Abstract: There is provided an improved tool for use in aligning both angular and translational position of a laser beam at a rotating joint of a laser beam delivery system having one or more rotatable laser optics. The tool includes a tool chassis which receives a laser beam directed along a laser beam axis to the rotating joint of the delivery system and the tool chassis. The tool further includes structure for mounting the tool chassis on the rotatable part of a rotating joint of a laser beam delivery system to be aligned, a position monitor for monitoring the laser beam received relative to a two dimensional coordinate system during rotation of the tool, and a laser beam focusing lens which focuses at least a portion of the laser beam received such that translational deviations of the received beam are eliminated from that focused portion of the beam.

Abstract: There is provided a position error sensing and feedback apparatus and method for a positioning device having a working piece which is moved along a rectilinear triordinate system. The apparatus comprises a laser source for providing a highly polarized laser beam which is directed substantially parallel to a first of the axes of the triordinate system. In a preferred embodiment, a first laser beam processing package is located along such first axis for receiving the laser beam and splitting such beam into a first portion which is directed outwardly along a path substantially parallel to a second axis of the triordinate system, with the remaining portion directed to at least one error detector means for measuring positional and orientational errors of the first processing package relative the laser beam.

Abstract: A laser beam combiner housing is connected to a light pipe distribution system, and has a first beam path established for a principal lasing beam passing through an inlet aperture to an outlet aperture connected to the light distribution system. An internal mirror face transversely intercepts the first beam path and is aligned with a second laser beam path, so that the second laser beam will establish a line of incidence with the reflective mirror, and the corresponding line of reflection of said second laser beam will be collinear with the first laser beam path. The second laser beam is created by a low power visible spectrum laser generating unit, so that the light distribution pipes and corresponding reflective mirrors may be accurately aligned with the principal lasing beam path. The housing is also provided with cooling fluid to create controlled environment for the principal lasing beam.