Abstract: A novel means for manufacturing a precision linear or rotary motion system that is comprised of one or a set of precision machine bearing rails (i.e., long straight and parallel surfaces, or a single straight shaft), precision manufactured modular bearing pads, and a carriage or housing that surrounds the bearing pads when they are placed onto the rails and held in place by placing a vacuum on the port normally used to supply pressurized lubricant to the bearing rails, but leaves a gap between the rough surface of the housing or the carriage and the backsides of the bearing pads, into which gap a stable epoxy is injected to fill the gap between the backs of the bearing pads and the inner rough surface of the carriage.

Abstract: A novel means for the design of the pockets of a hydrostatic spindle and the flow supply, collection, and pocket injection means to allow for very high speed rotation with a minimum of heat generation, mid maximum load capacity; furthermore the concept of self compensation is used to make the design insensitive to contaminants and thereby allow for the use of water based hydrostatic fluids, whereas the design of the compensator region is also advanced to facilitate high speed use. Accordingly, the present invention allows designers to increase the allowable speed and accuracy of rotary motion hydrostatic bearings. Design methodologies are presented for designing self compensating hydrostatic bearing spindle pockets and compensators to minimize the effects variation in stiffness with angular position, cavitation in bearing pockets, and turbulent shear power generation.

Abstract: A self-compensating linear fluidstatic or hydrostatic bearing and method in which preferably circular annular pressurized-fluid-receiving grooves provided in the opposed carriage bearing surfaces regulate the fluid fed to longitudinal recess pockets formed in the opposing bearing surfaces to provide a thin film or layer of pressurized fluid in the gaps between a bearing rail and the opposing bearing surfaces; the regulation establishing differential pressures in the opposing bearing surface pockets to compensate for loads applied to opposite sides of the bearing.

Abstract: A motor controller for a three-phase rotary electric motor driving a leadscrew or linear electric motor actuated carriage or similar device and in which the controller generates periodic waveforms on all three phases that match the back-emf of the motor to enable smooth moving of the carriage with compensation for nonlinearities in motor parameters and carriage stiffness and damping.

Abstract: A multi-axis Digital Signal Processor based servo controller system in which all servo and sensor interface boards are connected to a common backplane bus system enabling inter-board communication, with parallel processing using dual port memory and multiple DSP chips, and with each servo board having access to position data from other axis feedback sensors as well as their own, and a self-tuning control software architecture that uses the hardware architecture high speed to allow it to self-tune control constants to optimize performance.

Abstract: In a system that includes a linearly movable carriage or the like, a mechanism to convert rotary motion of a leadscrew to linear motion of a nut and, hence, linear movement of the carriage to which the nut is mechanically secured. The leadscrew has a special threadform and the nut has a special threadform that matches the threadform of the leadscrew with a pressurized fluid interface therebetween, there being both axial clearance and radial clearance sufficient to accommodate angular and lateral misalignment between the leadscrew and the carriage. Shallow independent grooves or passages are distributed along the length nut's helical threadform to equalize air pressure therealong and orifices are provided to the grooves or passages to permit introduction of high pressure air or other fluid thereto. Exhausts are provided from the region of clearance between the leadscrew threadform and the nut threadform. Both threadforms are ideally in the form of square threads.