Patent ID: 6892465
Filing Date: 2005-05-17
Classification: B23Q,B25J,G01B,G06T,Y10S

Abstract:
1. A portable coordinate measurement machine (CMM) for measuring the position of an object in a selected volume, comprising: a manually positionable articulated arm having opposed first and second ends, said arm including a plurality of jointed arm segments, each arm segment including at least one position transducer for producing a position signal; a probe at said first end of said arm; a base at said second end of said arm; a magnetic mount forming an integral part of said base, said base together with said integral magnetic mount being attached to said arm for mounting said arm to a magnetic surface; an electronic circuit which receives the position signals from the transducers and provides a digital coordinate corresponding to the position of the probe in a selected volume; and wherein said magnetic mount further includes: an actuator for selectively actuating said magnetic mount between an “on” position where said magnetic mount provides a magnetic field and an “off” position where little or no magnetic field is provided; and a magnetic core, said magnetic core comprising a non-magnetic center sandwiched between first and second magnets, said magnetic core being rotatable between said “an” position where said first and second magnets are in a first position and said “off” position where said first and second magnets are in a second position.