Abstract: A numerical control system suited for application to a machine tool having an axis of rotation, such as a robot which employs a cylindrical coordinate system. For example, when the arm (3) of an industrial robot is rotated to transport a wrist (2), which is attached to the end of the arm (3), from a starting point (P.sub.1) to an end point (P.sub.2), the straight line (L.sub.n) interconnecting the starting point (P.sub.1) and the end point (P.sub.2) is divided into a plurality of intervals {Q.sub.i, Q.sub.(i+1), . . . }, positional data for each axis at each of the division points is generated, and linear interpolation for each of the intervals is performed by using the positional data for each axis to move the wrist (2) approximately along the straight line.

Abstract: An industrial robot hand-holding device having a hand-holding unit attached to the extremity of the robot wrist, a hand-attaching unit having mounted thereon one of a plurality of diverse robot hands and being detachably attached to the hand-holding unit, and a safeguard unit provided between the extremity of the robot wrist and the hand-holding unit so as to safeguard the robot hand against an extraordinary force applied to or acting on the robot hand.

Abstract: A robot system for use with a machine tool having a spindle, comprising a robot having a body for being mounted on the machine tool, an arm pivotally mounted on the body and rotatable in a plane transverse to an axial direction of the spindle of the machine tool, and a hand mounted on a distal end of said arm for gripping a workpiece for transfer to the machine tool, and a workpiece feeder disposed adjacent to the robot and movably supporting a succession of pallets for carrying unmachined and machined workpieces thereon.

Abstract: The hand of a robot is moved from an instant position P.sub.1 to a first command position P.sub.2 to grip one of the workpiece W.sub.1,W.sub.2,W.sub.3 placed at the first command position and conveys the same to a second command position P.sub.3. A sensor is contacted by the workpiece when the hand takes an intermediate position Px on its way from the instant position P.sub.1 to the first command position P.sub.2, the robot control system stops the hand without delay or after travel of the hand over a predetermined distance and, after the travel of the hand over a predetermined deceleration distance, stops the hand. The hand is then moved from the stopping position to the second command position P.sub.3 neglecting the remaining stroke or movement between the stopping position and the first command position.

Abstract: A hand of a robot is moved from an instant position P.sub.1 to a first command position P.sub.2 to grip one of the workpieces W.sub.1, W.sub.2, W.sub.3 placed at the first command position and conveys the same to a second command position P.sub.3. As a sensor is contacted by the workpiece when the hand takes an intermediate position Px, on its way from the instant position P.sub.1 to the first command position P.sub.2, the robot control system decelerates the hand without delay or after a travel of the hand over a predetermined distance and, after travel of the hand over a predetermined deceleration distance, stops the hand. The hand is then moved from the stopping position to the second command position P.sub.3 neglecting the remaining stroke or movement between the stopping position and the first command position.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for controlling the acceleration of the frequency at the beginning of a pulse train and the frequency at the end of the pulse train, so that a movable element with little rigidity, such as a robot arm, can be started and stopped smoothly without vibration. The method includes storing frequency function in a memory, which frequency function represents an acceleration characteristic or a deceleration characteristic, reading the frequency function out of the memory at a predetermined interval, computing a frequency at the present time, and generating a number of pulses, corresponding to the product of the computed frequency and the predetermined time interval, during the predetermined time interval.

Abstract: An industrial robot control method for use in a system having a machine tool (MAC), a numerical control device (NCU) for controlling the machine tool, an industrial robot (RBT), and a robot control device (RCU) for controlling the industrial robot. In accordance with this industrial robot control method, a plurality of robot programs are stored beforehand in an internal memory (DMR) of the robot control device (RCU), and a plurality of NC programs are stored beforehand in an internal memory (DMN) of the numerical control device (NCU). The size or shape of a workpiece is sensed by a workpiece discriminating unit (WKD) to select the robot program conforming to the particular workpiece. An NC program number, corresponding to the robot program, is transmitted from the robot control device (RCU) to the numerical control device (NCU). The machine tool (MAC) is controlled in accordance with the NC program identified by NC program number, and the robot (RBT) is controlled based on the selected robot program.

Abstract: An industrial robot control method for use in a system having a machine tool (MAC), a numerical control device (NCU) for controlling the machine tool, an industrial robot (RBT), and a robot control device (RCU) for controlling the industrial robot. In accordance with this industrial robot control method, a plurality of NC programs are stored beforehand in an internal memory (DMN) of the numerical control device (NCU), and a plurality of robot control programs are stored beforehand in an internal memory (DMR) of the robot control device (RCU). The size or shape of a workpiece is sensed by a workpiece discriminating unit (WKD) to select the NC program conforming to the particular workpiece. A robot program number, corresponding to the selected NC program, is transmitted from the numerical control device (NCU) to the robot control device (RCU), so that the robot (RBT) may be controlled based on the robot program identified by the robot program number number.

Abstract: Disclosed is a robot control system of the type in which instructive data taught by means of a teaching box is stored in memory and a manipulator such as a robot hand is actuated in accordance with the instructive data so that the robot is made to execute predetermined tasks. The manipulator is so driven by a servo motor as to reduce to zero a deviation between the number of command pulses generated on the basis of the instructive data and the number of feedback pulses generated in accordance with the current position of the manipulator. In accordance with a feature of the invention, the limit values of the deviation are stored in memory in advance and, when the deviation is found to lie outside the range of the limit values during the operation of the robot, such condition is interpreted as an overload and the operation of the robot is halted.

