Self-programmed mechanical working apparatus

An automatic mechanical working apparatus having a tool support means mounted for multidimensional movement within a defined work area and following a geometric complex curve in space and having means to support a work means within the apparatus with a curved work path corresponding to said geometric complex curve and said work means being adapted to be worked on by a tool means, comprising a tracer means adapted to be coupled to the tool support means and having a tracer element moveable in the same path as a tool means, a logic control means connected to said tracer means and including a programmed memory means defining a start location and a finish location of said curved work path in space within the work area of said apparatus, a position signal means coupled to said support means and generating a support position signal, said programmed memory means including a dynamic trace-record program means responsive to the output of the moving tracer means to cause said tracer means to follow said work means and responsive to the output of the tracer means to simultaneously during the movement of the tracer means generate a position control program including establishing coordinate data for a series of curve definition points along said path, said coordinate data for each definition point including a plurality of closely spaced slope definition points adjacent each curve definition point, said programmed memory means having means to convert the slope definition data to slope data of each curve definition point, and having means to connect said curve definition points based on said coordinate data and said slope data for recreating such curve in the absence of said tracer means, said programmed memory means including a run program means in which said position control program generates control signals in closed position loop system for moving said tool means in accordance with said curve for subsequent working of work means having a similar work path.

An automatic contouring apparatus having a tool support means mounted for relative multi-dimensional movement within a defined work area with respect to a work means and following a geometric curve in space and having means to support said work means within the apparatus with a curved work path corresponding to said geometric curve and said work means being adapted to be worked on by said tool means during said relative movement, comprising a tracer means coupled to the tool support means for corresponding movement, a computer means connected to said tracer means, said computer means including a program memory including a drive program for defining a start location and a finish location of a geometric curve in space within the work area of said apparatus, said program memory including a dynamic self-programming trace-record program means responsive to the output of the tracer means during said movement to cause said tracer means to follow said geometric curve and simultaneously during said relative movement to collect coordinate data at a series of spaced curve definition points on said curve including slope definition data for each curve definition point and to generate a tool control program for recreating said geometric curve in the absence of said tracer means, said program memory including a run program means in which said tool control program is read and said tool means is moved in accordance with said curve for subsequent working said work means having a similar geometric curve.

An automatic contouring apparatus having a working tool mounted for relative movement with respect to work means in a complex path having at least one portion with a progressively changing slope with movement about a plurality of different axes including one axis extended along a work path with respect to said work means and separate drive means for each of said axes and having a tracer-transducer means adapted to move along said work path and develop reference signals during said movement of the tracer-transducer means for selected axes, comprising a computer means connected to said tracer-transducer means and to said drive means, said computer means including a program memory including a reference program for defining a plurality of spaced locations in space within the work area of said apparatus, said spaced locations including initial and final reference locations for the desired tool motion, write input means for operation definition of each of said locations, said program memory including a dynamic self-programming trace-record program includes a closed loop position control responsive to the output of the transducer means during the movement of transducer means as an input signal to read the position of the tracer-transducer means and the movement of said tracer-transducer means at selected curve definition data points and reading coordinate data at each of said curve definition data points including slope definition and location data and adapted to generate a tool control program connecting said curve definition points in accordance with said slope definition and location data for closely fitting said path, and including a playback program in which said tool control program is read to develop drive signals for each of said separate drive means and to directly apply said drive signals to energize said separate drive means, and means to selectively operate the computer means in a trace-record mode with the trace-record program operative and in a playback mode with said playback program operative.

A method controlling the relative motion of a first working means mounted for multi-dimensional movement relative to a second work means within a defined work area along a geometric curve on the work means, said curve having at least one curved portion with a progressively changing slope, said working means having a tracer means mounted for progressive and continuous movement along said curve with the working means and producing an output signal during such movement, comprising the steps relatively moving the working means relative the work means in a continuous motion through said one curved portion, controlling said relative motion in accordance with the output of the tracer means to hold the tracer means on said curved portion, and digitizing said output signals at a plurality of spaced point coordinate locations within said curved portion and as said tracer means moves through said curved portion, said output signals including location data and slope data to establish position related curve fitting data of the moving tracer means for each coordinate definition at said spaced point coordinate locations, converting said curve fitting data into a control command signal and relatively moving said working means and work means along a geometric curve in accordance with said command signals essentially corresponding to said geometric curve on the work means, and including storing said coordinate curve fitting data in a tool control logic program memory for sequentially recreating said motion along said geometric curve independently of said tracer means.