Abstract: A coordinate laser cutting machine nozzle rides in close proximity to sheet material to be cut, and the nozzle is provided with an outer chambered ring, spring-loaded to ride on the sheet stock. The nozzle ring is provided with a concentric band of spring steel held in spaced relationship thereto by a plurality of standoffs. The spring ring is maintained at a spaced distance from the surface of the sheet stock, i.e. at the chamfer line, and the spring ring and outer nozzle ring are connected to an electrical supply. Upon contacting a dislodged workpiece previously-cut from the sheet stock, the spring ring makes electrical contact with the outer nozzle ring, and the resulting electrical signal is used for automatically inhibiting machine movement, or for otherwise indicating a fault condition.

Abstract: A laser beam pathway is established through hollow robotic wrist elements, including plural elements rotatable around first and second wrist axes transverse to one another and intersecting at a junction point. The junction point lies within a mirror chamber formed within a base housing of the robot elements, and a mirror is mounted within the mirror chamber to assist in directing the laser beam. The beam passes collinearly with the first and second wrist axes and first and second ducts are provided with a rotary joint included in the second duct, to isolate the beam pathway from internal wrist drive elements.

Abstract: An articulatable robot has a forearm and robotic wrist, the wrist having plural members mounted on plural axes of rotation. A laser generator is connected through a light pipe system to the robot forearm, distal to the robotic wrist, and a continuous laser beam pathway is established through the forearm and robotic wrist, the beam pathway extending colinearly with the plural rotation axes of the wrist members.

Abstract: Plural rotatable elements are contained in a wrist assembly wherein at least two of the axes intersect at a junction point, and a continuous laser beam pathway is established through the wrist elements, the beam pathway extending colinearly with the first and second wrist axes, and a mirror is provided with a reflecting surface intercepting the junction point of the wrist axes to assist in directing the internally ducted laser beam.

Abstract: A linear actuator comprising a ball screw, ball nut, and an endless ball circuit disposed between the two has an improved end closure body having a guide portion extending to approximately one revolution of the helical path around the screw out of the nut, where the balls then depart from the helical screw path and are received in a nonlinear ball passage formed within the closure. The ball passage has a first portion tangent to the ball screw groove and a second portion extending out of the end face of the closure in line with a longitudinal hole in the ball nut so that the balls may be smoothly returned through the nut to the opposite end, for reentry into the helical ball path.

Abstract: An extensible boring bar is moved between fully retracted and fully extended positions proximal and distal to a machine housing. The bar is supported at a point within the housing and a snout and damper assembly is provided at the outermost face of the housing. The snout and damper assembly forms a compound damper system whereby an annular ring around an outer quill serves to damp the bar when simply supported in its fully retracted position, by damping the end support bearing directly. In the fully extended position, the bar is generally-cantilevered beyond the snout and damper assembly, and deflection of the bar will occur between the interior, support point and the snout support. Thus, the snout carries an additional annular damping chamber around the bar between the annular damping ring and interior or support point to damp the intermediate crown or deflection of the bar when fully-extended.

Abstract: An articulatable robotic machine has a forearm and wrist unit capable of handling an internal laser beam received at the aft end of the forearm and exiting at the forward end of the forearm through the wrist unit tooling plate. A laser marker galvohead and collimator are affixed to the tooling plate of the wrist, and a laser generator is affixed to the forearm of the robot machine and provided with a laser beam system to direct a laser beam into the aft end of the laser arm. The output pattern galvohead may be manipulated to a variety of predetermined positions on a workpiece.

Abstract: A robotic base compartment has an interior locating surface. A plurality of pins extend squarely from the locating surface. The pins are located by pre-assembly machining and the extending pin surfaces are coated with a release agent. A robotic component plate, such as a gear-carrying plate, is assembled in the base compartment, with clearance slots surrounding the locating pins. After adjustably positioning the gear elements with one another by shifting the component plate, the slots are filled, for at least a portion, with a pourable hardenable material such as epoxy which is then allowed to harden. The components may thereafter be disassembled and reassembled without the loss of precision location. The assembly method obviates the need for manual drilling and reaming of pin holes at assembly and the attendant chip contamination that results therefrom.

Abstract: A modular fixturing apparatus is provided for locating, orienting and holding a workpiece during a machining operation, having a workpiece specific mounting plate and a carrier apparatus provided with stop means and pusher means for accurately and reproducibly positioning the mounting plate on the carrier. The workpiece specific mounting plate has a workpiece specific pattern of threaded holes adapted to attach locating, clamping and supporting devices to hold the workpiece during the machining operation. Accurate, reproducible location and orientation of successive workpieces of the same geometry on the apparatus for the same machining operations is achieved quickly and positively. Reconstruction of the fixturing apparatus to hold subsequent workpieces of the same geometry in the same location and orientation is also readily achieved.

