Abstract: An optical inspection system for controlling the laying of a string or layer of a fluorescent material on a metal piece comprises an optical inspection station including a wall movable between an open condition and a closed condition in which the wall defines a dark chamber wherein the piece to be controlled is confined. With the wall there are associated Wood lamps which illuminate the piece ensuring an optimal inspection by the video camera.

Abstract: An auxiliary resolver position tracking (RPT) system for an industrial robot includes a resolver excitation and monitoring system which is powered by an uninterruptable power supply which includes a battery. The RPT system generates trapezoidal excitation pulses for the resolvers in the robot when no external excitation signal is applied, for example when the robot is shut down. Since there is relatively little motion to be detected in these instances, the RPT system switches between a slow position sampling rate, when no motion is detected, and a fast sampling rate when motion is detected. When operating on battery power, the RPT only switches to the fast sampling rate when motion is detected. To ensure that no motion data is lost when the system switches back to the slow sampling rate, the high sampling rate is maintained for a time sufficient to capture any residual motion of the robot.

Abstract: A laser device which combines a device for focusing a laser beam onto a workpiece to carry out industrial processes, for example, surface hardening heat-treatment or welding, with a row of pyroelectric sensors to simultaneously monitor the temperature of a region of the workpiece being treated by detecting the thermal energy emitted by the workpiece. This detection of thermal energy occurs along an ideal line extending across a focal length of the region of the workpiece onto which the laser beam is focused. In the present invention, both the device for focusing the laser beam and the row of pyroelectric sensors are attached to a single head.

Abstract: A station for assembling pressed sheet-metal structures, for example, motor-vehicle bodies, includes fixtures for locating and clamping the various components of the structure in the assembled condition and programmable robots with electrical spot-welding heads. One or more robots have means for replacing their welding heads with sensors for checking the positioning and/or configuration of the locating and clamping fixtures to ensure the quality of the product output from the station.

Abstract: An auxiliary resolver position tracking (RPT) system for an industrial robot includes a resolver excitation and monitoring system which is powered by an uninterruptable power supply which includes a battery. The RPT system generates trapezoidal excitation pulses for the resolvers in the robot when no external excitation signal is applied, for example when the robot is shut down. Since there is relatively little motion to be detected in these instances, the RPT system switches between a slow position sampling rate, when no motion is detected, and a fast sampling rate when motion is detected. When operating on battery power, the RPT only switches to the fast sampling rate when motion is detected. To ensure that no motion data is lost when the system switches back to the slow sampling rate, the high sampling rate is maintained for a time sufficient to capture any residual motion of the robot.

Abstract: An auxiliary resolver position tracking (RPT) system for an industrial robot includes a resolver excitation and monitoring system which is powered by an uninterruptable power supply which includes a battery. The RPT system generates trapezoidal excitation pulses for the resolvers in the robot when no external excitation signal is applied, for example when the robot is shut down. Since there is relatively little motion to be detected in these instances, the RPT system switches between a slow position sampling rate, when no motion is detected, and a fast sampling rate when motion is detected. When operating on battery power, the RPT only switches to the fast sampling rate when motion is detected. To ensure that no motion data is lost when the system switches back to the slow sampling rate, the high sampling rate is maintained for a time sufficient to capture any residual motion of the robot.

Abstract: An articulated robot has an arm and two forearms which are articulated to the arm about the same axis and controlled by an independent means.

Abstract: A robot wrist with two articulation axes has a first body which is carried at the distal end of the robot arm, a second body which is supported by the first body for rotation about a first axis which intersects the longitudinal axis of the robot arm at right angles, and a third body which is supported by the second body for rotation about a second axis which intersects the first axis at right angles. The second and third bodies are rotated by two electric motors which are mounted on the first body and the second body respectively, with the interposition of "Harmonic Drive" reduction units of the type in which the output rotor is supported for rotation by a load-bearing element which forms part of the reduction unit.

Abstract: In a line of presses, the pieces are transferred from one press to another by means of a plurality of programmable manipulator robots interposed between the presses. The operating cycles of the manipulator robots are synchronised with those of the presses on the basis of the operating frequency of the first press at the input of the line, the operating cycles of the various machines in the line being derived from each other in a cascade process starting from the basic operating frequency.

