Robotic carrier mechanism for aircraft maintenance
AssigneeEngineering Corporation
InventorsHenry K. Berry, Jr., Lester L. Knight, Jr.
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Disclosed is a robotic paint system for aircraft consisting of a robotic wash/rinse gantry, a robotic cart carrying a robotic painting system, and a control system. The paint system includes a robotically controlled wash/rinse gantry movable along the entire extent of the aircraft being maintained. A robotically controlled cart is provided which is carried by a plurality of wheel assemblies on a curved track. A robotically controlled platform is provided for carrying the robotic painting system, and a mechanism is also provided for adjusting the platform up and down as well as towards and away from the platform.
Claims27
An apparatus for performing robotically controlled maintenance on an object wherein control over the position and orientation of a maintenance robot with respect to the object is necessary to replicate such maintenance, the apparatus comprising:
- a maintenance robot;
- a mobile cart for supporting said robot;
- a track, said track including a curved portion;
- a plurality of wheel assemblies for carrying said cart on said track;
- each of said wheel assemblies being in contact with said track, each wheel assembly including three wheels and means for mounting said three wheels in a fixed position relative to each other and means for pivoting said three wheels relative to said cart for travel along said curbed portion of said track.
An apparatus for performing robotically controlled maintenance on an object wherein control over the position and orientation of a maintenance robot with respect to the object is necessary to replicate such maintenance, the apparatus comprising:
- a maintenance robot;
- a mobile cart for supporting said robot;
- a track positioned on a floor for supporting said cart;
- a plurality of wheel assemblies in contact with said track for carrying said cart on said track;
- a lift platform for supporting said robot and means for movably mounting said lift platform on said cart for vertical movement relative to said track;
- and
- at least one fluid containing tank supported on said lift platform and means for connecting said tank to said robot, whereby the distance between said tank and said robot is minimized.
An apparatus for performing robotically controlled maintenance on an object wherein control over the position and orientation of a maintenance robot with respect to the object is necessary to replace such maintenance, the apparatus comprising:
- a maintenance robot;
- a mobile cart for supporting said robot;
- a track positioned on a floor for supporting said track;
- said track being continuous;
- a plurality of wheel assemblies for carrying said cart on said track;
- means for rigidly attaching said track to said floor at at least one predetermined location;
- mean for slideably attaching said track to said floor at a plurality of locations to compensate for thermal expansion of said track.
An apparatus for performing robotically controlled maintenance on an object wherein control over the position and orientation of a maintenance robot with respect to the object is necessary to replicate such maintenance, the apparatus comprising:
- a maintenance robot;
- a mobile cart for supporting said robot;
- a track positioned on a floor for supporting said track;
- a plurality of wheel assemblies in contact with said track for carrying said cart on said track;
- a lift platform for supporting said robot and means for movably mounting said lift platform on said cart for vertical movement relative to said track;
- and
- a robot platform for supporting said robot and means for extending said robot platform along and beyond the end of said lift platform for horizontal extension of said robot beyond the end of said lift platform.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.