Abstract: A force return servosystem between a master actuator and a slave actuator connected by transmission lines, which introduce a delay, .tau..At the master actuator, the servocontrol is realized by means of two devices supplying force signals, where the smaller is applied to the master actuator, but having the polarity of the signal supplied by a first servocontrol device. The latter compares, in a known manner the position signal .theta.(t) of the master actuator with the delay position signal .theta.'(t-.tau.) of the slave actuator, whereas a second servocontrol device compares the delayed position signal .theta.(t-2.tau.) with signal .theta.'(t-.tau.).The invention may be used in manipulators, the control of the flying of a missile and any other control requiring the proportioning of the force controlling a movement of a machine.

Abstract: A handling equipment comprising a telescopic supporting assembly carrying a motorized orientation support for at least one articulated slave arm is disclosed. The orientation support includes a body pivotally mounted around a vertical axis at the end of the supporting assembly and at least one supporting member pivotally mounted around a horizontal axis on the body. A fixing device is provided between each slave arm and each supporting member to allow remote locking and unlocking of the slave arms. The supporting assembly bears at least one television camera for observing the free end of each slave arm.

Abstract: Process for the lateral positioning of a member relative to a joint formed between two metal surfaces and having discontinuities and using at least one eddy current probe, wherein the signal supplied by each of the probes are processed to obtain at least one positioning signal varying with the displacement of the axis of the corresponding probe relative to the axis of the joint and at least one signal indicating the presence of a discontinuity and transmitted when the corresponding probe faces a discontinuity of the joint, wherein the member is laterally displaced as a function of variations of the positioning signal and wherein the control of the displacement of said member is interrupted as a function of variations of the positioning signal when a signal indicating the presence of a discontinuity is transmitted.The invention also relates to an apparatus for performing this process.

Abstract: Method and installation for depositing materials on an ocean bed in accordance with a given line in which the autonomous vehicle is displaced on the ocean bed by accurately following said line, whereby the vehicle is provided with a hopper, a ship is moved on the surface of the ocean roughly in accordance with said line, the materials are discharged from this ship towards the hopper and are guided by means of a pipe suspended beneath the ship and whose lower end is not integral with the hopper, wherein the propulsion means of the pipe disposed at the lower end thereof are operated so that the lower end of the pipe is forced to remain above the hopper.

Abstract: A submarine vehicle for collecting and raising materials resting on the sea bed at great depths, of the type comprising a load-bearing structure, collecting elements for the materials, storage silos for storing the materials collected and/or the ballast material, transfer means between said collecting elements and said silos, and main propellers for advancing the vehicle on the sea bed, said vehicle being characterized in that said load-bearing structure is made of a buoyancy material, said structure being in the form of a ring having a longitudinal plane of symmetry and defining the stem, stern and sides of said vehicle, and defining between them a free central space, the outer surface of said structure forming the hull of said vehicle, said storage silos being arranged in the free central space and fixed to said load-bearing structure, said collecting elements being arranged in front of and below said stem, said main propellers also being fixed to the lower surface of said load-bearing structure.

Abstract: Vehicle able to move by adhesion on a random surface, with a central body defining a pivoting axis which remains substantially perpendicular to a surface and which has two groups of central supports which adhere to the surface; first and second carriages, each provided with two groups of adhesive end supports; first and second members for the guidance in rectilinear translation and without rotation of the first and second carriages in accordance with two directions which remain substantially orthogonal to the pivoting axis. The first and second carriages are displaceable along the guidance members; the first and second guidance members are pivotal about the pivot axis and the groups of central supports are rotatable about the pivot axis.

Abstract: Polymetallic nodules are collected by means of a plurality of self-propelled vehicles which move upwards and downwards between the sea floor and a surface platform under the action of excess ballast which is partially and progressively released as the vehicle approaches the bottom. The vehicles are propelled along the sea floor by means of at least two supporting units each having at least one helical propulsion fin, the remainder of the ballast being released in order to return the vehicles upwards for docking, unloading and energy-recharging in the surface platform.

Abstract: Method and installation for depositing materials on an ocean bed in accordance with a given line in which the autonomous vehicle is displaced on the ocean bed by accurately following said line whereby the vehicle is provided with a hopper, a ship is moved on the surface of the ocean roughly in accordance with said line, the materials are discharged from this ship towards the hopper and are guided by means of a pipe suspended beneath the ship and whose lower end is not integral with the hopper, wherein the propulsion means of the pipe disposed at the lower end thereof are operated so that the lower end of the pipe is forced to remain above the hopper.

Abstract: Motorized manipulator, wherein it comprises a body, a shaft which rotates about its longitudinal axis with respect to the body, an upper arm articulated to the end of the shaft about a shoulder axis orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the shaft and to the longitudinal axis of the arm, an intermediate arm directly articulated to the end of the upper arm about an elbow axis parallel to the shoulder axis, a forearm articulated to the end of the intermediate arm about a third axis parallel to the elbow axis, the forearm being able to rotate about its longitudinal axis, a tool having a longitudinal axis mounted in pivotal manner at the end of the forearm about an axis perpendicular to the plane defined by the longitudinal axes of the forearm and the tool, the latter being able to rotate about its longitudinal axis and a plurality of motors fixed to the body and a transmission including cables and pulleys for transmitting the control movements of the motors to the corresponding moving members of the manipulator.

