Electroformed cornercube retroreflector

Abstract

An electroformed cornercube retroreflector, wherein a conductive mandrel locates within an electrolyte containing metallic solution and through charging of the mandrel located within the solution attains electrodepositing of the metallic solution on to the mandrel for the purpose of plating a thick coating of the metal upon the mandrel. When the coating has achieved sufficient structural integrity to form a cornercube retroreflector, it is removed from the electrolyte, the deposited metal is separated or stripped from the mandrel to provide a natural highly inner polished metallic cornercube that can be placed within a partial sphere or other supportive body for use as a retroreflector for application for laser tracking in industrial or other applications.

1 . A method for forming an electroformed cornercube retroreflector, including locating a mandrel having a tip end representing the mold for electroplating a metallic cornercube thereon, placing said mandrel into an electrolyte containing in solution of the metal to be electroplated thereon, electroforming a cornercube onto the tip end of said mandrel within said electrolyte, until such time as a metallic cornercube has been formed having structural rigidity and integrity, striping the electroformed corner cube from the mandrel, and applying said cornercube precisely within a partial sphere to create a Spherically Mounted Retroreflector or other supportive body for use for laser tracking. 
     
     
         2 . An electroformed corner cube retroreflector, including providing a mandrel having a tip end representative of the shaped cornercube desired to be electroformed, forming the cornercube on the mandrel within an electrolytic process, said cornercube having a thickness of approximately fifteen thousands of an inch, more or less as required, removing the electroformed cornercube from the mandrel, adhering the formed cornercube within a partial sphere to create a Spherically Mounted Retroreflector or other supportive body, the formed cornercube having a natural highly reflective surface internally thereof and which is capable of reflecting a laser during laser tracking in an industrial application. 
     
     
         3 . An electroformed cornercube of  claim 2 , and having three non-reflective surfaces that lie in sequence between the three reflective mirror like surfaces. 
     
     
         4 . An electroformed cornercube, of  claim 2 , and having three non-reflective surfaces that are minimally tapered to assist in the separation of the electroform from the mandrel tip. 
     
     
         5 . A method for forming an electroformed cornercube, whereby the inverse of production is provided, by the duplication of a male mandrel for duplication of production efforts, from the female electroformed cornercube.