US 12,405,209 B2
Apparatus and method for grazing angle measurement
Daniel J. Sox, St. Charles, MO (US); Jeffery Murphy, Troy, MO (US); James Tad Wegner, St. Louis, MO (US); and Brian Gunther, St. Louis, MO (US)
Assigned to The Boeing Company, Arlington, VA (US)
Filed by The Boeing Company, Arlington, VA (US)
Filed on May 5, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/313,280.
Prior Publication US 2024/0369470 A1, Nov. 7, 2024
Int. Cl. G01N 21/03 (2006.01); G01N 21/55 (2014.01)
CPC G01N 21/03 (2013.01) [G01N 21/55 (2013.01); G01N 2021/0339 (2013.01); G01N 2021/0378 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system comprising:
a laser configured to emit a beam of light;
a series of reflective elements configured to direct the beam of light from the laser;
a hollow sphere rotatable about a sphere axis with the sphere axis extending through a center of the hollow sphere, wherein the hollow sphere defines an elongated slot for accepting the beam of light when the hollow sphere is in one of a plurality of predetermined rotational positions about the sphere axis;
a mounting arm extending into a central region of the hollow sphere, the mounting arm including a sample mount configured to receive a sample;
a spectral hemispherical reflectance detector including a field of view extending into the hollow sphere; and
a baffle horizontally interposed along a longitudinal axis perpendicular to the sphere axis between the spectral hemispherical reflectance detector and the elongated slot.