Machine with improved operating head traversing workpieces with curved surfaces

Claim 2

A machine including: an operating head having a longitudinal axis, a support for a workpiece having a curved surface, means for imparting relative movement between the operating head and support in mutually perpendicular X, Y and Z directions, the last direction being generally normal to the curved surface of the workpiece, means for sensing changes of the operating head from a predetermined angular relationship with the surface of the workpiece including at least one pair of sensors respectively disposed on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis of the operating head in the Y plane and at least one pair of sensors respectively disposed on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis of the operating head in the X plane, each of said sensors including means for detecting changes in distance from the workpiece surface and the operating head, means responsive to said angular sensing means for imparting relative angular movement between the workpiece support and the operating head in a direction tending to maintain the predetermined angular relationship during relative movement in the X and Y directions, means for sensing changes in the spacing between the operating head and the workpiece from a predetermined spacing, means responsive to the spacing sensing means for initiating Z direction relative movement in a direction to restore said predetermined spacing during said relative movement in the X and Y directions.

Claim 3

A machine as in claim 1 wherein the means for imparting angular Movement include separate means for imparting relative pivotal movement between the operating head and the workpiece in x and y planes respectively, said planes being respectively perpendicular to the y and x directions.

Claim 4

A machine as in claim 2 wherein the means for imparting relative movement in the x and y directions includes means for imparting to-and-fro relative movement in the x direction and incremental relative movement in the y direction at each extreme of movement in the x direction.

Claim 5

A machine as in claim 2 wherein: the x and y planes and the longitudinal axis of the operating head intersect at a point essentially on the upper surface of the workpiece.

Claim 6

A machine as in claim 2 wherein the X plane pivoting means are responsive to differences in the distances sensed by the X plane sensors and the Y plane pivoting means are responsive to differences in the distances sensed by the Y plane sensors.

Claim 7

A machine as in claim 5 wherein: each sensor comprises a pin projecting beyond the end of the operating head into engagement with the surface of the workpiece and means for providing a signal indicating the relative position of the pin to the operating head as it engages the workpiece surface.

Claim 8

A machine as in claim 5 wherein: the angular sensing means includes means for generating error signals respectively indicating differences between the distances sensed by each sensor of each respective pair and a polarity indicative of which sensor of each respective pair sensed a greater distance and the means for sensing changes in the spacing between the operating head and the workpiece include means for generating an error signal, from one of the sensor signals, having a polarity indicative of the direction of change of distance from the desired spacing.

Claim 9

A machine as in claim 6 wherein the operating head includes an ultrasonic transducer, and a conical nose section having a passageway from the transducer to the lower surface of the operating head, means for supplying water to this passageway to provide a couplant between the transducer and the surface of the workpiece, the sensing pins are angled toward the passageway opening in the lower surface of the operating head, and the predetermined angular relationship between the surface of the workpiece and the axis of the head is perpendicularity.

Claim 10

A machine as in claim 1 wherein means are provided for moving the workpiece support in the z direction to provide z direction relative movement, and the sensing head mounted on a cross slide and the cross slide is mounted on a carriage and means are provided for moving the cross slide in the y direction relative to the carriage and moving the carriage in the x direction relative to the workpiece support to provide said x and y relative movement, and the means for imparting angular movement include a shaft rotatably mounted on the cross slide and having its axis parallel to the y direction and intersecting the surface of the workpiece and the longitudinal axis of the operating head, said shaft having an arcuate track formed about a radius swung from said point of intersection, a slide mounted on said arcuate track with the operating head mounted on said slide, means responsive to said angular sensing means for pivoting said shaft and moving said slide along said arcuate guide, and further wherein the angular sensing means include a pair of sensors respectively disposed on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis of the operating head in the y plane and a pair of sensors respectively disposed on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis of the operating head in the x plane, each of said sensors including means for detecting changes in distance from the workpiece surface and the operating head, means for generating error signals respecTively indicating differences in the distances sensed by each pair of sensors and means connecting the y plane error signal to the means for moving said slide along said arcuate guide and connecting the x plane error signal to the means for pivoting said shaft.

Claim 11

A machine as in claim 9 wherein: the operating head includes an ultrasonic transducer, a nose section having a passageway from the transducer to the lower surface thereof, means for supplying water to this passageway to provide a couplant between the transducer and the surface of the workpiece, and further wherein each sensor comprises a pin slidably mounted in said conical nose section and angled toward the passageway opening in the lower surfaces of the operating head and the predetermined relationship between the surface of the workpiece and the axis of the head is perpendicularity.