Industrial robot

Claim 1

A programmable robot comprising: a mechanical unit for effecting diverse movements of an object comprising a movable transfer arm mounted for movement in a plurality of different directions, a manipulator device including actuatable gripping means for releasably gripping an object and connected to said transfer arm at one end thereof for movement therewith and mounted for movement in a plurality of different directions independently of the movement of said transfer arm, and electrically controlled fluid actuating means for independently effecting fluid actuation of both said transfer arm and manipulator device in response to electric command signals applied thereto, said electrically-controlled fluid actuating means comprising a first plurality of fluid motors connected to said transfer arm each operative in response to motive fluid supplied thereto and exhausted therefrom to effect reciprocal movement of said transfer arm along a different axis, said first plurality of fluid motors comprising a first reciprocatory fluid motor connected to said transfer arm to effect horizontal reciprocal movement thereof along a horizontal axis and a second reciprocatory fluid motor connected to said transfer arm to effect vertical reciprocal movement thereof along the vertical axis, a second plurality of fluid-motors connected to said manipulator device each operative in response to motive fluid supplied thereto and exhausted therefrom to effect angular oscillatory movement of said manipulatory device about a different axis, said second plurality of fluid motors comprising a first oscillatory fluid motor mounted at said one end of said transfer arm and connected directly to said manipulator device to effect turning oscillatory movement thereof about a horizontal axis and a second oscillatory fluid motor mounted at said one end of said transfer arm and connected directly to said manipulator device to effect swinging oscillatory movement thereof about a vertical axis, and a fluid circuit connected during use of the robot to a source of pneumatic motive fluid and operable to selectively and independently supply and exhaust motive fluid to each of said fluid motors, said fluid circuit including at least one electrically-operated solenoid valve associated with each fluid motor for controlling the application of motive fluid thereto in response to said electric command signals; and a control unit for applying electric command signals to said mechanical unit in accordance with a predetermined program of instructions comprising signal generating means for generating electric control signals in accordance with a predetermined program of instructions to be carried out by said mechanical unit, and an electric circuit having means receptive of said control signals for developing therefrom a series of electric command signals in accordance with said predetermined program of instructions and applying said electric command signals to each solenoid valve to accordingly control the movement of said mechanical unit.