241 |
End arm manipulator |
US09006248 |
1998-01-13 |
US06722842B1 |
2004-04-20 |
Edwin G. Sawdon; Brian D. Petit |
An end arm manipulator includes a base, an arm pivotably mounted to the base and a workpiece interfacing member coupled to the arm. In another aspect of the present invention, multiple arms are coupled to the base and are movable independent of each other. In still another aspect of the present invention, generally spherical balls are adjustably mounted between a clamping member and a cavity of the base. |
242 |
Method and apparatus for automatically loading and unloading piece goods |
US09833350 |
2001-04-12 |
US06588574B2 |
2003-07-08 |
Martin Koini; Günther Nagel |
A method and an apparatus for automatically loading and unloading piece goods of different shapes, consistencies and masses in a permanently installed conveying system. The relevant piece goods are picked up automatically by a remote controlled apparatus, by the piece goods being gripped by friction by the apparatus and moved onto a pick-up platform belonging to the apparatus. Moreover, the piece goods, after being picked up on the pick-up platform, are secured by force and/or shape against slipping off or falling down until they are unloaded, and the loaded goods being put down automatically by the apparatus at the intended location. |
243 |
Method and apparatus for automatically loading and unloading piece goods |
US09833350 |
2001-04-12 |
US20010050213A1 |
2001-12-13 |
Martin
Koini; Gunther
Nagel |
A method and an apparatus for automatically loading and unloading piece goods of different shapes, consistencies and masses in a permanently installed conveying system. The relevant piece goods are picked up automatically by a remote controlled apparatus, by the piece goods being gripped by friction by the apparatus and moved onto a pick-up platform belonging to the apparatus. Moreover, the piece goods, after being picked up on the pick-up platform, are secured by force and/or shape against slipping off or falling down until they are unloaded, and the loaded goods being put down automatically by the apparatus at the intended location. |
244 |
Apparatus for processing small parts utilizing a robot and an array of
tools mounted on the outer robot arm |
US606397 |
1996-02-23 |
US5768768A |
1998-06-23 |
Norman D. Best |
The present invention is a method and apparatus for processing a plurality of small work-pieces which each weighs under five pounds using a robot gripping a rotatable pallet for holding an array of small parts. The robot has a removable tooling plate mounted on its head for mounting an array of processing tools operating on the rotatable pallet such as pick-and-place tools, work-piece ejection tools, vertical and horizontal video cameras, reflective photocell sensors, and laser distance ranging sensors. The tools operate under control of the robot and in conjunction with rotation and elevation of the rotatable pallet with respect to the tool array. The tools are mounted by an interchangeable, standard bracket to permit quick installation or removal of the tool mounting plate and addition or placement of individual devices and sensors appropriate to particular robotic tasks. |
245 |
Apparatus for processing small parts utilizing a robot and an array of
tools mounted on the outer robot arm |
US237301 |
1994-05-03 |
US5515599A |
1996-05-14 |
Norman D. Best |
The present invention is a method and apparatus for processing a plurality of small work-pieces which each weighs under five pounds using a robot gripping a rotatable pallet for holding an array of small parts. The robot has a removable tooling plate mounted on its head for mounting an array of processing tools operating on the rotatable pallet such as pick-and-place tools, work-piece ejection tools, vertical and horizontal video cameras, reflective photocell sensors, and laser distance ranging sensors. The tools operate under control of the robot and in conjunction with rotation and elevation of the rotatable pallet with respect to the tool array. The tools are mounted by an interchangeable, standard bracket to permit quick installation or removal of the tool mounting plate and addition or placement of individual devices and sensors appropriate to particular robotic tasks. |
246 |
Automated archiving and retrieval system for computer data storage
cassettes |
US243006 |
1994-05-16 |
US5454681A |
1995-10-03 |
Rolf Baur |
A system especially adapted to retrieve, insert and transport a computer data storage cassette between spaced-apart cassette library and cassette drive unit sites. The system includes a robot carried by a movable transport assembly which is operable to transport the robot between the cassette library and cassette drive unit sites. The robot itself includes an especially adapted robotic manipulator whereby the cassette may be gripped and released. A mechanical cassette ejector is preferably provided to ensure that the cassette is expelled from the fingers of the robotic manipulator when the cassette is released. A push rod may also be provided so as to engage, and thus manipulate, a door which covers a slot of the cassette drive unit. Controlled movements of the transport system will bring the robotic manipulator into an initial position relative to the cassette in the cassette library or the cassette drive unit, such that controlled movements of the robot will then effect precise positioning of the manipulator relative to the cassette. |
247 |
Freeze holding device and process |
US153378 |
1993-11-16 |
