Method and apparatus for drill bit location
First Claim
1. For use with an elongated member adapted for hole boring and having an end disposed in elastic wave transmitting relation with a surrounding material, apparatus for precisely determining the location of said end comprising:
- said member comprising a tool having an end adapted for cutting said surrounding material;
means operative to induce elastic waves in said member at a location remote from said cutting end upon electrical energization of said means;
said member itself transmitting the elastic waves from the remote location to the cutting end;
means for coupling elastic waves induced in said member through said end to the surrounding material;
a plurality of sensors disposed in elastic wave transmitting relation with said surrounding material, each of said sensors operative to produce an output signal representative of received elastic waves;
means for processing the output signals from the received elastic waves.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Method and apparatus for determining the precise location of a drill bit tip relative to specified locations on a workpiece in precision automatic machining operations. Elastic waves are induced in a drill shank, guided through the shank to the drill bit tip and couple to the surrounding workpiece material in contact with the tip of the drill bit. Elastic wave sensors are disposed in elastic wave transmitting relation with the workpiece to detect the induced elastic waves. The precise location of the drill bit tip is determined by computing the propagation time of elastic waves from the drill bit tip to each of the respective sensors. In one embodiment, elastic waves are induced with contactless electromagnetic coupling via a magnetostrictive transduction technique. Other techniques for inducing elastic waves in a drill bit are described.
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Citations
27 Claims
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1. For use with an elongated member adapted for hole boring and having an end disposed in elastic wave transmitting relation with a surrounding material, apparatus for precisely determining the location of said end comprising:
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said member comprising a tool having an end adapted for cutting said surrounding material; means operative to induce elastic waves in said member at a location remote from said cutting end upon electrical energization of said means; said member itself transmitting the elastic waves from the remote location to the cutting end; means for coupling elastic waves induced in said member through said end to the surrounding material; a plurality of sensors disposed in elastic wave transmitting relation with said surrounding material, each of said sensors operative to produce an output signal representative of received elastic waves; means for processing the output signals from the received elastic waves. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 23, 24)
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16. A method for determining the precise location of an end of an elongated member adapted for hole boring and disposed in elastic wave transmitting relation with a surrounding material comprising the steps of:
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said member comprising a tool having an end adapted for cutting said surrounding material; providing means for inducing elastic waves in a member at a location remote from the cutting end operative in response to electrical pulse energization of said means; said member itself transmitting the elastic waves from the remote location to the cutting end; inducing elastic waves in said member at least one energization time by electrical pulse energization of said elastic wave inducing means; providing means for coupling said elastic waves from said end to the surrounding material; disposing a plurality of sensors peripherally with respect to the member and in elastic wave transmitting relation with the surrounding material; producing an output signal at each of the sensors representative of the time of arrival of elastic waves at the respective sensor with respect to the energization time; and determining the location of the material contacting end of the member based upon the timing of said output signals. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 25)
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26. A drilling apparatus having a drill bit disposed in an elastic wave transmitting relation with a surrounding material, comprising:
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said drill bit comprising a tool having an end adapted for cutting said surrounding material; magnetostrictive means operative to induce elastic waves at a location remote from the cutting end of said drill bit upon electrical energization of said means; said drill bit itself transmitting the elastic waves from the remote location to the cutting end; means for coupling said elastic waves at said end to said surrounding material; a plurality of sensors disposed in elastic wave transmitting relation with said surrounding material, each of said sensors operative to produce an output signal representative of received elastic waves; and means for processing the output signals from the received elastic waves. - View Dependent Claims (27)
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Specification