Adjustable apparatus
OwnerPhilip Dubsoninventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The disclosed mechanism includes multiple links having adjustable-length drive units connected in series and operated coordinately. The illustrative form of adjustable-length drive unit has oppositely extending elements oppositely threaded in a body that is secured to a mount, the oppositely extending elements being keyed to each other for conjoint rotation that allows extension and contraction of the drive unit. In one form, successive drive units of successive links produce tilting of articulated links in respective planes perpendicular to each other.
Claims30
An articulated arm comprising a series of links, each of a plurality of said links having a base and first and second control units mounted thereon, the first control units of said links being connected in series with each other at respective first pivotal connections, the second control units of said links being connected in series with each other at respective second pivotal connections, said first and second pivotal connections being spaced apart along respective parallel axes, said first control unit of at least one of said links between adjacent links of the series being a first drive unit having coaxial first drive elements extending oppositely to respective ones of said first pivotal connections and extending along an axis fixed in relation to the base of said one of said links, and means for operating said drive elements of said drive unit along their axes simultaneously and equally in opposite directions relative to the base for thereby causing the links adjacent said one link to tilt in relation to said one link through angles in a first plane when said operating means operates alone.
An articulated arm comprising a series of links including end links and at least one intermediate link, each link having a mount and at least first and second control units carried by the mount, first and second pivotal connections between respective first and second control units of each succeeding pair of links in the series, at least the first control unit of each of said links being an adjustable-length drive unit having a drive element extending along an axis fixed in relation to its respective mount and extending to a respective pivotal connection to the drive element of the first drive unit of the next link in the series, each of the drive units of the end links of the series having one drive element and the drive unit of said intermediate link having a pair of said drive elements extending in opposite directions, and common actuating means for concurrently extending or contracting said first drive units relative to said second control units, the first drive units and the second control units of the series of links being related so that operation of the drive units causes adjustable curvature of the arm.
An articulated arm comprising a series of links each having a mount and at least first and second control units carried thereby, the first and second control units of each link having pivotal connections to respective first and second control units of the next link in the series, the first control unit of at least one of said links being an adjustable-length drive unit having a body secured to said mount and a pair of drive elements extending oppositely from said body and bearing respective ones of said pivotal connections, and actuating means for adjusting said drive elements of said drive unit concurrently in opposite directions through equal distances relative to said mount, the first and second units being located in relation to each other so that the spacing between the pivotal connections of said first and second units at one end of said one link is equal to the spacing between the pivotal connections of said first and second units at the other end of said one link and so that said spacings remain equal during the longitudinal adjustment of said drive unit.
An articulated device including first and second mounts, first and second control units mounted on each of said mounts, said first control units of each successive pair of mounts being secured to each other by a first pivotal connection and said second control units of each successive pair of mounts being secured to each other by a second pivotal connection, at least said first control units on each said mount being a drive unit having an elongated drive element projecting variably therefrom along an axis fixed in relation to the related mount and extending to a said pivotal connection, and common actuating means for projecting or retracting said drive elements of said first drive units equally and simultaneously for thereby causing said bases to move angularly in relation to each other.
Adjustable apparatus comprising at least a pair of first adjustable-length drive units,
- each of said pair of first drive units comprising a body having spaced-apart threaded portions, first and second coaxial threaded rods extending oppositely along an axis from the threaded portions of said body, respectively, and a rotatable member keying said rods against relative rotation while accommodating relative axial movement between the rods, the rods being oppositely threaded, whereby rotation of said first rod relative to said body causes it to be displaced lengthwise in one direction and causes the second rod to be displaced lengthwise in the opposite direction,
- said first rod of one such drive unit of said pair having a connection to said second rod of the other drive unit of said pair that prevents relative rotation of the connected first and second rods, said first adjustable-length drive units being thereby connected in series,
- and drive means for rotating the keyed-and-connected rods of said pair of drive units relative to their respective bodies, the threads of said rods and body portions being so related that rotational drive of any of the rods causes concurrent extension or retraction of all said rods relative to their respective bodies.
An articulated arm comprising a series of links including at least a first link having a first-link mount and a second link having a second-link mount,
- said first link having a first variable-length drive unit including a body secured to said first-link mount and having a threaded portion, and said drive unit having a first threaded rod projecting adjustably from said threaded body portion,
- said second link having a first dual variable-length drive unit that includes a body secured to said second-link mount and having oppositely threaded opposite end portions, two oppositely threaded coaxial rods projecting in opposite directions from said threaded end portions, respectively, and a member keying said two oppositely threaded rods to rotate in unison while allowing relative lengthwise movement therebetween,
- a universal that connects said first threaded rod and one of said oppositely threaded rods, the universal allowing angular movement between the axes of said rods while enforcing common rotation of such connected rods, the threading of said threaded rods and threaded end portions being related so that upon rotation, all said rods become either extended or retracted in unison,
- means pivotally connecting said mounts to each other so that rotation of said rods causes relative tilting of said mounts through an angle in a first plane, and
- means for rotating one of said rods and thereby rotating all of said rods.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.