US5452932A |
1995-09-26 |
David Griffin |
A gripping device for grasping and releasing articles by freezing and thawing water between a gripping surface and the article. The device includes a base plate, a mesh like gripping surface, a water passage to the gripping surface, a freezing element for freezing the water and bonding the gripping surface to the article and a thawing element for melting the frozen bond for releasing the article. The cooling and thawing elements use semi-circular tubing extending from the base plate and adjacent the gripping surface, through which are introduced a coolant for freezing the water and a heated liquid for thawing. Upon movement of the water via an atomizer to the gripping surface, coolant is introduced into the tubing to freeze the same. Upon freezing, the article and gripping surface become bonded. To release the article, the heated fluid is moved through the tubing so as to thaw the frozen bond. |
248 |
Robotic end gripper with a band member to engage object |
US872152 |
1992-04-22 |
US5310233A |
1994-05-10 |
Roy E. Pollard; Samuel C. Robinson; William F. Thompson; Scott A. Couture; Bill J. Sutton |
An end effector for use with robotic arms and like devices that utilizes a flexible band to draw an object against an anvil having a concave surface. One typical convex surface is created by a V-block, with an apex of the V being centrally located. If an object to be grasped is fragile, the contour of the concave surface closely matches the surface of the object. Typically the movement of the band is effected by a linear actuator, with the anvil remaining fixed relative to a support base. Several embodiments are described that utilize variations in drawing the band toward the anvil, with one of these embodiments described in detail in the form of a fabricated unit. One embodiment includes a cover element that can be moved over an object after the grasping thereof, with this cover potentially serving various functions. Movement of the cover can be effected with a second linear actuator. |
249 |
Pick-up for handicraft items |
US951175 |
1992-09-24 |
US5251943A |
1993-10-12 |
Emil J. Dalbo; Lorraine E. Dalbo |
A pick-up for handicraft items and accessories consists of a stick having an adhering member on one end of the stick. The adhering member may be hook material of hook and loop fasteners, or it may be adhesive of the type that remains tacky. The stick may have a ring to be supported by a person's finger, or may be long enough to be grasped by the hand. A kit for the pick-ups includes a bottle of the adhesive and several sticks. The package for the kit has a cradle to hold a stick when not in use, and provides a base for the bottle of adhesive. |
250 |
Light operated mechanical actuator |
US838097 |
1992-02-20 |
US5218666A |
1993-06-08 |
Yoshihiro Naruse; Tomokimi Mizuno; Mitsuhiro Ando; Naomasa Nakajima |
An actuator is comprised of a main body, an inner space filled with an amount of thermally expansive gas and having a first portion in the form of a shallow configuration with an opening oriented toward one side of the main body, a second portion and a bottleneck passage located therebetween, a membrane in the form of a thin film connected to the side of the main body for closing the opening of the first portion of the inner space, a substance for converting the light into heat, and a guide device for guiding light into the second portion of the inner space. Upon an unexpected application of an external force on the thin film, the deformation of the thin film is limited at minimum by being supported by the bottom surface of the first portion. This ensures the prevention of the breakage of the thin film. |
251 |
Supporting device |
US546661 |
1990-07-03 |
US5207554A |
1993-05-04 |
Kazuo Asakawa; Fumiaki Akiya; Fumio Tabata |
A supporting device comprising a first member which supports a springy means for resiliently supporting a second member. The supporting device comprises a detection means for detecting displacement of the springy means with respect to the first member in accordance with the movement of the second member and a biasing means which applies a force to the springy means from the same direction as or from a direction opposite to that of the displacement for changing the elasticity of the springy means in accordance with the movement of the second member. |
252 |
Automated archiving and retrieval system for computer data storage
cassettes |
US391284 |
1989-08-09 |
US5015139A |
1991-05-14 |
Rolf Baur |
A system especially adapted to retrieve, insert and transport a computer data storage cassette between spaced-apart cassette library and cassette drive unit sites. The system includes a robot carried by a movable transport assembly which is operable to transport the robot between the cassette library and cassette drive unit sites. The robot itself includes an especially adapted robotic manipulator whereby the cassette may be gripped and released. A mechanical cassette ejector is preferably provided to ensure that the cassette is expelled from the fingers of the robotic manipulator when the cassette is released. A push rod may also be provided so as to engage, and thus manipulate, a door which covers a slot of the cassette drive unit. Controlled movements of the transport system will bring the robotic manipulator into an initial position relative to the cassette in the cassette library or the cassette drive unit, such that controlled movements of the robot will then effect precise positioning of the manipulator relative to the cassette. |