Abstract: In flexible apparatus for welding different types of motor-vehicle body in which the bodies, assembled loosely beforehand, are supplied to a welding station provided with a plurality of locating devices for clamping the component parts of the body in the correct positions for welding and with welding means for welding the component parts of the body together after they have been clamped by the locating devices, the locating devices are supported by at least two pairs of locating frames which are movable along a predetermined path so as to be interchangeable rapidly at the working position in accordance with the type of body located at the welding station to be welded, the locating devices of each pair of locating frames being suitable for a respective type of body. The welding means comprise one or more laser-welding robots.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is described for polymerization of adhesive interposed between two superimposed elements, in particular the outer and inner plastics material panels of a motor vehicle body door element; two superimposed elements are clamped, around respective portions thereof between which an adhesive substance is interposed, between respective regions of a mould and a presser device which match the profile of the said portions and are provided with internal heating devices; the heating regions of the mould are rigidly supported thereby whilst the heating regions of the presser device are defined by rods which are independently axially slidable against the action of resilient biasing means; the presser device is compressed with a predetermined pressure against the mould and, simultaneously, heat is introduced in a differentiated manner from region to region by the internal heating devices.

Abstract: A device for supporting and adjusting a mirror in a laser-robot system including a plurality of mirrors which reflect a laser beam in succession along a predetermined path to a head for emitting the laser beam includes a mirror-holder, a member which supports the mirror-holder for rotation about a center of rotation which lies on the reflecting surface of the mirror, and a mirror adjustment unit with first adjustment means for rotating the mirror holder about a first axis which passes through the center of rotation and second adjustment means for rotating the mirror-holder about a second axis which intersects the first axis perpendicularly at the center of rotation.

Abstract: A device for welding motor-vehicle bodies which have been assembled loosely beforehand comprises at least one station for welding the bodies, a conveyor line for transporting the loosely preassembled bodies to the station, and locating means provided at the station for clamping the component parts of the body in the correct positions for welding. The device also includes welding means comprising a plurality of laser-welding torches which are associated with the locating means and are connected to one or more laser sources by optical fibres. In a preferred embodiment, the device is applied to a flexible welding station in which the locating means are carried by two or more pairs of locating frames which can be interchanged rapidly in the working position.

Abstract: In an apparatus for manipulating laser beams with mirrors, the beam is caused to emerge substantially in alignment with the initial direction of the incoming beam by deflecting the incoming beam with a first mirror whose position is selectively adjustable to a second mirror which preferably has a parabolic surface, and then from the second mirror the beam is directed to a third, flat mirror whose position is also adjustable so that the beam is focussed on the region to be treated in a position substantially in alignment with the initial direction of propagation. An improved system for supplying screening gas to the region under treatment is also disclosed.

Abstract: Apparatus for welding motor vehicle bodies which have previously been assembled loosely comprises a station for the forming and welding of the body, a conveyor line for transporting the loosely preassembled bodies to the station, at least two pairs of forming frames situated at the two sides of the station, each pair of forming frames being provided with positioning devices engageable with the body and adapted to the specific geometric shape of particular type of body, forming-frame conveyor means for bringing a pair of forming frames corresponding to the type of body which is in the welding station into correspondence with an operative position in the welding station from time to time, and at least one welding device for welding the body. At least one drum which can rotate about an axis parallel to the length of the welding station and carries on its periphery a plurality of forming frames suitable for various types of body is provided on each side of the conveyor line.

Abstract: An automatic tool-changing device for industrial robots includes a gripper member located at the end of the robot arm and a coupling flange to which a tool is fixed. The gripper member has radially-movable engagement teeth adapted for insertion in projecting appendages carried by the flange, upon automatic clamping of the tool. The movement of the engagement teeth is driven by a pressurized-fluid jack housed in the gripper member.

Abstract: An industrial robot with five degrees of freedom comprises a plurality of mirrors and internal ducts for guiding a laser beam intended for use in welding or cutting metal parts. The laser guide system is intended for installation with the minimum of adaptation on industrial robots used, for example, for resistance welding.

Abstract: In a system for the automatic welding of motor vehicle bodies, adapted to operate on at least two different types of body, the parts of a loosely preassembled body accurately positioned, in order to be welded by programmable welding robots, by means of positioning tools carried by side gates located on both sides of the conveyor line for the bodies. At least two pairs of side gates are provided having positioning tools corresponding to two different types of body. The side gates are movable on guide means provided on the two sides of the conveyor line to allow the rapid replacement of the pair of side gates in the operative position at the welding station, in dependence on the type of body to be welded.

Abstract: Automatic apparatus for the induction hardening of parts of track links includes a frame for supporting the inductors which can oscillate in a horizontal plane above the links so as to enable the induction hardening of links of different shapes and dimensions, by alteration of the oscillating travel of the frame. A completely automatic system is also provided for locking the links in correspondence with the inductors, which is programmable in dependence on the shape and dimensions of the track links supplied to the hardening apparatus.

Abstract: A coding system for elements of machine tools, particularly of the numerically controlled type, consisting of a "bar" code (14) applied to the element (10) to be coded, and read by a reading head (17) provided with a code detecting sensor (18) connected to a circuit for transforming the code into signals fed to utilization circuits (21, 26) which operate by comparing the read message with a set signal.