Flexible actuating screw

A motor actuated screw device for the transmission of torque over articulating surfaces for use in an electro-mechanical grasping device for simulating the movement of a human hand as an artificial hand prosthesis, said device comprising:

• a support platform sized to resemble a human metacarpus, said support platform having a first end and a first side next to said first end;
• a plurality of extended hinged members movably connected to simulate the movement of a human finger, a first one of said hinged members connected to said first end of said support platform, said extended hinged members including a first bar, a second bar, and a third bar, each of said first, second, and third bars being hingedly joined together from end to end;
• a plurality of high torque motors, each of said motors mounted on said support platform;
• individual cable means coupled to each of said high torque motors, each said cable having a plurality of threaded cinctures affixed thereto and rotatably coupled to each of said hinged members by means of fixed cable guide bushings, said guide bushings having internal threads for receiving and guiding said cable mounted cinctures;
• means for controlling said threaded cables connected to each of said motors;
• said extended hinged members being sized to correspond to the digits in a human hand, and located relative to said support platform to approximate the location of human fingers;
• said first, second, and third bars sized to correspond to the phalanges in the fingers of a human hand;
• whereby said hinged members can be individually moved to positions simulating human finger movement through the action of said threaded cables and cable bushings attached to said hinged members simulating movement of the human hand.