Patent GB-1455782-A (GB)
Title: Manipulator
IPC: B25J17/02
Filed: 1974-01-07
Abstract: 1455782 Manipulators FISCHER-BRODBECK GmbH PRAZISIONSTEILE-FABRIK 7 Jan 1974 [12 Jan 1973] 00711/74 Heading B8H A manipulator comprises a supporting base structure 1 and a work holding device in the form of a hand 11 connected with the structure 1 via a series of units Ia, Ib, Ic, IIa, IIb, IIc, IId, of which the units Ia-Ic each comprise two parts of which one part is movable rectilinearly relative to the other part, and the units IIa-IId also each comprise two parts, one of which is rotatable relative to the other part. Fig. 1 shows an exploded perspective view of the manipulator, but in fact all the units are interconnected (as shown by the dashed lines ) by releasable securing means. The unit Ia, which is identical to the units Ib and Ic, comprises end flanges 6 by means of which it is releasably secured to respective brackets 2 of the base structure 1, an attaching member 3 having planar seating surfaces 4 provided with bores 5 to permit a connection to a corresponding surface 4 of the unit Ib to be made by means of screws which form the releasable securing means referred to above, the attaching member 3 being movable rectilinearly relative to the end flanges 6 by means of the two fluid operated pistons (47, 48) which are each attached to a respective flange 6 and are housed in respective cylinders (45, 46) mounted on the member 3, the pistons (47, 48) being extensible in opposite directions relative to that member, Fig. 6 (not shown). The end flanges 6 are mounted on parallel hollow columns (43, 44) which are movable in respective guide sleeves (41, 42) mounted on the member 3, Fig. 5 (not shown) on adjustable stop member (57) being mounted on the hollow columns (43, 44) to permit adjustment of the amount of relative movement of the member 3 relative to the end flanges 6, a protrusion (58) on the member (57) co-operating with a shock absorbing device (59) on the member (3). The units IIa-c as shown in Fig. 1 each comprise relatively rotatable attaching members 7, 8 which provide planar seating surfaces 9 provided with bores for screws which permit of releasable attachment to another unit, the members 7, 8 being relatively rotatable about an axis at right angles to the said seating surfaces. As shown in Figs. 3 and 4 (not shown), the attaching member (8) of each such unit has a shaft (26) extending therefrom about which a connecting part (29), having a wall (30) which constitutes the attaching member 7, is rotatable, the rotation being effected by means of fluid operated pistons (15, 16) disposed in a fixed casing (14) and which are movable in opposite directions relative to that casing, the pistons (15, 16) being each attached at its outer end to a crosshead (28), a pair of cables (27) being disposed on opposite sides of the casing (14), the cables passing around respective drums (23) which are attached to the part (29) and being attached at their ends to the crossheads (28), so that on simultaneous extension of one of the pistons and the retraction of the other, the drums (23) and thus the wall (30) are caused to rotate about the shaft (26) relative to the attaching member (8). The unit IId has planar surfaces which are attached respectively to the unit IIc and to a planar seating surface of the hand 11, the unit IId differing from the units IIa-c in that the axis of rotation of its two relatively rotatable parts extends parallel to its planar surfaces. All the units described above include motor means (viz. the fluid operated pistons) for causing relative movement between the parts of each unit, but the manipulator could also include units which do not have such motor means. The manipulator can be programmed.