Celebrity Inventors
Mark Twain (Samuel L. Clemens) received Patent No. 121,992 for "An Improvement in Adjustable and Detachable Straps for Garments." He later received two more patents: one for a self-pasting scrapbook and one for a game to help players remember important historical dates.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 5239366 | Compact laser probe for profilometry Optical metrology apparatus, specifically a laser probe (1), includes a frame (10) comprised of a material selected to have a predetermined coefficient of thermal expansion. A beamsplitter (36) is coupled to the frame for generating a sample beam optical ... | 08/24/1993 |
| 5233201 | System for measuring radii of curvatures A system for measuring topological features, such curvatures and profiles, of surfaces such as semiconductor wafer surfaces. The system includes a) laser means and lens means for directing a beam of weakly-convergent light for incidence on a surface which... | 08/03/1993 |
| 5227641 | System for measuring the curvature of a semiconductor wafer A system for measuring the curvature of a surface includes a laser for emitting a beam of light to be incident upon the surface; a photodetector for detecting light reflected by the surface; a first stage for selectively moving the surface in a direction ... | 07/13/1993 |
| 5170037 | Scanning device for optically scanning a surface along a line An optical scanning device comprises an optical system for imaging a part of the surface (10) to be scanned on the detection system (22-25; 122-125). The optical system comprises an objective system (43) and two cylindrical lenses (41, 42) and/or two syst... | 12/08/1992 |
| 5134303 | Laser apparatus and method for measuring stress in a thin film using multiple wavelengths In accordance with the present invention, an apparatus and a method for measuring the radius of curvature of a surface using laser beams of multiple wavelengths are provided. The present invention avoids poor measurement due to destructive interference of... | 07/28/1992 |
| 5118955 | Film stress measurement system having first and second stage means A system for measuring the curvature of a surface includes a laser for emitting a beam of light to be incident upon the surface; a photodetector for detecting light reflected by the surface; a first stage for selectively moving the surface in a direction ... | 06/02/1992 |
| 5111056 | Optical measurement system determination of an object profile An optical measurement system for determination of an object profile includes a light source for emitting a light beam, light directing means for directing the light beam to scan a surface of the object surface and for directing a reflected light beam fro... | 05/05/1992 |
| 5103105 | Apparatus for inspecting solder portion of a circuit board A beam of light is applied to a surface of a circuit board provided with at least one solder portion. The light beam scans the surface of the circuit board. Height data are derived from a portion of the light beam which is scattered at the surface of the ... | 04/07/1992 |
| 5061860 | Deformation measuring method and device using comb-type photosensitive element array A deformation measuring method and device in which an object is irradiated with a laser beam before and after deformation of the object to obtain speckle patterns, the speckle patterns thus obtained are photoelectrically converted into electrical signals,... | 10/29/1991 |
| 5028799 | Method and apparatus for three dimensional object surface determination using co-planar data from multiple sensors A practice for developing data for use in the three-dimensional location of the points on an object surface wherein first and second sensor means are used to cause first and second electromagnetic radiation to be directed at the object surface at first an... | 07/02/1991 |
| 5003187 | Method and apparatus for surveying the surface of an object by projection of fringe patterns For sensing the surface of an object, a number of gratings with linear line patterns of different periods on a common carrier are successively projected onto the surface. Images of the line patterns deformed at the object surface are detected and stored b... | 03/26/1991 |
| 4989984 | System for measuring optical characteristics of curved surfaces A system for evaluating the optical characteristics of curved surfaces includes a light source disposed to scan a beam of light across a surface and ranging means for measuring the distance from the light source to the point being scanned and a controller... | 02/05/1991 |
| 4978861 | Device for the continuous determination of a surface state index for a moving creped sheet A device for the continuous determination of a surface state index for a ing sheet, creped in the form of undulations, comprising a light source, a first optical system, a cell intended to receive the back-scattered beam and a system for processing the b... | 12/18/1990 |
| 4943157 | Fiber optic triangulation gage Methods and apparatus for determining the curvature of a surface by use of multiple discrete triangulation sensors are described. Robustness in the face of an extreme manufacturing environment is achieved by placing a triangulation light source and a dete... | 07/24/1990 |
| 4939379 | Contour measurement using time-based triangulation methods The invention relates to the field of non-contact surface contour measurement by triangulation of reflected radiation from the surface. More particularly, the invention relates to a system for gathering x, y, z data points with respect to the surface cont... | 07/03/1990 |
| 4935635 | System for measuring objects in three dimensions A three-dimensional measuring system particularly for dental and other space-limited uses has a laser diode projecting a triangulating beam at a surface to be mapped, with the beam scanned repeatedly across the surface. Photodetectors detect the position ... | 06/19/1990 |
| 4935634 | Atomic force microscope with optional replaceable fluid cell An atomic force microscope which is readily useable for researchers for its intended use without extensive lost time for setup and repair. The probe used therein is a cantilevered optical lever which imparts surface information in a gentle and reliable ma... | 06/19/1990 |
| 4932784 | Apparatus for track-based detection of the wheel profile of passing railway wheels An apparatus for track-based detection of the wheel profile (2,3) of passing railway wheels (1) when these are passing a measuring stretch comprises a measuring apparatus (5) with a generator (6) for laser light and a receiver (7) for reflected laser ligh... | 06/12/1990 |
