GB981222A - Improvements in or relating to multi-dimension inspection machines - Google Patents

Abstract

981,222. Gauging apparatus. SIGMA INSTRUMENT CO. Ltd. June 8, 1961 [April 4, 1960; May 17, 1960], Nos. 11879/60 and 17425/60. Heading G1M. A machine for checking a number of dimensions of a workpiece 104, such as a compressor blade, includes two adaptor plates 101, 102 which can be removably secured to the machine and on which are removably mounted plates 120, 121 each carrying a group of measuring tips 103 for engaging both sides of the workpiece. Further plates such as 120, 121 with measuring tips may be provided for checking a number of cross-sections along the length of the blade. The tips 103 are adjustably secured to vertically movable slides 114 and may be exchanged for others when desired. Each group of slides is mounted in a frame 115 fixed to the plate 120, or 121, as the case may be, some of the slides being fixed in position to locate the workpiece vertically, while the others are spring-loaded towards the workpiece. Errors in the workpiece dimensions lead to movement of the tips away from a standard position, this movement varying the separation of a pneumatic gauging heat from an an@ (these are not shown) associated with each tip. For differently shaped blades different sets of measuring tips are used, the adapter plates 101, 102 being removed from the machine to facilitate the changing operation. The workpiece may be located horizontally by means of a fixed and a resilient stop (a simpler embodiment) but in the embodiment shown, stops 129, 137 are both movable. The stop 129 is rigid with the plate 120, which is movable, with its measuring tops, to left and right in the figure, on spring parallelogram linkage 124 connecting it via bridge 123 to the adaptor plate 101. Plate 121 is similarly mounted and urges stop 129 to the left, via the block 134, under the action of spring 152 which also urges block 144, 143, and hence stop 137, to the right. The corresponding relative movement of the anvils 147 and 160 provides a measurement of the blade width at the cross-section in question. The plate 102 is lowered for measurement towards plate 101 by mechanism provided in the machine. During this action, wedges 161 and 162 are withdrawn from between studs 148, 149 and 155, 159, respectively. In an inoperative position of the plates 101 and 102, the wedges move these studs apart, against the tension of spring 152, so that the stops 129 and 137 are retracted to allow removal of the workpiece. The Specification also describes other constructional arrangements, for example, the slides in one, or more, groups may be mounted for oblique movements. Specifications 724,205, 724,228 and 845,753 are referred to.