US5248341A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Robotic carrier mechanism for aircraft maintenance
Assignee: BERRY HENRY K
•
Filing: 1992-09-18
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Granted: 1993-09-28
•
Expires: 2012-09-18
Abstract
Abstract Disclosed is a robotic paint system for aircraft consisting of a robotic wash/rinse gantry, a robotic cart carrying a robotic painting system, and a control system. The paint system includes a robotically controlled wash/rinse gantry movable along the entire extent of the aircraft being maintained. A robotically controlled cart is provided which is carried by a plurality of wheel assemblies on a curved track. A robotically controlled platform is provided for carrying the robotic painting system, and a mechanism is also provided for adjusting the platform up and down as well as towards and away from the platform.
Inventors
- 👤 Henry K. Berry, Jr.
- 👤 Lester L. Knight, Jr.
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-27 04:31
CPC Classifications
B; B05; B05B; B05B13/00; B05B13/005; B05B13/02; B05B13/04; B05B13/0431; B25; B25J; B25J5/00; B25J5/02; B64; B64F; B64F5/00; B64F5/30
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 31
Claim 1
Independent Claim
117 words
An apparatus for performing robotically controlled maintenance on an object wherein control over the position and orientation of a maintenance robot with respect to the object is necessary to replicate such maintenance, the apparatus comprising: a maintenance robot; a mobile cart for supporting said robot; a track, said track including a curved portion; a plurality of wheel assemblies for carrying said cart on said track; each of said wheel assemblies being in contact with said track, each wheel assembly including three wheels and means for mounting said three wheels in a fixed position relative to each other and means for pivoting said three wheels relative to said cart for travel along said curbed portion of said track.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
117 words
An apparatus for performing robotically controlled maintenance on an object wherein control over the position and orientation of a maintenance robot with respect to the object is necessary to replicate such maintenance, the apparatus comprising: a maintenance robot; a mobile cart for supporting said robot; a track, said track including a curved portion; a plurality of wheel assemblies for carrying said cart on said track; each of said wheel assemblies being in contact with said track, each wheel assembly including three wheels and means for mounting said three wheels in a fixed position relative to each other and means for pivoting said three wheels relative to said cart for travel along said curbed portion of said track.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
34 words
An apparatus as in claim 1 wherein a first wheel of each said wheel assembly is mounted at a substantially 90 degree orientation to a second and third wheel of each said wheel assembly.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
21 words
An apparatus as in claim 2 wherein said second and third wheels are mounted for rotation in substantially the same plane.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
36 words
An apparatus as in claim 1 wherein each of said three wheels is mounted between said cart and said track and wherein each of said three wheels bears the weight of said cart on said track.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
36 words
An apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said track is substantially circular in cross-section with a substantially circular peripheral surface and said three wheels each include a concave surface mating with said track circular peripheral surface.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
81 words
An apparatus as in claim 1 wherein a first wheel of each wheel assembly has an axis of rotation in a first plane and a second wheel of each wheel assembly has an axis of rotation in a second plane and a third wheel of each wheel assembly has an axis of rotation in a third plane, and wherein said first and second planes are parallel and said third plane is parallel to and lies between said first and second planes.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
18 words
An apparatus as in claim 6 wherein said third plane lies midway between said first and second planes.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
41 words
AN apparatus as in claim 1 including a first track and a second track and first and second wheel assemblies for carrying said cart on said first track and a third wheel assembly for carrying said cart on said second track.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
64 words
An apparatus as in claim 1 including a lift platform for supporting said robot and means for movably mounting said lift platform on said cart for vertical movement relative to said track; and at least one fluid containing tank supported on said lift platform and means for connecting said tank to said robot, whereby the distance between said tank and said robot is minimized.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
68 words
An apparatus as in claim 1 including a lift platform for supporting said robot and means for movably mounting said lift platform on said cart for vertical movement relative to said track; a robot platform for supporting said robot and means for extending said robot platform along and beyond the end of said lift platform for horizontal extension of said robot beyond the end of said lift platform.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
54 words
An apparatus as in claim 1 including a floor for supporting said track said track being continuous; means for rigidly attaching said track to said floor at at least one predetermined location; means for slideably attaching said track to said floor at a plurality of locations to compensate for thermal expansion of said track.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
129 words
An apparatus for performing robotically controlled maintenance on an object wherein control over the position and orientation of a maintenance robot with respect to the object is necessary to replicate such maintenance, the apparatus comprising: a maintenance robot; a mobile cart for supporting said robot; a track positioned on a floor for supporting said cart; a plurality of wheel assemblies in contact with said track for carrying said cart on said track; a lift platform for supporting said robot and means for movably mounting said lift platform on said cart for vertical movement relative to said track; and at least one fluid containing tank supported on said lift platform and means for connecting said tank to said robot, whereby the distance between said tank and said robot is minimized.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
129 words
An apparatus for performing robotically controlled maintenance on an object wherein control over the position and orientation of a maintenance robot with respect to the object is necessary to replicate such maintenance, the apparatus comprising: a maintenance robot; a mobile cart for supporting said robot; a track positioned on a floor for supporting said cart; a plurality of wheel assemblies in contact with said track for carrying said cart on said track; a lift platform for supporting said robot and means for movably mounting said lift platform on said cart for vertical movement relative to said track; and at least one fluid containing tank supported on said lift platform and means for connecting said tank to said robot, whereby the distance between said tank and said robot is minimized.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
41 words
An apparatus as in claim 12 including a robot platform for supporting said robot and means for extending said robot platform beyond the end of said lift platform for horizontal extension of said robot beyond the end of said lift platform.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
20 words
An apparatus as in claim 12 wherein said means for movably mounting said lift platform includes a ball screw assembly.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
60 words
An apparatus as in claim 12 wherein said track includes a curved portion and wherein each of said wheel assemblies includes three wheels and further including means for mounting said three wheels in a fixed position relative to each other and means for pivoting said three wheels relative to said cart for travel along said curbed portion of said track.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
50 words
An apparatus as in claim 12 including a floor for supporting said track; means for rigidly attaching said track to said floor at at least one predetermined location; means for slideably attaching said track to said floor at a plurality of locations to compensate for thermal expansion of said track.
