Abstract: The invention is directed to carbon fibers having high tensile strength and modulus of elasticity. The invention also provides a method and apparatus for making the carbon fibers. The method comprises advancing a precursor fiber through an oxidation oven wherein the fiber is subjected to controlled stretching in an oxidizing atmosphere in which tension loads are distributed amongst a plurality of passes through the oxidation oven, which permits higher cumulative stretches to be achieved. The method also includes subjecting the fiber to controlled stretching in two or more of the passes that is sufficient to cause the fiber to undergo one or more transitions in each of the two or more passes. The invention is also directed to an oxidation oven having a plurality of cooperating drive rolls in series that can be driven independently of each other so that the amount of stretch applied to the oven in each of the plurality of passes can be independently controlled.

Abstract: A system and related method to enable six-axis movement of a structure. The system is related to hexapods, Stewart platforms and other mechanical movement systems. It includes a plurality of moveable supportive legs coupled to a platform. For the Stewart platform version of the system, there are six supportive legs, each of which connects to a triangular platform that acts as a base.

Abstract: The systems and methods described herein include hexapod systems, Stewart platform systems and other mechanical movement systems, in which a set of independently moveable trucks support legs that couple to a working surface capable of holding a machine tool or other end-effector, and preferably wherein the trucks travel across a reference surface, such as around the circumference of a circle or along some other pre-defined geometrical pattern or track. For example, as described herein, the systems include Stewart platform machines that have six supportive legs each of which connects to a truck that can travel independently along a track. By coordinating the movement of these six trucks, the working surface can be moved in three dimensional space and can be oriented about three axes, providing control of roll, pitch and yaw.

Abstract: Several improvements relating to hexapods are described. The improvements relate to universal joints and ball and socket joints where two struts meet at a common focal point, two axis gimbals which are used for ballscrew drives in universal joints and a micro positioning device incorporating a hexapod structure. The universal joint (1) includes two part spheres (13, 14) connected to one strut (12) and a rotatable ring (15) connected to another strut (11). The two part spheres (13, 14) are secured together by fasteners (25) with the ring (15) secured therebetween so as to form a sphere. The ring (15) is preloaded and rotatable about a common axis (17) of the sphere.