초록 ▼

A telescoping manipulator arm and pivotable finger assembly are disclosed. The telescoping arm assembly (A) includes a generally T-shaped arm (18) having three outwardly extending fingers (18a, 18b, 18c) guided on the grooved roller guides (12, 14, 16) to compensate for environmental variations. The

A telescoping manipulator arm and pivotable finger assembly are disclosed. The telescoping arm assembly (A) includes a generally T-shaped arm (18) having three outwardly extending fingers (18a, 18b, 18c) guided on the grooved roller guides (12, 14, 16) to compensate for environmental variations. The pivotable finger assembly (D) includes four pivoting fingers (50, 66, 70, 74). Arcuate teeth (52, 58, 60, 62) are formed on the ends of the fingers. A rack (54) having teeth on four sides meshes with each one of the fingers. One surface of the rack (54) includes teeth (56) along its entire surface which mesh with teeth (52) of the finger (50). The teeth (56) at the remote end of the rack (54) engage teeth (80) of a gear wheel (81). The wheel (81) includes a worm (82) which meshes with a worm drive shaft of the drive motor (86) providing a ninety degree self-locking drive (E) for locking the fingers in a desired position. A similar drive (C, 40, 42) provides a self-locking drive for positioning the telescoping arm (18).

대표청구항 ▼

1. A mechanical telescoping manipulator arm for grasping and maneuvering an object comprising: (a) a main housing adapted to be fixed to an associated structure; (b) a telescoping arm slidably carried by the housing; (c) a pivoting finger assembly carried on a free end of said telescoping arm w