Abstract: A modular draging unit for collecting solid bodies such as polymetallic nodules on an underwater bed such as a sea floor comprises a plurality of collecting structures and a storage structure which are intended to be applied against the sea floor, means for displacing these structures along the sea floor, for collecting nodules and for transferring the nodules into the storage structure. The collecting structures are located side by side at a front edge of the unit and each collecting structure is coupled to the storage structure by means of at least one link-arm in such a manner as to permit of relative motion with at least two degrees of freedom and to maintain each collecting means in a predetermined position with respect to the sea floor during a nodule-collecting operation.

Abstract: Self-propelled vehicle with articulated arms able to move in a tube or in a laminar space defined between two approximately parallel surfaces. It comprises a body equipped with at least one driving and guide wheel which bears on a surface on which the vehicle moves and at least two pivoting arms articulated on the body and terminated by bearing members which slide or roll on a surface facing and opposite to the first surface. It also comprises a device which transmits a pivoting torque to the arms in such a way that said arms bear on said opposite surface and by reaction apply the driving wheel against the first surface. A particular application is to the inspection of pipes within a nuclear installation in a radioactive atmosphere.

Abstract: Polymetallic nodules are collected by means of a plurality of self-propelled vehicles which move upwards and downwards between the sea floor and a surface platform under the action of excess ballast which is partially and progressively released as the vehicle approaches the bottom. The vehicles are propelled along the sea floor by means of at least two supporting units each having at least one helical propulsion fin, the remainder of the ballast being released in order to return the vehicles upwards for docking, unloading and energy-recharging in the surface platform.

Abstract: A master-slave manipulator which penetrates an enclosure wall through an opening fitted with a mounting plate has a slave arm and master arm pivoted respectively to each end of a pivotally mounted central cylindrical body and constituted by one or more articulated cylindrical segments in end-to-end relation. A tool or tong unit is fitted at the slave end while a control handle and balance weight are fitted at the master end. The segments of the master arm are in an inverted homothetic relationship with those of the slave arm with respect to the point of intersection of the axis of the central body with the pivotal mounting axis and are in a ratio equal to -k while the weights of the homothetic segments are in a ratio of 1/k.

Abstract: The movement of rotation of each element of the manipulator arm about the shoulder, elbow and wrist pins is controlled by a motor and a cable consisting of two oppositely-acting lengths by means of a pulley-block which carries at least two lengths, two pairs of pulley-blocks being located within a barrel unit. The length of cable which emerges from each pulley-block is passed over a return pulley carried by the shoulder pin and guided within a stationary manipulator body in a direction parallel to the axis of the barrel unit, each emergent length of cable being actuated by one of the motors mounted on the manipulator body.

Abstract: The container consists of a shielded body having an internal cavity and of a capsule which can be inserted into the cavity and is capable of sliding motion along the axis of this latter. The front face of the capsule is sealed by means of a removable door and the rear face is attached to an operating rod. The cavity is sealed beyond the front face of the capsule by means of a shielded element for positioning a cover opposite to the removable door of the capsule. The cover cooperates with means for permitting leak-tight coupling or uncoupling of the cover and the capsule by displacing these latter in relative motion.

Abstract: A reversible mechanical unit of the "slave" type comprising a motor element and position detector is controlled by an assembly which delivers command signals relating to the positions of the motor element. Means are provided for delivering an error signal .epsilon. which is proportional to the difference between the signals delivered respectively by the detector and the control assembly. A signal delivered by a generator and having an amplitude which is proportional to the signal .epsilon. produces direct action on the torque of the motor element; the error signal and the torque are thus in one-to-one correspondence, the error signal being fed back into the control assembly.

Abstract: A reversible mechanical assembly is remote-controlled in displacements and in efforts by means of a device comprising a motion detector which delivers a pulse each time a driving shaft associated with a motor rotates by one step, the sign of the pulses being dependent on the direction of rotation of the motor. One input of a summing device is driven by the pulses delivered by the detector and the other input is driven by pulses delivered by an assembly for controlling the motor. The output signal of the summing device is fed back into the control assembly so as to constitute an effort return and also fed to the input of an amplifying circuit for controlling the torque produced by the motor.

Abstract: The control arm for a remotely operated power manipulator comprises a system for carrying out a number of movements and position detectors for each movement. The number of possible movements of the arm is equal to the number of possible movements of the manipulator and motion-control operations can be interrupted at will. Means are provided on at least one portion of the control arm for interlockiing it with respect to another portion of the arm independently of the other movements as long as the position of the manipulator and of the arm have not been brought into complete concordance and for releasing the interlock when complete concordance is achieved.