THREE-AXIS INSPECTION PROBE

• US 3,660,906 A
• Filed: 03/17/1969
• Issued: 05/09/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/1969
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Harry M. Zimmerman
• Original Assignee: Harry M. Zimmerman
• Inventors: Zimmerman, Harry M
• Primary Examiner(s): Haroian, Harry N.
• Application Number:
  US04/818,852
• Time in Patent Office: 1,149 Days
• Field of Search: 33/169,172,174
• US Class Current: 33/559
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 5/012 Contact-making feeler heads therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 7/012 Contact-making feeler heads therefor

Abstract

An inspection probe capable of accurate output in three axes, having a spherical probe tip affixed to an arm. Medially disposed about the arm between the end of the spherical tip and the opposite end of the arm is a pivot ball permitting the arm to pivot at its midpoint within a housing provided. The arm passes through the spherical ball permitting additionally linear movement relative to the pivot ball. Adjoining the end of the pivot arm is a transfer pin restricted to solely linear motion. The end of the probe arm and the adjacent surface of the transfer pin are provided with adjoining sliding surfaces so that all movement of the probe tip is thus transferred into linear movement of the transfer pin in a ratio of 1:1. The transfer pin in turn effects a suitable gauge for reading the movement of the probe tip.

Claims

1. An inspection probe device comprising:

An elongated housing having a front end with an opening therein;

a ball having a diametral hole therethrough, said ball being pivotally mounted in said opening;

a probe arm having a probe tip thereon remote from said housing, said probe arm slidably mounted in said ball and capable of motion in three mutually perpendicular planes, said probe arm extending from said probe tip outside said housing, through said ball, and terminating within said housing;

a transfer pin slidably disposed in said housing contacting the terminating end of said probe arm to directly transform all displacement of said probe arm to linear movement of said transfer pin in a single plane, said end of said probe arm and the adjacent end of said transfer pin being provided with conical, contacting, adjoining, slidable surfaces to achieve a percise predetermined relationship of relative movement of said probe arm to the resulting linear movement of said transfer pin, one of said conical surfaces being a protruding conical surface and the other of said conical surfaces being a receptacle conical surface, said protruding conical surface having a greater apex angle than said receptacle conical surface; and

means connected to said transfer pin for acting in cooperation with suitable readout devices, wherein the contacting, adjoining slideable surfaces of said probe arm and said transfer pin include a conical surface formed on one member and a suitable receptacle formed in the other, said conical surface having an arcuate curvature thereon, said curvature being in the conical-axial plane of revolution of said conical surface and extending from the apex to the base of said conical surface, said conical surface and said curvature having a predetermined relationship with the lengths of said probe arm, one length extending outwardly from a pivot point within said ball to said probe tip and the other length extending inwardly from said pivot point to the point of contact of said contacting surfaces, to achieve a 1;

1 ratio of movement of said arm to said pin.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein said pin is provided with a concavely arcuate, conical surface tapering toward said probe arm, the contacting adjacent end of said probe arm being provided with a receptacle for receiving said conical surface of said pin.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein the end of said probe arm within said housing is provided with a convexly arcuate, conical surface tapering toward said transfer pin, the adjacent end of said transfer pin being provided with a receptacle for receiving said conical surface of said probe arm.

4. An inspection probe device comprising:

an elongated housing, a rotatable ball disposed in the forward end of said housing, a probe arm extending outwardly from said housing through, and in sliding engagement with, said ball, said arm terminating in said housing, a spherical member provided on the exposed end of said probe arm outside of said housing, a transfer pin disposed in said housing adjacent the end of said probe arm, said pin limited solely to linear movement, means for maintaining conTinuous contact between adjoining surfaces of said pin and said probe arm, a conical-shaped surface formed on one of said adjoining surfaces, said conical-shaped surface having an arcuate curvature thereon, said curvature being in the conical-axial plane of revolution of said conical-shaped surface and extending from the apex to the base of said conical-shaped surface, said conical-shaped surface and said curvature having a predetermined relationship with the lengths of said probe arm, one length extending outwardly from a pivot point within said ball to said spherical member and the other length extending inwardly from said pivot point to the point of contact of said adjoining surfaces, to result in a 1;

1 ratio of movement of said probe arm to said pin, a receptacle formed in the other of said adjoining surfaces for receiving said conical-shaped surface, and means connected to said pin for acting in cooperation with suitable readout devices.

5. An inspection probe device comprising:

a probe arm having a probe tip and means for mounting said probe arm to be universally pivotal in a fixed plane and to have linear motion with respect to said plane;

a transfer pin in operable association with said probe arm and means for mounting said transfer pin so as to be restrained to linear motion normal to said plane;

a pair of adjacent, contacting, conical surfaces in slidable touching relationship intermediate said probe arm and said transfer pin, wherein a protruding conical surface is received by a receptacle conical surface, said protruding conical surface having a greater apex angle than said receptacle conical surface, one of said conical surfaces being mounted on said probe arm and the other of said conical surfaces being mounted on said transfer pin to effect the transmittal of motion from said probe arm to said transfer pin in a precise predetermined relationship of relative motion for all displacement of said probe arm; and

means responsive to motion of said transfer pin for effecting readout, wherein said pair of adjacent contacting conical surfaces comprises a protruding cone forming one of said surfaces, said cone having a slightly arcuate configuration between the apex and base thereof, and a cone-shaped cavity forming the other of said surfaces, said cavity constituting a receptical for receiving said protruding cone whereby any displacement of said probe arm causes said surfaces to slide in relation to each other and transmits motion to said transfer pin.

6. The device of claim 5 wherein said protruding cone has an apex angle of about 90 degrees and said cone-shaped cavity has an apex angle of about 60 degrees.