US3790002A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Manipulator with drive motors
Assignee: Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique et Aux Énergies Alternatives
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Filing: 1972-10-10
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Granted: 1974-02-05
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Expires: 1992-10-10
Abstract
Abstract The manipulator arm is pivoted at its mid-point on a laterally displaced shoulder pin coupled to a rotatable body which has a horizontal axis on one side of said arm and serves to rotate the complete manipulator assembly about said axis. A drive-motor block which produces a continuous balancing action about the shoulder-pin axis is pivotally mounted on one end of the manipulator arm in laterally displaced relation thereto. A wide range of angular motion is thus imparted by cable-type transmission means to a fore-arm which is rotated about an elbow pin or in azimuth and to a tong unit which is subjected to movements of elevation, rotation and closure.
Inventors
- 👤 J Guilbaud
- 👤 J Vertut
- 👤 J Germond
- 👤 C Glachet
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-24 18:27
CPC Classifications
B; B25; B25J; B25J19/00; B25J19/0008; B25J19/002; B25J9/00; B25J9/02; B25J9/04; B25J9/10; B25J9/104; B25J9/1045
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim
280 words
A manipulator with drive motors comprising an arm pivotally mounted on a shoulder pin and provided at one end with a yoke for the pivotal attachment to an elbow pin parallel to said shoulder pin of a fore-arm which is capable of carrying out independently of its movement about the elbow pin a moveMent in azimuth corresponding to a rotation of said fore-arm about its own axis and a tong unit pivoted at the extremity of the fore-arm on a wrist pin located in a plane which is parallel to the elbow pin, said tong unit being capable of carrying out independently of its movement of elevation about its wrist pin a movement of rotation about its own axis and a movement of closure of its jaws, wherein said manipulator comprises a supporting block for drive motors and reduction-gear units, said block being pivoted about a pin in parallel relation to the shoulder-pin axis at that extremity of the arm which is remote from the elbow pin so as to produce by means of transmission elements such as cables guided by pulleys mounted on the pivot-pins of the shoulder, elbow and wrist the movements of rotation of the fore-arm about its own axis and the movements of elevation, of rotation and of closure of the tong unit, said supporting block which is rotated about its pin on the extremity of the arm with a movement in the opposite direction but having the same amplitude as the movement of the fore-arm about the elbow pin at the other extremity of said arm being so arranged as to ensure continuous balancing of the arm, fore-arm and tong unit about the shoulder pin.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
280 words
A manipulator with drive motors comprising an arm pivotally mounted on a shoulder pin and provided at one end with a yoke for the pivotal attachment to an elbow pin parallel to said shoulder pin of a fore-arm which is capable of carrying out independently of its movement about the elbow pin a moveMent in azimuth corresponding to a rotation of said fore-arm about its own axis and a tong unit pivoted at the extremity of the fore-arm on a wrist pin located in a plane which is parallel to the elbow pin, said tong unit being capable of carrying out independently of its movement of elevation about its wrist pin a movement of rotation about its own axis and a movement of closure of its jaws, wherein said manipulator comprises a supporting block for drive motors and reduction-gear units, said block being pivoted about a pin in parallel relation to the shoulder-pin axis at that extremity of the arm which is remote from the elbow pin so as to produce by means of transmission elements such as cables guided by pulleys mounted on the pivot-pins of the shoulder, elbow and wrist the movements of rotation of the fore-arm about its own axis and the movements of elevation, of rotation and of closure of the tong unit, said supporting block which is rotated about its pin on the extremity of the arm with a movement in the opposite direction but having the same amplitude as the movement of the fore-arm about the elbow pin at the other extremity of said arm being so arranged as to ensure continuous balancing of the arm, fore-arm and tong unit about the shoulder pin.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
56 words
A manipulator according to claim 1, wherein the movement of the arm about the shoulder pin is effected by a motor which is carried by the arm and the output shaft of which comprises a pinion disposed in meshing engagement with a ring-gear which is rigidly fixed to the body and coaxial with said shoulder pin.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
103 words
