Established in 1952

Page: 1130

The Ball Bar (Dumbbell) Anchor

Technical Data Sheet # CMM 13 Page 2

Ball Bar Anchor

The Ball Bar (Dumbbell) Anchor™ is a good alternative to a Heavy Duty Stand for rigidly supporting Ball Bar (Dumbbell)s during Coordinate Measuring Machine Evaluation.

The key feature of the Anchor is its very light weight. It comes in four standard lengths. The shortest is the four inch (10.0cm) (Part #AN-4-0) version which is only used as an extension to lengthen the other longer Anchors. The 8 inch version (20.3cm) (Part #AN-8-0) weighs only three pounds (1.36 kilograms), the 12 inch (30.5cm) version (Part #AN-12-0) weighs four and one half pounds (2.04 kilograms), and the 24 inch (61 cm) version (Part #AN-24-0) weighs seven and three quarters pounds (3.5 kilograms). The collar (Part #AN-1) and Ball Bar (Dumbbell) holding clamp (Part #FS-1) together weigh 8.2 pounds (3.7 kg), (see Technical Data Sheet C.M.M.-13, Page 1.).

For a number of Ball Bar (Dumbbell) applications, the standard Heavy Duty Stand is not suitable. The shortest Heavy Duty Stand is 14 inches high. This is simply too tall for very small machines. The average 30 pound (13.6 kg) weight of the Heavy Duty Stand is too heavy for some machines. Its lack of symmetry makes the Heavy Duty Stand awkward to position in very close quarters. The 30 pound (13.6 kg) weight of the Heavy Duty Stand with its low center of gravity is very mechanically stable, but it is also a very heavy burden when it has to be carried all over the country on an airplane.

The Anchor is a simple, well engineered alternative method of ball bar support. Versions of this device have been well tested in the field over many years.

The Anchor is constructed from three inch (7.6cm) diameter steel tubing that is precision ground and hard coated. It is pulled securely down to the C.M.M. table by a threaded stud. This stud is screwed into the threaded center hole in one of the thick aluminum bulkheads, located in each end of the Anchor.

The Anchor is a very versatile tool. It can use the simple single clamping block for holding one Ball Bar (Dumbbell) (Part #FS-1BB), or the Over and Under clamp which holds two parallel Ball Bar (Dumbbell)s (Part #FS-2BB). It will hold any of the Way Out Ball Bar (Dumbbell) supports (see Technical Data Sheet C.M.M.-16, Page 2.).

The Anchor has an M10x1.5 threaded hole through the center of the top and bottom bulkheads so two or more of the Anchors can be threaded together, one on top of the other to multiply their height.

A full array of Dual Threaded Adapter Screws are offered that will match the Anchor to the threads in the table of any C.M.M. (see Technical Data Sheet C.M.M.-14 Table #1.). The adapter screws are not included.

A disk mounted, two ball, Kinematic coupling (Part #2B-KM-A) (see this Technical Data Sheet #) is offered to rigidly hold the Ultra Precise Ball Bar (Dumbbell)s (see Technical Data Sheet C.M.M.-5.). It can be attached to the top of any height Anchor through the upper threaded bulkhead. A powerful rare earth magnet holds the Ball Bar in position. The magnet is embedded in the rigid aluminum disk between the two balls that form this kinematic coupling.

The Abalone (Part #10140) is a vacuum hold down foot that is one and a quarter inch (31.75mm) thick and five inches (127mm) in diameter. It is simple to install on the bottom of the Anchor through the M10x1.5 thread. With a good vacuum pump, the Abalone can provide 290 pounds (131 kg) of holding force (see Technical Data Sheet C.M.M.-13, Page 1.).

The four inch (10.2cm) diameter Magnetic Base (Part #M-PLT4) (see Technical Data Sheet C.N.C.-2) gives added versatility to the Anchor by allowing it to be rigidly mounted on steel and Cast Iron Surfaces.