Omnidirectional manipulator

Claim 1

A MATERIALS HANDLING APPARATUS FOR PRECISELY MOVING A LOAD IN ANY DIRECTION UTILIZING THE INSTINCTIVE TENDENCIES OF AN OPERATOR, COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION: A LIFT TRUCK HAVING AN EXTENDIBLE BOOM ROTATABLE ABOUT HORIZONTAL AND VERTICAL AXES THROUGH ITS BASE AND ABOUT ITS LONGITUDINAL AXIS, A LONGITUDINAL MOTOR OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID LIFT TRUCK FOR EXTENDING SAID BOOM, A LATERAL MOTOR OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID LIFT TRUCK FOR ROTATING SAID BOOM ABOUT SAID VERTICAL AXIS, A VERTICAL MOTOR OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID LIFT TRUCK FOR ROTATING SAID BOOM ABOUT SAID HORIZONTAL AXIS, A ROLL MOTOR OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID LIFT TRUCK FOR ROTATING SAID BOOM ABOUT SAID LONGITUDINAL AXIS, A ROLL MOTOR OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID LIFT TRUCK FOR ROTATING SAID BOOM ABOUT SAID LONGITUDINAL AXIS, A CYLINDRICAL WRIST ROTATABLY CONNECTED AT ONE OF ITS ENDS ON A PIVOTAL AXIS THROUGH SAID LONGITUDINAL AXIS TO THE OUTER TERMINAL OF SAID BOOM, A PITCH MOTOR OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID BOOM AND SAID WRIST FOR ROTATING SAID WRIST ABOUT SAID PIVOTAL AXIS RELATIVE TO SAID BOOM, A CRADLE FORMED TO RECEIVE AND SECURE A LOAD AND ROTATABLY CONNECTED TO SAID WRIST MEANS ON A CONCENTRICAL AXIS, A YAW MOTOR OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID WRIST AND SAID CRADLE FOR ROTATING SAID CRADLE ABOUT SAID CONCENTRICAL AXIS RELATIVE TO SAID WRIST, AN ANNULAR PLATE CONCENTRICALLY AND SLIDABLY CONNECTED TO SAID WRIST FOR ROTATION RELATIVE THERETO ABOUT SAID CONCENTRICAL AXIS, A YAW TRANSDUCER OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID WRIST AND SAID PLATE FOR PRODUCING AN OUTPUT SIGNAL INDICATIVE OF SAID PLATE ROTATION, CONDUIT MEANS CONNECTING SAID OUTPUT SIGNAL FROM SAID YAW TRANSDUCER TO SAID YAW MOTOR FOR ACTUATION THEREOF, AN ANNULAR SLIDE CONCENTRICALLY AND SLIDABLY CONNECTED TO SAID PLATE FOR RECTILINEAR MOTION RELATIVE THERETO ALONG ONE DIAMETER OF SAID PLATE, A LONGITUDINAL DISPLACEMENT TRANSDUCER OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID PLATE AND SAID SLIDE FOR PRODUCING AN OUTPUT SIGNAL INDICATIVE OF SAID SLIDE RECTILINEAR MOTION, CONDUIT MEANS CONNECTING SAID OUTPUT SIGNAL FROM SAID LONGITUDINAL DISPLACEMENT TRANSDUCER TO SAID LONGITUDINAL MOTOR FOR ACTUATION THEREOF, A SLEEVE CONCENTRICALLY AND SLIDABLY CONNECTED TO SAID SLIDE FOR RECTILINEAR MOTION RELATIVE THERETO ALONG ANOTHER DIAMETER OF SAID PLATE NORMAL TO SAID ONE PLATE DIAMETER, A LATERAL DISPLACEMENT TRANSDUCER OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID SLIDE AND SAID SLEEVE FOR PRODUCING AN OUTPUT SIGNAL INDICATIVE OF SAID SLEEVE RECTILINEAR MOTION, CONDUIT MEANS CONNECTING SAID OUTPUT SIGNAL FROM SAID LATERAL DISPLACEMENT TRANSDUCER TO SAID LATERAL MOTOR FOR ACTUATION THEREOF, A VERTICAL RING CONCENTRICALLY AND SLIDABLY CONNECTED TO SAID SLEEVE FOR RECTILINEAR MOTION RELATIVE THERETO ALONG SAID CONCENTRICAL AXIS, A VERTICAL DISPLACEMENT TRANSDUCER OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID SLEEVE AND SAID VERTICAL RING FOR PRODUCING AN OUTPUT SIGNAL INDICATIVE OF SAID VERTICAL RING RECTILINEAR MOTION, CONDUIT MEANS CONNECTING SAID OUTPUT SIGNAL FROM SAID VERTICAL DISPLACEMENT TRANSDUCER TO SAID VERTICAL MOTOR FOR ACTUATION THEREOF, A GIMBAL RING CONCENTRICALLY AND ROTATABLY CONNECTED ABOUT ONE DIAMETER THEREOF TO SAID VERTICAL RING, A CONTROL WHEEL CONCENTRICALLY AND ROTATABLY CONNECTED TO SAID GIMBAL RING ABOUT ANOTHER DIAMETER THEREOF NORMAL TO SAID ONE GIMBAL RING DIAMETER, A PITCH TRANSDUCER OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID CONTROL WHEEL AND SAID VERTICAL RING WITH ITS AXIS IN A PLANE NORMAL TO SAID WRIST PIVOTAL AXIS AND INCLINED FROM THE PLANE OF SAID CONTROL WHEEL FOR PRODUCING AN OUTPUT SIGNAL INDICATIVE OF SAID CONTROL WHEEL ROTATION RELATIVE TO SAID VERTICAL RING ABOUT AN AXIS PARALLEL TO SAID WRIST PIVOTAL AXIS, CONDUIT MEANS CONNECTING THE OUTPUT SIGNAL FROM SAID PITCH TRANSDUCER TO SAID PITCH MOTOR FOR ACTUATION THEREOF, A ROLL TRANSDUCER OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID CONTROL WHEEL AND SAID VERTICAL RING WITH ITS AXIS PARALLEL TO SAID WRIST PIVOTAL AXIS AND INCLINED FROM THE PLANE OF SAID CONTROL WHEEL FOR PRODUCING AN OUTPUT SIGNAL INDICATIVE OF SAID CONTROL WHEEL ROTATION RELATIVE TO SAID VERTICAL RING ABOUT AN AXIS PARALLEL TO SAID WRIST PIVOTAL AXIS AND CONDUIT MEANS CONNECTING SAID OUTPUT SIGNAL FROM SAID ROLL TRANSDUCER TO SAID ROLL MOTOR FOR ACTUATION THEREOF; WHEREBY ANY MOTION OF SAID CONTROL WHEEL WILL BE RESOLVED INTO SEPARATE AND DISTINCT COMPONENTS AND IMPARTED TO A LOAD SUPPORTED ON SAID CRADLE.