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US 4,115,684 AGranted
Portable, programmable manipulator apparatus
AssigneeUnimation, Inc.
InventorTorsten H. Lindbom
Life of this patent
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AssigneeUnimation, Inc.
InventorTorsten H. Lindbom
Estimating the term…
A manipulator apparatus having a manipulator arm movable in a plurality of axes is programmed to perform a desired sequence of operations over a desired path. The programming is accomplished by an operator manually moving the end of the manipulator arm over the desired path while encoders associated with each axis of the manipulator apparatus produce signals representing movement of the arm in each of the axes. The encoder signals are automatically recorded at predetermined increments of movement of the arm as command signals for controlling movement of the arm during a playback cycle. Recording of these command signals is controlled by a guide wheel which is positioned on the end of the arm during programming and is rotated by maintaining the wheel in contact with the work as the operator moves the manipulator arm over the desired path. Control pulses are generated for each predetermined increment of rotation of the guide wheel and these control pulses are employed to control recording of the encoder output signals. Weld cycle controls, weld speed controls and a manual record control are provided. The manual record control is actuated to record positions between welds wherein the end effector is moved between weld paths without the guide apparatus being in contact with the welding work surfaces. During programming, guide strips having tracks into which the guide apparatus is placed, may be positioned along the desired weld path by the operator. The recorded signals corresponding to the distances the arm is to be moved in each of said axes are utilized during a playback cycle to control drive apparatus for each axis, such as stepping motors, which are de-energized during the programming phase. During playback a welding tip or other implement is positioned in place of the guide wheel apparatus whereby the manipulator performs the desired operation over the programmed path at a predetermined, selectable speed independent of the programming speed. The recorded command signals are effective to drive pulse generation circuitry during playback to produce pulse trains that are supplied to the stepping motors so that they are moved at the required velocities to perform a weld over the programmed path.
A portable welding system for use in shipbuilding and the like, comprising a frame, means for clamping said frame in position above a predetermined work area, a manipulator arm pivotally mounted in said frame for movement in a plurality of axes and having an end portion extending into said work area, motive means for moving said arm in each of said axes, a welding gun positioned on said end of said arm, means for disabling said motive means so that said arm may be manually moved over a desired welding path in said work area, means operative during said manual movement of said arm over said desired welding path for recording a series of digital signals corresponding to the position of said arm in each of said axes at different points along said desired welding path, and playback means controlled by said recorded digital signals for controlling said motive means to move said welding gun over said desired welding path.
In a programmable manipulator, the combination of, a manipulator arm, a drive train for moving said manipulator arm in a plurality of axes, encoder means associated with said drive train for each axis, motive means for each of said drive trains and operative to move said arm in the respective axes in response to electrical input signals, means for disabling said motive means so that said arm may be manually moved to any desired point in a given work volume while said encoder means are driven through said drive trains, means for deriving successive command signals from said encoder means during said manual movement of said arm, means for storing said command signals, and means controlled by said stored command signals for controlling said motive means to move said arm over a path corresponding to said manual movement.
In a programmable manipulator, the combination of, a manipulator arm movable in a plurality of axes, motive means for moving said arm in each of said axes, encoder means connected to each of said axes, means for disabling said motive means so that said arm may be manually moved over a desired path in a given work volume while said encoder means remain connected to said axes, means for developing a series of control pulses while said one end of said arm is manually moved over said desired path, said control pulses corresponding to predetermined increments of movement along said desired path, means controlled by said control pulses for storing successive command signals derived from said encoder means, and means controlled by said stored command signals for controlling said motive means to move said arm over said desired path.
In a programmable manipulator, the combination of, a manipulator arm, means for moving said manipulator arm in a plurality of axes, encoder means connected to each of said axes, means for disabling said moving means so that one end of said arm may be moved over a desired path in a given work volume by means independent of said moving means while said encoder means remain connected to said axes, means for deriving successive command signals from said encoder means during said movement over said desired path, means for storing said command signals, and means controlled by said stored command signals for controlling said moving means to move said arm over said desired path during a playback cycle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.