Device for aligning a laser leveling instrument along a building line

• US 5,331,395 A
• Filed: 10/09/1992
• Issued: 07/19/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Leica Heerbrugg AG (Hexagon AB)
• Original Assignee: Leica Heerbrugg AG (Hexagon AB)
• Inventors: Piske, Wilfried, Koeppel, Martin
• Primary Examiner(s): Evans, F. L.
• Application Number:
  US07/958,220
• Time in Patent Office: 648 Days
• Field of Search: 356/138, 356/147, 356/399, 356/400, 33/DIG. 21, 359/831, 359/834
• US Class Current: 356/138
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 15/004 Reference lines, planes or sectors
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 33/21 with laser

Abstract

An apparatus for aligning a laser leveling instrument along a building line can remain standing unchanged on its base throughout both horizontal and vertical leveling operations. The light source is located in the base of the instrument. The instrument head can be swung through 90° and houses a rotating prism which generates the vertical plane, and an adaptor. The adaptor includes a prism for deflecting the light from the source into the rotating prism and a triple prism which, when brought into the light path, deflects the light coming from the base perpendicular to the generated vertical plane, projecting it onto the building line.

Claims

1. A device for aligning a laser leveling instrument along a building line comprising:

an instrument base;

a laser light source, arranged in said instrument base, outputting a laser beam; and

an instrument head tiltable by 90° and

has arranged therein;

a rotating prism for generating a vertical plane when said head is tilted, and

an adaptor for use when said head is tilted having a prism positioned in a path of said laser beam between said light source and said rotating prism for deflecting said laser beam from said base onto said rotating prism in said instrument head, wherein said adaptor additionally has a triple reflector selectively brought into said path of said laser beam and to deflect said laser beam coming from said base in a direction perpendicular to said generated vertical plane to project it onto said building line.

2. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said triple reflector is a triple prism.

3. The device for aligning a laser leveling instrument as claimed in claim 2, wherein said triple prism is mounted on a rotatably supported spindle and can be brought via a rotary lever into said path of said laser beam between said prism and said rotating prism.

4. The device for aligning a laser leveling instrument as claimed in claim 3, wherein said spindle is arranged perpendicular to the laser beam coming from said base and is hollow.

5. The device for aligning a laser leveling instrument as claimed in claim 4, wherein the projection along said building line is provided via said prism arranged in said adaptor, said triple prism and through said spindle.

6. The device for aligning a laser leveling instrument as claimed in claim 1, wherein said triple reflector has a blacking layer for absorbing or reflecting light beyond 700 nm.

7. The device for aligning a laser leveling instrument as claimed in claim 1, wherein said triple reflector is a triple mirror.

8. A method for leveling an instrument along a building line, comprising the steps of:

generating, via a light source, a collimated light beam in a base of said instrument along an axis;

redirecting said light beam along a path orthogonal to said axis via a rotating prism in a head of said instrument;

aligning said orthogonal beam path with said building line;

swiveling said head by 90°

so that said rotating prism is offset by 90°

;

passing said light beam through said rotating prism thereby generating a vertical reference plane;

positioning a triple prism in a path of said light beam between said light source and said rotating prism while said head is rotated by 90°

;

reflecting said light beam output from said triple prism through a hollow spindle; and

outputting said light beam from said instrument orthogonal to said vertical reference plane.

9. A leveling device, comprising:

a light source outputting a light beam along a beam path;

a rotating prism positioned in said beam path, said rotating prism generating a vertical light plane when said light beam is incident upon said rotating prism; and

an adapter positioned in said beam path between said light source and said rotating prism, said adapter having a first position and a second position;

wherein

said light beam passes through said adapter and is incident upon said rotating prism which generates said vertical light plane when said adapter is in said first position; and

said light beam is deflected by said adapter in a direction perpendicular to said vertical light plane as a reference light beam when said adapter is in said second position.

10. A leveling device as recited in claim 9, wherein said adapter is removable from said beam path, and said leveling device further comprises means for tilting said rotating prism by 90°

to an upright position when said adapter is removed to generate a horizontal light plane.