Patent ID: 9358688
Filing Date: 2016-06-07
CPC Classification: B25J,B32B,E04F,E04G,Y10S

Claim Text:
1. A machine for aligning items in a pattern comprising: a) a robotic assembly having four spaced apart joints, said joints including a base joint, a shoulder joint, an elbow joint and a wrist joint, said base joint being mounted to a stationary object and said wrist joint capable of being spaced farthest away from said stationary object, and each of said joints having 360° of rotational motion; b) an effector having a first surface and an oppositely aligned second surface, said first surface being removable secured to said wrist joint, said effector having a first side, a second side, a third side and a fourth side, and said first side is perpendicularly aligned to said second side; c) a suction cup mounted on said second surface of said effector which is connected to a vacuum source, said suction cup capable to picking up, positioning and releasing a new item relative to a first laid item and a second laid item, said first and second laid items each having an upper surface and each being aligned perpendicular to one another; d) first, second and third edge sensors, at least one of said three edge sensors secured to said first side of said effector and capable of detecting an edge aligned along an X-X axis of said first laid item, and at least one of said three edge sensors secured to said second side of said effector and capable of detecting an edge aligned along a Y-Y axis of said second laid item; e) first, second and third height sensors, at least one of said three height sensors secured to said first side of said effector and capable of detecting the height of said upper surface of said first laid item, and at least one of said three height sensors secured to said second side of said effector and capable of detecting the height of said upper surface of said second laid item; f) a control mechanism for operating said robotic assembly, said vacuum source and said edge and height sensors; and g) a power source for supplying power to said control mechanism.