Gap measuring device
First Claim
1. A device for measuring a distance between two objects, comprising:
- a base including an upper surface and a lower surface, the upper surface being disposed at an incline to the lower surface;
a wedge having a top surface and a bottom surface, the bottom surface being arranged to slidably engage the upper surface of the base, the bottom surface being disposed at an incline that matches the incline of the upper surface such that the top surface of the wedge and the lower surface of the base are disposed parallelly to one another; and
a flexible actuator having a first end coupled to the wedge such that a force applied to a second end of the flexible actuator causes the bottom surface of the wedge to slide relative to the upper surface of the base thereby causing a distance change between the parallelly disposed top surface of the wedge and lower surface of the base,wherein the flexible actuator includes an inner cable slidably received within an outer casing, andwherein the force applied to the distal portion of the flexible actuator causes the inner cable to slide relative to the outer casing.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A device for measuring a gap between two objects located remotely from a user includes a base, a slider and a wedge. The slider is slidably received in the base and the wedge is attached to the slider and also slidably received in the base. A push-pull cable has a proximal end connected to the slider. The wedge is inclined at a predetermined angle and slides along an angled surface of the base such that a force applied to a distal end of the cable causes an upper surface of the wedge to move vertically forcing the wedge and the base into respective contact with the two objects forming the gap. By measuring the distance that the push-pull cable slides, the vertical distance traveled by the wedge and thus a measurement of the gap may be determined.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A device for measuring a distance between two objects, comprising:
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a base including an upper surface and a lower surface, the upper surface being disposed at an incline to the lower surface; a wedge having a top surface and a bottom surface, the bottom surface being arranged to slidably engage the upper surface of the base, the bottom surface being disposed at an incline that matches the incline of the upper surface such that the top surface of the wedge and the lower surface of the base are disposed parallelly to one another; and a flexible actuator having a first end coupled to the wedge such that a force applied to a second end of the flexible actuator causes the bottom surface of the wedge to slide relative to the upper surface of the base thereby causing a distance change between the parallelly disposed top surface of the wedge and lower surface of the base, wherein the flexible actuator includes an inner cable slidably received within an outer casing, and wherein the force applied to the distal portion of the flexible actuator causes the inner cable to slide relative to the outer casing. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method of measuring a gap between a rotor and a stator in a turbine with a gap measuring device, the gap measuring device comprising a base including an upper surface and a lower surface such that the upper surface is disposed at an incline to the lower surface, a wedge having a top surface and a bottom surface such that the bottom surface is arranged to slidably engage the upper surface of the base wherein the bottom surface is disposed at an incline that matches the incline of the upper surface such that the top surface of the wedge and the lower surface of the base are disposed parallelly to one another, and a flexible actuator having a first end coupled to the wedge such that a force applied to a second end of the flexible actuator causes the bottom surface of the wedge to slide relative to the upper surface of the base thereby causing a distance change between the parallelly disposed top surface of the wedge and lower surface of the base, the method comprising:
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inserting the base and the wedge into the gap between the rotor and the stator; with the flexible actuator, pushing the base and the wedge to a desired location in the gap while maintaining the second end of the flexible actuator exposed from the gap; and exerting a force on the second end of the flexible actuator thereby causing the top surface of the wedge to engage the rotor and the lower surface of the base to engage the stator. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification