced apart pedestals each having a longitudinal axis disposed substantially perpendicular to the pivot axis and wherein the workpiece is supported on a fixture between the pedestals and so that the gantry beam assembly extends along the workpiece. The pivot axis of the gantry beam assembly is moved along the longitudinal axes of the pedestals, the pivot axis of the gantry beam assembly is moved along a path substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axes of the pedestals and the head assembly is moved along the gantry beam assembly. The foregoing operations move the head assembly relative to the workpiece enabling the tooling to perform operations thereon. The gantry beam assembly is pivoted about the pivot axis and the head assembly is pivoted about an axis substantially perpendicular to the pivot axis for normalization of the head assembly relative to the workpiece. The gantry beam assembly can be tilted along a plane substantially parallel to the longitudi…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.