1. A mechanical telescoping manipulator arm for grasping and maneuvering an object comprising: (a) a main housing adapted to be fixed to an associated structure; (b) a telescoping arm slidably carried by the housing; (c) a pivoting finger assembly carried on a free end of said telescoping arm which includes: (i) an assembly housing, (ii) a plurality of pivot shafts carried by said assembly housing, (iii) a pivoting finger carried on each pivot shaft having gear teeth carried on an arcuate portion thereof, (iv) a rack gear slidably carried by said assembly housing having a plurality of toothed racks with gear teeth formed thereon meshing with the gear teeth of respective ones of said pivoting fingers, (v) a driven shaft carried by said assembly housing, (vi) a drive wheel carried on said driven shaft having a drive gear meshing directly with gear teeth of said toothed racks, (vii) a worm gear carried on said driven shaft, (viii) a drive motor carried by said assembly housing having a worm drive shaft meshing directly with said worm gear, and (ix) said worm drive shaft being carried by said assembly housing perpendicular to said driven shaft and said pivot shafts to provide a ninety-degree self-locking drive limiting movement between said motor drive shaft, said driven shaft, and said rack gear to positively lock and hold said fingers in a pivot position and thereby firmly grip an object held by said fingers; (d) drive means connected to said telescoping arm for reciprocating said arm to and fro relatively to said main housing; and (e) means for mounting said main housing to an associated structure. 2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said pivoting finger assembly includes four pivoting fingers and said rack gear includes four toothed racks having rack teeth formed thereon which mesh with a respective one of said fingers for pivoting said fingers about said pivot shafts, said rack gear having a main set of rack teeth which mesh both with teeth of one of said pivoting fingers and with said drive gear of said drive wheel, whereby said fingers may be pivoted simultaneously and synchronization with each other upon driving of said rack gear by said drive wheel and locked in a desired pivoted position in synchronization with each other. 3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said worm gear and said drive gear are both formed on the same gear wheel. 4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said drive motor for said worm drive shaft is carried by said assembly housing at the free end of said telescoping arm. 5. A mechanical telescoping self-locking manipulator arm comprising: (a) a main housing; (b) a telescoping arm carried by said main housing which reciprocates relative to said housing; (c) track means carried by said housing for slidably mounting said telescoping arm wherein said track means includes support means contacting said telescoping arms at a plurality of contact points spaced about the periphery of said telescoping arm to compensate for environmental variations and resulting frictional changes between said support means and said telescoping arm during telescoping movement of said arm and thereby compensate for changes in environmental conditions during use; (d) a track drive carried on a surface of said telescoping arm; (e) a drive motor carried by said main housing having a motor drive shaft; (f) a second drive shaft driven by said motor drive shaft carried by said housing perpendicular to said motor drive shaft for driving said track drive; and (g) a self-locking ninety-degree drive connecting said motor drive shaft and said second drive shaft so that when said motor is stopped said drive track of said telescoping arm is locked and said telescoping arm is locked in place; said self-locking drive including: (i) a worm carried on said motor drive shaft, (ii) a worm wheel carried on said second drive shaft meshing with said worm, and (iii) a drive gear carried by said second drive shaft spaced from said worm wheel meshing with said track drive. 6. The apparatus of claim 5 comprising: (a) said main housing including an elongated cantilevered housing having an open interior channel; (b) said telescoping arm being slidably carried in said open channel of said cantilevered housing having a plurality of contoured fingers; (c) a plurality of roller track guides carried in said open channel slidably engaging said fingers of said telescoping arm at said spaced peripheral contact points; and (d) said telescoping arm being guided by said roller track guides at said spaced peripheral finger contact points during reciprocating movement. 7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said open channel of said cantilevered housing includes a triangular-shaped channel having well-defined apex portions; (a) said telescoping arm having a generally T-shaped configuration defined by three outwardly extending fingers; (b) a V-shaped groove formed in a circumference of each of said roller track guides; and (c) said fingers of said T-shaped arm having a contoured end portion received in one of said roller track guide grooves by which said telescoping arm is guided during reciprocation. 8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said T-shaped telescoping arm includes a top horizontal surface, said track drive including a rack of gear teeth carried along a portion of the length of said top surface of said telescoping arm by which said arm is reciprocated and locked in place. 9. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said cantilevered housing includes: (a) a triangular housing having three sides, a number of said sides including a removable plate which may be removed therefrom; (b) a pair of recesses formed in each side of said triangular housing and recesses of intersecting sides being opposed and in alignment with each other for receiving a pivot pin; (c) said roller guide tracks being received in the apex portion of the triangular channel within said triangular housing and being carried about a pivot pin received in the opposing recesses between intersecting sides of said triangular housing. 10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said removable plates leave exposed the said recesses for said pivot pins when removed so that said pivot pins may be inserted and removed by removing said removable plates and said roller track guides be removed and replaced accordingly. 11. A mechanical self-locking telescoping manipulator arm for grasping and maneuvering an object comprising: (a) a main housing adapted to be attached to an associated structure; (b) a cantilevered housing included in said main housing extending outwardly therefrom; (c) a telescoping arm slidably carried by said cantilevered housing; (d) a temperature compensating track system carried by said cantilevered housing for guiding said telescoping arm during telescoping movements and provide compensation for temperature changes and resulting frictional changes due to unknown environmental changes in use; (e) said track system including a plurality of roller track guides contacting and guiding said telescoping arm at spaced fingers about its periphery and length; (f) a drive track carried by said reciprocating arm; (g) a self-locking, ninety-degree drive for driving said telescoping arm to and fro in reciprocating telescoping motion which positively locks said reciprocating arm in a longitudinal position wherein said self-locking drive includes: (i) a motor carried by said cantilevered housing having a motor drive shaft, (ii) a second drive shaft driven by said motor drive shaft carried by said housing perpendicular to said motor drive shaft, (iii) a worm carried on said motor drive shaft, (iv) a worm wheel carried on said second drive shaft meshing with said worm, and (v) a drive gear carried by said second drive shaft meshing with said track drive, (h) a pivoting finger assembly carried on a free end of said telescoping arm which includes: (i) a plurality of pivoting fingers carried on pivot shafts, each said finger having an arcuate portion on which gear teeth are formed, (ii) a rack gear having a plurality of rack surfaces with gear teeth formed thereon meshing with individual ones of said pivoting fingers, (iii) a drive shaft carried by said assembly housing, (iv) a gear wheel carried on said driven shaft having a drive gear meshing directly with said gear rack, (v) a worm gear formed on said gear wheel with said drive gear, (vi) a drive motor having a worm drive shaft carried by said assembly housing meshing directly with said worm gear, and (vii) said worm drive shaft being perpendicular to said driven shaft and said pivot shaft of said pivoting fingers to provide a self-locking ninety-degree drive directly limiting movement between said worm drive shaft and said rack gear for locking said fingers in a pivot position and thereby firmly grip an object held therein; (i) means for mounting said cantilevered housing to an associated structure. 12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said pivoting finger assembly includes four pivoting fingers arranged in pairs where the pivoting fingers of each pair oppose one another. 13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said rack gear includes four racks having gear teeth meshing with one each of said four pivoting fingers, one of said racks being a main drive rack which meshes with a pivoting finger and with said drive gear simultaneously such that said pivoting fingers are pivoted in synchronization with one another and are locked in synchronization with one another to firmly grip said object. 14. The apparatus of claim 11 including: (a) said cantilevered housing is triangular shaped and includes a triangular open channel in which said telescoping arm is received; (b) said roller track guides being carried in apex portions of said triangular channel; (c) each of said roller track guides having a V-shaped groove therein; and (d) said reciprocating arm including a T-shaped arm having at least three main fingers wherein each of said fingers includes a contoured end portion received in said V-groove of said roller track guides by which said telescoping arm is guided during operation. 15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein said T-shaped telescoping arm includes a top horizontal surface, said track drive including a rack having gear teeth carried along a portion of the length of said top surface which is engaged by said drive gear. 16. A self-locking finger assembly for grasping an object comprising: (a) an assembly housing; (b) a plurality of pivoting fingers carried on pivot shafts, each said finger having an arcuate portion on which gear teeth are formed; (c) a rack gear having a plurality of rack surfaces with gear teeth formed thereon meshing with individual ones of said pivoting fingers; (d) a driven shaft carried by said assembly housing; (e) a gear wheel carried on said driven shaft having a drive gear meshing directly with said gear rack; (f) said worm gear and drive gear integrally formed on said gear wheel as a unitary construction; (g) a drive motor having a worm drive shaft carried by said assembly housing meshing with said worm gear; (h) said worm drive shaft being perpendicular to said driven shaft and said pivot shaft of said pivoting fingers to provide a self-locking ninety degree drive therebetween for locking said fingers in a pivot position and thereby firmly grip an object held therein. 17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein said pivoting finger assembly includes four pivoting fingers arranged in pairs where the pivoting fingers of each pair oppose one another. 18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein said rack gear includes four racks having gear teeth meshing with one each of said four pivoting fingers, one of said racks being a main drive rack which meshes with a pivoting finger and with said drive gear simultaneously such that said pivoting fingers are pivoted in synchronization with one another and are locked in synchronization with one another to firmly grip said object.