COORDINATE MEASURING MACHINE WITH IMPROVED CARRIAGE DRIVE SYSTEM

• Main Author: RALEIGH, FREDDIE L
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French
• Published: 25.05.1993
• Edition: 5
• Subjects: BLASTING; COMBINATIONS OR ASSOCIATIONS OF METAL-WORKING MACHINES, NOTDIRECTED TO A PARTICULAR RESULT; DETAILS, COMPONENTS, OR ACCESSORIES FOR MACHINE TOOLS, e.g.ARRANGEMENTS FOR COPYING OR CONTROLLING; ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GEARING; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVEFUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; HEATING; LIGHTING; MACHINE TOOLS; MACHINE TOOLS IN GENERAL CHARACTERISED BY THE CONSTRUCTION OFPARTICULAR DETAILS OR COMPONENTS; MEASURING; MEASURING ANGLES; MEASURING AREAS; MEASURING IRREGULARITIES OF SURFACES OR CONTOURS; MEASURING LENGTH, THICKNESS OR SIMILAR LINEARDIMENSIONS; MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; METAL-WORKING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PHYSICS; TESTING; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL; TRANSPORTING; WEAPONS

COORDINATE MEASURING MACHINE WITH IMPROVED CARRIAGE DRIVE SYSTEM A coordinate measuring machine (10) having an improved carriage drive system including a flexible toothed belt (89) mounted on a rigid spar member (88) to be stretched along the carriage (X) axis. The spar member (88) absorbs the tension loading of the stretched flexible belt (89), while the connection (198, 152) of the spar member (88) to the base (12) precludes stressing of the machine (10) by the belt tension or by thermal stresses. A drive package (118) is mounted to one end of the carriage (40) and includes a toothed drum (126) engaging the flexible belt (89) so that upon being rotated by a drive motor (120) acting through a double reduction pulley system (254, 258, 260, 268, 272, 274) to rotate the toothed drum (126) and cause the carriage (40) to be driven along the ways (32, 34). Flexures (86a, 86b) mounting the belt (89) accommodate side to side movement as the carriage (40) is driven along the axis while being rigid to the tension exerted by the belt (89).