Multiplexing of pneumatic tooling

Details Multiplexing of pneumatic tooling Multiplexing of pneumatic tooling

1998-04-10

2000-03-07

Briggs, William

Metal working

Plural diverse manufacturing apparatus including means for...

Multiple-tool holder

408130, 409186, B23Q 526, B23B 3910, B23C 100

Patent

active

060323442

DESCRIPTION:

BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates to equipment for pneumatic operation of tooling, particularly but not limited to tooling on tooling platforms of an industrial robot.


BACKGROUND ART

Originally, most tooling platforms on robots had only one tool (the word tool here being used in a very general sense to indicate any device operable to carry out some work function). However, it is now increasingly common to have several tools on the same tooling platform, each tool operated and controlled by its own pneumatic, hydraulic or electric controls, as well as appropriate feedback systems. Traditionally, each tool has had at least two sensors to indicate its position. Thus if there were four tooling mounts on a tooling platform, eight position sensors were used. Some systems have also used two feedback sensors for each tool. Others have used an individual pneumatic position controller for each tool.
The result has been an evolution of systems having excessive mass and excessive complexity, with many valves, and a number of pneumatic servo-controllers.


DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

It is an object of the invention to provide a pneumatic system which has significantly less mass and uses significantly fewer components than in conventional systems.
In the invention, a number of tools share a common position transducer to indicate the position of the tool in use at any given time. The transducer typically has a shaft which is extended when forced to do so by the operation of one of the tools. When none of the tools is being operated, the shaft is spring-biased back to a home position. The same transducer can be used to determine velocity and related physical quantities if desired.
Alternatively stated, the invention provides a system for operation of several pneumatically operable tools on one tooling mount. A servo-controller is switchable to actuate any one of the tools to move it to a desired position. A position transducer includes an element which is displaced from a home position by such actuation of any one of the tools. The position transducer sends a position feedback signal to indicate to the servo-controller when the desired tool position has been reached.
The servo-controller is switchable by virtue of having its output connected to a number of valves, there being one valve per tool, only one valve being energized at a time. When a valve is at rest, it is held in its home position. When energized, the servo-controller outputs are routed to the tool, and those outputs may be varied to control the tool just as if the servo-controller had been directly connected to the tool instead of routed through the valve.


BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of the preferred pneumatic circuit;
FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective of the tool support body and one of the cylinders;
FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective identical to FIG. 2, except that the cylinder is extended;
FIG. 4 is an elevation view of the assembly,
FIG. 5 is an elevation view identical to FIG. 4, except that one of the cylinders is extended,
FIG. 6 is a top view of the assembly, in cross-section as shown on FIG. 4;
FIG. 7 is an elevation view of the assembly, in cross-section as shown on FIG. 6; and
FIG. 8 is an elevation view, in cross-section, identical to FIG. 7 except that one of the cylinders is extended.


BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 illustrates the preferred pneumatic circuit for the invention. Before describing the circuit in detail, however, an exemplary physical embodiment will be described, for greater clarity.
In typical and preferred embodiments of the invention, there is normally a support structure, and a tooling platform on which the pneumatic controls and valves are located and on which the tool support body 1 of the invention is mounted. The tooling platform may be movable, and normally would be movable, relative to the support structure. For example, the tooling platform may be part of a robotic

REFERENCES:
patent: 4382215 (1983-05-01), Barlow et al.
patent: 4808000 (1989-02-01), Pasciak et al.
patent: 4996898 (1991-03-01), Miller et al.
patent: 5882286 (1999-03-01), Aufiero et al.

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