Assignee: Renishaw plc

Location: Gloucestershire, GB
No. of patents: 84

Number	Title	Issue Date
7550710	Scale and readhead apparatus Apparatus for determining angular alignment of a readhead with respect to a scale. The apparatus comprises a scale and readhead. The readhead has at least one sensor which produces an output which is dependent on the angular alignment of the readhead relative to the...	06/23/2009
7533574	Method of error compensation A method of error compensation for measurements taken using a co-ordinate positioning apparatus comprising an articulating probe head having a surface detecting device. The surface detecting device is rotated about at least one axis of the articulating probe head du...	05/19/2009
7526873	Use of surface measurement probes A method of measuring an artifact using a machine on which a measuring probe is mounted. The method has the following steps: determining the approximate position of one or more points on the surface of the artifact; using this approximate position to drive at least ...	05/05/2009
7525665	Polarising interferometer A polarising double-passed interferometer comprises a polarising beamsplitter (16), a reference mirror (20) in the path of a reference beam (14) and a movable measurement mirror (26) in the path of a measurement beam (12). The refe...	04/28/2009
7523561	Measuring methods for use on machine tools On a machine tool, a program receives data from a scanning or analogue probe, measuring a feature of a workpiece. This data is combined with assumed machine position data during the scanning movement. This avoids having to break into the servo feedback loop to get a...	04/28/2009
7506455	Metrology instruments A metrology instrument, such as a probe, probe head, stylus or stylus arm, for mounting on a coordinate position apparatus. The metrology instrument is at least partially constructed from at least one sheet of thermally stable metallic material which is folded to fo...	03/24/2009
7499827	Absolute position measurement An absolute measurement scale has an incremental scale with light reflecting lines alternating with non-light reflecting lines in which absolute data, in the form of discrete codewords, is embedded in the incremental scale by removing light reflecting lines. The cod...	03/03/2009
7486195	Machine tool probe A probe has internal circuitry capable of operating in a plurality of different modes, for example a variety of filter modes and turn off modes. A switch on the probe sends an input to a controller which is arranged to set the mode in response to operation of the sw...	02/03/2009
7350310	Articulating device Disclosed is a method of moving an articulating mechanism (22,410) for a measuring device, comprising the steps of: releasing two bodies (14,16, 410a,410b) which form the articulating mechanism allowing relative movement thereof; m...	04/01/2008
7316077	Probe for sensing the position of an object A probe (10) for a machine tool has a switch (32) or other sensor for connecting its battery power supply in response to movement of the probe. In a preferred embodiment, the switch responds to rotation of the probe in the machine tool spindle. The swi...	01/08/2008
7315380	Laser interferometer for repeatable mounting on the wall of a vacuum chamber A laser interferometer is disclosed comprising a housing capable of being substantially repeatably mounted to a wall of an environmental chamber, the housing including a laser source, a reflector attached to an object located within the environmental chamber, and a ...	01/01/2008
7304815	Laser system A laser system and interferometer are disclosed comprising a laser source for generating a laser beam, and first and second adjustable elements wherein the first and second adjustable elements have limited rotational motion so rotation of the first adjustable elemen...	12/04/2007
7289042	Reader for a scale marking The invention relates to a reference mark detector for use with a metrological scale or encoder (10) having a patterned reference mark rm movable relative to the reference mark detector. The detector may comprise a photodetector array (20) for detectin...	10/30/2007
7286949	Method of error correction Error correction of measurements of workpieces taken using a coordinate positioning apparatus in which the workpiece is mounted on a bed of the apparatus and a workpiece sensing probe is moved relative to the bed into a position sensing relationship with each workpi...	10/23/2007
7254506	Method of calibrating a scanning system A method of measuring an object on a coordinate positioning apparatus. A first object is placed on a coordinate positioning apparatus and measured with a workpiece contacting probe to create measurement data. The measurement data is collected at multiple stylus defl...	08/07/2007
6580964	Calibrations of an analogue probe and error mapping An analogue probe having a stylus with a spherical tip of radius (r) is calibrated using a sphere of known radius (R) mounted on a machine. The stylus tip is driven into the sphere from a plurality of directions (at least 9), each nominally normal to the ...	06/17/2003
5975744	Real-time compensation system and method A laser interferometer measuring system generates a series of digital output quadrature pulses corresponding to movement of a retroreflector 18. The output pulses are intended for receipt by a master counter containing an incremental count corresponding t...	11/02/1999
5778552	Touch sensor In a touch sensor for detecting the deflection of a feeler pin or the like, which is mounted for movement against a pressure element in a housing (1, 27), the pressure element is to consist of two magnets (23, 24) of opposite polarity, one of them being a...	07/14/1998
5689333	Spectroscopic apparatus and methods A sample placed under a microscope is illuminated by light from a laser beam. Raman scattered light is passed back via a dichroic filter to various optical components which analyse the Raman spectrum, and thence to a CCD detector. The optical components f...	11/18/1997
5669151	Trigger probe circuit A trigger probe 10 has electrical contacts which open when the probe contacts a workpiece. This is detected by a comparator 17 to produce a trigger signal. If spurious signals are generated at the probe contacts as a result of vibration, these are filtere...	09/23/1997
5657120	Laser diode system for Raman spectroscopy A diffraction grating receives a laser beam from a semiconductor laser diode. Light is diffracted in a first order of diffraction of the grating, through an aperture which selects a desired wavelength, free from side modes of the laser diode. A minor prop...	08/12/1997
