US 4,784,422 A · Gripper and wrist joint for a robotic arm

Abstract

A gripper and wrist joint assembly for a robotic arm. The gripper comprises a pair of identical jams connected by a pivot and including V-sections for holding large objects and end-mounted pivotal tips for holding small and flat sided objects. The jaws are opened and closed by rotation of a screw-threaded rod having screw threaded connections with the jaws, the axis of the rod being fixed and the pivot pins being guided with linear displacement during adjustment of jaws so that they are maintained central within the gripper housing. The wrist includes a pair of spiroid level gears driven by respective spiroid pinions and each meshing with an output bevel gear carried on a shaft equipped with an adjustment nut for engaging the bevel gears into firm engagement and enabling backlash to be eliminated.

Claims16

Dependent claims

A gripper for a robotic arm comprising, in combination:

a housing;
a pair of gripper jaws;
a pivot located in the housing and connecting the jaws for pivotal movement relative to each other about a pivot axis;
said jaws being substantially symmetrical with respect to a predetermined plane containing the pivot axis;
an adjusting rod journalled in the housing for rotation and coupled to each jaw for pivoting the jaws about the pivot axis to open and close the jaws in response to rotation of the rod in opposite directions;
and
guide means on the housing for guiding said pivot for rectilinear displacement during opening and closing movements of the gripper jaws thereby maintaining the jaws in symmetrical relation relative to said predetermined plane.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Gripper and wrist joint for a robotic arm

Life of this patent

Gripper and wrist joint for a robotic arm

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims16