Contour follower
A contour follower includes a plurality of sensors spaced around a waterjet nozzle, each of the sensors being configured to measure a distance between a working surface and a first plane, perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the nozzle. The sensors may include hall-effect sensors lying in the first plane and magnets lying in a second plane, parallel to the working surface. A detecting circuit processes signals from the sensors to determine an angle of the working surface, relative to the first plane, and a distance between an aperture of the nozzle and the working surface. A collision detection sensor provides a signal in the event the device approaches to within a selected distance of an obstruction in the plane of the working surface. A shield plate blocks and dampens secondary spray-back of cutting fluid occurring at low angles above the working surface.
1 . A system, comprising:
a tool configured to interact with a work surface; and
a contour follower device coupled to the tool and configured to detect changes of angle of the work surface, with respect to the tool.
2 . The system of claim 1 wherein the tool is chosen from among a measuring tool, an observation tool, a diagnostic tool, a drilling tool, and a cutting tool.
3 . The system of claim 1 wherein the contour follower device includes a plurality of sensor legs each configured to sense, at a location of the respective sensor leg, a distance between a first plane, perpendicular to an axis of the tool, and the work surface.
4 . The system of claim 1 wherein the contour follower device includes a collision detection sensor configured to detect collision of the device with an obstruction, as the tool moves across the work surface.
5 . The system of claim 1 wherein the tool is a waterjet machine.
6 . The system of claim 5 wherein the waterjet machine further comprises a cutting head, a catcher tank, and a support grid.
7 . The system of claim 5 wherein the waterjet machine comprises a mechanism for moving a mixing tube along first and second axes substantially parallel to the work surface, and along a third axis, substantially perpendicular to the work surface.
8 . The system of claim 5 wherein the waterjet machine comprises a mechanism for rotating a mixing tube around first and second axes intersecting an axis substantially perpendicular to the work surface.
9 . A device, comprising:
a plurality of sensors lying in a first plane and distributed around a central point;
a plurality of members positioned adjacent to respective ones of the plurality of sensors and movable along respective axes perpendicular to the first plane, the plurality of members together defining a second plane, each of the plurality of sensors being configured to provide a signal related to a distance between the sensor and the respective member, along the respective axis; and
processing means for processing signals from each of the plurality of sensors and determining an angle of the second plane relative to the first plane.
10 . The device of claim 9 wherein each of the plurality of sensors is a hall-effect sensor, and wherein each of the plurality of members includes a magnet.
11 . The device of claim 9 , further comprising a tool positioned near the central point and configured to interact with a surface lying parallel to the second plane.
12 . The device of claim 9 wherein the tool is a cutting tool positioned near the central point.