Abstract: A swivel device for supporting a swivel unit thereon, including a hollow main frame and a comparatively slender rotatable shaft disposed upright within the hollow frame, connectable to the swivel unit at the upper end thereof and connected to a driving source at the lower end thereof through a transmission mechanism. All control cables and conduits for controlling the mechanisms mounted on the swivel unit are accommodated in the space formed within the hollow frame around the upright shaft.

Abstract: An industrial robot hand having swing fingers (18a and 18b) for gripping a work pivotally mounted on a hand base member (10) which is attached to the free end of a wrist unit, said swing fingers being members formed of a sheet metal through a pressing process in a U-shaped cross-section, and said swing fingers having a U-shaped cross-section and a hydraulic actuator (24) linked together with chain pin links (32a and 32b).

Abstract: A robot wrist of an industrial robot having a wrist housing supporting two orthogonally arranged rotating output shafts therein, each of the shafts being connected to a robot hand, and a built-in fluid conveying means provided for distributing pressurized air introduced from the outside of the robot wrist toward the robot hand attached to one of the rotating cutput shafts. An output end of each of the two rotating output shafts may either be plugged by a plug element or closed by a stop valve when the output end is not connected to the robot hand.

Abstract: A device for operating a hand of an industrial robot is so constructed that fluid pressure cylinders (43, 44) are provided as a driving mechanism of the hand (4) of the industrial robot, branch passages including a pressure-reducing valve (47) are provided in a fluid supply passage to the fluid pressure cylinders (43, 44), the supply of fluid is switched by solenoid valves (SV.sub.2, SV.sub.3, SV.sub.4), and the switching of the solenoid valves (SV.sub.2, SV.sub.3, SV.sub.4) is carried out in accordance with the selected grasping force which has been selected in the teaching mode of the industrial robot, whereby the grasping force of the hand can be controlled stepwisely.

Abstract: An industrial robot control method and apparatus having a pulse distributing circuit for executing a pulse distribution operation on the basis of positional command data from taught data to generate distributed pulses, a pulse coder for generating a feedback pulse each time the industrial robot moves a predetermined amount along the Z-axis, an error register for storing the difference between the number of distributed pulses and the number of feedback pulses, and positional control circuitry for positionally controlling the industrial robot in such a manner that said difference approaches zero, compensation being effected for an amount of bending .DELTA.Z of an arm when a workpiece of weight W is gripped. The industrial robot control apparatus includes a memory for storing an amount of bending .DELTA.Z.sub.o of the arm when a workpiece having a predetermined weight W.sub.o is gripped at an arm length l.sub.o, an arithmetic circuit for computing an amount of bending .DELTA.

Abstract: A robot control system for teaching and operating a robot 13 on the basis of a rectangular coordinate system, the robot having an arm which operates on the basis of a cylindrical coordinate system. Provided are a teaching device 101 for providing instructions in the rectangular coordinate system in order to teach the operations performed by the robot 13, a rectangular-to-cylindrical conversion device 104 or 202 for converting the instructions in the rectangular coordinate system from the teaching device 101 into command data in the cylindrical coordinate system, and a data memory 108 for storing the acquired command data in the cylindrical coordinate system.

Abstract: Disclosed is a robot control apparatus which drives a rotational drive unit (103) for rotating a robot arm about an axis of rotation. The robot control apparatus includes a rotational speed decision unit (SJC) to assure that the rotational speed of the robot arm driven by the rotational drive unit (103) will not exceed a maximum allowable speed. The rotational speed decision unit (SJC) is adapted to compute an allowable rotational speed (Ft) for an input arm length (Ra), compare the computed allowable rotational speed (Ft) with an input speed (Fin), and produce, as a commanded speed (Fc), the smaller of the two compared speeds.

Abstract: An industrial robot having a trunk mounted for vertical and rotational movement on a stationary base is provided with two arm members extensible from the said trunk having a robot wrist mechanism attached to their ends. The extending and contracting movements of the arm members, rotational movement of the wrist and swinging movement of the wrist are controlled, respectively, by three electric servo motors mounted in a mounting compartment positioned on the side of the trunk opposite to the extensible arms.

Abstract: A system for controlling an industrial robot having a wrist (1) driven to rotate by a direct-current motor (2) having a servomechanism, wherein stroke-limit position control (6) of the wrist and rotational control (7) of the wrist can be selectively carried out.

Abstract: A workpiece feeder for successively feeding workpieces to a predetermined workpiece gripping station of the robot's hand. The workpiece feeder includes a conveyor having a plurality of interspaced pallets traveling on a table. Each pallet comprises a lower plate having a central opening and an upper plate which is detachably mounted on the lower plate. The workpiece feeder is provided with a lifting means having a vertically movable platform which ascends through the central opening in the lower plate to lift the upper plate away from the lower plate, thereby elevating the workpiece on the pallet up to the level of the gripping position of the robot's hand. The workpiece feeder further comprises a stop mechanism for limiting the topmost position of the platform. The workpiece feeder according to the invention is particularly suitable for use with an industrial robot of the simplified type in which the upright stand enabling the robot's hand to perform vertical translational movement is omitted.

Abstract: An apparatus for feeding workpieces to a workpiece gripping position of a hand of an industrial robot, especially a workpiece feeder used for a limited axis robot, comprising a conveyor which is mounted on a table and has a plurality of pallets, the workpieces placed on the pallets moved intermittently to a predetermined area of the robot, characterized in that the table has a window, that each of the pallets comprises a lower plate having a central opening and an upper plate mounted on the lower plate, and that there is provided a lifting means movable vertically through the window in the table and the central opening in the lower plate, causing the upper plate to move and to lift the workpiece placed on the upper plate up to a workpiece gripping position of a hand of the robot.