Patent ID: 8141452

Claim:
A motion-positioning apparatus for generating movement of a work load about a first rotational axis of a three orthogonal axes system, said motion-positioning apparatus comprising: a) a housing substantially rigid to support the work load, said housing comprising: i) a housing cylindrical bore; and ii) a housing load support surface; b) a work load support being substantially rigid; c) a pivot joint having at least one axis of rotational freedom, said pivot joint axis of rotation being the first rotational axis of said motion-positioning apparatus; said pivot joint being attached between said work load support and said housing, such that said pivot joint is centered about said housing cylindrical bore and said work load support is rotatable about the first rotational axis; d) a first axial cam, said first axial cam being a substantially rigid first axial cam cylinder, said first axial cam cylinder comprising: i) a first axial cam load support surface; ii) a bore through said first axial cam cylinder to provide clearance about said pivot joint; iii) a first axial cam surface formed at or near a first axial end of said first axial cam cylinder; and iv) a second opposite axial end of said first axial cam cylinder is inserted into said housing cylindrical bore so that said first axial cam load support surface transfers a force produced by the work load to said housing load support surface, wherein said first axial cam is rotatable relative to said housing; e) a first rotational axis drive unit mounted to said housing, with means for coupling rotational energy from said first rotational axis drive unit to said first axial cam, wherein said first rotational axis drive unit rotates said first axial cam relative to said housing; and f) at least one first axial cam follower attached to said work load support, said first axial cam follower contacts said first axial cam surface, wherein rotation of said first axial cam rotates said work load support about said pivot joint axis of rotation.