Claim 19
Independent Claim
108 words
An apparatus for performing robotically controlled maintenance on an object wherein control over the position and orientation of a maintenance robot with respect to the object is necessary to replace such maintenance, the apparatus comprising: a maintenance robot; a mobile cart for supporting said robot; a track positioned on a floor for supporting said track; said track being continuous; a plurality of wheel assemblies for carrying said cart on said track; means for rigidly attaching said track to said floor at at least one predetermined location; mean for slideably attaching said track to said floor at a plurality of locations to compensate for thermal expansion of said track.
Claim 20
Independent Claim
108 words
An apparatus for performing robotically controlled maintenance on an object wherein control over the position and orientation of a maintenance robot with respect to the object is necessary to replace such maintenance, the apparatus comprising: a maintenance robot; a mobile cart for supporting said robot; a track positioned on a floor for supporting said track; said track being continuous; a plurality of wheel assemblies for carrying said cart on said track; means for rigidly attaching said track to said floor at at least one predetermined location; mean for slideably attaching said track to said floor at a plurality of locations to compensate for thermal expansion of said track.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
60 words
An apparatus as in claim 17 wherien said track includes a curved portion and wherein each of said wheel assemblies includes three wheels and further including means for mounting said three wheels in a fixed position relative to each other and means for pivoting said three wheels relative to said cart for travel along said curved portion of said track.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
64 words
An apparatus as in claim 17 including a lift platform for supporting said robot and means for movably mounting said lift platform on said cart for vertical movement relative to said track; and at least one fluid containing tank supported on said lift platform and means for connecting said tank to said robot, whereby the distance between said tank and said robot is minimized.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
69 words
An apparatus as in claim 17 including: a lift platform for supporting said robot and means for movably mounting said lift platform on said cart for vertical movement relative to said track; and a robot platform for supporting said robot and means for extending said robot platform along and beyond the end of said lift platform for horizontal extension of said robot beyond the end of said lift platform.
Claim 24
Independent Claim
134 words
An apparatus for performing robotically controlled maintenance on an object wherein control over the position and orientation of a maintenance robot with respect to the object is necessary to replicate such maintenance, the apparatus comprising: a maintenance robot; a mobile cart for supporting said robot; a track positioned on a floor for supporting said track; a plurality of wheel assemblies in contact with said track for carrying said cart on said track; a lift platform for supporting said robot and means for movably mounting said lift platform on said cart for vertical movement relative to said track; and a robot platform for supporting said robot and means for extending said robot platform along and beyond the end of said lift platform for horizontal extension of said robot beyond the end of said lift platform.
Claim 25
Independent Claim
134 words
An apparatus for performing robotically controlled maintenance on an object wherein control over the position and orientation of a maintenance robot with respect to the object is necessary to replicate such maintenance, the apparatus comprising: a maintenance robot; a mobile cart for supporting said robot; a track positioned on a floor for supporting said track; a plurality of wheel assemblies in contact with said track for carrying said cart on said track; a lift platform for supporting said robot and means for movably mounting said lift platform on said cart for vertical movement relative to said track; and a robot platform for supporting said robot and means for extending said robot platform along and beyond the end of said lift platform for horizontal extension of said robot beyond the end of said lift platform.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
46 words
An apparatus as in claim 21 further including: means for rigidly attaching said track to said floor at at least one predetermined location; and means for slideably attaching said track to said floor at a plurality to flotations to compensate for thermal expansion of said track.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
60 words
An apparatus as in claim 21 wherein said track includes a curved portion and wherein each of said wheel assemblies includes three wheels and further including means for mounting said three wheels in a fixed position relative to each other and means for pivoting said three wheels relative to said cart for travel along said curbed portion of said track.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
39 words
An apparatus as in claim 21 further including at least one fluid containing tank supported on said lift platform and means for connecting said tank to said robot, whereby the distance between said tank and said robot is minimized.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
12 words
The apparatus of claim 21 including, said track having a curved portion.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
44 words
The apparatus of claim 21 including, means for rigidly attaching said track to said floor at at least one predetermined location; and means for slideably attaching said track to said floor at a plurality of locations to compensate for thermal expansion of said track.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
128 words
The apparatus of claim 21 including, means for rigidly attaching said track to said floor at at least one predetermined location; means for slideably attaching said track to said floor at a plurality of locations to compensate for thermal expansion of said track, said track includes a curved portion and wherien each of said wheel assemblies includes three wheels and further including means for mounting said three wheels in a fixed position relative to each other and means for pivoting said three wheels relative to said cart for travel along said curbed portion of said track, and at least one fluid containing tank supported on said lift platform and means for connecting said tank to said robot, whereby the distance between said tank and said robot is minimized.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1996-09-27 | 1997-03-29 | 1997-09-28 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2000-09-27 | 2001-03-29 | 2001-09-28 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2004-09-27 | 2005-03-29 | 2005-09-28 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |