Material-handling apparatus

Claim 2

In combination, a slave support member, a slave member, one end of said slave member pivotally connected to said slave support member and pivotal about one horizontal axis, a master support member, a master member, one end of said master member connected to said master support member and pivotable about another horizontal axis, a servo loop means responsive to displacements of said master member to maintain alignment of the longitudinal axis of said slave member with the longitudinal axis of said master member, a force feedback means responsive to torque of said slave member about said one horizontal axis for applying a corresponding torque reduced in magnitude to said master member about said other horizontal axis in a direction in opposition to the direction of movement of said master member producing the torque in said slave member, a lever arm member having a pair of ends, one end of which is in fixed relationship to said master member and movable about said other horizontal axis therewith, a bearing member, a flexible tension member, a spring member, one end of said flexible tension member connected to said other end of said lever arm member and the other end of said tension member connected to one end of said spring member, the other end of said spring member connected to said master support member, an intermeDiate portion of said tension member bearing on a support point of said bearing member on a side thereof remote from said other horizontal axis, the angle less than 180* formed between a line extending from said other end of said lever arm member to said third horizontal axis and a line extending from said support point to said third horizontal axis being equal to the angle less than 180* between the longitudinal axis of said master member and an axis extending vertically upward from said third horizontal axis, the spring constant of said spring member being equal to M/ar, where M is the moment of said master member, and the moment of said slave member as reflected to said master member, a is the length of the line from said support point to said third horizontal axis, and r is the length of the line from said other end of said lever arm to said third horizontal axis.

Claim 3

The combination of claim 1 in which the length of said tension member being such that the end thereof remote from the end connected to said spring member when unattached and said spring member is in its unstressed condition extends to said support point.

Claim 4

In combination, a slave support member, a slave member including an upper arm element and a lower arm element, one end of said upper arm element pivotally connected to said slave support member and pivotal about a first horizontal axis, the other end of said upper arm element pivotally connected to one end of said lower arm element and pivotal about a second horizontal axis, a master support member, a master control member including an upper arm element and a lower arm element, one end of said upper arm element connected to said master support member and pivotable about a third horizontal axis, the other end of said upper arm element pivotally connected to said lower arm element and pivotal about a fourth horizontal axis, first servo loop means responsive to the displacements of said lower slave arm element to maintain alignment of the longitudinal axis of said lower slave arm element with the longitudinal axis of said lower master arm element, second servo loop means responsive to the displacements of said upper slave arm element to maintain alignment of the longitudinal axis of said upper slave arm element with the longitudinal axis of said upper master arm element, a first force feedback means responsive to torque of said upper slave arm element about said first horizontal axis for applying a corresponding torque reduced in magnitude to said upper master arm element about said third horizontal axis in a direction in opposition to the direction of movement of said upper master arm element producing the torque in said upper slave arm element, a second force feedback means responsive to torque of said lower slave arm element about said second horizontal axis for applying a corresponding torque reduced in magnitude to said lower master arm element about said forth horizontal axis in a direction in opposition to direction of movement of said lower master arm element producing the torque in said lower slave arm element, a first lever arm having a pair of ends, one end of which is in fixed relationship to said upper master arm element and movable about said third horizontal axis therewith, a first support point, a first flexible tension member, a first spring member, one end of said first flexible tension member connected to said other end of said first lever arm and the other end of said first tension member connected to one end of said first spring member, the other end of said first spring member connected to said master support member, an intermediate portion of said first tension member bearing on said first support point, the angle less than 180* formed between the a line extending from said other end from said first lever arm member said third horizontal axis and a line extending from and said First support point to said third horizontal axis being equal to the angle less than 180* between the longitudinal axis of said upper arm element and an axis extending vertically upward from said third horizontal axis, the spring constant of said first spring member being equal to MSM/a1r1, where MSM is the moment of the upper master arm element with said lower master arm attached, and the moment of said upper slave arm element with said lower slave arm attached as reflected to said lower master arm element, a1 is the length of the line from said first support point to said third horizontal axis, and r is the length of said normal from said other end of said first lever arm to said third horizontal axis, the length of said first tension member being such that the end thereof remote from the end connected to said first spring member when unattached and said first spring member is in its unstressed condition extends to said first support point, a second lever arm having a pair of ends, one end of which is coincidental with said third horizontal axis and the other end of which is pivotable thereabout, means for transferring an angular displacement of said lower master arm element with respect to said upper master arm element about said forth horizontal axis to an equal angular displacement of said lever arm about said third horizontal axis, a second support point, a second flexible tension member, a second spring member, one end of said second flexible tension member connected to said other end of said second lever arm and the other end of said second tension member connected to one end of said second spring member, the other end of said second spring member connected to said master support member, an intermediate portion of said second tension member bearing on said second support point, the angle less than 180* formed between a line extending from said other end of said lever arm member to said third horizontal axis and a line extending from said second support point to said third horizontal axis being equal to the angle less than 180* between the longitudinal axis of said lower arm element and an axis extending vertically upward from said fourth horizontal axis, the spring constant of said second spring member being equal to MEM/a2r2, where MEM is the moment of the lower master arm element and the moment of said lower slave arm element as reflected to said lower master arm element, a2 is length of the line from said second support point to said third horizontal axis, and r2 is the length of the line from said other end of said second lever arm to said third horizontal axis, the length of said second tension member being such that the end thereof remote from the end connected to said second spring member when unattached and said second spring member is in its unstressed condition extends to said second support point.

