Abstract: A method and apparatus for scribing a severance line around the circumference of a pipe employing a protractor with a rotative arm and alignment guide pin; and a laser beam producing a vertical line beam. The protractor is mounted on the pipe to be cut so that the protractor is parallel with respect to the longitudinal center line of the length of the pipe. Once the protractor is parallel and set to the desired angle, the laser beam is energized to project a line upon the pipe which is in alignment with the alignment guide pins. The projected line is chalked on the pipe and the pipe is cut in any conventional manner.

Abstract: In a method of determining the direction of a target by means of an optical square and passing on this direction to a magnifying sight for warfare tanks the exit window (4) of the optical square is provided with a vertical line of sight (8) and the entry window (1) with a sight aid (11). Marked areas (5, 10) in the exit window (4) have the effect that upon adjustment of the sight to the direction defined by the sight aid (11), the marked area positively will lie within the field of view of the magnifying sight.

Abstract: The specification discloses a system and method for boresighting a firearm using laser technology. More specifically, the system includes a light source for directing a collimated beam of light through the barrel and a muzzle insert defining an aperture having a smaller diameter than the collimated beam. Both the light source and muzzle insert aperture are concentric with the barrel bore, such that the light beam emitted from the bore is a coaxial extension of the barrel usable for boresighting purposes. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the muzzle insert includes a translucent material such that the location of the beam on the insert can be monitored to facilitate alignment of the beam with the barrel.

Abstract: A novel portable light beam projector device, related system apparatus, and attendant novel method for wide variety use in conjunction with military vehicles, to establish optimum placement of optical fire detection sensors relative to installation of the vehicle's fire suppression system. These inventions are similarly usable to novelly establish corresponding optimum placement of various optical type intrusion and/or fire-detection sensors to similarly protect various confidential areas including storage facilities and attendant personnel/equipment/data and the like whether of a military, industrial or commercial character.Each light projector device has an adjustable tubular shroud to adjustably focus the light beam cone angle. The desired cone angle of the light beam is initially set by use of associated system apparatus including an associated light beam calibration chart and some optional projector support stands.

Abstract: A gravitational protractor and measuring tape for determining the distance between respective conduit ends residing at differential elevations.

Abstract: A wheel alignment process using manually operable alignment apparatus wherein all four wheels of a vehicle having a front steerable wheel pair and a rear nonsteerable wheel pair may be set in toe without turning the vehicle around part way through the process. The process provides for setting both front and rear toe relative to the chassis centerline in one aspect of the disclosure and for setting rear toe as close as practical to the chassis centerline and the front toe relative to the rear wheel rolling direction in another aspect of the disclosure. A lock is also disclosed which assures stability of the reference for the front and rear toe settings during the practice of the toe setting process.

Abstract: A method and an arrangement for automatic alignment of a geodetic angle measuring device, especially an electronic tachymeter for topographical survey, in the marking and measuring of points. The object of the invention consists in a rapid and precise, yet constructively and technologically simple solution. The novel feature is the utilization of a reference parameter, which at the device position and the target point is the same. Such reference parameters are the north direction and vertical direction, which are fixed at the target point and the device position by a circular or magnetic compass and pendulum or plumb line. In reference to such north direction and/or vertical direction, there is measured the target direction of a reflector at the target point and are formed the complementary angles by which the tachymeter has to be adjusted so that it can aim at the reflector.

Abstract: In order to determine the correct relative positions of marker tips on an adjustable jig used for chassis and body repairs of a damaged automotive vehicle, a three-dimensional representation of the spatial distribution of characteristic points of the vehicular structure is created by means of two projectors emitting pairs of intersecting light rays with the aid of mostly opaque slides bearing conjugate patterns of transparent dots. In a presetting operation the projectors are so oriented that certain--preferably distinctly colored--light rays traversing their slides intersect at fixed spots on a stationary wall against which the jig is subsequently placed for an adjustment of its markers until their tips coincide with the intersections of respective pairs of preferably distinctively colored orientation rays. The slides may also bear projectable legends indicating the type of vehicle to which they pertain.