253 |
Robot slice aligning end effector |
US378496 |
1989-07-11 |
US5004399A |
1991-04-02 |
Harold W. Sullivan; Pat M. McConnell |
An end effector (10) is pivotally affixed to a robot arm (12) and comprises a platform (28) and a catcher (42). In operation, the end effector (10) picks up an integrated circuit slice (S), tilts the platform (28) away from the horizontal, causing the slice (S) to slide into an indexing surface (47) of the catcher (42). This places the slice (S) in a predetermined position relative to the robot arm (12) allowing for precise placement of the slice (S) at a workstation (106). |
254 |
Transport device for wafers of variable diameter |
US285596 |
1988-12-16 |
US4971512A |
1990-11-20 |
Sang S. Lee; Bong K. Kang; Seung K. Park; Hyoung J. Yoo |
A transport device for handling wafers of different diameters utilized in the manufacture of semiconductors. A robotic arm is equipped with a fork-shaped wafer support board and an arm slide movable relative to the robotic arm. The fork-shaped end of the support board is provided with fixed pins on one side to support wafers and on another side with plate springs carrying pins which can be depressed by the weight of a wafer to accommodate larger size wafers. The device permits wafers of different diameters accurately and safely to be transferred from its center to a predetermined station without the need for changing the wafer support board or correction of the robotic arm. |
255 |
Method for the automatic gripping of objects, enabling the preservation
of at least one reference element related to it, and grip to implement
said method |
US314050 |
1989-02-22 |
US4968082A |
1990-11-06 |
Michel Thinlot |
The grip disclosed has a rotationally driven, threaded rod, with one part having a left-hand pitch while the other part has a right-hand pitch. The rod driving, by means of nuts and connection rods, has gripping arms that apply balanced forces to the object to be grasped. The arms and the threaded rod are floating with respect to the casing of the clamp, but can be locked as soon as the part is grasped. |
256 |
End effector |
US286866 |
1988-12-20 |
US4955654A |
1990-09-11 |
Akira Tsuchihashi; Naoki Noguchi; Kesatoshi Kuraoka |
An end effector secured to an front end of a manipulator of a remote manipulator system and having a function for clamping dedicated objects, wherein a force (or torque) applied to the end effector at the time of clamping the dedicated object is detected so that a driving portion of the end effector is feedback-controlled in order to protect the end effector from being applied with a force (or torque) exceeding a predetermined level. |
257 |
Supporting device |
US158041 |
1988-02-16 |
US4921396A |
1990-05-01 |
Kazuo Asakawa; Fumiaki Akiya; Fumio Tabata |
A supporting device including a first member which supports a springy means for resiliently supporting a second member. The supporting device includes a detection for detecting displacements of the springy with respect to the first member in accordance with the movement of the second member and a biasing which applies a force to the springy from the same direction as or from a direction opposite to that of the displacement for changing the elasticity of the springy in accordance with the movement of the second member. |
258 |
System comprising a power-actuated gripper and a number of gripping
objects, especially for use in an automated foundry plant, with fluid
communication between said gripper and a gripping object being gripped
by it |
US108392 |
1987-10-14 |
US4840416A |
1989-06-20 |
Ole A. Jacobsen |
In a system comprising a gripper (9) and a number of gripping objects (7), and with fluid-communication couplings for establishing temporary fluid communication between the gripper (9) and the gripping object (7) being gripped, the novel feature consists in that the coupling comprise at least one tubular member (30) with at least one open end being adapted to be pressed against and to make fluid-tight contact with a plane surface (37) on the gripping object (7) having fluid-transfer openings (39) with somewhat smaller diameter than the open ends of the tubular member (30). With this arrangement, the risks of damage and other problems associated with previous coupling arrangements based on the male-female principle are avoided. |
259 |
Hand device for industrial robot |
US47503 |
1987-04-24 |
US4834440A |
1989-05-30 |
Hisao Kato |
A industrial robot head device for conveying a workpiece to a working apparatus and performing a working operation on the workpiece by the working apparatus is disclosed in which a grasping device provided with claws for grasping the workpiece is pivotally supported on a frame by a parallel linkage and urged by a spring system in the direction of displacement of the grasping device. The attitude of the workpiece in thereby accurately maintained at all times, even when the workpiece is being urged against a work head, for instance, a welding head gun of a spot welding machine. |
260 |
Device for transferring semiconductor wafers |
US853624 |
1986-04-18 |
US4801168A |
1989-01-31 |
Ryosuke Sato |
An improved semiconductor wafer transferring device lifts and drops at least two groups of semiconductor wafers at different times in each lifting or dropping cycle, in order to reduce the impact sustained by a semiconductor wafer holder such as a wafer boat in the former case and preventing the semiconductor wafer holder from being lifted in the latter case. |