A manipulator according to claim 1, wherein the movement of the fore-arm about the elbow pin and the parallel movement of the supporting block in the opposite direction and having the same amplitude are carried out by another motor which causes the rotation about the shoulder pin of at least one drive pulley on which is fixed a cable or chain passed over a pulley having the same diameter attached to the fore-arm at the elbow-pin axis and over another pulley also having the same diameter and attached to the supporting block at the axis of articulation of said block on the arm.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
44 words
A manipulator according to claim 3, wherein the drive pulley is separated into two parallel pulleys for driving two cables which pass in one case over the pulley of the elbow pin and in the other case over the pulley of the supporting-block pin.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
50 words
A manipulator according to claim 1, wherein the transmission elements of the type consisting of cables which are driven by the motors carried by the supporting block are associated with stress detectors mounted on an extension of the arm and adapted to check the torques transmitted during the different movements.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
44 words
A manipulator according to claim 5, wherein the stress detectors measure in the case of each movement the difference between the forces exerted on two oppositely acting transmission elements which pass over the guide pulleys of the elbow pin and of the supporting-block pin.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
74 words
A manipulator according to claim 1, wherein the shoulder pin is carried by a body mounted so as to be capable of moving about a horizontal axis which is adjacent to the arm and about which is performed the general movement of rotation of the arm, fore-arm and tong unit, the movement of rotation of the body about said horizontal axis being effected by a motor mounted on a column which supports said body.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
56 words
A manipulator according to claim 1, wherein the axis of the shoulder pin is disposed along a diameter of a cylindrical sleeve mounted so as to be capable of rotating about its own axis within a support, the axis of the sleeve being perpendicular to the axis of the shoulder pin and in intersecting relation thereto.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
58 words
A manipulator according to claim 8, wherein the cylindrical sleeve has a guide pulley externally coacting with a driving element such as a cable, said element being passed over a second pulley driven by a reduction-gear motor so as to initiate rotation of the sleeve and the complete manipulator about the axis of said sleeve within the support.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
104 words
A manipulator according to claim 9, wherein the cylindrical sleeve is provided with extensions on which are mounted two additional reduction-gear drive motors, one motor being intended to drive a pinion attached to the arm and having an axis which coincides with the shoulder-pin axis and the other motor being intended to drive a second pinion mounted to rotate freely about the shoulder pin and attached to an idler pulley loosely mounted on said pin, one of said transmission elements being mounted between the idler pulley and a drive pulley fixed on the fore-arm and having an axis which coincides with the elbow-pin axis.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
119 words
A manipulator according to claim 8, wherein the support of the cylindrical sleeve comprises two identical reduction-gear motors having control actions which are synchronized in the same direction or in opposite directions and transmit power separately to two driving pulleys, each driving pulley being associated with a guide pulley in co-axial relation with the sleeve and freely rotatable on said sleeve, then with two return pulleys freely mounted on pins carried by yokes which are fixed on said sleeve, and finally with a driven pulley attached to the arm and having an axis which coincides with the shoulder axis, the two driven pulleys corresponding to the two reduction-gear drive motors being identical and in coaxial and rigidly fixed relation.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
57 words
A manipulator according to claim 8, wherein the support of the cylindrical sleeve is pivoted about an axis on a frame and associated with a position-control device which produces a variation in the orientation of the sleeve axis in a plane at right angles to the axis on which said support is pivotally mounted on said frame.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
43 words
A manipulator according to claim 12, wherein the device for controlling the position of the support is a reduction-gear motor which is fixed on the frame and the output shaft of which drives a worm engaged with a nut carried by the support.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1977-02-04 | 1977-08-06 | 1978-02-05 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1981-02-04 | 1981-08-06 | 1982-02-05 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1985-02-04 | 1985-08-06 | 1986-02-05 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |