Self reproducing fundamental fabricating machines (F-Units)

• US 5,659,477 A
• Filed: 12/28/1994
• Issued: 08/19/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Charles Michael Collins
• Original Assignee: Charles Michael Collins
• Inventors: Collins, Charles Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): RUGGIERO, JOSEPH F
• Application Number:
  US08/364,926
• Time in Patent Office: 965 Days
• Field of Search: 364/468, 364/478, 364/512, 364/474.24, 364/401, 364/402, 364/403, 395/921, 395/923, 395/919, 395/901, 395/80, 395/82, 395/83, 395/84, 395/13
• US Class Current: 700/95
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1617 Cellular, reconfigurable manipulator, e.g. cebot
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40261 Self reproducing, replicating fabrication machine, tools, structure, info for this
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass

Abstract

A system of units for constructing or replicating a structure (10,10,10 . . . ) including diverse materials consisting of a plurality of pieces (20, 22, 23, 156-165) having at least one indicia (18) thereon for detection thereof, at least one adjoining structure functioning according to instructions of a computer program of a processor for adjoining in any predetermined relation with other of the plurality of the pieces (20, 22, 23, 156-165), and the processor (30, 120, 166, 167) having the computer program instructions being responsive to detection of the at least one indicia to provide for arranging the other of the plurality of the pieces in the predetermined relation for controlling the fabrication system in assembling a given number of the plurality of the pieces in the predetermined relation to comprise a produced fabrication structure (10,10,10 . . . ) are selected from a group consisting of a puzzle piece system, a construction system, a hot knife system, a holed piece system.

Claims

1. A fundamental fabricating machine system, comprising:

an upper base portion including selectively energizable first and second conductive devices, the first conductive device located in a forward area of the fundamental fabricating machine system, and the second conductive device located in a rearward area of the fundamental fabricating machine system;

a lower base portion including selectively energizable third and fourth conductive devices, the third conductive device located in the forward area of the fundamental fabricating machine system, and the fourth conductive device located in the rearward area of the fundamental fabricating machine system;

a fulcrum connector connecting the upper and lower base portions in the forward area of the fundamental fabricating machine system;

a rear anchor connector connecting the upper and lower base portions in the rearward area of the fundamental fabricating machine system, the fulcrum and rear anchor connectors forming an aperture in combination with the upper and lower base portions;

a conductive rod having first and second travel legs, the conductive rod being positioned substantially in the aperture formed between the fulcrum and rear anchor connectors and the upper and lower base portions; and

a power supply, operatively and selectively connected to the first, second, third and fourth conductive devices,

wherein selective energization of the first, second, third and fourth conductive devices magnetically attracts and drives the conductive rod to propel the fundamental fabricating machine system.

2. A fundamental fabricating machine system, comprising:

an upper base portion including selectively energizable first and second pairs of conductive devices, the first pair of conductive devices located in a forward area of the fundamental fabricating machine system, and the second pair of conductive devices located in a rearward area of the fundamental fabricating machine system;

a lower base portion including selectively energizable third and fourth pairs of conductive devices, the third pair of conductive devices located in the forward area of the fundamental fabricating machine system, and the fourth pair of conductive devices located in the rearward area of the fundamental fabricating machine system;

a fulcrum connector connecting the upper and lower base portions in the forward area of the fundamental fabricating machine system;

a rear anchor connector connecting the upper and lower base portions in the rearward area of the fundamental fabricating machine system, the fulcrum and rear anchor connectors forming an aperture in combination with the upper and lower base portions;

a conductive rod having first and second travel legs, the conductive rod being positioned substantially in the aperture formed between the fulcrum and rear anchor connectors and the upper and lower base portions; and

a power supply, operatively and selectively connected to the first, second, third and fourth pairs of conductive devices,

wherein selective energization of the first, second, third and fourth pairs of conductive devices magnetically attracts and drives the conductive rod in the forward, backward, upper, lower, right and left directions to propel the fundamental fabricating machine system.

3. A fundamental fabricating machine system, comprising:

an upper base portion including selectively energizable first and second conductive devices, the first conductive device located in a forward area of the fundamental fabricating machine system, and the second conductive device located in a rearward area of the fundamental fabricating machine system;

a lower base portion;

a fulcrum connector connecting the upper and lower base portions in the forward area of the fundamental fabricating machine system;

a rear anchor connector connecting the upper and lower base portions in the rearward area of the fundamental fabricating machine system, the fulcrum and rear anchor connectors forming an aperture in combination with the upper and lower base portions;

a conductive rod having first and second travel legs, the conductive rod being positioned substantially in the aperture formed between the fulcrum and rear anchor connectors and the upper and lower base portions; and

a power supply, operatively and selectively connected to the first and second conductive devices,

wherein selective energization of the first and second conductive devices magnetically attracts and drives the conductive rod in the forward, backward, upper, lower directions to propel the fundamental fabricating machine system.

4. A fundamental fabrication machine system according to claim 3, further comprising a tooling means for assembling a plurality of puzzle pieces, the plurality of puzzle pieces each having at least one corner aperture and a centrally disposed clearance hole also centrally disposed adjacent to a clip-receiving slot.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the number of the corner apertures is four.

