Patent ID: 7635119

Claim:
A leveling system for a workpiece, the system comprising: a vise for holding the workpiece; and a multimember support structure for positioning the vise and leveling the workpiece, wherein the multimember support structure comprises: a base; a first joint coupled to the base; an arm coupled to the first joint at a first end of the arm; and a second joint coupled to the vise and coupled to the arm at a second end of the arm; wherein the first joint orients the arm with two independent degrees of freedom in zenith angle and azimuth angle and the second joint orients the vise with three independent degrees of freedom in angular motion, the three independent degrees of freedom in angular motion comprising a first rotational angle measured about an arm axis of the arm, a second rotational angle measured about a vise axis of the vise and an axial angle measured from the arm axis to the vise axis, such that the multimember support structure provides at least five independent degrees of freedom in angular motion for positioning the vise and leveling the workpiece.