Compliant rotary powered tool
First Claim
1. A compliant rotary tool comprising:
- an elongated arm assembly having a forward end and a rearward end;
a driveshaft journaled in the rearward end of said arm assembly so that said arm assembly can pivot around said driveshaft, said driveshaft having a longitudinally extending axis;
a driven shaft journaled in the forward end of said arm assembly, said driven shaft having a longitudinally extending axis;
first drive means rigidly mounted on said driveshaft having a radius R1 as measured from said longitudinal axis of said driveshaft, second drive means rigidly mounted on said driven shaft having a radius R2 as measured from the longitudinal axis of said driven shaft, R1 being greater than R2 thereby creating an angle of pull;
closed loop means passing around the radius R1 of said first drive means and around the radius R2 of the second drive means for transmitting the rotational motion of said driveshaft to said driven shaft;
a frame member which is journaled on said driveshaft;
a motor for rotating said driveshaft and it is affixed to said frame member; and
means for producing a drag on said driven shaft. drag.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A compliant rotary powered tool that has been designed with the ability to be gripped by a mechanical arm yet which allows the power tool to be operated against a three dimensional surface as effectively as if operated in the hands of a human operator. To allow accurate and sensitive control of the tool without requiring a mechanical arm beyond the capabilities of the present state of the art, a degree of compliance is designed into the tool itself. The structure which produces the compliant nature of the tool allows the tool itself to maintain an appropriate predetermined contact force between the tool and the work surface regardless of imprecise control of the mechanical arm. The structure which produces this compliance also compensates for lack of touch and feel in the mechanical arm and allows the tool to follow a three dimensional shape while maintaining a constant pressure of the operating surface of the tool against the work surface.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. A compliant rotary tool comprising:
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an elongated arm assembly having a forward end and a rearward end; a driveshaft journaled in the rearward end of said arm assembly so that said arm assembly can pivot around said driveshaft, said driveshaft having a longitudinally extending axis; a driven shaft journaled in the forward end of said arm assembly, said driven shaft having a longitudinally extending axis; first drive means rigidly mounted on said driveshaft having a radius R1 as measured from said longitudinal axis of said driveshaft, second drive means rigidly mounted on said driven shaft having a radius R2 as measured from the longitudinal axis of said driven shaft, R1 being greater than R2 thereby creating an angle of pull; closed loop means passing around the radius R1 of said first drive means and around the radius R2 of the second drive means for transmitting the rotational motion of said driveshaft to said driven shaft; a frame member which is journaled on said driveshaft; a motor for rotating said driveshaft and it is affixed to said frame member; and means for producing a drag on said driven shaft. drag. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A compliant rotary powered tool comprising:
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an elongated arm assembly having a forward end and a rearward end; a driveshaft journaled in the rearward end of said arm assembly so that said arm assembly can pivot around said driveshaft; a driven shaft journaled in the forward end of said arm assembly; means for transmitting power from said driveshaft to said driven shaft; a motor for rotating said driveshaft, said motor having a shaft that is coaxially affixed to said driveshaft, said motor having a frame member that is affixed to said arm assembly; said frame member being journaled on said drive shaft; and means for producing a resultant moment which moves the forward end of said arm assembly either up or down. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A compliant rotary tool comprising:
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an elongated arm assembly having a forward end and a rearward end; a driveshaft journaled in the rearward end of said arm assembly so that said arm assembly can pivot around said driveshaft, said driveshaft having a longitudinally extending axis; a driven shaft journaled in the forward end of said arm assembly, said driven shaft having a longitudinally extending axis; first drive means rigidly mounted on said driveshaft having a radius R1 as measured from said longitudinal axis of said driveshaft, second drive means rigidly mounted on said driven shaft having a radius R2 as measured from the longitudinal axis of said driven shaft; closed loop means passing around the radius R1 of said first drive means and around the radius R2 of the second drive means for transmitting the rotational motion of said drive shaft to said driven shaft; a frame member which is journaled on said driveshaft; a motor for rotating said driveshaft and it is affixed to said frame member; and means for producing a drag on said driven shaft.
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Specification