Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B25—HAND TOOLS; PORTABLE POWER-DRIVEN TOOLS; MANIPULATORS
  • B25J—MANIPULATORS; CHAMBERS PROVIDED WITH MANIPULATION DEVICES
  • B25J5/00—Manipulators mounted on wheels or on carriages
  • B25J5/02—Manipulators mounted on wheels or on carriages travelling along a guideway
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
  • F16M—FRAMES, CASINGS OR BEDS OF ENGINES, MACHINES OR APPARATUS, NOT SPECIFIC TO ENGINES, MACHINES OR APPARATUS PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE; STANDS; SUPPORTS
  • F16M11/00—Stands or trestles as supports for apparatus or articles placed thereon ; Stands for scientific apparatus such as gravitational force meters
  • F16M11/42—Stands or trestles as supports for apparatus or articles placed thereon ; Stands for scientific apparatus such as gravitational force meters with arrangement for propelling the support stands on wheels
  • F16M11/425—Stands or trestles as supports for apparatus or articles placed thereon ; Stands for scientific apparatus such as gravitational force meters with arrangement for propelling the support stands on wheels along guiding means

Definitions

• This invention relates to an industrial robot of the kind which has no inherent locomotion, for example of the kind shown in British Patent Specification No. 2Q61872A.
• the object of the invention is to provide a comparatively simple, precise means for effecting translational movement of the robot so that the robot can perform operations in different locations.
• a machine tool comprises a robot manipulator, a carriage which supports the manipulator, a pair of parallel bars providing a track for the carriage, means mounting the carriage for sliding movement on the bars, and an elongate conductor extending parallel to and between the bars, said conductor constituting a stator for a linear motor of which an armature is mounted on the carriage.
• OMPI Figure 1 is a side view of one embodiment of the invention, taken in the direction of the arrow A in Figure 3;
• Figure 2 is a partial front view of a track forming part of the embodiment shovm in Figure 1; and Figure 3 is a partial plan view of the embodiment shown in Figure 1.
• a robot manipulator 1 of the kind which includes a pedestal from which extend pivoted arms terminating in a wrist which can carry a tool for operating on workpieces.
• a robot may be of the kind described in the aforementioned specification. It has no means of locomotion and is usually, as described in the aforementioned specification, mounted in a fixed location.
• the robot 1 is mounted on a carriage which includes a plate 2.
• This carriage is mounted, by means to be described, for movement along two parallel bars 3 and 4 which extend adjacent the various working stations between which the robot is to be moved.
• the bars 3 are carried by respective rails 5 and 6 which are mutually connected by cross-ties 7 and 8.
• OMPI programmed manner in accordance with the sequence of operations which are to be performed.
• the carriage is mounted on the bars 3 and 4 by means of recirculating ball bushings.
• Those bushings 9 which engage the bar 3 are fixed to the underside of the base plate 2 but the bearings 10 which engage the bar 4 are by means of a cross-head assembly 11 arranged to be laterally floating with respect to the plate 2.
• the bars have to carry a considerable weight and although the position of the robot may be defined in the direction laterally of the track by the bar 9 , slight irregularities in the distance between the bars can be accommodated by the lateral float of the bearings 10.
• a rail 13 which constitutes a stator for a linear motor of which the armature 14 is mounted on the carriage and is preferably mounted underneath the base plate 2.
• This linear motor may be controlled by controlled equipment not shown which is responsive to both command signals and also signals obtained from an "Inductosyn" linear position transducer or other position measuring device which by cooperation with a scale 15a. or other elongate index extending lengthwise of the track provides signals indicating the position of the carriage and thereby the robot in the direction along the track.
• the position sensing device may also provide signals relating to the speed of movement of the carriage as well as its position so that both position feedback and velocity feedback may be used to control the movement of the carriage.
• the linear motor is preferably arranged so that it • can provide increments of movement of the carriage and robot lengthwise of the track.
• a pneumatically operated caliper brake mechanism 16 mounted on the plate 2 and arranged to engage a rail 17 extending along the track beneath the carriage and to one side of the rail 13, may be provided to secure the robot in its desired working position. The operation of this brake will be included in the programmed control of the machine tool and robot.
• One advantage of the described apparatus is its ability to make a long, very slow and steady movement suitable for a long, accurate weld.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Robotics (AREA)
• Manipulator (AREA)
• Bearings For Parts Moving Linearly (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=10524379

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (3)

Families Citing this family (8)

Family Cites Families (4)

• 1981
  • 1981-09-08 GB GB08127147A patent/GB2105278A/en not_active Withdrawn
• 1982
  • 1982-09-08 WO PCT/GB1982/000265 patent/WO1983000833A1/en not_active Ceased
  • 1982-09-08 EP EP82902683A patent/EP0087448A1/de not_active Withdrawn

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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