Abstract: A control system for a direct teaching/playback type robot, including a low spring constant member connected to a drive source for driving a robot element through a frictional coupling. The control system basically includes a first incremental position detector provided between the robot element and the frictional coupling for detecting the rotational position of the robot element, a second incremental position detector connected to the drive source for detecting the rotational position of the drive source, and a switch for selectively connecting the output terminals of the first and second position detectors to a drive source controller in teaching and playback modes of operation, respectively.

Abstract: A gravity offsetting device for offsetting the gravitational moment of a rocking arm, mounted between a fixed point located above a pivotal point of the rocking arm at a predetermined distance a and substantially in vertical alignment therewith, and an arbitrary point on the rocking arm, the gravity balancing device including: a compression spring having a spring constant k of a value corresponding to the load W at the arbitrary point as divided by the distance a, and a free length corresponding to the sum of the length l between the fixed and arbitrary points and the initial set length l.sub.s of the compression spring, and adapted to apply a counterbalancing tensile force varying in proportion to the distance between the fixed and arbitrary points.

Abstract: A method of interlockingly controlling a robot and a positioner which includes operating manually or automatically a teaching roller along a weld line of a workpiece fixed to a rotatable positioner, teaching the position of the weld line, storing the positional data thereby obtained, and performing a welding operation automatically on the basis of the stored data during playback, in which, during teaching, the positioner is rotated at any desired speed, the robot is moved manually or automatically while maintaining a welding torch in a proper welding position with respect to the weld line and positional data on each shaft of the robot and that on a rotating shaft of the positioner are stored each time the teaching roller advances by a predetermined distance, while during playback the welding speed is kept constant by controlling the moving speed of the robot and the rotating speed of the positioner simultaneously while controlling a relative positional relation between the positioner and the robot on the basi

Abstract: Disclosed is an automatic welding apparatus for upward welding of curved joints having a plurality of welding nozzles mounted on an arm for independent or separate movement in directions tangent and normal to the welding line, the arm being carried by a column for free vertical and horizontal movement, and a nozzle orientation controlling mechanism adapted to rotate the welding nozzles on the arm to put the welding wire fed from the welding nozzle in parallel with a line tangent to the welding line, upon detecting the inclination of the tangential line.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for non-consumable electrode type automatic arc welding in which the length of an arc produced between a non-consumable electrode and a workpiece which is being welded, is automatically controlled to an optimum value by means of an electric drive motor for driving an electrode according to a signal obtained by proportionally integrating or multiplying the voltage difference between the arc voltage detected by using an integrating element and the set reference voltage.