Split-ball type wrist and manipulating assembly for robot

• US 4,499,784 A
• Filed: 11/20/1981
• Issued: 02/19/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/1981
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Company LLC (Brookfield Asset Management Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Company LLC (Brookfield Asset Management Incorporated)
• Inventors: Shum, Lanson Y.
• Primary Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gonet, Michael J.
• Application Number:
  US06/323,640
• Time in Patent Office: 1,187 Days
• Field of Search: 74/749, 414/735, 414/4, 414/5, 403/160, 285/265, 285/184, 285/181, 464/106, 464/110, 901/29, 901/38
• US Class Current: 74/490.06
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 17/0291 having axes crossing at an oblique angle, i.e. other than 90 degrees
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/20335 Wrist

Abstract

A split-ball type wrist and manipulator assembly (FIG. 6) includes a first ball portion 2, a second ball portion 4 rotatable independently and relative to the first ball portion, and end effector 52 rotatably carried by the second ball portion 4, the first ball portion 2 being controlled in its rotation by the hollow outer shaft 38, the second ball portion 4 being controlled in its rotation by rotation of an inner shaft 39 coupled to the second ball portion by the hollow, flexible coupling 45, and the end effector rotation being controlled by the innermost hollow shaft 42 rotation connected to the end effector by the inner flexible coupling 53, and with power line means 58 for controlling tool operation extending totally internally of the wrist and arm to the source of power.

Claims

1. In a split-ball type wrist and manipulator assembly at one end of an arm, the assembly including at least a first ball portion and a second ball portion rotatably carried by the first ball portion, and an end effector carried by said second ball portion, the improvement comprising:

first hollow means fixedly connected to said first ball portion for rotation thereof;

second means disposed interiorly of said first hollow means and including means connecting it to said second ball portion to rotate said second ball portion relative to and independently of rotation of said first ball portion;

physically solid, flexible line means to power said end effector;

said first hollow means and split-ball wrist both defining interior hollow spaces adequate to accommodate both said second means and said connecting means thereof;

said line means extending through said hollow spaces to said end effector so that all of said powering line means are interiorly of said arm and wrist;

said second means comprises a hollow tubular member extending through said first hollow means and having said line means extending in said hollow tubular member; and

said connecting means of said second means includes an inner and an outer ring attached to each other along one diametral axis, the outer ring being attached to said second ball portion to effect rotation thereof in accordance with rotation of said outer ring, and said tubular member includes an end in said wrist and pivotally connected to said inner ring along another diametral axis perpendicular to said one diametral axis so that said rings are in gimballed relation.

2. An assembly according to claim 1 wherein:

said line means extends through said inner ring to said end effector.