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US 4,556,360 AGranted
Robotic apparatus
OwnerGeorge T. Hoffmanninventor
Life of this patent
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OwnerGeorge T. Hoffmanninventor
Estimating the term…
A robot arm, especially useful as a parts catcher, uses an extensible arm which may be in the form of a telescopic slide. The arm and a fluid operated actuator, such as a pneumatic cylinder, are pivotally mounted on a base at one end thereof. A wrist is pivotally mounted on the upper end of the arm. The actuator is connected to the wrist and pivots the arm, extends and retracts the arm and pivots the wrist. A receptacle is carried by the wrist and serves to catch parts when the arm is pivoted and extended to a parts catching position. Stops on the arm limit its pivotal and extensile movement. Stops are also provided to limit the pivotal movement of the wrist. These stops and a compression spring which biases the wrist provide static limits or forces against which the actuator works. Because of the location of the stops and the spring, the cycle of movement of the arm between parts catching position and an unloading or delivering position where the receptacle may be tilted and the parts therein dumped is controlled.
Robotic apparatus which comprises an extensible passive arm pivotable on a first pivot, a wrist rotatably mounted on said arm, an extensible actuator pivotable on a second pivot, said actuator being pivotally connected to said wrist, means against which said actuator works for limiting the distance over which said arm rotates about said first pivot without extending or retracting, and means against which said actuator works for limiting the extension and retraction distances of said arm and enabling the rotation of said wrist whereby said arm and wrist execute a predetermined cycle of arm rotation, arm extension and wrist rotation as said actuator extends and retracts.
Parts catcher apparatus which comprises a receptacle movable between parts catching and delivering positions, a base, a passive arm having a first section pivotally mounted on said base at one end thereof which defines an end of said arm, and a second section linearly movable with respect to said first section and connected thereto, an actuator having a cylinder with a piston rod movable axially therein, said cylinder being pivotally mounted on said base, means rotationally mounting said receptacle at an end of said second section which defines the end of said arm opposite to said one end thereof, means pivotally connecting said piston rod to said receptacle rotationally mounting means, means against which said actuator works for limiting the distances said arm and receptacle rotate without movement of said first and second sections in the clockwise and counter-clockwise directions as said piston rod extends from and retracts into said cylinder, and means against which said actuator works for limiting the distance said second section moves with respect to said first section after said arm reaches the limits of its rotation established by said rotation limiting means whereby to enable rotation of said receptacle and to bring said receptacle to said catching and delivering positions upon rotation over the limiting distances in different ones of said clockwise and counter-clockwise directions.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.