Abstract: The tape laying head of a composite tape laying machine is rotatable around the tape laydown surface on circular guideways. The presser shoe assembly is likewise rotatable around the common radius point by means of circular cam faces journalled on cam followers supported by the tape head presser assembly. A feedback transducer signals rotation of the tape presser member while adapting to contour changes, and the signal is employed to effect rotation and realignment of the entire tape head with the presser shoe. The mechanism additionally embodies a brake assembly which is selectively energized to prevent presser shoe rotation at predetermined times.

Abstract: A spindle is rotatably mounted within a housing on spaced-apart antifriction bearings. The inner races of the bearings are held solidly against shoulder portions of the spindle and the outer race of the front bearing is mounted against a shoulder in the housing. The outer race of the rear bearing is supported in a circular diaphragm concentric with the spindle axis, which may be flexed along the axis to load the bearings against one another. A hydraulic chamber is formed against the diaphragm to load the diaphragm at preselected intervals, and a stop plate is provided in the housing to limit movement of the outer race is a distance corresponding to a maximum preload in the bearings. When the stop plate is contacted, hydraulic pressure may be greatly increased to further load the diaphragm and its corresponding outer race solidly against the stop plate without further increasing the preload in the bearing set, providing a high holding force resistant to spindle pull out.

Abstract: An industrial robot carries a portable laser welder on its movable end effector. The welder has a hollow compression tube axially movable against an anvil to hold a plurality of workpieces together while welding. The laser beam is brought through the tube from a remote laser generator by means of an articulatable light pipe system connecting the compression tube and the generator.

Abstract: A stationary robotic base carries a movable robotic platform and supports a pair of vertical striker plates spaced apart by a central, elastomeric block. The striker plates are confined within a compartment of the stationary base, and extend upward into a pathway defined by a lug depending from the moving platform. The lug contacts the top portion of a given striker plate and, as the plate is struck, it tends to pivot about its bottom edge toward the other plate, compressing the elastomeric block, while the other plate is held from moving away from the block. The assembly is bidirectional, with each striker plate being yieldable toward the other as it is encountered by the moving lug.

Abstract: An elastomeric sleeve is fitted within a spindle bore over a coaxial spring assembly used to actuate a drawbar clamp. The sleeve takes up the radial clearance space normally provided for the spring assembly, so that as the diameter of the spring assembly changes during compression cycles, the sleeve will be radially compliant and tend to keep the spring assembly centered, thereby minimizing vibrations while the spindle is rotated.

Abstract: Machine tools for cutting metal are provided having a polygon cross-sectional geometry self-centering, high torque transmitting, rotatable tool support bar that is movable along the longitudinal axis of the bar. The tool support bar is coupled to the drive mechanism for rotating the bar, at a point proximate to the exit of the bar from the machine, by a coupling having a slidably mating polygon geometry opening through which the bar passes. In an embodiment of the invention there is further provided means for releasably locking the tool support bar in a predetermined extended position.

Abstract: The interior structure of a tape laydown shoe or roller has an axle supporting solid rings, shoe members, and the like on ball joints. Thus, the solid members adapt to surface contour changes to back up an elastomeric facing element. The ball joints provide for force division of the principal tape head force into plural components directed at the contour surfaces.

Abstract: A grinding machine utilizes a gantry type loader for exchanging workpieces with the work support spindle of the machine. The loading head of the gantry loader has a rotatable workpiece gripper assembly to switch the parts end-for-end during the loading and unloading process. The loading head is also fitted with nonrotating workpiece grippers which are spring biased to mechanically grip and extract a grinding wheel tool from a grinding wheelhead and exchange the tool with a different tool located in a tool support pocket of a tool storage matrix at a position remote from the grinding wheel head.

Abstract: A baseplate carries an axially-advanceable rotating cutter. A V-block and clamp head are aligned on the plate to locate and secure a robot-positioned welding torch nozzle in a vertical attitude. After clamping the nozzle in position, the rotating cutter is advanced into the nozzle bore to remove accumulated internal weld spatter. The machined-away weld spatter can therefore be discharged under the influence of gravity or by a blast of purging air applied to the torch nozzle.

Abstract: A laser shielding device is disclosed, having two spaced-apart layers of shielding material defining a sealed chamber between the two. At least one layer will degrade in the presence of an impinging laser beam, creating a hole through the layer. A pressure change in the chamber is sensed and signaled to a machine controller to stop the lasing operation.