Abstract: In a robot machine, a hand is rotatably mounted on one end of an arm. The hand is provided with two sets of grasping units each including a pair of opposed fingers which are used to grasp or release an article, for example, a workpiece to be machined by a machine tool. A piston-cylinder assembly is provided for rotating the hand through a ninety degree angle.

Abstract: Apparatus for placing a first element at a receptacle location on a second element, there being associated with the precise receptacle location some known variation in the shape of the second element, the apparatus comprising a support member for supporting the first element while the member is translated toward the second element along a placement direction, a first transport device for moving the support member or the second element along a direction transverse to the placement direction, and a sensing device located on the support member for sensing the relative alignment along the transverse direction of the support member and the variation in shape, the sensing device comprising an energy-beam source adapted and positioned to direct an energy beam along a path that interacts with the variation in shape at least when the support member and receptacle location are aligned so that more of the beam is transmitted along the path when the member and receptacle location are aligned than when the member and rece

Abstract: A work handling assembly deposits a workpiece travelling from a pick-up point to a deposit point in the die space of a drop-forging press. The assembly comprises a pincer assembly mounted on a hinged quadrilateral mechanism to move between a workpiece pick-up station and a workpiece deposit work station. The hinged quadrilateral mechanism is driven by a crank gear assembly and includes one fixed side portion and two hinged side portions movably mounted to the fixed hinged side portion. The pincer assembly is rotatably connected to the free ends of the movable hinged side portions. Each of the movable hinged portions include a lever member with one of the lever members being longer than the other lever member. The longer lever member is rotatably connected to a front portion of the pincer assembly.

Abstract: A double hand applicable to an industrial robot comprises two hand units (2, 3) comprising at least two pairs, one each, of fingers (2-1 and 2-2, 3-1 and 3-2) and plate members (2-3, 3-3) of a pressing unit (4) disposed in parallel along the center axis of the fingers. The hand units (2, 3) are connected through a pressing mechanism (4) to constitute a double hand in a manner that the respective gripping center axis of the two hand units are in alignment, the respective plate members (2-3, 3-3) of the pressing unit are disposed opposite to each other and the opening sides of the respective pairs of fingers of the two hand units are directed in opposite directions to each other.

Abstract: A lift unit for a punch press comprising of a housing having a back plate mountable upon the press. A pair of upright tracks are mounted upon the back plate and spaced from a feed screw journaled upon the back plate. Spaced bearing blocks are secured upon outer edges of the carriage plate, each bearing block supporting a plurality of right angularly related cam followers operatively engaging opposite sides of the tracks and adjacent outer edges thereof for guidably mounting the carriage plate upon the tracks for reciprocal movements. A nut is secured to the carriage plate and threaded onto the feed screw. An encoder is connected to the feed screw. A programmable control or computer numerical control is connected to the motor and an electronic encoder feedback circuit interconnects the encoder with the programmable control or the computer numerical control.

Abstract: A flexible arm for a program controlled manipulator, with a hydraulic rotary actuator supported on an inflexible arm, a first arm member secured to a rotary shaft of the actuator, a second arm member connected swingably to the first arm member by way of a shaft, a third arm member connected rotatably to the second arm member, a link member connected rotatably to the first and third arm member, and a working tool mounted to the free end of the flexible arm.

Abstract: There is provided a grapple for lifting and maneuvring elongated items, which includes a main frame and a sub-frame, the two frames being pivotally mounted with respect to each other about a substantially vertical axis. The sub frame includes grappling jaws and heel elements which are capable of receiving elongated items. Mechanisms are provided for rotating the sub-frame with respect to the main frame. The heel is fixed with respect to the sub-frame and is spaced from the grappling jaws.

Abstract: A lift unit is mountable upon a press or machine tool and comprises a housing having a back plate mounting a pair of upright guide rods and journal an upright feed screw. A carriage has a carriage plate guidably mounted upon the rods and threadably engaging the feed screw. A programmable DC motor upon the housing has a drive shaft coupled to the feed screw. An angularly adjustable support cradle depends from the carriage below the housing and is adapted to mount a workpiece gripper tool adapted for programmed transverse controlled reciprocal movements relative to the press. An electronic encoder upon the motor controls the direction and number of rotations of its drive shaft for effecting a programmed repetitive cycle of predetermined feed movements of the carriage.

Abstract: The wheeled frame remaining after removal therefrom of the detachable cargo container, is gripped by clamping mechanism of a carrying unit mounted on a tractor or lift truck, then elevated above the ground and pivoted from its normal horizontal disposition to vertical position, and then transported to a multiple storage unit where it is deposited and retained in said vertical position removably in one of a plurality of compartments making up the storage unit. A plurality of such wheeled frames may be stored in this manner by deposit in successive ones of the compartments, and they are removed from the compartment in the reverse order of deposit.