| 4924105 | Optical measuring device with alternately-activated detection An optical measuring device for measuring a thickness of a workpiece or a height of a step thereof comprises a pair of deviation measuring means disposed in opposing relation to the workpiece, a pulse generating circuit for producing alternative pulse sig... | 05/08/1990 |
| 4900940 | Optical system for measuring a surface profile of an object using a converged, inclined light beam and movable converging lens In a system for measuring a surface profile of an object in relation to a reference surface, a laser beam emitted from a laser 1 is converged by a convergent lens 3 and is incident on the surface of the object at an incident angle. The laser beam reflecte... | 02/13/1990 |
| 4894551 | Sectional form measuring apparatus A sectional form measuring apparatus measures perfect sectional forms of an object to be measured. The apparatus comprises a plurality of detectors for receiving reflected lights from the surface of an object, and a plurality of optical fibers with focusi... | 01/16/1990 |
| 4850712 | Method and system for determining surface profile information A system determines the surface profile of an object. Systems of this kind are used in industrial robots, such as automatic welders. The severe operating environment requires a vision system with noise immunity along with accuracy. A beam splitter enables... | 07/25/1989 |
| 4792698 | Sensing location of an object with line image projection and rotation An apparatus and method for sensing the presence or location of an object in a plane perpendicular to a reference axis is disclosed. An optical detector using triangulation techniques is used to sense the presence or rough location of the object. A contac... | 12/20/1988 |
| 4750835 | Method of and device for measuring dimensions The method for measuring dimensions of a workpiece (15) in a coordinate measuring machine having an optical probe (14) arranged to output radiation in a direction (21A) at an angle to a surface (15A) to be measured. The probe has a housing (17) which is a... | 06/14/1988 |
| 4673817 | Measuring system for contactless measuring the distance between a predetermined point of an object surface and a reference level A system for measuring without contact the distance between a predetermined point of an object surface and a reference level using trigonometric principles includes a transmitting section with a source of radiation for emitting a plurality essentially par... | 06/16/1987 |
| 4645917 | Swept aperture flying spot profiler A flying spot system uses a laser beam scanned in X and Y directions to provide surface profile information. The beam is applied to a surface under test and the time interval between the beginning of the sweep and the appearance of the beam image through ... | 02/24/1987 |
| 4558215 | Object detecting apparatus Object detecting apparatus for use, for example, upon a mobile robot to detect objects or obstacles such that the robot may navigate clear of such objects or obstacles includes a source of light for projecting a light beam (7) convergingly toward an axis ... | 12/10/1985 |
| 4547674 | Optical triangulation gear inspection This invention describes novel method and apparatus for inspecting gear geometry via optical triangulation. Preferred machine construction uses specialized geometrical relationships of sensor to gear, and specialized high accuracy photodetector array base... | 10/15/1985 |
| 4492472 | Method and system for determining shape in plane to be determined in atmosphere of scattering materials The invention relates to a method for determining the shape in a plane to be determined in atmosphere of scattering materials. The method includes comprising the steps of irradiating light on a first line to be determined being imagined on the plane to be... | 01/08/1985 |
| 4480919 | Method and system for determining shape in plane to be determined in atmosphere of scattering materials The invention relates to a method for determining the shape in a plane to be determined in atmosphere of scattering materials. The method includes the steps of irradiating light on a first line to be determined being imagined on the plane to be determined... | 11/06/1984 |
| 4473750 | Three-dimensional shape measuring device A three-dimensional shape measuring device comprises a light beam condensing and irradiating system for irradiating a light beam to an object at a fixed angle θ and converging the light beam to a desired minimum diameter at a point A on an optical axis o... | 09/25/1984 |
| 4456829 | Non-contact sensor, system and method with particular utility for measurement of road profile Electro-optical apparatus, system and method for measuring distance to a relatively moving surface, such as distance to a road surface from a vehicle frame of reference passing thereover. The apparatus includes a light transmitter for projecting a rectang... | 06/26/1984 |
| 4339664 | Method and apparatus for registration of topography This invention relates to a method of registering the tophography and height level of the charged mass in a blast furnace. A distance meter for measurement by means of direct reflection against the surface is placed in the vicinity of the top of the blast... | 07/13/1982 |
| 4322627 | Apparatus for monitoring the surface of the charge of a shaft furnace A telemetric optical-radiation laser transmitter 5 outside an aperture 2 sends a beam to a point 14 scanned over the charge surface 1, via a rotating assembly 7 of deflectors, one deflector 11 oscillating with a periodicity related to the rotation of the ... | 03/30/1982 |
| 4180830 | Depth estimation system using diffractive effects of the grooves and signal elements in the grooves Apparatus provides an incident light beam which illuminates the surface of a grooveddisc, having signal elements recorded therein in the form of a succession of spaced apart depressions, with a light spot that spans a plurality of convolutions of the groo... | 12/25/1979 |
| 4155098 | Groove depth estimation system using diffractive groove effects Groove depth estimation apparatus provides an incident light beam which illuminates the surface of a grooved disc with a light spot that spans a plurality of convolutions of the groove. The structure of the groove convolutions serves as a diffraction grat... | 05/15/1979 |
| 3967114 | Device for determining the profile of a surface A device for determining the profile of a surface is disclosed. It comprises a beam arranged in a rotating plane about an axis of rotation, forming on the surface a light spot and scanning a sector of that plane. A detection system whose detection axis is... | 06/29/1976 |
