Abstract: An exchanging device is for exchangeably holding a sensor, probe element or tool on a machine or on a machine part or a rotation-pivot unit on a machine or a machine part, preferably, a coordinate measuring apparatus. The exchanging device includes a take-up holder having a first bearing part and a counter piece (22) having a second bearing part corresponding to the first bearing part. A releasable clamping unit (42), for example, a magnetic clamping unit, is provided with which a clamping force is generated between the first and second bearing parts when the counter piece is accommodated on the take-up holder. A locking device having a first locking element (29) is provided on the take-up holder and a counter piece corresponding to the locking element (29) of the take-up holder is provided on the counter piece (22), for example, in the form of a slider (30). With the locking device, the counter piece can be mechanically coupled to the take-up holder in the state when it is taken up by the take-up holder.

Abstract: An exchanging device is for exchangeably holding a sensor, probe element or tool on a machine or on a machine part or a rotation-pivot unit on a machine or a machine part, preferably, a coordinate measuring apparatus. The exchanging device includes a take-up holder having a first bearing part and a counter piece (22) having a second bearing part corresponding to the first bearing part. A releasable clamping unit (42), for example, a magnetic clamping unit, is provided with which a clamping force is generated between the first and second bearing parts when the counter piece is accommodated on the take-up holder. A locking device having a first locking element (29) is provided on the take-up holder and a counter piece corresponding to the locking element (29) of the take-up holder is provided on the counter piece (22), for example, in the form of a slider (30). With the locking device, the counter piece can be mechanically coupled to the take-up holder in the state when it is taken up by the take-up holder.

Abstract: A probe for a coordinate measuring machine has a stationary first part and a second part which can move relative to said first part. The second part can be a feeler pin or a feeler pin extension of the probe. A damping member for damping vibrations of the moveable second part has a magnet arrangement for producing a magnetic field, and has a conductor element. The magnet arrangement is designed such that there is a change in direction of the magnetic field along a path of movement of the conductor element.

Abstract: A probe for a coordinate measuring machine has a stationary first part and a second part which can move relative to said first part. The second part can be a feeler pin or a feeler pin extension of the probe. A damping member for damping vibrations of the moveable second part has a magnet arrangement for producing a magnetic field, and has a conductor element. The magnet arrangement is designed such that there is a change in direction of the magnetic field along a path of movement of the conductor element.

Abstract: A probe head for a coordinate measuring machine has a feeler device that can be deflected in space. Also provided are balancing element for adjusting a predetermined rest position of the feeler device for any different alignment of the probe head in space. The balancing element are designed as masses. The forces or moments required for balancing the feeler device are produced by the masses.

Abstract: A probe head for a coordinate measuring machine has a feeler device that can be deflected in space. Also provided are balancing element for adjusting a predetermined rest position of the feeler device for any different alignment of the probe head in space. The balancing element are designed as masses. The forces or moments required for balancing the feeler device are produced by the masses.

Abstract: A bearing arrangement has fluid pressure bearings which permit an especially stiff support and is therefore especially well suited for high precision machines such as coordinate measuring apparatus. The bearing arrangement includes at least two fluid pressure bearings (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17) having a membrane formed as a support end. The membrane is concavely deformed by the bearing pressure. The bearing arrangement also includes a rigidly configured bearing base body which is supported on the two fluid pressure bearings. The rigid support is achieved in that at least one of the fluid pressure bearings includes a bearing housing (12a, 12b; 13a, 13b; 14a, 14b) which is configured as one piece and in that the bearing base body (6) is operatively connected directly to the bearing housing (12a, 12b; 13a, 13b; 14a, 14b). The bearing housing includes at least the membrane.

Abstract: A load-compensating gas bearing which exhibits high total rigidity over a large range of loads. The bearing consists of a deformable disk (3) that is supported by, but is not fixed to, a circular support (6) that is rigidly mounted to a base element connected with the machine part (1) being supported by the bearing. The disk (3) is held and centered only by a cylindrical insert (5) that is also used to supply the supporting gas to the bearing span. The bearing side of the deformable disk is provided with a hard plastic coating for protection in the event the gas supply is discontinued; and in one preferred embodiment, the circular support (6) is mounted to a base element that is integral with the machine part being supported.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a temperature measuring head for rapidly measuring the temperature of a workpiece on a coordinate measuring apparatus. To rapidly measure the temperature of the workpiece, the coordinate measuring probe element is exchanged for a temperature measuring head which operates pursuant to the principle of a switching probe head. The measuring head supplies a contact signal after contact with the workpiece takes place. From this time point on, the temperature variation is measured by the temperature measuring head and the determined values are stored in the computer of the coordinate measuring apparatus. The temperature of the workpiece is extrapolated via a numerical evaluation method from a specific measurement interval. After the necessary measurement interval, the temperature measuring head is exchanged for the needed probe element combination. The invention is also directed to a temperature measuring head for carrying out the method of the invention.

