An apparatus and method for rotationally moving and positioning a work piece such as for dividing the workpiece into a predetermined number of equal segments. The movement is accomplished by repeatedly angularly displacing the work piece over a given swing increment of angular movement. The angular swing increment is established by summing angular displacements of each of a plurality of circular plates, each plate divided into a different number of equal segments. By a proper choice of the number of segments into which the plates are divided, and of the number of segments each plate is displaced, the angular increment can be established with extremely high precision. The angular increment may be greater than the distance between adjacent intended segments into which the work piece is divided. This allows distribution of the error of the angular increment established for each movement of the work piece about the entire periphery of the work piece, minimizing the accumulation of error between any particular pair of segments into which the work piece is divided. Additionally, a spanner disc is provided for allowing additional angular movement of the work piece within a secondary angular increment on either side of positions achieved by means of the aforesaid angular increments. This apparatus and method can be employed in any application requiring precision indexed rotational position for any purpose.
An improved latch assembly which operates with a phased array radar antenna to fixedly retain the radar antenna in any one of several predetermined positions. The latch assembly comprises an elongated body member having a leading end section tapered to interfit into the detent means without jamming, a wedging member having a tapered wedge-like configuration which slidably interfits with the gradually tapered ledge of the body member, and a controllable spring-loaded actuating means operable to move the elongated body member and the wedge member into locking engagement with a predetermined detent and then to move the wedging member an additional small distance toward the predetermined detent, this causes the wedging member to be forced laterally an amount sufficient to contact the sides of the housing to effect a controlled wedging of the latch assembly in the housing to prevent any rotation of the radar antenna because of undesired clearances between the elongated body member and the housing.
An indexing mechanism includes a first body and a second body. The first and second bodies are rotatable relative to each other about a plurality of index positions which are provided at discretely spaced angular orientations about the axis. The bodies are relatively moveable in an axle direction to facilitate disengagement from a given index position.
In connection with a device for receiving workpieces, in particular for machine tools with continuous-path control, preferably numerically controlled machine tools, a dividing mechanism having a dividing spindle, which is seated in a housing, can be brought into predetermined angular positions and is connected with a workpiece holder. It is possible to achieve an exact and rapid setting of the dividing mechanism in that it is arranged for actuation by means of a continuous-path-controlled actuator, by which an indexing mechanism associated with the dividing spindle, with whose aid the dividing spindle can be locked in place in a predeterminable angular position, can be brought into a position which releases the dividing spindle, and through which the dividing spindle can be rotated.
A chucking device, in particular for workpieces that are to be machined on more than one side, has a workpiece carrier with at least one turret, arranged to receive workpieces, that is supported rotatably about an axis of rotation on the workpiece carrier, A positive-engagement locking device is associated with the turret, on the workpiece carrier, by which locking device the turret can be locked positionally precisely in a predetermined rotary angle position relative to the workpiece carrier. The locking device has at least three locking parts disposed coaxially to one another, which on the plane faces facing one another each carry pairs of cooperating locking means that can be brought into and out of engagement with one another by means of an axial relative motion of the locking parts.