6. The system of claim 4 wherein the fundamental fabrication machine system fabricates fundamental units using diverse materials, and wherein the diverse materials are at least materials that are selected from a group of materials that are electrically insulative, electrically conductive, and magnetically attractive.

7. The system of claim 4, further comprising at least one clip for adjoining together at least one pair of the plurality of puzzle pieces in stacked or planar relation so distal ends of the clip are received in a clip-receiving slot of adjacently abutting puzzle pieces.

8. The system of claim 4, further comprising data track reading means for reading a data track which contains data that is used to control the tooling means by having the data track reading means being made to traverse the data track as it receives cyclical pulses from a switch means, and as the data track reading means traverses the data track a linear commutator traverses across conductive puzzle pieces in the data track closing an electrical circuit that in real time controls the tooling means.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the tooling means is selected from a group of tweezer means, dabber means, hot knife cutting means, holed puzzled piece laser cutting replicating means.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the tooling means includes having the function of selecting from the group of methods of:

1, fabricate, 2, manipulate or control of matter, energy or instructions and information pertaining to activities located in the data track.

11. The system of claim 8 wherein the tooling means is constructed having physical indicia that represent the data stored in the data track, and wherein the switch means producing cyclical driving pulses to drive the data track reading means.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the switch means comprises a set of four pairs of electrical contacts each being sequentially closed to produce the pulses cyclically driving the data track reading means.

13. The system of claim 8 wherein the switch means comprises a pendulum switch having plurality of a set of pairs of electrical contacts each being sequentially closed to produce the pulses cyclically driving the data track reading means, the system and a complex array of electrical circuits.

14. The system of claim 12 or 13 wherein the switch means is constructed of puzzle pieces.

15. The system of claim 8 wherein a linked sheet of data tracks are readable and connected by commutators that are randomly accessible and which are updatable and capable of being modulized.

16. The system of claim 8 wherein the tooling means comprises a plurality of the tooling means linked by conductors byway of commutators on each of the tooling means engaging the conductors enabling independent mobility of the tooling means.

17. The system of claim 8 wherein the system is disposed upon a distinct and diverse tooling means and has independent mobility.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the tooling means and the distinct and diverse tooling means operate in a branch relation hierarchy.

19. The system of claim 8 wherein the system is directed to locate, acquire and utilize material to build a structure.

20. The system of claim 8 wherein the tooling means have feet for contractibly holding onto the plurality of puzzle pieces during mobile phases of the tooling means.

21. The system of claim 8 wherein the tooling means further comprises a feet support assembly with feet for contractibly holding itself onto the apertures formed in a wall or ceiling composed of the plurality of puzzle pieces so the tooling means progressively is manipulated across the puzzle pieces to attach itself to surfaces.

22. The system of claim 8 wherein the tooling means includes a hot cutting knife tip means to perform a severance operation upon plastic materials including meltable materials and including constructing printed circuits.

23. The system of claim 8 wherein the tooling means includes a paint dabber means for applying a paintable material upon a given surface and including making printed circuits.

24. The system of claim 8 wherein the tooling means includes holed pieces forming sheets and including making printed circuits.

25. The system of claim 19 wherein the system changes the color of a body of material by utilizing colored puzzle pieces, and the system changes the structure and the color of the body of material by changing the location of the puzzle pieces.

26. The system of claim 8 wherein a plurality of the tooling means include a level means and wherein the system is selected from a group of F-Units including a Strip F-Unit, a Passoff F-Unit and a Spider F-Unit having a carry ramp means.

27. The system of claim 7 wherein the travel legs include feet, and wherein the feet are constructed as cups fitting over the at least one clip for gaining firm traction thereto.

28. The system of claim 8 wherein the system communicates using flux communication or short wave transmissions.

29. The system of claim 8 wherein the system is used for detecting hardness of materials.

30. The machine of claim 8 wherein said plurality of puzzle pieces are geometrically shaped and form a block with a hollow space and lock with adjacent puzzle pieces in all three axes, and the hollow space being filled with substances that are releasable when the block is energized.

31. The system of claim 8 wherein the travel legs include feet, and wherein said plurality of puzzle pieces when assembled, form apertures disposed between adjacent puzzle pieces for reception of the feet for retention of the tooling means onto the assembled puzzle pieces.

32. The system of claim 8 wherein said tooling means includes means of detecting and determining characteristics of an environment in a form of off and on pulses and depositing the pulse information into the data tracks in the form of conductive and nonconductive puzzle piece sequences used as indexes.

33. The system of claim 8 wherein the system makes a printed circuit that is three dimensional.

35. The system of claim 8 wherein the plurality of puzzle pieces are joined using adhesive action, and the adhesive action between adjacent puzzle pieces is accomplished by application of energy.

36. The system of claim 8 wherein the system fabricates an art work.

37. The system of claim 8 wherein the system moves and lays the data tracks for communication purposes.

38. The system according to claim 3, further comprising at least one manipulating element for manipulating units of material to fabricate structure, wherein at least two of the units of material are connected by a clip.

