JP3069892B2 - Angle indexing mechanism for surveying instruments - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an angle indexing mechanism incorporated in a so-called level measuring instrument.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art When a surveying instrument for measuring a level or the like is used particularly in an architectural field, it is often necessary to set the surveying instrument once in a predetermined measuring direction and then to set the surveying instrument in a direction perpendicular to the measuring direction. Will be needed. Such a right-angle indexing can usually be accurately performed by observing an angle scale for angle indexing provided around the surveying instrument, but while observing such an angle scale. Performing right angle indexing is a tedious and relatively time consuming task.

[0003]

In order to easily perform the right angle indexing as described above, a buzzer is set when the surveying instrument is once set in a predetermined measuring direction and then rotated from the set position to an angle of 90 degrees. It is known to notify the surveyor by operating
In order to finally set the 90-degree rotation position, the angle graduation as described above must be relied upon. For this reason, the time required for the right-angle indexing operation requires about 30 seconds. Another drawback of the right-angle indexing mechanism using such a buzzer or the like is that an optical or magnetic detector for detecting the rotation angle of the surveying mechanism, an electronic control circuit, a power supply, and the like are required. It has been pointed out that the manufacturing cost of the right angle indexing function is relatively expensive. In the above description, the case where a surveying instrument such as a level is indexed at a right angle has been described. However, the same can be said for other angle indexing.

[0004] In view of the problems of the conventional angle indexing mechanism described above, an object of the present invention is to provide an angle indexing mechanism for a surveying instrument incorporated in a surveying instrument for measuring a level or the like, which can be manufactured at low cost. Another object of the present invention is to provide an angle indexing mechanism for a surveying instrument configured to be able to quickly execute an angle indexing.

[0005]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, an angle indexing mechanism for a surveying instrument includes a rotating member rotatably held around a rotating shaft of the surveying instrument, and a side for supporting the rotating shaft. A fixing member, a mechanical angle indexing means provided between the rotating member and the fixing member, and a locking means for selectively locking the rotating member to the fixing member. When the rotating member is locked to the fixed member by the means, the mechanical angle indexing means functions.

In the angle indexing mechanism for a surveying instrument according to the first aspect of the present invention, preferably, the rotating member is a cap-shaped member disposed at a lower end of the rotating shaft, and the fixed member rotates the rotating shaft. It is a sleeve-like member that can be freely accommodated. The lock means is a lock screw means screwed to the cap-shaped member, and the cap-shaped member is locked to the sleeve-shaped member by bringing the lock screw means into contact with the sleeve-shaped member. It has become.

A surveying instrument angle indexing mechanism according to a second aspect of the present invention comprises a rotating member rotatably held around a rotating shaft of the surveying instrument, a fixing member for supporting the rotating shaft, A mechanical angle indexing means provided between the rotating member and the fixed member; and a locking means for selectively locking the rotating member to the fixed member. The mechanical angle indexing means functions when locked to the side.

[0008] In the angle indexing mechanism for a surveying instrument according to the first aspect of the present invention, preferably, the rotating member is rotatably provided around the outer periphery of a sleeve-like member that rotatably accommodates the rotating shaft. The fixing member is an overhanging portion that projects integrally from the sleeve-like member and at least partially comes into sliding contact with the disk-like member. The lock means is a lock screw means screwed to a part integral with the rotary shaft side, and the disk-shaped member is locked to the rotary shaft side by bringing the lock screw means into contact with the disk-shaped member. It has become.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Next, an embodiment of an angle indexing device for a surveying instrument according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Referring to FIG. 1, a surveying instrument is generally designated by the reference numeral 10 and is generally referred to as a level. Reference numeral 12 denotes a leveling table on which the surveying instrument 10 is installed.
There is provided a sleeve-like member 16 adapted to rotatably accommodate the zero rotation shaft 14, and this sleeve-like member 16 forms a fixed member with respect to the surveying instrument 10. The leveling table 12 is mounted on a tripod for a surveying instrument.
And three leveling screw mechanisms 20 on the base 18
(Only one of them is shown in FIG. 1). As is well known, the leveling screw mechanism 20 is a fine adjustment mechanism for accurately setting the surveying instrument 10 at a horizontal position with respect to a vertical line.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 22 denotes a surveying instrument 10.
1 shows a mechanism for finely adjusting the rotational angle position of the fine gear 22a.
The rotation angle position of the surveying instrument 10 is finely adjusted by manually rotating the worm gear 22b. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 24 indicates an angle scale, and the rotation angle of the surveying instrument 10 can be read by the angle scale 24.

