In a manipulator, a first drive shaft extends from a first actuator means to a first gear case through one of two parallel cylinders of a manipulator arm and is coupled to a second gear case rockably supported by the first gear case via a pair of bevel gears for causing a working head or "hand" of the manipulator arm to undergo a bending or wrist-flexing motion. A second drive shaft extends through the other cylinder from a second actuator means to the first gear case and is coupled to a power cylinder rotatably supported in the second gear case via pairs of bevel gears for causing the aforesaid working head to undergo a swivelling motion. There is further provided a third gear case in which are housed a train of gears for imparting the rotation of the first drive shaft to the entire unit of the second actuator means with which is locked the second drive shaft during operation of the first actuator means only.
An article grasping finger on a hand-like element disconnects from an operative position to an inoperative position still on the hand under excessive force applied to the finger. A device detects such demi-detachment and provides a signal indication of the condition. In its operative position, the finger is held against movement relative to the hand for article grasping movement therewith.
An automated device comprising an arm, a wrist which is rotatably held by the arm at predetermined angles and a hand which is rotatably held by the wrist, wherein the wrist includes an apparatus for varying the angle of the axis of the wrist with respect to the axis of the arm, and the varying apparatus has a device for adjusting the angle. In the above device, the wrist may be bent in all directions.
A robot arm includes an outer casing and three rotating members of different diameters coaxially disposed in the outer casing for relative rotation and rockably supporting the proximal end portions of three fingers. These fingers are rocked against the rotating members in a plane including a central axis of the outer casing and rotated to change the relative angles between the fingers by selectively rotating the members around the central axis of the outer casing to prescribed positions.
The wrist is built up of two wrist halves, between which the tilt with the turning disc is journalled. Each wrist half comprises an intermediate gearing with conical gear wheels and is built together with a drive motor. The two wrist halves are identical, and each half constitutes an individual trimmable drive unit for turning the tilt and the turning disc, respectively.
A robotic manipulator includes a main upright frame on which two extensible arms are journalled. One of the arms consists of a pair of laterally spaced lead screws connected together at their front and rear ends and the other consists of a lead screw or sprocket-engaged chain connected to the front connected ends of the two lead screws. The motors for extending and retracting the arms are mounted on the main frame. A tool at the forward connected ends of the arms are controlled by parallelogram linkages which are also powered by motors mounted on the main frame.
