Robot and control system

Claim 1

In a robot apparatus of the type comprising means to move a robot arm in a vertical direction, and in a horizontal direction substantially co-axial with said arm, and means to rotate said arm through a plane co-planar with said horizontal direction, the improvement wherein the means to move comprises motor means mounted on a horizontal turntable with winch means for operating horizontal cable means and vertical cable means, respectively, and the means to rotate comprises a turntable-rotating motor; means with winch means for operating said turntable and said vertical cable means comprising a first cable means for moving said robot arm vertically, and first cable means being fastened at each end to an arm-holding bracket adapted to slide on vertical tracks and said first cable means being looped around a winch which is part of said winch means for operating the vertical cable means proximate the bottom of said track and around a pulley proximate the top of said track, and said horizontal cable means comprising a second cable means to move said arm horizontally through said bracket, said second cable means having ends of which are attached to said arm near the ends of said arm on opposite sides of said bracket; and wherein the second cable means runs from one said cable end to a pulley in said bracket downwardly .Iadd.around a winch means and thence upwardly .Iaddend.to a pulley mounted proximate the top of said vertical track, downwardly around a second pulley attached to said bracket and thence to the other of said cable ends.