Abstract: A tool changing device on machine tools, particularly on horizontal boring and milling machines having a drilling spindle. The device includes a dual-arm changing arm rotatable about its horizontal axis and provided on both ends with a grasping device. The changing arm is arranged rotatable on a pivotable pivot arm about an axis of the pivot arm parallel to the changing arm axis. The pivot arm is adjustable in the axial direction. The changing arm carries out rotational movements on the pivot arm during pivoting of the pivot arm (superimposed movements). The grasping device at one changing arm end describes a flat compound curve, or follows the connecting line between the starting and end positions.

Abstract: An automatic robot structure includes a fixed location support 10 which carries three locational arms 12, 14, 16, being hingedly connected to each other at their location of convergence to support a workhead 20, the driving motors 12a, 14a, and 16a each being independently operable to drive its respective arm in an axial direction, each of the arms being rigid in the sense that no part of the arm is hingedly connected to another part, so that the forces derived from a payload weight subject the arms primarily only to compression and or tension.

Abstract: The electric actuator comprises a deep cup harmonic drive gear train member with an electric motor, brake, tachometer, and resolver disposed therein. The arrangement and coupling of the components provides a high torque-to-weight ratio actuator that is capable of more than 360.degree. rotation.

Abstract: An apparatus for performing a work function on a workpiece comprising a stationary base, a rotatable base mounted on the stationary base, a hydraulically actuated mechanism for rotatably displacing the rotatable base relative to the stationary base, a lower arm member pivotally mounted on the rotatable base, a hydraulically actuated mechanism for angularly displacing the lower arm member relative to the rotatable base, an upper arm member pivotally mounted on the lower arm member, a hydraulically actuated mechanism for angularly displacing the upper arm member relative to the lower arm member, a wrist assembly mounted on the upper arm member, a hand member universally mounted on the wrist assembly, a hydraulically actuated mechanism for angularly displacing the hand member relative to the wrist assembly, a mechanism disposed on the hand member for mounting a work tool, the stationary and rotatable bases including a rotary fluid slip ring assembly, and an assembly for transmitting fluid between the stationary

Abstract: A log handling attachment for a bulldozer or similar vehicle consisting of a bracket assembly arranged to be detachably mounted on the rear portion of the vehicle and carrying a horizontally rotatable articulated boom provided with hydraulic cylinders for moving the pivoted parts of the boom, and provided with a hydraulically-driven gear and sprocket chain system for swinging the boom around a vertical axis through a wide angular range. A hydraulic winch is mounted on the boom, having a long cable running through sheaves on the boom and provided with a log-engaging tool at the end of the cable. Operating power is derived from the power take-off shaft of the vehicle.

Abstract: An industrial robot having two rotative mechanisms that are adapted to rotate two arms relative to the axial directions thereof and which are interconnected such that their longitudinal axes intersect at right angles. An arm which belongs to the first rotative mechanism is secured to the base of the robot, and a gripping member is attached to the end of a free arm which belongs to the second rotative mechanism. This permits the gripping member to be moved in a plane which is parallel to the X-Z plane, and then in a plane which is parallel to the Y-Z plane, so that a workpiece or tool replacement can be moved along the perpendicular side walls of a machine tool frame.

Abstract: A break-away device includes a lower arm 15 pivotally connected to an upper arm 19 by a coupling 17. The lower and upper arms 15,19 are generally maintained in a rigid, colinear relationship by a spring-biased detent pin 39. When the lower arm 15 undergoes a lateral impact, the detent pin 39 is displaced from a grooved detent recess 37 of the lower arm 15 and rolled about an upper convex surface 31 thereof, thereby permitting the lower arm 15 to pivot about the coupling 17 and break away from the upper arm 19.

Abstract: A pipe bending machine has a pipe bending mechanism which receives lengths of pipe to be bent from a pipe magazine located laterally of one side of the mechanism. A pipe transfer device is interposed between the bending mechanism and the magazine and transports pipe length from the magazine to the bending mechanism, for which purpose it is so constructed that it can pivot in a plurality of mutually inclined planes.

Abstract: A tool positioner has a main support defining a pair of main pivot axes and ncluding a guide. Respective main cranks have inner ends pivoted at the main pivot axes on a support and outer ends pivoted to ends of respective links whose other ends are pivoted on a tool holder. This holder has an elongated stem longitudinally displaceable in the guide and carries a tool which can pivot about the axis of the stem and about another axis perpendicular thereto. The two cranks can be displaced independently of each other for swinging of the tool holder about either of the main pivot axes or for displacing it along the axis of the stem.