An angle indexing mechanism for a surveying instrument according to the present invention is indicated generally by the reference numeral 26, and the angle indexing mechanism for a surveying instrument is located at the lower end of the rotating shaft 14 of the surveying instrument 10, ie, the leveling table 12.
Is provided at the lower end of the sleeve-shaped member, that is, the fixing member 16. As shown in FIG. 2, the surveying instrument angle indexing mechanism 26 includes a rotating member 28 rotatably held with respect to the lower end of the rotating shaft 14, and the rotating member 28 is formed as a cap-shaped member. That is, from the lower end of the rotating shaft 14, the projecting shaft 30 is made to pass through the center of the bottom of the cap-like member 28,
By attaching the holding ring 32 to the projection shaft 30, the rotating member, that is, the cap-shaped member 28 is held rotatably with respect to the rotating shaft 14.

An annular index plate 34 as shown in FIG. 3 is fixed around the inner bottom surface of the cap-like member 28. The annular index plate 34 has four V-shaped recesses 34a at an angle of 90 degrees. They are formed at equal intervals. On the other hand, a hole 36 is formed in the rotary shaft 14 in a vertical direction from the lower end surface thereof. In the hole 36, a compression coil spring 38 and a ball element elastically biased by the compression coil spring 38 are provided. 40 are accommodated. The position where the hole 36 is formed coincides with the circumference of the annular indexing plate 34, so that the ball element 40 is engaged in the V-shaped recess 34a of the annular indexing plate 34. When the surveying instrument 10 is rotated by
The rotation member 28 rotates in conjunction with the rotation shaft 14. The annular indexing plate 34, the compression coil spring 38
And the ball element 40 constitute an angle indexing means. However, when the rotating member 28 rotates in conjunction with the rotating shaft 14 of the surveying instrument 10, such an angle indexing means cannot perform its indexing function. Absent.

As apparent from FIG. 2, the cap-like member 28 is a part of the fixing member 16 (ie, the sleeve-like member 16).
The lower end of the lock screw 42 screwed to the cap-shaped member 28 comes into contact with the lower end. That is, the lock screw 4
2 is screwed into a screw hole formed in the rotating member, that is, the cap-like member 28, and by screwing the lock screw 42 inward, the tip of the lock screw 42 is
At this time, the cap-like member 28 is locked to the sleeve-like member 16. When the surveying instrument 10 is rotated in such a locked state, the cap-shaped member 28 no longer rotates in conjunction with the rotating shaft 14, and at this time, the above-described angle indexing means performs its indexing function. You will be in a state to gain.

More specifically, when the surveying instrument 10 is set in a predetermined surveying direction, the lock screw 42 is loosened, so that the cap-like member 28 rotates in conjunction with the rotating shaft 14 of the surveying instrument 10. Move. After the surveying instrument 10 is set in the predetermined surveying direction, the cap-like member 28 is locked to the sleeve-like member 16 by the lock screw 42, and at this time, the ball element 40 has four V-shaped recesses 34a.
Is in a state of being engaged with any one of. When the surveyor intends to set the surveying instrument 10 in a direction perpendicular to the measuring direction, the surveyor only needs to rotate the surveying instrument 10 in either direction, and at this time, the ball element 40 has the corresponding V-shape. When the surveyor once gets out of the depression 34a and engages with the V-shaped depression 34a located at an angle of 90 degrees from the corresponding V-shaped depression 34a, the surveyor receives a click feeling from the surveying instrument 10, and then rotates the surveying instrument 10 there. By stopping, the angle indexing of the surveying instrument 10 is completed.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, two assemblies each including a compression coil spring 38 and a ball element 40 are provided diametrically with respect to the rotating shaft 14 in order to increase the accuracy of angle indexing. Alternatively, the two ball elements 40 may be simultaneously engaged with the two diametrically located V-shaped recesses 34a. Further, four assemblies each including the compression coil spring 38 and the ball element 40 are provided. One ball element 40 may be simultaneously engaged with the four V-shaped recesses 34a.