Claim 5

In combination, a slave support member, a slave member including an upper arm element and a lower arm element, one end of said upper arm element pivotally connected to said slave support member and pivotal about a first horizontal axis, the other end of said upper arm element pivotally connected to one end of said lower arm element and pivotal about a second horizontal axis, a master support member, a master control member including an upper arm element and a lower arm element, one end of said upper arm element connected to said master support member and pivotable about a third horizontal axis, the other end of said upper arm element pivotally connected to said lower arm element and pivotal about a fourth horizontal axis, first servo loop means responsive to the displacements of said lower slave arm element to maintain alignment of the longitudinal axis of said lower slave arm element with the longitudinal axis of said lower master arm element, second servo loop means responsive to the displacements of said upper slave arm element to maintain alignment of the longitudinal axis of said upper slave arm element with the longitudinal axis of said upper master arm element, a first force feedback means responsive to torque of said upper slave arm element about said first horizontal axis for applying a corresponding torque reduced in magnitude to said upper master arm element about said third horizontal axis in a direction in opposition to the direction of movement of said upper master arm element producing the torque in said upper slave arm element, a second force feedback means responsive to torque of said lower slave arm element about said second horizontal axis for applying a corresponding torque reduced in magnitude to said lower master arm element about said forth horizontal axis in a direction in opposition to direction of movement of said lower master arm element producing the torque in said lower slave arm element, a first lever arm having a pair of ends, one end of which is in fixed relationship to said upper master arm element and movable about said third horizontal axis therewith, a first support point, a first flexible tension member, a first spring member, one end of said first flexible tension member connected to said other end of said first lever arm and the other end of said first tension member connected to one end of said first spring member, the other end of said first spring member connected to said master support member, an intermediate portion of said first tension member bearing on said first support point, the angle less than 180* formed between the a line extending from said other end from said first lever arm member said third horizontal axis and a line extending from and said First support point to said third horizontal axis being equal to the angle less than 180* between the longitudinal axis of said upper arm element and an axis extending vertically upward from said third horizontal axis, the spring constant of said first spring member being equal to MSM/a1r1, where MSM is the moment of the upper master arm element with said lower master arm attached, and the moment of said upper slave arm element with said lower slave arm attached as reflected to said lower master arm element, a1 is the length of the line from said first support point to said third horizontal axis, and r is the length of said normal from said other end of said first lever arm to said third horizontal axis, the length of said first tension member being such that the end thereof remote from the end connected to said first spring member when unattached and said first spring member is in its unstressed condition extends to said first support point, a second lever arm having a pair of ends, one end of which is coincidental with said third horizontal axis and the other end of which is pivotable thereabout, means for transferring an angular displacement of said lower master arm element with respect to said upper master arm element about said forth horizontal axis to an equal angular displacement of said lever arm about said third horizontal axis, a second support point, a second flexible tension member, a second spring member, one end of said second flexible tension member connected to said other end of said second lever arm and the other end of said second tension member connected to one end of said second spring member, the other end of said second spring member connected to said master support member, an intermediate portion of said second tension member bearing on said second support point, the angle less than 180* formed between a line extending from said other end of said lever arm member to said third horizontal axis and a line extending from said second support point to said third horizontal axis being equal to the angle less than 180* between the longitudinal axis of said lower arm element and an axis extending vertically upward from said fourth horizontal axis, the spring constant of said second spring member being equal to MEM/a2r2, where MEM is the moment of the lower master arm element and the moment of said lower slave arm element as reflected to said lower master arm element, a2 is length of the line from said second support point to said third horizontal axis, and r2 is the length of the line from said other end of said second lever arm to said third horizontal axis, the length of said second tension member being such that the end thereof remote from the end connected to said second spring member when unattached and said second spring member is in its unstressed condition extends to said second support point.