Abstract: A linear-motion stage that is angularly or radially symmetric or asymmetric, or monolithic may be used as the moving mechanism in a Fourier transform spectrometer. In embodiments, a linear-motion stage includes a base; a first multiple-arm linkage extending from the base to a first carriage attachment end; a second multiple-arm linkage extending from the first carriage attachment end to the base; a third multiple-arm linkage extending from the base to a second carriage attachment end; a carriage extending from the first carriage end to the second carriage end. Also in embodiments, the first, second, and third multiple-arm linkages comprise a first arm rotateably connected to a second arm through a flexure, the angular travel of the first arm is configured to be different than an angular travel of the second arm as the carriage moves along the carriage motion line.

Abstract: A flexure mechanism may be constructed by joining a first, second, and third material together, wherein the first and second materials are non-flexure materials and the third material is a flexure material that does not have a flexure motion-defining feature. Then, after the joining step, forming a flexure-motion defining feature into the third material. Each of the components of flexure mechanism may first be machined individually and the components may then be joined or assembled in any order. Significant tolerance stack-up may occur during the individual machining operations and joining assembly of the individual components. However, these tolerance issues, miss-alignments or other flaws in the overall assembly may be eliminated in the forming of the flexure-motion defining features as part of flexure mechanism.

Abstract: A linear-motion stage that is angularly or radially symmetric or asymmetric, or monolithic may be used as the moving mechanism in a Fourier transform spectrometer. In embodiments, a linear-motion stage includes a base; a first multiple-arm linkage extending from the base to a first carriage attachment end; a second multiple-arm linkage extending from the first carriage attachment end to the base; a third multiple-arm linkage extending from the base to a second carriage attachment end; a carriage extending from the first carriage end to the second carriage end. Also in embodiments, the first, second, and third multiple-arm linkages comprise a first arm rotateably connected to a second arm through a flexure, the angular travel of the first arm is configured to be different than an angular travel of the second arm as the carriage moves along the carriage motion line.