EP0369891A2 — Method and apparatus for automatically sensing th…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 225 words

An apparatus for automatically sensing the configuration of a surface area of an object and effecting a work function thereon, said apparatus comprising a track (13) connectible relative to said surface (11), a motor-actuated robot member (20) connectible to said track (13), said robot member having a motorized element provided with track coupling means engaged with said track for displacing said robot member at a predetermined rate and position along said track, a working arm (23) displaceably coupled to said robot member (20), said working arm having one or more working tools (24) connectible thereto, a control circuit (27) associated with said robot member (20) for displacing same and operating said working arm and tool, a sensor (25) connected to said working arm (23) and having a probe (26) to sense a distance which is measured along a normal of said surface or any surface calculated by said control circuit (27) assumed to be representative of said surface in a delineated working environment of said robot member (20) and working arm (23) said sensor (25) feeding information data of said X and Y and Z coordinates to said control circuit (27) to determine the geometry of the surface of said working environment and contour of areas in said working environment requiring a work procedure to be affected by said one or more working tools (24).

Claim 2

Independent Claim 225 words

An apparatus for automatically sensing the configuration of a surface area of an object and effecting a work function thereon, said apparatus comprising a track (13) connectible relative to said surface (11), a motor-actuated robot member (20) connectible to said track (13), said robot member having a motorized element provided with track coupling means engaged with said track for displacing said robot member at a predetermined rate and position along said track, a working arm (23) displaceably coupled to said robot member (20), said working arm having one or more working tools (24) connectible thereto, a control circuit (27) associated with said robot member (20) for displacing same and operating said working arm and tool, a sensor (25) connected to said working arm (23) and having a probe (26) to sense a distance which is measured along a normal of said surface or any surface calculated by said control circuit (27) assumed to be representative of said surface in a delineated working environment of said robot member (20) and working arm (23) said sensor (25) feeding information data of said X and Y and Z coordinates to said control circuit (27) to determine the geometry of the surface of said working environment and contour of areas in said working environment requiring a work procedure to be affected by said one or more working tools (24).

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 85 words

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said working arm (23) is displaceable on said Y axis which is transverse to the X axis of displacement said robot member (20), said sensor (25) having a detecting point oriented towards said surface to provide information signals in the Z-axis relative to a series of coordinate points about an area (31), requiring work to permit said control circuit (27) using said X, Y, and Z signals to determine the contour and shape of said area (31) requiring work.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 27 words

The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said surface (11) is a curved metal surface, said track (13) being bent to conform to the curvature of said surface.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 45 words

The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said curved metal surface (11) is a surface portion of a hydraulic turbine runner of a power generating turbine, said track (13) being connected to said surface for in-situ repair of damaged areas or imperfections within said surface portion.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 31 words

The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said detecting point is a distance measuring beam to detect the distance between said sensor (25) and said surface (11) in said delineated working environment.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 69 words

The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said detecting point is a contact probe (26) displaced in contact with said surface to detect the distance between said reference point of said arm (23) and said surface (11) in said delineated working environment, said arm having a displaceable connection to permit said probe (26) to be displaced along said Z-axis, said sensor (25) having a strain gauge to measure said displacement.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 39 words

The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said control circuit (27) has a programming function to determine the trajectory of said tool (24) over said areas requiring work and the number of passes of a working tool in said areas.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 44 words

The apparatus of claim 7 wherein there is provided two or more working tools (33, 34, 35) situated at predetermined locations relative to said robot member (20) said working tools being automatically selected and engaged by said working arm to effect controlled work functions.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 70 words

The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said surface (11) is a metal surface, there being provided an arc gouging tool (33), a welding tool (35) and a grinding tool (34) whereby to gauge said damaged areas and fill same with weld material to at least the surface profile of said metal surface in said working environment and grinding said filled areas flush with said surface of said working environment (32a).

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 67 words

The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said working arm (23) is provided with handle means (28) coupled to a force sensor (55) to permit an operator to displace same to orient said detecting point relative to coordinate points about a selected damaged area in said working environment (32a) to establish a polygonal contour of said damaged area (31) and in which to effect a controlled work function.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 58 words

The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said control circuit (27) has a self-teaching programmed function and operates said motorized element to displace said robot member (20) along said track (13) to determine the geometry of said track so that said control circuit (27) may relate a tool end point reference of a working tool to a Cartesian space.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 14 words

The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said track (13) extends along a straight axis.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 61 words

The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said surface (11) is a metal surface, said track (13) being profiled to a desired shape dependent on the shape of said surface, said track (13) being secured to a track support (14), which is maintained elevated from said surface by adjustable support legs (15), said support legs being immovably secured to said surface (11).

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 48 words

The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said adjustable support legs (15) are pivotally connected to said track support (14), said legs being adjustable in length to position said track support (14) at a desired height relative to said surface (11), to maintain said working arm (23) parallel thereto.

