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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7422411 | Gripping mechanisms, apparatus and methods The present invention provides grasping mechanisms, gripper apparatus/systems, and related methods. Grasping mechanisms that include stops, support surfaces, and height adjusting surfaces to determine three translational axis positions of a grasped object are provid... | 09/09/2008 |
| 7210219 | Cir-clip to shaft insertion tool The fastener to shaft insertion tool is disclosed which consists of a shaft holding member, a fastener insertion member, and force transmitting member. The fastener holding member facilitates the holding of the fastener and the application of forces to the fastener ... | 05/01/2007 |
| 6932557 | Gripping mechanisms, apparatus, and methods The present invention provides grasping mechanisms, gripper apparatus/systems, and related methods. Grasping mechanisms that include stops, support surfaces, and height adjusting surfaces to determine three translational axis positions of a grasped object are provid... | 08/23/2005 |
| 6841964 | Parallel link manipulator and its control device Then an end effecter is used to operate a heavy object, a large bending moment may act on arms of a manipulator to bend them. Consequently, an operating section cannot precisely control positions. Thus, according to the present invention, three arms 14 are at... | 01/11/2005 |
| 6786692 | Method and apparatus for automatic pick up of hosiery articles from a container A method and apparatus for automatically picking up hosiery articles (20) from a container (7), e.g., socks, knee socks, and the like in which an actuator (4) comprised of a support (5), to which a grasping device (6) is suspended,... | 09/07/2004 |
| 6592324 | Gripper mechanism A gripper apparatus for grasping an object such as a specimen holder. The gripper apparatus comprises two arms. In one embodiment the arms are pivotable, and in a second embodiment, each arm includes a pivotable member. The arms are moveably coupled to ea... | 07/15/2003 |
| 6545465 | Gripper with coiled sensor wire A proximity sensing assembly for sensing the proximity of a metallic workpiece to a work holding device includes Hall-effect sensor. The magnetic field generated by the magnet is altered when a metallic workpiece is in close proximity to a magnet. Due to ... | 04/08/2003 |
| 6522942 | Transfer apparatus for semiconductor process A semiconductor processing system includes a transfer apparatus for transferring a wafer. The transfer apparatus has a pick arm member with wings. The reference distances between the wafer located at the normal position and the wings are stored in a memor... | 02/18/2003 |
| 6474711 | Mechanical grapple for manipulating objects The invention provides a grapple device and a method for manipulating, i.e., grabbing, holding and releasing objects. The grapple comprises two parallel rollers with gripping surfaces, where the rollers are pushed towards each other with sufficient force ... | 11/05/2002 |
| 6456901 | Hybrid robot motion task level control system A hybrid control system is provided for controlling the movement of a robot. The hybrid control system includes a singularity detector; a task level controller that receives a motion plan and determines a first set of control commands which are defined in... | 09/24/2002 |
| 6441610 | Robotic gripper having proximity sensor with off-set sensor A proximity sensing assembly for sensing the proximity of a metallic workpiece to a work holding device includes Hall-effect sensor. The magnetic field generated by the magnet is altered when a metallic workpiece is in close proximity to a magnet. Due to ... | 08/27/2002 |
| 6295484 | Robot control method and device When a multiaxial robot with a mechanism having spring elements between electric motors of respective axes and robot arms is controlled, the path precision of a tool tip is increased without causing vibrations produced by mechanical interference between a... | 09/25/2001 |
| 6032083 | Substrate transfer apparatus and heat treatment system using the same A substrate transfer apparatus (20) transfers a substrate between a first substrate support member (21) for supporting a plurality of substrates and a second substrate support member (15). This apparatus (20) includes a transfer apparatus main body (60) m... | 02/29/2000 |
| 5988971 | Wafer transfer robot In one aspect, the present invention provides an apparatus for transferring wafers to or from a wafer cassette having a plurality of wafer-receiving slots, wherein the apparatus comprises a wafer paddle which is adapted to be inserted into a wafer cassett... | 11/23/1999 |
| 5954692 | Endoscopic robotic surgical tools and methods The methods and devices of the invention include an encoder, an endoscopic robotic instrument, and an encoder/robotic instrument interface. A preferred embodiment of the encoder has a chest/shoulder plate provided with telescoping tubes and joints. Each j... | 09/21/1999 |
| 5833656 | Endoscopic robotic surgical tools and methods The methods and devices of the invention include an encoder, an endoscopic robotic instrument, and an encoder/robotic instrument interface. A preferred embodiment of the encoder has a chest/shoulder plate provided with telescoping tubes and joints. Each j... | 11/10/1998 |
| 5762461 | Apparatus for automatically positioning a receptacle pickup arm An apparatus for picking up a trash receptacle has at least two metallic and spaced apart guide elements on the receptacle, a pickup arm having a head, and at least two respective sensors on the head alignable with the guide elements for electrically dete... | 06/09/1998 |
| 5660519 | Method for mounting components and an apparatus therefor A method and apparatus for mounting components comprising at least one pick up device carried by a carriage and adapted to pick up a component and bring it into registry with a sensing device for sensing the component and oriented it. The device operates ... | 08/26/1997 |
| 5624398 | Endoscopic robotic surgical tools and methods The methods and devices of the invention include an encoder, an endoscopic robotic instrument, and an encoder/robotic instrument interface. A preferred embodiment of the encoder has a chest/shoulder plate provided with telescoping tubes and joints. Each j... | 04/29/1997 |
| 5539292 | Capaciflector-guided mechanisms A plurality of capaciflector proximity sensors, one or more of which may be overlaid on each other, and at least one shield are mounted on a device guided by a robot so as to "see" a designated surface, hole or raised portion of an object, for example, in... | 07/23/1996 |