39. The system according to claim 38, wherein at least one unit of material comprises a piece of material having four corner apertures.

40. The system according to claim 38, wherein the material is selected from a group of materials that are electrically insulative, and electrically conductive.

41. The system according to claim 38, wherein the material is selected from a group of materials that are electrically insulative, electrically conductive, and magnetically attractive.

42. The system according to claim 38, further comprising at least one moving element for moving the at least one manipulating element.

43. The system according to claim 42, further comprising at least one directing unit communicatively connected to the at least one manipulating unit and the at least one moving element for directing the at least one manipulating unit and the at least one moving element to generate a referencable area by connecting units of material to form one or more layers of materials.

44. The system according to claim 38, further comprising a rechargeable electric source for selectively powering components of the system.

45. The system according to claim 43, wherein the at least one directing unit is communicatively connected to the at least one manipulating unit and the at least one moving element via wireless communication.

46. The system according to claim 43, wherein the at least one directing unit comprises:

at least one data track reading element for reading a stationary data track; and

at least one driving element for driving the at least one manipulating element and the at least one data track reading element along the stationary data track.

47. The system according to claim 45, wherein the at least one directing unit further comprises:

at least one switch for driving the directing unit.

48. The system according to claim 45, wherein the at least one directing unit further comprises:

at least one switch for providing timing signals.

49. The system according to claim 45, wherein the at least one directing unit further is comprised of units of material.

50. The system according to claim 38, further comprising:

at least one detector for detecting a type of material.

51. The system according to claim 38, wherein the at least one manipulating element comprises at least one obtaining element for obtaining material and releasing the material.

52. The system according to claim 38, wherein the at least one manipulating element comprises at least one knife.

53. The system according to claim 38, wherein the at least one manipulating element comprises at least one dabber.

54. The system according to claim 38, wherein the at least one manipulating element comprises at least one tweezers.

55. The system according to claim 38, wherein the at least one manipulating element comprises at least one electrical element for providing a form of electrical energy to a building material.

56. The system according to claim 52, further comprising a detecting element for detecting a type of material by detecting the electrical energy passed through the material.

57. The system according to claim 55, wherein the providing of electrical energy to the building material alters the material.

58. The system according to claim 38, wherein the at least one manipulating element comprises at least one magnetic element for providing magnetic energy in the area of a building material.

59. The system according to claim 42, wherein the at least one moving element comprises feet which electromechanically step the at least one moving element from one location to another.

60. The system according to claim 59, wherein the feet which electromechanically step the at least one moving element from one location to another are feet which step into structure created by layered units of a building material.

61. The system according to claim 38, further including at least one vibrating element for vibrating the at least one manipulating element.

62. The system according to claim 43, wherein the at least one directing unit is communicatively connected to the at least one manipulating element and the at least one moving element to destruct the structure.

63. The system according to claim 38, wherein the material comprises at least one piece having indicia.

64. The system according to claim 38, wherein the material comprises at least one piece having at least one corner aperture.

65. The system according to claim 38, wherein the material comprises at least one piece having at least one clearance hole.

66. The system according to claim 38, wherein the material comprises at least one piece filled with a material to be selectively released.

67. The system according to claim 38, wherein the material comprises pieces of material on a sheet-like surface.

68. The system according to claim 43, wherein the at least one directing unit is communicatively connected to the at least one manipulating unit and the at least one moving element via data paths created by the connecting of units of material to form one or more layers of materials.

69. The system according to claim 42, wherein the at least one manipulating unit and the at least one moving element are powered via conductive paths created by the connecting of units of material to form one or more layers of materials.

70. The system according to claim 38, further comprising a capturing element for receiving information from the environment for storage.

71. The system according to claim 42, wherein the at least one moving element comprises feet that grasp.

72. The system according to claim 43, wherein the at least one directing unit directs the at least one manipulating unit and the at least one moving element to modify the fabricated structure.

73. The system according to claim 38, wherein the units of material are geometrically shaped elements that lock with an adjacent geometrically shaped element in all three axes.

34. A fundamental fabricating machine system, comprising:

an upper base portion including selectivity energizable first and second conductive devices, the first conductive device located in a forward area of the fundamental fabricating machine system, and the second conductive device located in a rearward area of the fundamental fabricating machine system;

a lower base portion;

a fulcrum connector connecting the upper and lower base portions in the forward area of the fundamental fabricating machine system;

a rear anchor connector connecting the upper and lower base portions in the rearward area of the fundamental fabricating machine system, the fulcrum and rear anchor connectors forming an aperture in combination with the upper and lower base portions;

a conductive rod having first and second travel legs, the conductive rod being positioned substantially in the aperture formed between the fulcrum and rear anchor connectors and the upper and lower base portions; and

a power supply, operatively and selectively connected to the first and second conductive devices,

wherein propulsion of the system by electrostatic force drives the conductive rod in the forward, backward, upper, lower directions to propel the fundamental fabricating machine system.