Claim 16

Independent Claim 238 words

A method of automatically sensing the configuration of a surface area and effecting a work function thereon, said method comprising the steps of : (i) connecting a support track (13) over a section of said surface area, said track (13) having a motor-actuated robot member (20) connected thereto and equipped with a working arm (23) displaceably coupled therewith, a sensor (25) connected to said working arm, and a control circuit (27) associated with said robot member (20); (ii) displacing said robot member (20) and working arm (23) along X and Y coordinates respectively to delineate a working environment (32a) adjacent said track (13) while sensing the distance between said surface (11) and a reference point of said arm (23) along a Z coordinate and producing information data signals of said X, Y and Z coordinates to store signals indicative of the surface configuration of said working environment; (iii) detecting irregular surface areas (31), within said working environment ; (iv) determining a series of coordinate points about a selected irregular surface area to permit said control circuit (27) to determine a reference plane based on three of said points and to find the projection of all points on this plane to determine the polygonal contour in said plane and store information signals representative thereof; (v) selecting and connecting a tool (24) to said working arm (23); (vi) effecting a work function with said tool in said polygonal contoured area.

Claim 17

Independent Claim 238 words

A method of automatically sensing the configuration of a surface area and effecting a work function thereon, said method comprising the steps of : (i) connecting a support track (13) over a section of said surface area, said track (13) having a motor-actuated robot member (20) connected thereto and equipped with a working arm (23) displaceably coupled therewith, a sensor (25) connected to said working arm, and a control circuit (27) associated with said robot member (20); (ii) displacing said robot member (20) and working arm (23) along X and Y coordinates respectively to delineate a working environment (32a) adjacent said track (13) while sensing the distance between said surface (11) and a reference point of said arm (23) along a Z coordinate and producing information data signals of said X, Y and Z coordinates to store signals indicative of the surface configuration of said working environment; (iii) detecting irregular surface areas (31), within said working environment ; (iv) determining a series of coordinate points about a selected irregular surface area to permit said control circuit (27) to determine a reference plane based on three of said points and to find the projection of all points on this plane to determine the polygonal contour in said plane and store information signals representative thereof; (v) selecting and connecting a tool (24) to said working arm (23); (vi) effecting a work function with said tool in said polygonal contoured area.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 51 words

A method as claimed in claim 16 wherein said step (iv) further comprises determining a series of coordinate points inside as well as outside said irregular surface area to permit said control circuit (27) to modelize said irregular surface and find the final profile required after the work function is completed.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 54 words

A method as claimed in claim 15 wherein there is further provided the step of positioning two or more tools (33, 34, 35) at predetermined locations with respect to said track (13) and automatically engaging said tools in a predetermined sequence to effect a series of work functions in said polygonal contoured area (31).

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 39 words

A method as claimed in claim 17 wherein there is further provided the step of self-programming said control circuit (27) to effect said work functions by analyzing said information signals to detect the configuration of said irregular surface areas.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 42 words

A method as claimed in claim 15 wherein said step (ii) comprises manually applying a sensing probe (26) connected to said sensor (25) in contact with said working environment along said X, Y and Z axes to determine said surface configuration thereof.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 18 words

A method as claimed in claim 19 wherein said step (iii) comprises visually detecting said irregular surface areas.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 43 words

A method as claimed in claim 20 wherein said step (iv) comprises manually displacing said probe (26) to a series of points about one or more irregular areas to feed information signals to said control circuit (27) for automatically delineating a polygonal contour.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 55 words

A method as claimed in claim 15 wherein said steps (v) and (vi) are effected sequentially with a gouging tool (33), a welding tool (35) and a grinding tool (34) to clean a cavitated damaged irregular area, fill it with weld material and grind it flush with the surface configuration of said delineated working environment.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 39 words

A method as claimed in claim 22 wherein said gouging tool (33) is controlled to effectuate the gouging of metal in said polygonal contoured surface, said gouging tool being automatically controlled and terminated when the gauged surface becomes smooth.

Claim 26

Dependent Claim 44 words

A method as claimed in claim 22 wherein said gouging step comprises removing a plurality of successive metal layers while maintaining the gouging tool (33) to workpiece distance substantially constant by means of monitoring the gouging current flowing through an electrode of said tool.

Claim 27

Dependent Claim 39 words

A method as claimed in claim 23 wherein there is provided the further step of grinding said gauged polygonal area to clean same prior to filling it with weld material and thus provide a prepared cavity adequate for welding.

Claim 28

Dependent Claim 49 words

A method as claimed in claim 22 wherein said step of filling said prepared cavity includes applying a plurality of successive coats of weld material (31′) in said cavity area and maintaining welding tool (35) to workpiece distance substantially constant by means of monitoring the welding current and voltage.

Claim 29

Dependent Claim 40 words

A method as claimed in claim 22 wherein said grinding step comprises applying a plurality of successive passes of grinding over said weld while maintaining a controlled grinding force by means of monitoring a strain gauge in said sensor (25).

Claim 30

Dependent Claim 30 words

A method of claim 22 wherein there is further provided the step of sensing said surface area of said polygonal damaged area between the steps of gouging, welding and grinding.

Claim 31

Dependent Claim 36 words

A method as claimed in claim 15 wherein said step (i) comprises a track support frame (14) to said surface area and adjusting the elevation thereof and connecting said support track (13) to said support frame.

Claim 32

Dependent Claim 32 words

A method as claimed in claim 15 wherein said steps (ii) and (iii) are effectuated by actuating a motorized element provided with track (13) coupling means and working arm (23) displacement means.

Claim 33

Dependent Claim 21 words

A method as claimed in claim 15 wherein said steps (ii) and (vi) are automatically effectuated by said control circuit (27).

Method and apparatus for automatically sensing the configuration of a surface area and effecting a work function thereon

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