High weight capacity robot to pick and place palleted materials in a confined space with specific rotational control

摘要

A four-axis robot has three independent linear motions and one rotational component. The robot is disposed between a pair of confronting storage units and is operable to store and retrieve articles in and from them. The robot comprises a carrier disposed half-way between the two storage units for travel parallel to the units. A head is supported from the carriage and in turn supports an arm for horizontal extension and retraction. The head can be both elevated and lowered along, as well as rotated about, a vertical axis. The head and arm are capable of 180 DEG rotary motion about the vertical axis to access the two storage units. Specific rotational control of the head is provided by a unique actuating mechanism with associated adjustable stops. The mechanism includes a linearly movable gear rack operated by a power cylinder and meshing with a pinion concentric with the vertical axis. The pinion is mounted on the bearing portions of a ball spline shaft and bearing coupling. The head is affixed to the shaft portion of the coupling so that it can be vertically positioned independently of rotary motion imparted to the coupling, yet with rotary motion imparted to the coupling being effective to rotate the head. A second pinion affixed to the coupling concentric with the first pinion operates a driven gear rack and the adjustable stops are selectively cooperatively associated with the driven gear rack to control the rotary positioning of the coupling and twice of the head and arm. The stops are selectively operated along linear paths of travel by respective actuators and toggle mechanisms.