Hole Measurement Apparatuses

• US 20110166824A1
• Filed: 11/09/2010
• Published: 07/07/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Delta Sigma Company
• Original Assignee: Projectionworks Incorporated
• Inventors: McAllister, Bobby Dean, Haisty, Brett Stanton, Richardson, Roger Curtis
• Granted Patent: US 8,606,540 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/157
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 21/10 for measuring diameters
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 21/18 for measuring depth
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 5/12 internal diameters
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 5/18 for measuring depth
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53 Means to assemble or disassemble

Abstract

The present invention is directed to automated apparatuses and methods for measuring fastener hole depth, fastener length, countersink depth and/or hole diameters in a workpiece (or other object) in an automated and extremely rapid, efficient and accurate manner. The apparatuses may be operably connected with a power source and with one or a plurality of computers or other data collection devices to transmit fastener hole depth, countersink depth and/or hole diameter measurement data and/or information to them each time that a fastener hole is measured, while the apparatus is continuously measuring fastener holes (i.e., with no interruptions). Extremely advantageously, using only one hand, and by only squeezing a trigger only one time, an operator of such an apparatus may successfully and very rapidly and accurately perform more than one, or all three, of the following functions: (i) normalize the apparatus relative to one or a plurality of fastener holes and/or workpiece surfaces; (ii) make one or a plurality of accurate measurements; and (iii) transmit the one or more measurements from the apparatus to one or a plurality of computers and/or other data collection devices for, for example, recordation, storage, manipulation, other use and/or the like.

Claims

52. An automated apparatus for making one or a plurality of linear or rotary measurements on, against, in or through one or a plurality of three-dimensional objects, or parts thereof, or holes present therein, or of fastener lengths, or any combination thereof, which may be operated by a user using only one hand, comprising:

(a) a housing;

(b) a measurement device capable of making linear or rotary measurements, or both types of measurements;

(c) a reader head having an ability to read one or a plurality of graduations or divisions present on a scale when one or a plurality of measurement are made by the apparatus, and connect resulting signal paths to a digital circuit card;

(d) a shaft that is slidable or moveable in the housing;

(e) a scale including a plurality of graduations or divisions that is readable by the measurement device, wherein the scale is a linear scale or a rotary scale;

(f) a removable or non-removable probe, wherein the probe includes;

(1) a body; and

(2) a tip attached to the shaft;

(g) a encoder clip coupled to the shaft that actuates or deactivates a trigger switch;

(h) a grip clip that guides the encoder clip;

(i) a compression spring;

(j) an extension spring;

(k) a trigger switch enabling the apparatus to become activated;

(l) a common grip or an end cap including the trigger switch and having a size and shape that may be compressed, squeezed, or pushed, by the user using only one hand, or one or a plurality of fingers on one hand, causing the apparatus to become “

activated”

; and

(m) a digital circuit card having an ability to process measurement data or information, or a combination thereof, and transmit the same to one or a plurality of computers or data collection devices, or a combination thereof.

54. A hand-operated measurement apparatus for automatically measuring a dimension of an aperture on an assembly object, the apparatus comprising:

(a) a housing;

(b) a frame located inside of, and affixed to, the housing;

(c) a detection device secured to the frame, the detection device having a read head configured to detect divisions on a scale when the scale passes within a predefined range of the read head, the detection device providing an output corresponding to the divisions detected by the read head; and

(e) a control module located within the housing and electrically connected to the detection device, the control module including;

(i) a decoder configured to receive the output from the detection device and provide a signal representing the divisions detected by the read head; and

(ii) a processor configured to receive the signal from the decoder and track a number of divisions detected by the read head, the processor further configured to calculate a value for a preselected dimension on the aperture of the assembly object based on the number of divisions detected by the read head;

(f) wherein the preselected dimension is selected from at least the following types of dimensions;

hole depth, hole diameter, countersink depth, grip length, flushness, and gap.

55. The hand-operated measurement apparatus according to claim 54, wherein the control module further includes a DC power supply configured to receive power from a power source and provide multiple DC voltages to the control module.

56. The hand-operated measurement apparatus according to claim 55, wherein the power source is located at one of the following locations:

internally within the housing, and externally to the housing.

57. The hand-operated measurement apparatus according to claim 54, wherein the control module further includes an external communication interface configured to allow the control module to communicate with an external computing system.

58. The hand-operated measurement apparatus according to claim 57, wherein the control module is further configured to communicate the value of the preselected dimension to the external computing system.

59. The hand-operated measurement apparatus according to claim 57, wherein the external communication interface is configured to implement a wireless communication protocol, the wireless communication protocol including one of the following protocols:

ZigBee, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and Wireless Personal Area Network (WPAN).

60. The hand-operated measurement apparatus according to claim 57, wherein the external communication interface is configured to implement a wired communication protocol, the wired communication protocol including one of the following protocols:

Ethernet, Universal Serial Bus (USB), FireWire, and RS-232.

64. The hand-operated measurement apparatus according to claim 54, wherein the control module includes a printed circuit board, and the processor is a microcontroller mounted on the printed circuit board.

61-1. The hand-operated measurement apparatus according to claim 61, wherein the calibration of the hand-operated measurement apparatus is performed by the processor.

65. A hand-operated measurement apparatus for automatically acquiring dimensional data for an aperture on an assembly object, the apparatus comprising:

(a) a housing;

(b) a frame located inside of, and affixed to, the housing;

(c) a detection device secured to the frame, the detection device having a read head configured to detect divisions on a scale when the scale passes within a predefined range of the read head, the detection device providing an output corresponding to the divisions detected by the read head; and

(e) a control module located within the housing and electrically connected to the detection device, the control module including;

(i) a decoder configured to receive the output from the detection device and provide a signal representing the divisions detected by the read head;

(ii) a processor configured to receive the signal from the decoder and count a number of divisions detected by the read head; and

(iii) an external communication interface configured to allow the control module to communicate with an external computing system;

(f) wherein the preselected dimension is selected from at least the following types of dimensions;

hole depth, hole diameter, countersink depth, grip length, flushness, and gap; and

(g) wherein the processor is further configured to communicate the number of divisions detected by the read head to the external computing system for further processing.

66. The hand-operated measurement apparatus according to claim 65, wherein the processor is further configured to receive a value for the preselected dimension on the aperture of the assembly object, the value of the preselected dimension being calculated by the external computing system.

67. An automated apparatus for making one or a plurality of linear or rotary measurements on, against, in or through one or a plurality of three-dimensional objects, or parts thereof, or holes present therein, or of fastener lengths, or any combination thereof, comprising a pistol-grip style housing including a trigger mechanism, wherein the apparatus may be operated by a user using only one hand as a result of its ergonomic shape.