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Portable coordinate measurement machine

  • US 6,935,036 B2
  • Filed: 02/13/2003
  • Issued: 08/30/2005
  • Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2002
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. A portable coordinate measurement machine (CMM) for measuring the position of an object in a selected volume, comprising:

  • a manually positionable articulated arm having opposed first and second ends, said arm including a plurality of rotary joints;

    a measurement probe attached to a first end of said articulated arm;

    an electronic circuit which receives the position signals from transducers in said arm and provides a digital coordinate corresponding to the position of the probe in a selected volume; and

    wherein at least one of said rotary joints comprises;

    a rotatable shaft;

    at least one bearing on said shaft;

    a periodic pattern of a measurable characteristic;

    at least one read head spaced from and in communication with said pattern;

    a housing surrounding said at least one bearing, pattern, read head and at least a portion of said shaft so as to define a singular component;

    said pattern and said read head being associated with said shaft and housing such that said pattern and read head are rotatable with respect to each other; and

    wherein said singular component includes the functionality of measuring rotation, supporting rotation and transferring rotation.

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