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AssigneeUnimation, Inc.
InventorsJoseph F. Engelberger, Torsten H. Lindbom, Maurice J. Dunne, William Perzley, Wilbur N. Roberts, Horace L. Gardner
Estimating the term…
A programmable automatic assembly system is provided which may be employed to assemble small parts. Each assembly station includes cooperating manipulator arms which are programmable to assemble parts on a centrally located work table. Improved facilities are provided for teaching the manipulator arms at each station, these facilities including a computer which assists the teaching operator in setting up the programs required for assembly of small parts to close tolerances. Each manipulator arm includes closed loop teach facilities for maintaining the arm at a previously located position during the teaching mode of operation. The computer is employed as a teach assist facility in performing a number of tasks during the teaching operation which are extremely difficult for the operator to perform manually. All of the assembly stations may be controlled during playback from a common disc storage facility so that the control circuitry and memory storage facilities at each manipulator are minimized.
In a programmable manipulator, the combination of, a base member mounted for rotation about a vertical axis, a first arm portion pivotally mounted on said base member for rotation about a first horizontal axis, a second arm portion mounted on the upper end of said first arm portion for movement about a second horizontal axis, a manipulator hand mounted on the outer end of said second arm portion and movable about a wrist bend axis which is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said second arm portion, said hand having a swivel portion on the outer end thereof which is rotatable about a wrist swivel axis which is perpendicular to said wrist bend axis, means for rotating said first and second arm portions about their respective axes, and drive means for said hand and swivel portions mounted on said first arm portion and movable therewith.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.