Manipulator for masonry wall construction and the like
AssigneeInternational Masonry Institute
InventorsRiley H. Mayhall, Jr., C. Paul Miller, John E. Lorenz, Riley H. Mayhall, III, Mark A. Smith
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An article manipulator system which is suitable for fixed and translative mounting at work sites including on scaffold assemblies, providing for alignment compensation for scaffold non-alignment, providing for limited movement about two vertical axes, providing movement along a trolley track in a generally horizontal direction, and a gripper for grasping heavy work objects such as masonry construction units. A control handle provides for signals for raising and lowering a lift cable and signals for locking and unlocking brakes on said pivot arms and upon said trolley track.
Claims21
An article manipulator comprising in combination:
- a scaffold assembly;
- an alignment compensating trolley track assembly attached to said scaffold;
- a trolley for providing movement along the length of said trolley track;
- a first pivot arm;
- a second pivot arm;
- a hoist mounted on said first arm;
- a lift cable connected to said hoist and passing along said first and second arms;
- a lift cable guide support means;
- a gripper connected to said lift cable for gripping work pieces;
- a control system for said manipulator comprising;
- an operator control handle;
- and
- where in said hoist raises and lowers the lift cable in response to controlling said control handle.
An apparatus for manipulation of a work object comprising in combination:
- an alignment compensating scaffold trolley track mounted on said scaffold extending generally parallel to a work area;
- a manipulator arm pivotally mounted on a trolley riding on said trolley track, said arm having a plurality of pivot points;
- a deadman switch on a control handle;
- a manipulator controller, having;
- means for unlocking brakes on said arm pivots when said dead man switch is depressed;
- means for sensing when a trolley move command is present;
- means for sensing when a gripper actuation command is present;
- means responsive to said trolley move command when there is no gripper command for locking brakes on each of said manipulator arm pivots, and for unlocking brakes on said trolley;
- and
- means for maintaining said trolley brakes unlocked and said pivot arm brakes locked until a further signal is received.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.