Patent ID: 7191540
Filing Date: 2007-03-20
Classification: G01B

Abstract:
1. A work piece holder for use on a surface measuring apparatus, comprising: a base plate secured to a table of the surface measuring apparatus; a slide plate secured to the base plate and manually slidable thereon between a plurality of predetermined positions, said base plate and slide plate cooperating to provide an air bearing to assist in manual sliding of the slide plate relative to the base plate; a rotary indexing device secured to the slide plate and slidable therewith between the plurality of predetermined positions; a support assembly secured to the rotary indexing device and being rotated thereby into a desired angular orientation about a first axis of rotation; a spindle secured to said support assembly and being rotated thereby into the desired angular orientation, said spindle defining a second axis of rotation that is generally perpendicular to said first axis of rotation and being manually rotatable about said second axis of rotation between a plurality of predetermined rotary positions; a pallet receiver secured to said spindle and being rotatable therewith about said first and second axes of rotation, said pallet receiver being adapted to releasably receive a pallet to which a work piece is mounted.