Abstract: The invention contemplates a technique to correct for measurement error which is attributable to gravitational sag of a probe head (6) mounted to a multiple-axis articulating head (2). To this end, a variable (b) is determined which describes the stiffness of the articulating head (2) and/or of a probe extension (5) mounted thereto, said variable being characteristic for the probe configuration in question and being entered into the memory of the computer of the coordinate-measuring machine. The sag B (.alpha., .beta.) which has differing values that depend on actual angular positions (.alpha., .beta.) is then calculated from these angular positions for each of the angular positions, and the calculated sag value is appropriately taken into account in computer-reporting of coordinate-measurement values made by the machine.Calibration of the articulating head in each of the various different angular positions is therefore unnecessary.

Abstract: The invention contemplates use of a suction bell to enhance the loading with which a guided machine part is gravitationally supported on its guide. In application to a machine in which the machine part is movably supported on air bearings, the suction bell applies a preload force of magnitude to optimize the stiffness of air-bearing action and to maintain an air gap of uniform capillary thickness, free of mechanical contact between the machine part and its supporting surface.

Abstract: A probe head for a multiple-coordinate measuring machine defines the at-rest or zero position of a movable probe-pin holder part with respect to a relatively fixed housing part of the head, by employing a flexible coupling between a circular base of the probe-pin holder and a circular reference surface of the housing. The flexible coupling comprises a stacked plurality of interconnected flat disks or rings of spring material, one ring on top of the next, and their interconnections are at sector regions which are at progressively staggered, angularly offset locations, from one to the next pair of sector-connected adjacent surfaces in the stack. In the at rest condition, all rings of the coupling are axially compressed, with their flat surfaces in direct axial abutment with each other, as well as with the fixed part and the movable part of the probe head.

Abstract: The invention concerns a probe head of the so-called measuring type with scales which supply signals proportional to the position of a probe pin in its deflected state. A probe-pin carrier is the movable part of the probe head, being mounted indirectly on at least three intermediate bodies which, in their turn, are guided linearly in a fixed or housing part of the probe head. As a result of the symmetrical arrangement of the linear guides and the identical mass of intermediate bodies, like inertial responses characterize probe deflection in all directions in space. The workpiece-contacting force is, therefore, independent of coordinate direction in a dynamic operation of the probe head, as in the course of a continuous scan of a workpiece profile.

Abstract: The invention is directed to an electromagnetic holding device which includes one or more permanent magnets and an electromagnet. The holding device releases and pulls in units which are held thereon. During an exchange operation, the field of the electromagnet is superposable on the field of the permanent magnet either in the same direction or in the opposing direction and thereby intensifies or neutralizes the holding force. In order to provide the smallest possible assembly volume and lowest weight with the highest possible holding force, the permanent magnet is disposed ahead of the electromagnet when viewed with respect to the exchange face. When the exchange part is pulled in, the field lines of the electromagnet run in a completely closed flux-conducting part which is not interrupted at any location by an air gap.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a magazine for an apparatus such as a coordinate measuring apparatus. Measuring probes are held in their magazine locations by magnetic forces. Each magazine location is provided with one or more permanent magnets. The holding force of the permanent magnets is neutralized by an individual electromagnet on that magazine location which is involved in an exchange operation. In this way, the measuring probe being held can be easily removed. The magazine can also be for an apparatus such as a machine tool in which case work tools are held at the magazine locations.

Abstract: The invention contemplates a pneumatically driven piston as a preloading device, continuously urging the movable part (11) of a probe head into precise seating engagement with its fixed bearing (10), (12) in the housing of the probe head. The piston is movable in a cylinder (4) that is supplied with variable regulated pressure determined by a controlled regulating valve (16). Different contacting forces can be automatically and rapidly adjusted by the control system (18) of a coordinate-measuring machine to which the probe head is mounted, and the probe head can be tared to compensate for the different individual weights of successively different probe pins that are used in a given program of multiple-point coordinate measurements on a workpiece.

Abstract: To overcome friction in the mount of the switching-type probe head, a probe (5/6) displaceably mounted therein is transiently excited in oscillation for a predetermined time after each contacting process. The same piezoelectric element (17) as that which produces the initial work-contact signal in the probe head can additionally be used to stimulate the oscillations.

Abstract: Truncated pyramid mounting configurations and relationships are disclosed as inherently and reproducibly determining an accurate zero-position as between a probe head and a probe pin that is deflectably carried by the probe head. And the same principle of accurately determining zero position is also described in application to the automated releasable chucking of interchangeable probe pins and/or of an auxiliary probe head, as to the installed probe head of a coordinate-measuring machine.In one described case of truncated triangular pyramid mountings, the zero position is determined by concurrent engagement of six seating points which are distributed radially and axially with respect to the common central longitudinal axis of the involved geometric pyramids.The mounting configurations have high torsional rigidity and a relatively large region within which self-centering to the zero position is achieved.

Abstract: The invention contemplates an articulating head having bearings of reproducible travel behavior, for precision angular displacment of a mounted probe-pin, about each of two orthogonal component axes of rotation. The precision of angular displacement relies upon high-resolution angle encoders for reading the instantaneous angle for each of these component axes of rotation and for reporting the same to the computer of a coordinate-measuring machine. Active position-control circuits use the angle encoders for controlling drive about the respective component axes of rotation, all in conjunction with a given program of measurements by the coordinate-measuring machine. A probe holder mounted to the articulating head can be oriented to any desired angular aspect with respect to the workpiece feature to be measured or scanned, and measurements can be made solely by controleld actuation via one or both drives on the respective axes of the articulating head, i.e.