Indexing mechanism for coordinate measuring machine

摘要

The probe head is attached to a body (10) which is to be rotated in discrete angular steps with respect to a main body (12). An intermediate body (28) which is rotatable with respect to both, is inserted between the two. Mutually engageable detent elements ((16,26),(30,40)) provide indexing between the probe-body and the intermediate body as well as between the intermediate body and the main body. The angular separation between adjacent indexed positions on detent elements providing indexing between the probe-body and the intermediate body, is different from that on the detent elements providing indexing between the intermediate body and the main body. This means that the probe-body is indexable with respect to the main body in finer indexing increments than provided by either of the two detent sets alone.