Patent Application
20160178340
The present invention relates to measurement and operation auxiliary devices, and more particularly, to a device mounted on an object under test to lend assistance and support to a length measurement tool.
In the course of the mechanical processing of a workpiece, the processing machine has to undergo a verification process performed to verify the measurements of the workpiece and thus check for its compliance with production specifications. A large workpiece which is one meter long, wide, or high is measured with a large length measurement tool, such as a vernier caliper or a digital caliper, during the verification process. The length measurement tool is pressed against the workpiece to be measured, and then a jaw of the main scale and a jaw of the vernier scale clamp or press against the workpiece to be measured, so as to measure the workpiece.
In a conventional verification process performed on workpiece measurement, a length measurement tool for use with a large workpiece is long and heavy. In view of this, the conventional verification process is carried out by two co-workers; one co-worker operates the main scale and the vernier scale, whereas the other co-worker holds the length measurement tool to ensure that the length measurement tool is fixed to a location conducive to measurement. As a result, the relative positions of the workpiece under test and the length measurement tool are unlikely to change, and in consequence either at least an additional co-worker or an additional support device is required to perform the verification process, thereby posing a problem with a lack of ease of operation and a waste of manpower.
Alternatively, a support device, such as a hook or a brace, is temporarily mounted on the workpiece under test to lend support to the length measurement tool. However, conventional support devices affixed to an object under a magnetic force, such as magnetic dual hangers of Japan published patent application 1997-140547, a magnetic hook of Japan published patent application 2005-218487, and a magnetic hanger of Japan published patent application 1995-284439, have their own drawbacks. For example, the hook structure of the conventional support devices is unable to rotate on a plane parallel to the surface of a workpiece under test and thus cannot rotate by being driven as a result of the adjustable rotation of the length measurement tool to an extent conducive to measurement, and in consequence the support devices must be rotatably adjusted by hand, thereby lacking ease of use.
It is an objective of the present invention to provide a measurement and operation auxiliary device whereby a large object under test can be measured easily by one and only one worker.
In order to achieve the above and other objectives, the present invention provides a measurement and operation auxiliary device for supporting a length measurement tool disposed on an object under test. The measurement and operation auxiliary device includes a fastening element, a connection shaft, and a support unit. The fastening element is unfastenably coupled to the object under test. The connection shaft is disposed on the fastening element. The support unit has a receiving chamber and a through hole. The connection shaft is penetratingly disposed in the through hole to allow the support unit to be rotatably coupled to the fastening element, wherein the receiving chamber receives the length measurement tool.
The measurement and operation auxiliary device further comprises a handle, and the handle is disposed on the support unit.
Regarding the measurement and operation auxiliary device, a protective layer is disposed on an inner wall of the receiving chamber.
Regarding the measurement and operation auxiliary device, the protective layer is made of teflon or rubber.
Regarding the measurement and operation auxiliary device, the fastening element is a magnetic fastener or a vacuum fastener.
Regarding the measurement and operation auxiliary device, the fastening element is a hook and has a retractable engaging plate with an adjustable length so as to be hung at objects of different sizes.
Regarding the measurement and operation auxiliary device, an end of the connection shaft protrudes from the support unit and has an external thread for fastening and fixing a nut in place.
Accordingly, to measure the dimensions of an object under test, especially measuring the dimensions of a large object under test with a large length measurement tool, a measurement and operation auxiliary device of the present invention can be coupled to the object under test to lend assistance and support to the length measurement tool at a location suitable for measuring the dimensions of the object under test in a convenient, labor-saving manner, so as to overcome drawbacks of the prior art, including the difficulty in fixing a length measurement tool to a location suitable for measuring the dimensions of an object under test in the situation where both the object under test and the length measurement tool are bulky, and the difficulty in measuring the dimensions of an object under test without another co-worker.
Objectives, features, and advantages of the present invention are hereunder illustrated with specific embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
Referring to
Referring to
In this embodiment, the length measurement tool 100 is received in the receiving chamber 31 to support the length measurement tool 100 in a manner to position the length measurement tool 100 at a location suitable for measuring the length of the OUT 200. A protective layer 33 is disposed on the inner wall of the receiving chamber 31 to protect the inner wall of the receiving chamber 31 against collision and friction while the user is moving or operating the length measurement tool 100, thereby protecting the surfaces of the length measurement tool 100 and the support unit 30 against wear and tear. The protective layer 33 is made of teflon or rubber.
In this embodiment, the connection shaft 20 is penetratingly disposed in the through hole 32, and one end of the connection shaft 20 protrudes from the support unit 30 and has an external thread 21 for fastening and fixing a nut 22 in place, such that the support unit 30 is rotatably coupled to the fastening element 10. The support unit 30 rotates about the connection shaft 20 by a maximum of 360°. Referring to
In this embodiment, the user either rotates the support unit 30 by hand or rotates the length measurement tool 100 to thereby drive the support unit 30 to rotate. Moreover, the support unit 30 further comprises a handle 40. The handle 40 is disposed on the support unit 30 and gripped by the user to rotate the support unit 30 and the length measurement tool 100. The handle 40 comes in the form of a rod fixed inside an opening 34 at the support unit 30.
As regards the measurement and operation auxiliary device 1 of this embodiment, the fastening element 10 is provided in the form of a magnetic fastener. The magnetic fastener exhibits magnetism and thus is attracted to the OUT 200 which manifests ferromagnetism. The fastening element 10 which is provided in the form of a magnetic fastener has an advantage—it can be installed quickly and easily. Moreover, the fastening element 10 is not limited to the magnetic fastener. Referring to
Accordingly, to measure the dimensions of an object under test, especially measuring the dimensions of a large object under test with a large length measurement tool, a measurement and operation auxiliary device of the present invention can be coupled to the object under test to lend assistance and support to the length measurement tool at a location suitable for measuring the dimensions of the object under test in a convenient, labor-saving manner, so as to overcome drawbacks of the prior art, including the difficulty in fixing a length measurement tool to a location suitable for measuring the dimensions of an object under test in the situation where both the object under test and the length measurement tool are bulky, and the difficulty in measuring the dimensions of an object under test without another co-worker.
The present invention is disclosed above by preferred embodiments. However, persons skilled in the art should understand that the preferred embodiments are illustrative of the present invention only, but should not be interpreted as restrictive of the scope of the present invention. Hence, all equivalent modifications and replacements made to the aforesaid embodiments should fall within the scope of the present invention. Accordingly, the legal protection for the present invention should be defined by the appended claims.
