Angularly And Rectilinearly Patents (Class 33/279)
  • Patent number: 6922901
    Abstract: A light leveling device includes a stationary light instrument received in a housing, and a rotatable light instrument rotatably attached to the housing, to allow the rotatable light instrument to be rotated and adjusted relative to the housing and the stationary light instrument. A carrier is rotatably secured to the housing to support the rotatable light instrument, and a motor may be coupled to the carrier to rotate and adjust the carrier and the rotatable light instrument relative to the housing automatically. A remote control device may further be used to remotely control the motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2005
    Inventors: Chiu Yen Chou, Shu Chen Chang
  • Patent number: 6902329
    Abstract: A tool and method for the alignment and placement of optoelectronic devices with attached fiber optic connectors onto the electronic interface substrate of a parallel optical transceiver package. The optoelectronic devices are connected to the substrate through a flexible circuit. The tool is comprised of a mounting frame, which includes a recess for the parallel optical transceiver package, and a rotatable clamp assembly for positioning a pair of optoelectronic devices with attached fiber optic connector and flexible circuit. Rotation of the rotatable clamp assembly properly places the flexible circuit onto the attachment point of the substrate. The rotating clamp assembly is then fixed in place by securing the actuator arm to the mounting frame. Once the clamp is secured, the flexible circuit is bonded to the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2005
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventors: Robert J. Monson, Jianhua Yan
  • Patent number: 6877236
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an optical measuring devices and method of using the device. The optical measuring device utilizes a plurality of lasers attached to a plurality of interconnected legs to optically determine CENTER, LEVEL, LENGTH, DISTANCE, and PLUMB related to a measured object. In an exemplary embodiment, a user can sight reference laser beams at a first and second point on an object. A mechanical interrelationship between the interconnected legs of the device orientates a laser beam emitted from the center laser at a point, which is equidistance between the reference laser beams. The optical measuring device can include a level, a distance finding attachment, and or an electronic system 500. Electronic system 500 functionality can include, but is not limited to, data processing, data communications, GPS enabled applications, user interface, and distance and angle determination interfaces. The optical measuring device is preferably compact, pocket sized, and portable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2005
    Inventor: Craig Edward Williams
  • Patent number: 6601309
    Abstract: A system for marking a corner angle in a working area with the aid of light planes, wherein a straight, elongate guide is disposed on each respective side of a planar working surface in the working area. Each guide carries a carriage that can be moved to chosen positions alongs its guide. Each carriage carries a laser unit which is adapted to emit a light plane that intersects the working surface, as well as the light plane of the other laser unit, at a chosen angle. Each laser unit is adapted to maintain its light plane in a set orientation relative to the longitudinal axis of its associated guide, regardless of the position to which the carriage has been moved along said guide, and both laser units are adapted to be activated simultaneously for marking said corner angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2003
    Assignee: Megascale AB
    Inventor: Hans Hedström
  • Patent number: 6501536
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for use in locating the eyes of a vehicle driver or passenger in a vehicle for controlling vehicle systems including the positioning of vehicle sideview mirrors in relation to the driver's eyes to maximize the view of traffic on either side of the vehicle or the characteristics of vehicle airbag deployment. The location of a driver's or passenger's eyes is derived from the adjustment by the driver (or passenger, if capable of doing so) of adjustable light beam(s) emanating from light source(s) or illuminated indicia, until it (or they) intersect the driver's or passenger's eyes. From the angles of adjustment of the light beam(s) and other known coordinates of the vehicle, the location of the driver's or passenger's eyes or the target may be computationally derived as a set of Cartesian coordinates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2002
    Inventor: Ronald J. Fredricks
  • Patent number: 5933393
    Abstract: A laser beam projection apparatus includes a light source, a vessel containing a transparent liquid which transmits a light beam from the light source and has a free liquid surface, a condensing optical member for condensing the light beam transmitted through the vessel and the liquid to form a secondary source of the light source, and a first optical member for collimating the light beam from the secondary source into a parallel beam. The focal lengths of the condensing optical member and the first optical member are set in accordance with the refractive index of the liquid. Preferably, the focal lengths are set in accordance with the refractive index of the liquid such that the parallel beam from the first optical member emerges in the vertical direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 3, 1999
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventor: Eiichi Kitajima
  • Patent number: 5231539
    Abstract: Methods and apparatuses are disclosed for setting the nodal point of a retroreflector such as a corner-cube prism. The apparatuses permit rotation of the retroreflector about a stationary first pivot axis and motion of the retroreflector along its optical axis relative to the first pivot axis, wherein the first pivot axis is perpendicular to the optical axis. Methods comprise using the retroreflector to produce a reflected image of a stationary reference object, and pivoting the retroreflector about the first pivot axis and moving the retroreflector along the optical axis to a position at which the reflected image remains stationary as the retroreflector is pivoted. Thus, the retroreflector is adjusted so as to produce a reflected beam that is exactly parallel to a corresponding incident beam even when the optical axis of the prism is not exactly parallel with the propagation vector of the incident beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 1992
    Date of Patent: July 27, 1993
    Assignee: Norita Precision, Inc.
    Inventor: David A. McMillen
  • Patent number: 4889425
    Abstract: A system for monitoring changes in shape of a structure employs a laser source attached to the structure and a set of beam splitters mounted at various locations on the structure and arranged to route portions of a laser beam produced by the laser source into various video cameras also mounted on the structure. Each video camera includes a photodetector array and produces an output signal indicating the intensity of light detected by each photodetector of the array, thereby indicating the beam intensity distribution in a corresponding plane of interest. The video output signal of each camera is digitized and stored as an intensity data array in the memory of a digital computer. The computer calculates from the intensity data array the position of the centroid of the beam with respect to a reference point on the plane of interest using a least squares fit of the intensity data to a two-dimensional Gaussian intensity distribution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 1987
    Date of Patent: December 26, 1989
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Frank E. Edwards, Stephen W. Wilcken
  • Patent number: 4470664
    Abstract: A reflector device for use with an optical distance measuring apparatus which includes a frame carrying a reflecting element such as a corner cube type prism and a holder for mounting the frame. The frame has a reference surface and the holder has two or more reference surfaces which are adapted to be alternately engaged with the reference surface on the frame so that the offset value of the prism can be changed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 1982
    Date of Patent: September 11, 1984
    Assignee: Tokyo Kogaku Kikai Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Akishige Shirasawa
  • Patent number: 3978590
    Abstract: Disclosed is a device for facilitating the calibration and setting of the inclination angle of a luminaire by sighting from the rear of the luminaire to a set of points such as the opposite curb of a roadway. The device may be placed on or permanently secured to the luminaire and is settable according to a derived calibrated table, either empirically derived or calculated, based on such factors as pole height, distance of pole from highway, width of the roadway, and the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 1974
    Date of Patent: September 7, 1976
    Assignee: International Telephone and Telegraph Corporation
    Inventors: William Ray Wedding, John David Kiss