Abstract: A method is disclosed by which, through the use of known wheel alignment equipment including wheel mounted alignment heads and targets, the off-track condition between the rear and front wheel pairs of a vehicle and the rear wheel total toe is initially measured to determine if it is within specifications for the specific vehicle. Following adjustment of the rear wheels, if necessary, to place these characteristics within the specifications, the wheel alignment equipment on each side of the vehicle is adjusted to assume an orientation dictated by the remaining off-track condition and the rear wheel average rolling direction. The alignment equipment is then fixed in such orientations. The wheel mounted alignment heads and targets are thereafter transferred, with adjustments intact, to diagonally opposite wheels. The front wheels are then moved through a steering excursion sufficient to provide an indication on the targets that the total front wheel toe is split about the rear wheel average toe direction.

Abstract: An electronic aligner head is mounted on one rear wheel of a vehicle. The aligner head projects a light beam toward the front wheel on the same side of the vehicle. A centering gage is adapted to contact lower points on the inner flanges of each of the rear wheel rims. A lateral arm is connected to a housing on the centering gage. The lateral arm extends past the one rear wheel and carries a centering gage head on the free end. The arm is adjustable in length to place the centering gage head at the same lateral distance from the chassis centerline as the light beam projector. The centering gage is removed from the position between the rear wheel rims and placed in a similar position between the front wheel rims. The centering gage head is configured to either reflect the beam back to a light beam detector on the aligner head or alternatively to direct the beam to a detector in the gage head. The detector provides a signal indicative of the toe of the one rear wheel.

Abstract: The method for diagnosing vehicle wheel alignment characteristics in which the longitudinally spaced steerable and non-steerable wheels are equipped with means for permitting the practice of displaying the alignment characteristics of the planes of rotation of the steerable wheels in relation to the geometric center line and the thrust line effect of the non-steerable wheels on the steerable wheels, in combination with the steps of adjusting the plane of rotation of the non-steerable wheels for bringing the thrust line effect thereof into substantial tracking relation with the geometric center line of the vehicle, and monitoring the effect of the adjustment imparted to the non-steerable wheels.

Abstract: A portable gyroscopic compass surveying device includes means for rapidly aligning the apparatus with respect to geographic north, the north finder itself being operated apart from the associated theodolite on its own low mount. The transfer of the azimuth reference data is accomplished optically by sighting the theodolite telescope on a retro-reflector associated with the north finder. Because the north finder is physically separated from the theodolite, sightings may be made by the theodolite operator while the undisturbed north seeking operation is in process, significantly shortening the total time of operation at each station.

Abstract: The invention concerns the field of the solar shadowscopes. The apparatus according to the invention is characterized by the fact that the conditions of sunshine are recreated by the displacement of the light source in the relation to the apparatus and that the final position of the light source is given by the real position meeting exactly a given theoretical position of the shadow on the date scale and on the hour scale of a point "T", actually shown by the point of intersection of two wires set in the light beam.Application to the determination of the shadows on a model.

Abstract: Plumbing devices (10,30,60) are described comprising a source of light in a gimbal system (12,13,51,72) for providing two oppositely directed aligned vertically oriented beams of light. The gimbal system (12,13,51,72) is removably attached to a support (14,31,61). A handle (14a,45,62) is provided for holding the plumbing device at various distances from underlying and overlying surfaces. Each of the light beams can be focused individually. A windshield (15) is provided for removable attachment to the support for preventing wind induced oscillation of the light source. A rigid frame (32,33,65) is provided for holding the light source in a fixed position relative to an object to be plumbed and for removable attachment to the object while the object is being plumbed.

Abstract: In a wheel alignment system, the error caused by run-out of the axis of a fixture that is clamped to the wheel and mounts gravity stabilized inclination sensors is corrected by continuously providing fixture axis inclination signals during rotation of the wheel through at least 360.degree. from any random starting position. Maximum and minimum comparator devices continuously receive these signals. A first adder adds the maximum and minimum signals and divides them by 2 to provide a preliminary alignment signal proportional to the actual angular inclination of the wheel axis in a selected alignment plane, and the preliminary alignment signal is subtracted from an intermediate inclination signal from the sensor that represents the inclination of the fixture axis at the wheel stopped position to provide a run-out error signal proportional to that portion of the total angular run-out of the fixture axis that is present in a selected alignment plane at the wheel stopped position.

