Abstract: An apparatus has a rotary member mounted to it for rotating around a fixed axis of rotation, and also has a support member secured to it to extend tangential to the rotary member, the location of tangency being defined as a workstation. A continuous first medium extends around substantially the whole periphery of the rotary member. The first medium moves relative to the periphery due to a mechanism on the rotary member which continuously withdraws a portion of the first medium from the periphery and replaces that withdrawn portion with a new portion. The first medium is thereby pulled along the periphery of the rotary member in the same direction in which the rotary member is adapted to rotate. A second medium moves along the support member and through the workstation at the same speed as that at which the first medium passes through the workstation.

Abstract: A mechanism for capturing and releasing a spinning object comprises an adaptor housing which has a passive turntable mounted thereon and a braking clamp which is carried by a suitable support structure. The passive turntable is mounted on the adaptor so as to be free to rotate about the axis of rotation of the spinning object. The braking clamp initially engages the passive turntable and thereafter applies a braking torque to the adaptor housing.

Abstract: An extensible articulated manipulator arm is described in which the distal end is movable in a straight line relative to the proximal end thereof. The articulated arm includes a first arm which incorporates a first parallelogram linkage and a second arm which includes a second parallelogram linkage, the adjacent ends of the parallelogram linkages are drivingly connected to one another whereby rotation of the first arm about the first end support alters the geometry of the first parallelogram linkage which in turn effects a corresponding alteration in the geometry of the second parallelogram linkage, thereby to cause movement of the distal end of the second arm in a straight line relative to the proximal end of the first arm.

Abstract: A powered wrist joint consisting of a base having a pitch member mounted thereon for rotation about a pitch axis and a pitch drive mounted on the base for driving the pitch member about the pitch axis and a yaw shaft mounted on the pitch member on a yaw axis which is disposed at right angles to and intersects the pitch axis. A housing is mounted on the yaw shaft for rotation about the yaw axis. A yaw drive is mounted in the housing for driving the housing about the yaw axis and a roll shaft is mounted for rotation in the housing about the roll axis which is disposed at right angles to the pitch and yaw axes and intersects the pitch and yaw axes at their point of intersection thereby to provide a common center of pitch, yaw and roll gyration.