5647137	Probe arm for machine tool An arm 12 for holding a tool-setting probe 14 in a machine tool is rotatable between an operative position and an inoperative position. The operative position is defined by elements 48,52 which form a stop against further rotary motion beyond the operativ...	07/15/1997
5638177	Laser interferometer for measuring object displacement over large distances A laser interferometer, used for measuring displacement over long distances (e.g. 100 meters) includes an integral laser/detector unit 10, which emits a beam 12 of laser light. The fraction of the beam 12B which passes undiverted through a beam splitter 1...	06/10/1997
5623342	Raman microscope In a Raman microscope, Raman scattered light from an illuminated area on a sample 10 is collected by an objective 12 and imaged by a lens 18 onto a detector in an image plane 20. A filter 16 selects only light of a desired Raman wavenumber shift. Since th...	04/22/1997
5604593	Interferometer position measurement system with extensible legs A hexapod machine comprises a fixed structure (10,11) and a movable structure (14,15). Six extensible legs (18) are connected between the fixed and movable structures, and their lengths determine the relative position and orientation of the structures. Th...	02/18/1997
5553087	Frequency stabilized laser diode A laser diode has its frequency locked to the frequency of an absorption line of rubidium (water and oxides of nitrogen are also disclosed). The level of absorption, and hence the frequency relationship of the laser light with respect to the absorption li...	09/03/1996
5517308	Interferometric measuring apparatus employing fixed non-zero path length difference A combined interferometer and refractometer includes two interferometers each of which uses a light beam produced from a common source which are split into measuring component beams and reference component beams. The measuring component beams are directed...	05/14/1996
5510894	Spectroscopic apparatus and methods A spot of a sample is illuminated by laser light. Raman scattered light is collimated in a parallel beam by a microscope objective, and analyzed by a dispersive or non-dispersive analyzer (such as a diffraction grating or filter). A lens then focuses the ...	04/23/1996
5499194	Method for scanning the surface of an object A workpiece surface 30 is digitized by scanning it with the stylus 8 of a scanning probe 5. Digitized coordinate data for many points P1-P6 on the workpiece surface are subjected to a filtering algorithm, in order to remove redundant data when the surface...	03/12/1996
5471302	Interferometric probe for distance measurement utilizing a diffraction reflecting element as a reference surface An interferometric probe for measuring the distance to the surface of an object has a light source, for example, a super-luminescent diode, that produces a coherent light beam preferably such as to produce a speckle pattern in light reflected from the obj...	11/28/1995
5446970	Probe arm for machine tool An arm 12 for holding a tool-setting probe 14 in a machine tool is rotatable between an operative position and an inoperative position. The operative position is defined by elements 48,52 which form a stop against further rotary motion beyond the operativ...	09/05/1995
5446545	Method of and apparatus for calibrating machines including a measuring probe and a measuring apparatus In a method of calibrating the measuring performance and apparatus for a machine, the conventional physical length bar is simulated by moving a retro-reflector to various positions along a track. A laser beam of an interferometer is aligned with the track...	08/29/1995
5428548	Method of and apparatus for scanning the surface of a workpiece Apparatus for and a method of scanning a workpiece are in the form of a retrofit package which provides a scanning capability for a machine tool which would otherwise have none. The basic elements of the package are a scanning probe, a computer, an interf...	06/27/1995
5418612	Method of and apparatus for determining surface contour of diffusely reflecting objects A method of determining surface contour of diffusely reflecting objects is realized by interferometric comparison of beams reflected from a reference mirror and from an object (11), by changing the optical path length of the object beam, by focusing the o...	05/23/1995
5390423	Analogue probe An analogue probe 100 includes a fixed structure 110 and a stylus supporting member 112 suspended relative to the fixed structure 110 by three serially connected pairs of leaf springs 114,116,118. Displacement of the supporting member 112 relative to the ...	02/21/1995
5354157	Device for connecting a shank to a probe A connecting device for connecting a shank 16 to a measuring probe 18 is disclosed, to enable the probe 18 to be incorporated on a machine tool for the purpose of tracing a contour of a model. The device includes first and second parts (20,22) connected t...	10/11/1994
5353514	Touch probe A touch trigger probe for a coordinate measuring machine or machine tool has a stylus (14), which is biased into a rest position. The stylus has two independent supports, provided within a housing (10). In the embodiment of FIG. 1, the first support compr...	10/11/1994
5334918	Method of controlling a coordinate positioning machine for measurement of a workpiece A coordinate positioning machine is equipped with either an optical probe or a contact measuring probe. Movement of the head of the machine to enable the probe to scan an unknown surface is controlled by predicting the position of a subsequent point to wh...	08/02/1994
5319858	Touch probe A touch probe comprises a stylus-supporting member kinematically supported with respect to a housing at six points of contact between the stylus-supporting member and the housing. At each of these points of contact a conducting surface on the stylus-suppo...	06/14/1994
5274436	Laser interferometer for measuring distance using a frequency difference between two laser beams A laser interferometer uses an acousto-optically modulated laser (100) to produce a pair of orthogonally polarized frequency-shifted beams. The beams are passed down a monomode, polarization preserving optical fiber (110) in order to transmit the beams to...	12/28/1993

«First «Previous1 2 3 Next»Last»

PatentStorm

Quotables

PatentStorm News

Assignee: Renishaw plc