Method of aligning the upper and lower centering bells of a lens doublet assembly machine

1. A method of bell chuck aligning in a lens doublet aligning apparatus, the method comprising:

positioning an alignment tool with respect to a base plate of the lens doublet aligning apparatus;

positioning an upper bell shaft with respect to the alignment tool, wherein the upper bell shaft includes an upper bell chuck at a lower end of the upper bell shaft; and

tightening flexural bearings around an outer radial edge of the upper bell shaft, wherein the flexural bearings precisely hold the upper bell shaft into perpendicular alignment in the lens doublet aligning apparatus.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the alignment tool comprises of low coefficient of thermal expansion material.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the low coefficient of thermal expansion material is acetal.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the upper bell shaft comprises of stainless steel.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the positioning an upper bell shaft with respect to the alignment tool comprises contacting the upper bell shaft with a sleeve, wherein the sleeve shares a coaxial center with the alignment and is support in the alignment tool.

6. The method of claim 5 , positioning an upper bell shaft with respect to the alignment tool comprises:

cooling the alignment tool, the sleeve, the base plate, the upper bell shaft and the upper bell chuck; and

mating the alignment tool and base plate to the upper bell chuck.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the alignment tool, the sleeve, the base plate, the upper bell shaft and the upper bell chuck are cooled to approximately −20 degrees C.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein positioning an upper bell shaft with respect to the alignment tool further comprises warming the alignment tool, the sleeve, the base plate, the upper bell shaft and the upper bell chuck to room temperature.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein positioning an upper bell shaft with respect to the alignment tool further comprises:

cooling again the alignment tool, the sleeve, the base plate, the upper bell shaft and the upper bell chuck; and

removing the alignment tool from the lens doublet aligning apparatus while the alignment tool, the sleeve, the base plate, the upper bell shaft and the upper bell chuck are still cold.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein removing the aligning tool from the lens doublet aligning apparatus comprises:

unscrewing a screw holding the aligning tool to the base plate; detaching the base plate from a flexural bearing housing; and

slipping the alignment tool off the upper bell chuck.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the positioning an upper bell shaft with respect to the alignment tool further comprises:

warming the base plate, the upper bell shaft and the upper bell chuck to room temperature; and

fastening the base plate, the upper bell shaft and the upper bell chuck to the flexure housing.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the tightening the flexural bearings around an outer radial edge of the upper bell shaft comprises clamping the flexural bearings into alignment at inner and outer surfaces of the flexural bearings.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein clamping the flexural bearings comprises tightening a top nut of the upper bell shaft and tightening flexural clamp nuts.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein perpendicular alignment is defined by an outer radial edge of the upper bell shaft with respect to a top surface of the base plate.

15. An apparatus for aligning an upper bell chuck of a lens doublet aligning apparatus, the apparatus comprising:

an upper bell chuck supported by an upper flexural bearing;

an upper bell shaft having the upper chuck attached at a lower end of the upper bell shaft;

one or more shaft flexural bearings, wherein the one or more shaft flexural bearings support the upper bell shaft in an upright position, wherein the upper bell shaft traverses through a center of the one or more shaft flexural bearings;

a flexural bearing housing attached to outer radial edges of the shaft flexural bearings, wherein the shaft flexural bearing housing supports the one or more shaft flexural bearings within the shaft flexural bearing housing;

a lower chuck supported by a lower flexural bearing;

a base plate supporting the lower chuck and the shaft flexural bearing housing on an upper portion of the base plate; and

an alignment tool sharing coaxial alignment with the base plate.

16. An apparatus for aligning a lower chuck with respect to an upper bell chuck of a lens doublet aligning apparatus, the apparatus comprising:

an upper bell chuck supported by an upper flexural bearing;

an upper bell shaft having the upper chuck attached at a lower end of the upper bell shaft;

one or more shaft flexural bearings, wherein the one or more shaft flexural bearings support the upper bell shaft in an upright position, wherein the upper bell shaft traverses through a center of the one or more shaft flexural bearings;

a shaft flexural bearing housing attached to outer radial edges of the one of more shaft flexural bearings, wherein the shaft flexural bearing housing supports the one or more shaft flexural bearings within the shaft flexural bearing housing;

a lower chuck supported by a lower flexural bearing;

a base plate supporting the lower chuck and the shaft flexural bearing housing on an upper portion of the base plate; and

an alignment ball clamped between the upper bell chuck and the lower chuck.