Manipulator
AssigneeEastman Kodak Company
InventorPaul Citrin
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A manipulator is described for moving a platform in translation in a plane. An actuator is mounted for rotation about an axis aligned parallel with the plane. A manual control lever is pivotly supported by the actuator which engages the platform through a similarly pivotly mounted coupling device. The coupling device engages the platform through a universal sliding movement in a slot to enable pivot motions from the control lever to produce translational position changes of the platform. Low frictional engagements of the moving elements together with a selectable motion reduction enable minutely accurate manual positioning of the platform.
Claims14
A manipulator for moving a platform in an accurate manner to desired positions in a plane comprising
- a housing and a platform supported on the housing to enable movement of the platform in a plane;
- an actuator mounted to the housing for rotation about an actuator axis which is generally parallel to the plane;
- a control lever mounted to the actuator for pivot motion about a lever pivot axis which is generally transverse to the actuator axis;
- coupling means mounted to the actuator with pivot movement about a coupler axis which is parallel to the lever pivot axis for effectively slidingly engaging the platform to drive it for movement in the plane in response to pivot motion of said means about the coupler axis and rotational movement of the actuator about its actuator axis;
- and
- means mounted on the actuator for connecting the control lever to the coupling means to impart movement thereof about the coupler axis in response to control lever movement about its pivot axis,
- whereby the platform responds with movement in the plane when the control lever is actuated to rotate the actuator or pivot the coupling means.
A manipulator for moving a platform in an accurate manner to desired positions in a plane comprising
- a housing and a platform supported on the housing to enable translational movement of the platform in a plane;
- bearing means mounted to the housing for defining an actuator axis of rotation generally parallel to the plane;
- an actuator shaft mounted to the bearing means for rotation about the actuator axis;
- a control lever mounted to the actuator shaft for rotation thereof about said actuator axis, said control lever further being mounted to the actuator for pivot movement along a pivot axis which is generally transverse to the actuator axis;
- coupling means operative between the platform and the actuator shaft to transfer to the platform translational components of pivot movements about the actuator axis and a coupler axis which is generally parallel to the pivot axis of the control lever;
- and
- means mounted on the actuator shaft for transferring pivot movements of the control lever about its pivot axis to the coupling means to enable the coupling means to drive the platform in translation in said plane in response to control lever pivot movements.
A manipulator for moving a platform in an accurate manner to desired positions in a plane comprising
- a housing and a platform supported on the housing to enable translational movement of the platform in a plane;
- a longitudinal actuator mounted to the housing for rotation about an actuator axis which is generally parallel to the plane;
- coupling means mounted to the actuator for pivot movement about a coupler axis which is generally transverse to the actuator axis for effectively slidingly driving the platform for translational movement in the plane in response to pivot motion of said coupling means about the coupler axis and rotational movement of the actuator about its actuator axis;
- a control lever mounted to the actuator for pivot motion about a lever pivot axis which is parallel to the coupler axis with said lever pivot axis, the coupler axis and the actuator axis being effectively coupled;
- and
- means for connecting the control lever to the coupling means to impart movement thereof about the coupler axis in response to control lever movement about the pivot axis,
- whereby the platform responds with translational movement in the plane when the control lever is actuated to rotate the actuator or pivot the coupling means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.