Patents Represented by Law Firm Allen, Dyer Doppelt Milbrath & Gikhrist P.A.
  • Patent number: 5717599
    Abstract: A three-dimensional article making apparatus includes a build material dispenser positioned adjacent a platform for ejecting a plurality of droplets of build material; and dispenser positioners for relatively positioning the dispenser in five degrees of freedom with respect to the platform. Accordingly, the dispenser may be rotated and flipped to permit construction of a cantilevered portion of an article without requiring support material. The dispenser positioners include a Z-direction positioner for positioning the dispenser vertically relative to the platform, an X-Y positioner for positioning the dispenser in an X-Y planar direction relative to the platform, a flip angle positioner for rotatably positioning the dispenser relative to a generally horizontal axis, and a phi angle positioner for rotatably positioning the dispenser relative to a generally vertical axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 1994
    Date of Patent: February 10, 1998
    Assignee: BPM Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Herbert E. Menhennett, Jon N. Leonard, John R. Larsen, Robert B. Brown, Manual M. Ferreira, William B. Barlage, III, Charles F. Kirschman