Abstract: The invention relates to an actuator and to its application to the position servocontrol for a master-slave remote manipulator.The actuator comprises a box or case in which are housed an electric motor, a slightly or non-reversible reducing gear and a torsion bar connecting the led part of the gear to an actuating plate outside the box. Potentiometers make it possible to define the position of the led part with respect to the box and the force applied to the torsion bar. Thus, it is possible to artificially provide the gear with good reversibility characteristics.Application to any movement control in robotics and particularly to the production of miniaturized master arms, master-slave remote manipulators with force return and without either a cable or belt, and to the control of heavy arms.

Abstract: A telescopic remote manipulator includes a rotary passage block which passes through a partition, a telescopic master arm having upper and lower segments, and a telescopic slave arm having upper, intermediate and lower segments. The arms are articulated by their upper segments on the passage block by pins. A control handle and gripping member are respectively mounted on the free ends of the master and slave arms. Means are provided for transmitting to the gripping member movements of the handle and include cable means associated with the master arm and cable means associated with the slave arm, both coacting with a rotary shaft in the passage block to transmit the handle movements to the gripping member. The slave arm cable means pass over pulleys carried by a mobile carriage positioned externally of the slave arm and then on pulleys mounted on the slave arm in the vicinity of its shoulder pin.

Abstract: Remote manipulating assembly of the type comprising a movable platform carrying a telescopic supporting or carrying assembly at the end of which a remote manipulation arm can be displaced within an enclosure, wherein the platform is located within a wall of the enclosure, at least one opening being provided in the wall to permit the introduction of the telescopic carrying assembly of axis AA into the enclosure, and wherein the platform is provided with a hood within which the telescopic carrying assembly and the remote manipulation arm can be completely contained, the hood also being provided in its opening part with means for the tight connection to the wall of the enclosure cooperating with sealing means provided in the opening, and having at its other end means for controlling the displacements of the telescopic carrying assembly, while also having connection and supply means for the displacements of the remote manipulation arm, together with its operation and the operation of its tools.

Abstract: A telescopic telemanipulator of the master-slave type, wherein the slave arm is equilibrated by means of at least one counterweight mounted on a link articulated to the traversing block on the master arm side, the counterweight moving along the link when an offsetting is introduced between the length of the slave arm and that of the master arm; at least a second counterweight is mounted adjacent the first counterweight on another link, such counterweight moving along the link when a variation in the length of the slave arm is controlled from the master arm.The telemanipulator has application for the remote-controlled handling, among other things, of radioactive products.

Abstract: A handling equipment comprising a telescopic supporting assembly carrying a motorized orientation support for at least one articulated slave arm is disclosed. The orientation support includes a body pivotally mounted around a vertical axis at the end of the supporting assembly and at least one supporting member pivotally mounted around a horizontal axis on the body. A fixing device is provided between each slave arm and each supporting member to allow remote locking and unlocking of the slave arms. The supporting assembly bears at least one television camera for observing the free end of each slave arm.

Abstract: Master-slave manipulator having a master arm provided with a control handle and a slave arm controlled by the master arm and provided with a tool, said arms being connected by a shaft mounted in pivotal manner about its axis with respect to a fixed support, the master arm having at least one so-called shoulder articulation between itself and the shaft and perpendicular to the shaft axis, said slave arm being of the articulated type and having an upper arm articulated about a shoulder axis perpendicular to the shaft axis and a lower arm articulated with respect to the upper arm about an elbow axis parallel to the shoulder axis, wherein it comprises means for defining a first point occupying a homothetic position in a homothetic transformation of negative ratio relative to the shoulder axis of the arm of the control handle and means for transmitting position information from said point to the slave arm, said means comprising at least two rods, the first of said rods being articulated to the said point about an

Abstract: A master-slave manipulator which penetrates an enclosure wall through an opening fitted with a mounting plate has a slave arm and master arm pivoted respectively to each end of a pivotally mounted central cylindrical body and constituted by one or more articulated cylindrical segments in end-to-end relation. A tool or tong unit is fitted at the slave end while a control handle and balance weight are fitted at the master end. The segments of the master arm are in an inverted homothetic relationship with those of the slave arm with respect to the point of intersection of the axis of the central body with the pivotal mounting axis and are in a ratio equal to -k while the weights of the homothetic segments are in a ratio of 1/k.

Abstract: An inductive load driving amplifier is disclosed which includes two serially connected transistors, with Zener diodes limiting the collector-emitter voltage of the one and diverting the collector-base current of the other when the first one switches off. The driver is implemented as an integrated circuit. This collector isolation constitutes a high voltage Zener diode which contributes to limit the collector voltages. The combination of these features prevents the device from being exposed to second breakdown when switching highly inductive loads (e.g. several Henrys under 50V), thereby avoiding the harmful effects of breakdowns during switching.

Abstract: The movement of rotation of each element of the manipulator arm about the shoulder, elbow and wrist pins is controlled by a motor and a cable consisting of two oppositely-acting lengths by means of a pulley-block which carries at least two lengths, two pairs of pulley-blocks being located within a barrel unit. The length of cable which emerges from each pulley-block is passed over a return pulley carried by the shoulder pin and guided within a stationary manipulator body in a direction parallel to the axis of the barrel unit, each emergent length of cable being actuated by one of the motors mounted on the manipulator body.

Abstract: A timepiece having a casing provided with a lateral window, opening on its lateral face, in which appear the indications of a display device, the casing being arranged in such a way as to be capable of occupying two different positions, in which opposite faces of the casing are turned over one with respect to the other. In each position one or the other of said opposite faces is visible, and commutation means are provided for ensuring that, in one of the said positions of the casing, the time indications are displayed in one direction while, in the other position of the casing, they are displayed in the opposite direction, so that the reading of the time can be effected in either of said positions of the casing.

Abstract: The preparation of pigment compositions with a copper phthalocyanine base, stable to crystallization is described.There is incorporated in the copper phthalocyanine pigments to be stabilized a compound of the general formula: ##SPC1##Wherein Pc represents a phthalocyanine residue, moiety or radical, X represents oxygen or sulfur or --NH-- bridge, R.sub.1 represents halogen or alkoxy, trifluoromethyl, trifluoromethoxy, cyano, carboxy, nitro, N-alkylamino or N,N-dialkylamino, R.sub.2 represents hydrogen, or alkyl or alkoxy group, R.sub.3 represents hydrogen or alkyl, n is a number from 1 to 8, R.sub.1, R.sub.2 and R.sub.3 may occupy the ortho, meta or para positions of the benzene ring.The pigment compositions according to the invention are particularly well suited for the coloring of printed inks.