| 5487579 | Picker mechanism for data cartridges A picker mechanism (80) selectively grips and transports a data storage cartridge (62) in an automated library (30). The picker mechanism (80) has a picker frame (400) comprised of two half shell members (402, 404). Substantially all active elements of th... | 01/30/1996 |
| 5362191 | Bobbin transport device Apparatus for transporting packaging material supply reels from a storage location to a consumption station which includes a gripping mechanism for engaging the core tube of the supply reel and a support for the gripping mechanism, the support permitting ... | 11/08/1994 |
| 5299693 | Method and apparatus for extracting selected materials An apparatus for removing recyclable or other selected items from a load of mixed trash. An identifier generating a non-visual identifying signal is secured to the item and is used in conjunction with sensor devices to locate the position of the item anyw... | 04/05/1994 |
| 5219258 | Illumination apparatus for a robotic object handling system The illumination system of the present invention is used with an object handling system to selectively illuminate a predefined target area in a manner that creates a dark area outside of the target area. This illumination system is used in conjunction wit... | 06/15/1993 |
| 5176492 | Gripping device A gripping system for gripping a wire extending from a circuit board has a pair of claws provided at the end of a robot arm and a sensor for detecting a free end of the wire. A control is provided so that the robot arm is first moved so as to make the cla... | 01/05/1993 |
| 5147174 | Robotic tool end assembly This invention pertains to a robotic tool end assembly used to transport a blade of a jet engine to a specific workstation and then to transfer this blade to this workstation. It encompasses gripping means to grip the blade and coupling means that couple ... | 09/15/1992 |
| 5116094 | Apparatus and method for handling honeycomb core A plurality of gripper modules positioned in space apart relationship along a frame member provide an end-of-arm tool. A pair of gripper modules disposed on opposite sides of the end-of-arm tool each support a Hall effect sensor which is coupled through a... | 05/26/1992 |
| 5098254 | Proximity detection means on a palletizer hand assembly A robotic palletizer including a vertical column, a telescoping horizontal arm mounted for vertical movement along the column and a hand assembly mounted at the end of the horizontal arm. A pair of photodetectors, movable with the hand assembly, sense the... | 03/24/1992 |
| 5059079 | Particle-free storage for articles Apparatus for storing articles including walls defining a bin enclosure having an opening for transporting articles therethrough, a support for supporting articles in an article storage region in the enclosure, and a source of pressurized particle-free ai... | 10/22/1991 |
| 5017082 | Handling apparatus A handling apparatus comprises a holding member for holding an object to be handled, a driving member for driving the holding member, a locus detection section provided in a fixed position which is not driven by the driving member, the locus detection sec... | 05/21/1991 |
| 4982333 | Capacitance guided assembly of parts There are disclosed methods and apparatuses for the assembling of parts using capacitive sensing, both for controlling the closure or "homing" phase of the assembly process and for acquiring one or more of the parts prior to that phase. Assembling of semi... | 01/01/1991 |
| 4976484 | Work positioning device for assembly line A work piece support device features two pincer members which can be moved toward and away from each other and which can be varied in length in manner to accomodate different shaped work pieces. The device is mounted on a manipulator which selectively dis... | 12/11/1990 |
| 4950987 | Magneto-inductive sensor for performing tactile and proximity sensing The present invention discloses a single sensor performing both tactile and proximity sensing. The sensor includes a magnetic field generator, a magnetic field sensor for sensing changes in the magnetic field in response to an object changing position wit... | 08/21/1990 |
| 4885833 | Apparatus and method for mounting window glasses on automobile A robot having a robot arm swingable from a position outside a car body conveying line to the line and movable in the directions of length, width and height of the car body is provided with a support frame carrying a jig for holding the window glass. The ... | 12/12/1989 |
| 4868472 | Communication interface for multi-microprocessor servo control in a multi-axis robot control system A servo control operates in a control loop for a robot control system and performs control support tasks and calculation tasks for the control loop for all of the robot joint motors. The servo includes first and second microprocessors. The first microproc... | 09/19/1989 |
| 4852237 | Method and apparatus for mounting windshields on vehicles Windshields are automatically mounted on automobiles on the assembly-line by advancing a gripping device carrying the windshield and associated position sensors relatively towards the automobile, moving the sensors over a windshield opening in the automob... | 08/01/1989 |
| 4850631 | Article manipulator Application of tension simultaneously to three cords extending through respective coil springs and attached off the axes of the springs causes movement of tactile members on the ends of the springs to grasp, lift and rotate a workpiece. A capacity sensiti... | 07/25/1989 |
| 4832543 | Automatic handling and control device for the loading magazines of automatic machine tools The device, which controls operation of the loading magazine in an automatic machine tool and is capable of measuring the handling diameter of single workpieces fed into the machine, comprises a set of jaws located between the magazine and the automatic f... | 05/23/1989 |
| 4766322 | Robot hand including optical approach sensing apparatus A robot hand having six optical approach sensors each including a light emitting element and a light sensing element is disclosed. Each optical approach sensor is adapted to detect an object in the vicinity of the robot hand such that the object may be pi... | 08/23/1988 |
| 4730861 | Finger gripper with state indicator A positive indication of the closure state of a fingered gripper is provided by a sensor having a first element mounted for motion responsive to the primary finger driver and a second element operable in conjunction with the first element to provide, betw... | 03/15/1988 |