Abstract: A programmable automatic assembly system is provided which may be employed to assemble small parts. Each assembly station includes cooperating manipulator arms which are programmable to assemble parts on a centrally located work table. Improved facilities are provided for teaching the manipulator arms at each station, these facilities including a computer which assists the teaching operator in setting up the programs required for assembly of small parts to close tolerances. Each manipulator arm includes closed loop teach facilities for maintaining the arm at a previously located position during the teaching mode of operation. The computer is employed as a teach assist facility in performing a number of tasks during the teaching operation which are extremely difficult for the operator to perform manually. All of the assembly stations may be controlled during playback from a common disc storage facility so that the control circuitry and memory storage facilities at each manipulator are minimized.

Abstract: A robot comprising a chain of members connected in pairs and mobile with respect to one another under the action of drive device controlled by a computer, each of the members being operative to drive a terminal member of the chain in a movement determined by a monitoring device controlling the computer, a single motor for selectively actuating, via a selection device controlled by the computer, each of the mobile members separately, and a single monitoring coder for selectively determining the movement of the mobile members.

Abstract: A grapple attachment for the boom of a hoisting machine having a pair of arms movable between open and closed positions, the arms supporting an endless chain which, when the arms are closed, embrace a pole to be placed so that the pole can be lifted and then rotated about its own axis by a drive motor engaging the chain so that the fittings and the like attached to the pole can be aligned in a selected direction while the pole is held by the grapple.

Abstract: An articulating, part handling device to vary the orientation of the part carried thereby includes a carriage having a vacuum system positively to retain the properly located part thereon during handling. Such carriage is slidably mounted for selective reciprocal movement along the distal member of an articulating arm assembly, which is proximally pivotally mounted to a fixed supporting frame. The part handling device includes an actuating system to provide relative pivotal movement between the articulating arm assembly and frame and between the respective members of the articulating arm assembly and also to provide the relative axial movement between the carriage and distal arm, whereby the orientation of the carried part may be varied as required by the handling environment.

Abstract: Improvements in large bale handlers and loaders which are tractor mounted and include (1) a frame pivotably mounted on a tractor; (2) lifting device operative to elevate the frame in pivotable movement around its connection to the tractor and also lower it; and (3) a grasping element operative to open and close to seize and release the bale.

Abstract: A lift truck comprising an open-frame carriage having at least two longitudinal frame girders, two lifting arms, each of which is pivotally mounted relative to its respective longitudinal frame girder for pivotal movement relative to its respective frame girder; and a lifting yoke turnably mounted between the two lifting arms and being further tiltable relative to the lifting arms, the lifting yoke being turnable, relative to the lifting arms through an angle of at least 90.degree., and preferably about 110.degree..

Abstract: A tool changer drum is rotatably mounted on a machine tool for rotation about an axis which is perpendicular to the spindle axis thereof. A plurality of tool changer arms are swingably mounted on the tool changer drum for swinging movement along radii of the drum between a storage position parallel to the central plane of the drum and a transfer position perpendicular to the central plane of the drum. A pneumatic cylinder is used to index the tool changer drum to place any selected tool changer arm in the ready position. Another pneumatic cylinder is used to swing the ready tool changer arm from its storage position to its transfer position to transfer a toolholder from storage to the spindle and later to swing the tool changer arm back to the storage position to return the toolholder to storage. Before the tool transfer operation, the spindle is moved to a tool transfer position in which the swinging movement of the tool changer arm either places a toolholder in the spindle or removes a toolholder therefrom.

Abstract: A remote access manipulator comprises a locking mechanism capable of self-alignment for performing operations on equipment located in areas where human access is limited. The manipulator further comprises a slave carriage located in the equipment on which the operation is to be performed, such as a nuclear steam generator, for carrying tools and inspection devices for performing operations on the equipment together with a master carriage located in a scale model of the equipment and electrically connected to the slave carriage for controlling the movement of the slave carriage. The slave carriage is capable of advancing across a surface of the equipment to position the devices which it carries. The manipulator further comprises a slave manipulator arm used to move the slave carriage into and out of the equipment on which the operation is to be performed in conjunction with a master manipulator arm located in the scale model for controlling the movement of the slave manipulator arm.

Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus for lifting, handling, transporting and unrolling large round hay bales. Preferably said apparatus is employed on the bed of a pickup or truck and includes a frame mounted on the pickup bed with a beam pivotally mounted thereon and with arms slidably mounted on the beam. The arms have bale penetrating members rotatably mounted or fixed thereon. First power actuated means operably pivot said beam in an arc about the rear end of the pickup toward and away from the ground. Second power actuated means slide the arms and penetrating members along said beam toward each other in such fashion as to squeeze a bale sufficiently to allow the first power means to lift the bale from the ground, and away from each other to release the bale. The bale penetrating members are rotatably or fixedly mounted on the arms to allow a bale to be unrolled to facilitate feeding the hay of the bale to animals.