초록 ▼

A device for interchanging tools on a mechanical manipulator arm includes a male locking cone unit, a female receptacle cone unit and a motor unit. The male locking cone unit has 3, 6 or 12 equal size balls captured in a male conical cage to extend through its external surface. The female receptacle

A device for interchanging tools on a mechanical manipulator arm includes a male locking cone unit, a female receptacle cone unit and a motor unit. The male locking cone unit has 3, 6 or 12 equal size balls captured in a male conical cage to extend through its external surface. The female receptacle cone unit that carries a tool includes a dished member having an internal conical surface mating with the external surface of the locking cone, a groove in the conical surface contoured to embrace portions of the balls positioned therein and lands in the groove dividing it into 8 sections of substantially equal length. The lands prevent the balls when in the groove from moving from one of the sections to another. The motor unit, which axially connects via a power take off system with the tool to operate it, is mounted on the female receptacle cone unit.

대표청구항 ▼

A device for interchanging tools on a mechanical manipulator arm which comprises: a male locking cone unit, a female receptacle cone unit and a motor unit, said male locking cone unit comprising: a plurality of equal size balls captured in a male truncated conical cage within holes equidistantally s

A device for interchanging tools on a mechanical manipulator arm which comprises: a male locking cone unit, a female receptacle cone unit and a motor unit, said male locking cone unit comprising: a plurality of equal size balls captured in a male truncated conical cage within holes equidistantally spaced around and through its external surface in a common plane normal to the longitudinal axis of said cage, said holes having portions of said balls extending through them beyond the outer surface of said cage, and cam means to alternately force said balls into a fully extended position in said holes and relax said balls into a retracted position in said holes, said female receptacle cone unit comprising: a dished member having an internal conical surface mating with said external surface of said locking cone, a groove in said conical surface contoured to embrace said portions of said balls positioned in a plane normal to the longitudinal axis of said dished member, lands in said groove dividing it into eight sections of substantially equal length, said lands preventing said balls when in said groove from moving from one of said sections to another, and a tool fixed thereto, said motor unit comprising: means to axially connect with said tool to operate it, and means mounting said motor unit to said male receptacle cone unit.