GB969899A - Mechanical manipulators for the displacement of objects in a radioactive medium - Google Patents

Abstract

969,899. Manipulators. COMMISSARIAT A L'ENERGIE ATOMIQUE. Feb. 24, 1961 [Feb. 25, 1960], No. 6851/61. Heading B4Q. In a manipulator having master and slave ends A, B, respectively, situated either side of a wall 1, each end comprises a parallelogram linkage 8 interconnected for identical movement by a pair of concentric tubes 36, 62 lying along the axis MM within an outer tube 30, each end of the tube 36 being rigidly connected through a cradle 50 to a parallelogram arm 11, a fork 22 pivotally supported by bearings 57, 61 about the axis MM in the cradle being rigidly connected to a parallelogram arm 10. The tube 30 is rotatable in the wall 1 on bearings 31 and tube 36 is mounted for axial movement within the tube 30 by longitudinal runners 38 engaging rollers 40 supported on the interior surface of the tube 30, the tube 62 being rotatable within the tube 36 on bearings 61. The parallelogram arm 9 in the form of a tube rotatably receives a tube 7, the lower end of the tube 7 of the master end A carrying through pivoted joints a pincer 3 controlled by the operator. Thus vertical movement in the direction Z is transmitted from tube 7 through arm 11 and tube 36, horizontal movement in the direction X is transmitted from tube 7 through arm 10 and tube 62, and horizontal movement in the direction Y is transmitted by sliding motion of the tube 36 within the tube 30, the tube 7 of the slave end B performing similar motions. The pincer 3 is pivotally mounted about a horizontal axis in a block 4 so as to be rotatable in the circular direction R, the block 4 being rotatable in the direction E about an axis 5 in a fork 6 carried by the tube 7 rotatable in the circular direction U. The opening and closing movements F of the pincer together with the movements in the directions R, E, U, are transmitted by cables (Fig. 5, not shown) passing over pulleys situated at the four pivot joints at the corners of the parallelogram linkage, the cables being terminated on relatively rotatable pulleys e, f, r, u situated on the axis MM within the cradle 50. The pulleys e, f, r, u are connected, respectively, to tubes 73, 72, 71, 70 extending through the tube 62 and the slave end B has a similar pulley and cable system whereby corresponding movements in the directions R, E, U, F are given to the slave pincer 3. The parallelogram linkage is balanced by a counterweight 65. A bellows 93 may be provided at one or both ends of the manipulator to effect a seal between a cap 33 fixed to the tube 30 and a flange 55 of the cradle 50, a rotary seal 35 being provided between the tube 30 and wall 1. The tubes 62, 70 . . . 73 have splined driving connections so that after removing screws 54 by box spanners introduced from the operator end the linkage 8 at end A and tubes 36, 62, 70 . . . 73, may be removed for maintenance, the linkage 8 at end B having been previously secured to tube 30 as described with reference to Fig. 2 (not shown). A modified mounting of the tube 30 in the wall 1 is described with reference to Figs. 6, 7 (not shown).