Abstract: In certain wheel alignment measuring apparatus, a fixture is clamped to the rim of a wheel and an alignment sensor is pendulously mounted upon the fixture so that as the wheel is rotated the sensor will not rotate with the fixture. However, since the plane of the fixture is not necessarily parallel to the plane of the wheel the sensor may oscillate relative to the ground surface as the wheel is rotated-a condition known as "runout" which results in sensor reading errors. This is corrected by rotating the fixture to three separate rotative positions and recording the sensor readings at each such position. Circuitry is provided for determining the true alignment of the wheel by calculating the amount of the runout error at the final rotative position of the wheel and correcting the sensor reading by this amount.

Abstract: For measuring the angular position of the rotational axis of a wheel, in relation to the longitudinal axis of the associated vehicle, a sight line is provided across an extension of the rotary axle of the wheel and substantially in a plane in common with the longitudinal axis, and that optical extensions of the sight line in both directions are compared with each other each in one point with respect to the positions of the points relative to the longitudinal axis.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method of providing runout compensation for wobble present in the measurements made of the orientation of a rotary body relative to at least a pair of planes, and including at least a pair of sensors for providing measurements angularly related to each other and with the sensors coupled to the body for providing signals representative of the measurements of the rotary body relative to at least the pair of planes at a particular angular relationship. The body is rotated through a plurality of positions for providing signals representative of the measurement of the body relative to the pair of planes at the different positions. A first output signal is produced and is representative of the orientation of the body relative to one of the planes in accordance with the measurements at the different positions in the one plane and with the measurements in the one plane used to provide a runout compensation for wobble present in the measurements.

Abstract: A method of aligning vehicle wheels by correlating the individual alignment of the non-steerable wheels and the steerable wheels, and in which the direction of travel of the non-steerable wheel is determined and applied in the determination of the corresponding complementary alignment of the steerable wheels, and apparatus by which the method may be put into useful operation.

Abstract: This device for detecting possible distortions in a frame or in the base of a chassis-cum-body of a motor vehicle or other frame structures comprises a pair of carriages slidably mounted on rigid support members, each carriage having pivotally and separately mounted thereon a pair of arms carrying measuring rods at their outer ends, each arm being rigid with a toothed wheel so that the toothed wheels of each pair of arms mesh with each other and the arms constantly form symmetrical angles, like the two legs of a compass, irrespective of their positions, in relation to the longitudinal center line of the device which, for checking the presence of possible distortions in the frame or body base, is caused to register with the longitudinal center line of the frame or body base, whereby the measuring rods may be caused to register with predetermined reference points of the frame or body base.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for vertical alignment of a borehole rig directly over a drilling site involve use of a camera placed in parallel orientation to the drilling mast or drill string and sighted in on the drill target, then allowed to swing free to the true-plumb position, thereafter bringing the mast back into parallel orientation with the now-plumb camera.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for undertaking control measurements of a measurement object such as a motor vehicle frame or unit installed thereon, in which a directional beam or beams are used which extend only parallel to one coordinate axis and in which only one light source is used which emits directional beams toward one or two sides; only one parallel guidance coordinated thereto is provided which is securely connected at least indirectly with the vehicle, extending preferably perpendicularly to the vehicle longitudinal axis underneath the vehicle floor; the position of the control points perpendicular to the direction of the parallel guidance will be determined by direct mechanical measurements of the distance between the corresponding plumbing rulers, on the one hand, and the parallel guidance or a fixed point at the beam source, on the other.

Abstract: A method for optically aigning a machine part which should have its center line perpendicular to the vertical plane of a reference. The deviation in the horizontal and in the vertical plane between the actual position and the desired position of the part is numerically determined through the use of a theodolite. For determining the deviation in the horizontal plane two reference marks are provided entirely outside the machine at a distance as far as possible from each other. The distance between the two reference marks determines both a base line running parallel to the longitudinal center line of the machine and the position of the vertical plane of reference.

Abstract: The antenna reflector whose surface is to be measured is mounted on a moderately level surface. A relatively thin full diameter template is located sequentially at n different locations in the antenna reflector. Spacers are disposed between the template and the reflector surface at each of the n locations. A graduated target is mounted on the template at the certral vertical axis of the reflector. A bench scope is supported and levelled on a table disposed a convenient distance from the target and sighted at the target at each of the n locations. At each of the n locations a height reading is made and measurements of the spacing between the template and reflector surface are made at m intervals along the template. These readings and measurements are recorded in a matrix of n rows and (m + 1) columns. The change in height reading is calculated for each position of the template and used to weight the associated m spacing measurements.