Patent ID: 7185407

Claim:
A flexible track tool system to perform operations on a surface of a workpiece that has a mean planar first surface proximal to the tool system, wherein the tool system comprises: a resilient, flexible rail with generally parallel upper and lower surfaces, and with a longitudinal axis, a transverse axis, and a thickness axis; a first longitudinal rail edge generally parallel to the longitudinal axis; a second longitudinal rail edge generally parallel to the longitudinal axis; a plurality of standoff devices to position said rail at a substantially uniform and surface-contour-following distance above the workpiece, with the thickness axis substantially perpendicular to the first surface of the workpiece; a toolhead positioned on said rail; a set of toolhead-to-rail retention devices that permit said toolhead to translate longitudinally with respect to said rail; a gear tooth rack formed into said second longitudinal rail edge, the gear tooth rack including a plurality of rack gear teeth and a pitch, each rack gear tooth having a tooth profile and a centerline, the tooth profile including a top land, flank, and bottom land, the top land being distal to the longitudinal axis relative to the bottom land, the centerline being perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and passing through a center of the top land, the pitch being a length from the centerline of a rack gear tooth to the centerline of an adjacent rack gear tooth, the top land including an essentially flat portion having a top land length and top land width, the top land length being generally parallel to the longitudinal axis, the top land width being generally parallel to the thickness axis, the top land length being about ⅓ the pitch: a set of transverse rollers to constrain the toolhead along the transverse axis, the set of transverse rollers including three rollers, each roller being disposed a multiple of 1/3 the pitch, wherein at least one of the set of rollers is in contact with the top land of a rack gear tooth at all positions along the gear tooth rack; and a drive pinion rotatably attached to said toolhead, to mesh with said gear tooth rack.