Further, in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the annular index plate 34 is provided on the cap-like member 28 side, but the annular index plate 34 is provided on the lower end surface side of the rotating shaft 14;
An assembly consisting of the compression coil spring 38 and the ball element 40 can be provided on the cap-like member 28 side. On the other hand, the annular indexing plate 34 may be formed in a collar shape and provided on the inner peripheral surface of the cap-like member 28. 14 will be formed in the radial direction.

Further, in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the V-shaped recess 34a is formed in the annular indexing plate 34, but a hemispherical recess may be formed instead. It is also possible to form a V-shaped dent or a hemispherical dent directly on the inner bottom surface of the cap-like member 28 without the annular indexing plate 34.

Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, there is shown another embodiment of an angle indexing mechanism for a surveying instrument according to the present invention. In this embodiment, a rotating shaft 46 is mounted on a turntable 44 on which the surveying instrument is mounted. The rotating shaft 46 is rotatably accommodated in a sleeve member 48 serving as a fixed member. A disk-like member 5 is provided around the sleeve-like member 48 as a rotating member.
0 is provided rotatably, and four hemispherical recesses 50 are formed on the outer peripheral surface of the disk-shaped member 50 along a predetermined circumference.
a are formed at equal intervals at an angle of 90 degrees.

From the top of the sleeve-like member 48, the annular portion 5
2 are integrally extended, and the annular portion 52 at least partially slides on the disk-shaped member 50. A hole 54 is formed in the annular portion 52 radially outward from an inner peripheral surface thereof. The hole 54 accommodates a compression coil spring 56 and a ball element 58 which is resiliently biased by the compression coil spring 56. You. The holes 54 are formed at four hemispherical recesses 50a.
Are formed on the circumference where the ball element 58 is formed, so that the ball element 58 is engaged in the hemispherical recess 50a.

As is apparent from FIGS. 4 and 5, the turntable 44 is integrally formed with a skirt portion 60 surrounding the overhanging annular portion 52 of the sleeve-like member 48.
A lock screw 62 is screwed to the skirt portion 60.
When the lock screw 62 is screwed in, the tip of the lock screw 62 comes into contact with the disk-shaped member 50, and at this time, the disk-shaped member 50 is locked with respect to the rotation shaft 46 and rotates in conjunction with the turntable 44.

When the lock screw 62 is loosened, the locked state of the disk-shaped member 50 with respect to the rotating shaft 46 is released, and at this time, the disk-shaped member 50 is placed in a state independent of the rotational movement of the turntable 44. Accordingly, the angle indexing means constituted by the hemispherical recess 50a of the disk-shaped member 50, the compression coil spring 56 and the ball element 58 does not fulfill its indexing function. On the other hand, when the disk-shaped member 50 is locked with respect to the rotation shaft 46 by the lock screw 62 and rotates in conjunction with the turntable 44, the angle indexing means is in a state capable of performing its indexing function. .

More specifically, when the surveying instrument is set in a predetermined surveying direction, the lock screw 62 is loosened, and at this time, the disk-shaped member 50 is in a state independent of the rotational movement of the turntable 44. Therefore, the above-described indexing function of the angle indexing means becomes invalid. After the surveying instrument is set in a predetermined surveying direction, when the disc-shaped member 50 is locked to the turntable 44 side by the lock screw 62, the ball element 58 is placed in one of the four hemispherical recesses 50a. It is in the engaged state. When the surveyor wants to set the surveying instrument in a direction perpendicular to the measuring direction, the surveyor only needs to rotate the surveying instrument in either direction, and the ball element 58 has the corresponding hemispherical recess 50.
a, but once out of the corresponding hemispherical recess 50a
When the surveyor engages with the hemispherical recess 50a at the 90-degree angular position, the surveyor receives a click feeling from the surveying instrument, and stops the rotation of the surveying instrument, thereby completing the angle indexing of the surveying instrument.

