Abstract: A radiography system for obtaining a radiographic image of a subject has a radiation source energizable to direct radiant energy along a radiation path and an imaging receiver sensitive to the radiant energy for forming the radiographic image. A sensor apparatus is disposed to provide one or more output signals that are indicative at least of centering of the radiation path with respect to the receiver, of an angle of the receiver relative to the radiation path, and of a source-to-image distance along the radiation path. A display apparatus generates, in response to the one or more output signals, a display that indicates the centering of the radiation path with respect to the receiver and that provides one or more values indicative of at least the source-to-image distance and the angle of the receiver relative to the radiation path.

Abstract: A method for making a shadow mask array is taught. Producing a plurality of shadow mask sections; inspecting the plurality of shadow mask sections to determine which shadow mask sections are acceptable as meeting predetermined criteria; positioning a predetermined number of the acceptable mask sections into predetermined locations relative to one another to form a mask section array thereby distributing any error in individual mask sections across the mask section array; and attaching the individual mask sections of the mask section array to a support structure. The support structure allows for expansion and/or contraction of the individual mask sections of the mask section array while maintaining relative positioning of the individual shadow mask section in the shadow mask array.

Abstract: A method for making a shadow mask array is taught comprising the steps of producing a plurality of shadow mask sections; inspecting the plurality of shadow mask sections to determine which shadow mask sections are acceptable as meeting predetermined criteria; positioning a predetermined number of the acceptable mask sections into predetermined locations relative to one another to form a mask section array thereby distributing any error in individual mask sections across the mask section array; and attaching the individual mask sections of the mask section array to a support structure. The support structure allows for expansion and/or contraction of the individual mask sections of the mask section array while maintaining relative positioning of the individual shadow mask section in the shadow mask array.

Abstract: A method of controlling motor speed. The motor speed control apparatus includes an encoder in mechanical association with the motor. The encoder has one channel providing an encoder signal having a rising and falling state transition for each period of the encoder signal. The periodic frequency of the state transitions are used to precisely measure instantaneous motor speed. A comparitor then compares the periodic frequency with a predetermined motor speed to provide an error signal, representative of the difference. A feedback control system affects the motor speed dependent on the error signals. In a further embodiment, the encoder includes two channels and four state transitions.

Abstract: A work piece holding mechanism which provides multi position part holding capability to automatically sequentially hold and present a work pieces in multiple orientations for work thereon. The work piece holding mechanism includes two rotatable clamp means for clamping the work piece therebetween. Rotation of at least one of the rotary clamps is driven by a rotary drive mechanism, preferably a rotary air cylinder. The rotary air cylinder is provided with at least one fixed rotational stop. In addition, the rotary air cylinder may be provided with one or more actuatable intermediate stops. Rotation of the work piece can be accomplished by driving the rotary air cylinder to a predetermined position against either a fixed stop or an actuatable stop. Each of such stop positions results in a different orientation of the work piece and thus a different work plane on which the robot can operate.

Abstract: An end effector system adapted to be used for robotic tooling applications which allows the end effector to be used to acquire parts by vacuum pick-up or grasping. A vacuum type end effector is provided at the end of each of two robotic tooling fingers. Each vacuum type end effector includes a flexible bellows member on the end thereof such that it can be used for vacuum acquisition. Extending down from each finger to reside adjacent a respective bellows is a pinch member. Through robotic control of the movement of the fingers, finger gripping can be accomplished to grip an object between the two bellows using the pinch members for lateral support. As the part is captured between the two bellows, each bellows is compressed against its respective pinch member. In such manner, the bellows are at least partially collapsed such that a vacuum sensor located in the vacuum supply line to the bellows registers that a vacuum is present and, thus, a part has been acquired.

Abstract: A tool attachment and release system for robotic arms which using a magnet for supplying the attractive force to hold the tool to the robotic arm while allowing separation of tools from the robotic arm without manual intervention. A series of tools are held at predetermined locations in a tool rack allowing the robot to automatically deposit therein or acquire therefrom a particular tool. Permanent magnets are mounted between steel inserts in the tool attachment block. The steel insert are used to direct and concentrate magnetic flux to the tool attachment surface and also to each of two shunt bar contact surfaces. During the attach and disconnect operations, magnetic flux shunt bars are placed in close proximity to the two shunt bar contact surfaces to thereby provide an alternative path for the magnetic flux. This greatly reduces but does not eliminate the attractive force between the tool adapter plate and the attachment block.

Abstract: A tool rack support system which includes leaf spring type flexures which allow the tool rack a measure of compliance in both the horizontal and vertical planes. The support system comprises preferably two flexure support assemblies with each assembly preferably including two cantilevered, horizontally oriented, planar flexures and two cantilevered, vertically oriented, substantially planar flexures which are ultimately supported from the distal end of the horizontally oriented, planar flexures. The vertically oriented, planar flexures give the support system a measure of compliance which allows the tool rack to be moved discretely in the horizontal plane as a result of a robotic arm acquiring or delivering a tool to the tool rack. The horizontally oriented, substantially planar flexures of the support system give the support assembly vertical compliancy to allow the tool rack to be moved discretely in the vertical direction as a result of a robotic arm acquiring or delivering a tool from the tool rack.

Abstract: A method for determining if a robot gripper assembly (preferably servo controlled) has acquired a work piece wherein the robot gripper assembly includes at least two opposing fingers comprising the steps of commanding the robot gripper assembly to close the two opposing fingers to a predetermined position to acquire the work piece, the predetermined position being less than or different than the expected work piece dimension; quantifying the movement of the two opposing fingers when the closing step has been completed; comparing the actual position to the predetermined position to determine a position error; and recognizing that a work piece has been acquired by the two opposing fingers if the position error is not zero indicating that the interference of the work piece between the two opposing fingers has prevented the two opposing fingers from achieving the predetermined position.

Abstract: A web (14) of material such as photographic film is supplied continuously from a stock roll (16) into an infeed vacuum box (24) from which the web passes into an intermittently operated perforator apparatus (30) through which the web is drawn intermittently by a high performance vacuum drum (32) which feeds the web into an outfeed vacuum box (34) from which the web passes continuously to a rewind stock roll (44) or to other intermittently operated processing apparatus. Various patterns of widely spaced perforations and leader/trailer sections may be provided in the stationary web, which moves at high web speeds and accelerations between operations of the perforator apparatus.