MECHANICAL MANIPULATOR

摘要

A computer aided design and manufacturing system comprises a platform suspended by means of three pairs of supportive legs which are coupled thereto at triangularly spaced-apart locations by means of three universal joints each of which couples to one end of each of the two legs of a respective pair, the two legs of each pair extending from their respective universal joint in divergent directions to spaced-apart locations in an overhead mounting whereat each leg is drivingly engaged by a respective gimbal-mounted electric motor arranged to move the leg in its own longitudinal direction. The platform position and orientation can thus be controlled by appropriate operation of the six leg drive motors. A rotary indexing stage is mounted on the platform for rotation in the plane of the platform under control of a further electric motor and serves as a mounting for a stage providing for pivotal movement in a plane perpendicular to the plane of rotation of the indexing stage, such pivotal movement being effected under control of yet a further electric motor. Mounted on the pivotal stage is a rotary tool holder arranged to be driven by yet another electric motor. The various electric motors are precisely positionable under computer control for effecting automatic manufacture of an object by cutting the same out of a block of material by means of a tool held in the tool holder.