Bricklaying equipment includes a guideway extending along brick masonry being erected. A bricklaying machine displaces along the guideway. It has a robotic arm with an upper arm and a forearm. The upper arm pivots about a shoulder joint, and the forearm pivots relative to the upper arm at an elbow joint. A wrist joint permits a tool assembly, including a mortar-dispensing mechanism and a brick-gripping mechanism, to pivot relative to the forearm. The mortar-dispensing mechanism includes a form that receives and shapes a mortar charge, and a sliding gate mechanism that discharges the shaped charge. The arm is operated with a single motor that pivots the upper arm. Linkage constrains the tool assembly to move along a horizontal axis as the upper arm pivots and to remain in a fixed angular orientation relative to vertical. The arm is operated in response to sensors that detect vertical and horizontal distances to a mason's line. Brick and mortar carriers are also mounted to the guideway, and travel between loading areas and brick-and mortar-transferring positions relative to the bricklaying machine.
The entire unit containing components bolted together is designed to hold bricks, blocks, and a horizontal mobile mortar tray, all easily accessible and within reach so that a mason can place the unit where it is needed. This unit can be used in three ways; to lift one block at a time, to lift three blocks at a time, and to use just the mobile mortar tray. To lift one block or three blocks, a hydraulic system is used. Also, to make mortaring easier, a mortaring guide placed on a block will enable mortar to be placed the length of the block with a minimal amount of spillage. A level line with printed joint spacing, when stretched to the correct length, can readily and simply make the joints faster and eliminate chance of variation error.
The entire second apparatus containing components bolted together is designed to hold motors that are made to run simultaneously or independently, and has a hydraulic system to lay a bed of mortar on a wall to be built and also has the means to keep from clogging the hose, container and cover by installing throw-away plastic liners. The apparatus has the ability to travel on the existing rail system, and for a mortar tray to be raised to a desired height that a mason is comfortable with. It also has special frames when installed for a low scaffold is in place on an existing scaffold it will obtain the desire height and eliminate much of the outriggers that are now installed. Also a low dolly for placement on a rail system can dispense material where needed, also the apparatus has the ability to place bricks or blocks on a bedded wall, thus eliminating many back strains. This additional method too, is mortaring made easier.
For producing wall panels (8) from bricks (1), a line-up path (4) on which bricks to be masoned are deposited in a row with a gripper, a transfer device (10) for transporting the brick row from the line-up path (4) to a bricklaying station (7) for masoning the wall panel, and a device for moving apart the bricks to form vertical joints (9) between the bricks (1) of the wall panel (8) are provided. The gripper depositing the bricks (1) on the line-up path (4) is formed by a depiling gripper (3) that depiles the bricks (1) of a pile (2) in rows with its two longitudinal grippers (13, 14). The device for moving apart the bricks (1) is formed by transverse grippers (21, 21a) disposed on the depiling gripper (3) between the longitudinal grippers (13, 14), said transverse grippers (21, 21a) individually holding the bricks (1) of the brick row depiled with the longitudinal grippers (13, 14) and being formed to be movable in the longitudinal direction of the depiling gripper (3).
A controlled relative motion system comprising a base support, a manipulable support, a group of link end constrainers each having a first portion movably connected to a second portion thereof so that ends of the first and second portions can be selectively separated from one another in a selected direction so as to have a selected distance therebetween, and two groups of pivoting links. With at least four link end constrainers in the group thereof, the first group of pivoting links has corresponding links each rotatably coupled to force imparting means or to the base support so as to be rotatable about a corresponding base link axis where each of said base link axes extend into regions between adjacent ones of said first group of pivoting links into which regions said base link axes of said adjacent ones also extend, and each coupled to a first portion end of a corresponding one of the group of link end constrainers. The second group of pivoting links each rotatably coupled to the manipulable support and a corresponding one of the group of link end constrainers second end. Four or more or less numbers of link end constrainers in the group thereof are useable in the form of straps or interconnected "eye" bolts with corresponding number of pivoting links in the two groups.
A controlled relative motion system comprising a base support, a pivot holder and a plurality of pivoting links with the pivoting links rotatably coupled to both the base support and to members of the pivot holder to rotate about axes which extend in different directions for each of these rotatable couplings in a link, typically in accord with specific geometrical arrangements, and in different directions from similar axes in another of such links. The foregoing various rotatable couplings are provided by insertable bearings or bushings in the supports and links. The pivoting links have larger portions thereof outside of the interior of the manipulator parts of which can extend outside in different directions. Such systems can incorporate a variety of force imparting members to control movements of various ones of the pivoting links or pivot holder members.
