Teach tool

A pointer to use to teach a robot to repetitively manipulate a brazing nozzle of a preselected length along a multi-dimensional path on a resetting work piece provided by a C pillar of an automobile vehicle body at a generally perpendicular work angle and at a preselected work distance from an instantaneous surface of said C pillar along said multi-dimensional path, said pointer comprising:

• a base portion connecting said pointer with an end of a robot arm;
• a main body having an elongated form with a generally rectangular cross-section, said main body being connected with said base portion having a length inclusive of said base approximating said preselected length of said brazing nozzle and said preselected work distance;
• and
• a contact portion continuous and integral with said main body for contacting said C pillar, said contact portion having two small parallel space surface flats generally aligned in a common plane perpendicular with respect to said robot arm, said flats being separated by a window cut-out to allow an operator to visually inspect said instantaneous surface of said C pillar juxtaposed by said flats.

A method of using a pointer to teach a robot to repetitively manipulate an end of arm tool having a preselected length along a multidimensional path on a resetting work piece at a generally constant preselected desired work angle and work distance from an instantaneous surface of said work piece along said multi-dimensional path, said method comprising:

• connecting a base of said pointer with an end of a robot arm;
• connecting with said pointer base portion a main body of said pointer having a length inclusive of said base portion approximating said preselected length of said end of arm tool and said preselected desired work distance;
• connecting with said main body a contact portion continuous with said main body for contacting said work piece, said contact portion having two small parallel space surface flats generally aligned in a common plane at said preselected work angle with respect to said robot arm, said flats being separated by a window cut-out to allow an operator to visually inspect said instantaneous surface of said work piece juxtaposed by said flats;
• and
• contacting said work piece with said pointer while moving said robot arm.