Also in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, in order to increase the accuracy of the angle indexing, the assembly including the compression coil spring 56 and the ball element 58 is diametrically moved relative to the disk-shaped member 50 by two. Two ball elements 58 may be simultaneously engaged with the two diametrically located hemispherical recesses 50a, and four assemblies of compression coil springs 56 and ball elements 58 may be provided. Alternatively, the four ball elements 58 may be simultaneously engaged with the four hemispherical recesses 50a.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the hemispherical dent 50a is formed on the disk-shaped member 50 side, but the hemispherical dent 50a is formed on the protruding annular portion 52 of the sleeve-shaped member 48. However, an assembly including the compression coil spring 56 and the ball element 58 can be provided on the disk-shaped member 50 side.

In the embodiment of the present invention described above, the case where the surveying instrument is indexed at a right angle has been described. However, it will be apparent that the same configuration can be used for indexing other than the right angle.

[0027]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the angle indexing mechanism for a surveying instrument according to the present invention, the surveying instrument is set only in a predetermined surveying direction and then rotated by a predetermined angle. It is possible to quickly determine the surveying instrument in a predetermined angle direction with respect to the surveying direction. Further, since the angle indexing mechanism for a surveying instrument according to the present invention can be entirely constituted by mechanical components, the manufacturing cost can be significantly reduced as compared with the conventional electronic angle indexing mechanism. .

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partially broken side view showing a surveying instrument to which a surveying instrument angle indexing mechanism according to the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view showing a surveying instrument angle indexing mechanism incorporated in the surveying instrument of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an annular indexing plate which constitutes a part of the surveying instrument angle indexing mechanism shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a bottom view showing another embodiment of the angle indexing mechanism for a surveying instrument according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view taken along line VV in FIG. 4;

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 10 surveying instrument 34 annular indexing plate 28.50 rotating member 16.48 fixing member 38.56 compression coil spring 40.58 ball element 42.62 lock screw

Claims (4)

(57) [Claims] 1. A rotating member rotatably held around a rotating shaft of a surveying instrument, a fixed member supporting the rotating shaft, and a machine provided between the rotating member and the fixed member. Target angle indexing means, and locking means for selectively locking the rotating member to the fixed member, and the mechanical means when the rotating member is locked to the fixed member side by the locking means. An angle indexing mechanism for a surveying instrument in which the angle indexing means functions. 2. The angle indexing mechanism for a surveying instrument according to claim 1, wherein the rotating member is a cap-shaped member disposed at a lower end of the rotating shaft, and the fixed member is configured to freely rotate the rotating shaft. A sleeve member to be housed, wherein the locking means is a locking screw means screwed onto the cap-shaped member, and the cap-shaped member is brought into contact with the sleeve-shaped member by bringing the locking screw means into contact with the sleeve-shaped member. An angle indexing mechanism for a surveying instrument which is locked to a sleeve-shaped member. 3. A rotary member rotatably held around a rotary shaft of a surveying instrument, a fixed member supporting the rotary shaft, and a machine provided between the rotary member and the fixed member. Target angle indexing means, and locking means for selectively locking the rotating member to the fixed member, and the mechanical means when the rotating member is locked to the rotating shaft side by the locking means. An angle indexing mechanism for a surveying instrument in which the angle indexing means functions. 4. The angle indexing mechanism for a surveying instrument according to claim 1, wherein the rotating member is a disk-shaped member rotatably provided around an outer periphery of a sleeve-shaped member rotatably housing the rotating shaft. A portion in which the fixing member is integrally extended from the sleeve-shaped member and is at least partially slidably in contact with the disc-shaped member; and wherein the locking means is integrated with the rotating shaft side. Wherein the disk-shaped member is locked to the rotating shaft side by bringing the lock-screw member into contact with the disk-shaped member. Indexing mechanism.