US 4,543,638 A · Mechanical handling apparatus

Abstract

A mechanical handling apparatus for point to point movement has utilization grippers driven from point to point by an arm assembly comprising a piston and cylinder arrangement in which the piston is in force balance until activated by a microprocessor. The microprocessor controls the energization of an electrical solenoid of each of a plurality of valves. The grippers are carried by a load beam, supported by bearings and a selectively energizable brake for resisting motion of the load beam is mounted on a lead screw. The lead screw is driven by a stepper motor but is connected with a microprocessor, and the position of the load beam and of the brake is determined by a transducer. In operation, the microprocessor permits energization of the piston to rapidly drive the load beam and hence the grippers toward a desired point within the capture range of the lead screw. The brake is applied to stop the load beam and final, accurate positioning of the grippers is performed by energizing the stepper motor.

Claims39

Dependent claims

An improved mechanical handling apparatus for point to point movement comprising:

an arm assembly having a utilization device affixed to an end thereof and including actuation means for moving said utilization device toward a desired point;
transducer means operatively associated with said arm assembly for generating a position signal indicative of the position of said utilization device relative to a datum;
brake means operatively associated with said arm assembly for selectably preventing relative movement between said brake means and said utilization device;
vernier adjustment means connected to said brake means for moving said brake means relative to said datum over a predetermined limited range;
control means programmed to control the movement of said utilization device to said desired point in accordance with said position signal by energizing said actuation means if required to bring said utilization device within said predetermined limited range of said desired point, actuating said brake means to prevent relative movement between said utilization device and said brake means, and energizing said vernier adjustment means to accurately position said utilization device at said desired point.

2 more elements

A mechanical handling apparatus for point to point movement including arm means connected to a utilization means, actuating means for driving said utilizating means toward a predetermined, prescribed, point, brake means arranged to selectively arrest motion of the arm means and to be driven by a stepper motor means over a predetermined, limited range, and position detecting means arranged to detect the respective positions of the utilization means and of the brake means relative to a datum, the position detecting means being connected to a control means and said control means defining the point to point movement instructions of the utilization means and being arranged to sequentially energize the actuator means, if required, to drive the utilization means towards said prescribed point and within the range of said stepper motor means, activate the brake means to arrest motion of the arm means and drive the stepper motor means to bring the utilization means to the prescribed point.

A mechanical handling apparatus for point-to-point movement including

utilization means,
arm means connected to said utilization means,
actuator means for driving said utilizing means toward a predetermined prescribed point,
a stepping motor means,
brake means coactive with said arm means and said stepping motor means and operative selectively to arrest motion of said arm means and to be driven by said stepping motor means over a predetermined limited range,
position detecting means arranged for detecting the respective positions of the utilization means and of the brake means relative to a predetermined datum, and
control means,
said position detecting means being connected to said control means, and said control means defining the point-to-point movement instructions of the utilization means and being adapted to energize the actuator means sequentially, if required, to drive the utilization means towards the prescribed point within the range of said stepping motor means, to activate the brake means to arrest motion of said arm means, and to drive the stepping motor means to bring the utilization means to said prescribed point.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Mechanical handling apparatus

Life of this patent

Mechanical handling apparatus

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims39