Claims
- 1. A robotic hand for connection to and use with a robotic arm assembly comprising:
- a bobbin core-engaging means for inserting into a bobbin core of a bobbin of paper material or the like for holding said bobbin of paper material fast to said bobbin core-engaging means;
- a bobbin transfer means for transferring said bobbin of paper material held fast to bobbin core-engaging means from said bobbin core engaging means;
- clamping means for clamping at least one lamination thickness of paper material from the bobbin of material therebetween; and
- bobbin core removal means for removing a bobbin core from a processing machine used to process said bobbin of paper material after the paper material of the bobbin has been removed therefrom.
- 2. A robotic hand as recited in claim 1, wherein the bobbin core-engaging means is disposed at a distal end of a first section of said robotic hand and further comprises a tubular housing having a diameter less than an inside diameter of said bobbin core, a plurality of engagement members extending radially outward from the interior of said tubular housing through the wall of said tubular housing, and a first drive means with means contacting said plurality of engagement members for driving said plurality of engagement means farther radially outward from said tubular housing to engage an interior surface of said bobbin core for purposes of lifting and handling said bobbin of material with said robotic arm to which said robotic hand is rotatably fixed.
- 3. A robotic hand as recited in claim 1, wherein said bobbin transfer means is connected to a first section of said robotic hand and is disposed about said bobbin core-engaging means and said bobbin transfer means further comprises a plate having at least one guide rod attached to a first side, guide rod support means connected to said first arm for supporting at least one guide rod, second drive means connected to said plate for reciprocating said plate in a first and second direction for transferring said bobbin of paper material from said bobbin core-engaging means, and pressure sensitive means disposed in a second side of said plate for biasing the bobbin of paper material away from said second side of said plate of the bobbin transfer means for properly seating said bobbin of paper material on said machine at transfer of the bobbin of paper material from the bobbin core-engaging means to said machine.
- 4. A robotic hand as recited in claim 3, wherein a first switch means is connected to said first section of said robotic hand and an intermediate member is disposed in and extends from said first side of said plate of the bobbin transfer means whereby when said plate is in a retracted position disposed about the bobbin core-engaging means said intermediate member contacts said first switch means.
- 5. A robotic hand as recited in claim 4, wherein the first switch means is closed when said intermediate member contacts said first switch means and said pressure sensitive means is depressed into said plate and contacts said intermediate means indicating said bobbin core-engaging means is disposed within the bobbin core of the bobbin of paper material a side of and said plate is against the side of said bobbin of paper material.
- 6. A robotic hand as recited in claim 3, wherein a second switch means is disposed near the end of said guide rod support means farthest from the distal end of the first section and a switch activator means is disposed at the distal end of at least one guide end in alignment with said second switch for closing said second switch means when said plate of said bobbin transfer means is reciprocated to its fullest extension from said distal end of said first section and said switch actuator means contacts second switch means.
- 7. A robotic hand as recited in claim 6, wherein said second switch means is opened after being closed when said plate of said bobbin transfer means contacts an object with sufficient force that said plate is caused to move toward the distal end of said first section thereby breaking contact between said switch actuator means and the second switch means.
- 8. A robotic hand as recited in claim 1, wherein said clamping means is disposed at a distal end of a second section of said robotic hand and further comprises a fixed plate member means connected to said second section, a movable plate member means pivotably connected to said second section and a third drive means connected to said movable plate member means and said second section for oscillating said movable plate member means toward or away from said fixed plate member means.
- 9. A robotic hand as recited in claim 1, wherein bobbin core removal means is disposed adjacent to said clamping means at a distal end of a second section of said robotic hand and further comprises a fixed member means connected to said second section, a movable bracket member means pivotably connected to said second section and a fourth drive means connected to said movable bracket member means and said second section for oscillating said movable bracket member means toward and away from said fixed member means.
- 10. A robotic hand as recited in claim 1, wherein said bobbin core-engaging means further comprises a tubular housing having an outside diameter less than the inside diameter of said bobbin core, a plurality of engagement members spaced away from a distal end of said housing and extending from the interior of said tubular housing through respective openings in the wall of said housing to the exterior of said housing and extending radially outward therefrom, each of said plurality of engagement members being generally rectangular in shape and having a substantially flat first end disposed outside said housing and a substantially rounded second end disposed within said housing, said rounded ends of the plurality of engagement members being disposed near the longitudinal centerline of said housing, force transmission means longitudinally disposed within said housing, said force transmission means communicating between said plurality of engagement means and a first drive means, repositioning means disposed about a portion of said force transmission means for repositioning said housing such that an interior surface of said bobbin core and said exterior surface of said housing are substantially concentric.
- 11. A robotic hand as recited in claim 10, wherein said force transmission means is a continuous rod with a first section having a first diameter and said first section is disposed from a first end of said rod with said first end having a spherical opening defined therein for receiving a portion of said first drive means, a second tapered section tapering from said first diameter to a second diameter with said second diameter being smaller than said first diameter, a third elongated section having said second diameter, a fourth tapered section tapering from said second diameter to a third diameter with said third diameter being greater than said second diameter, a fifth section having said third diameter, a sixth tapered section at a second end of said rod tapering from said third diameter of said fifth section to a substantial point with at least a portion of said taper of said sixth section contacting said rounded second ends of said plurality of engagement members.
- 12. A robotic hand as recited in claim 11, wherein said repositioning means is disposed about said third section of said rod and further comprises a circular plate member having an outside diameter slightly less than an inside diameter of said housing, a central bore of a diameter greater than the diameter of said third section of said rod and second drive means with means connected to said circular plate member for reciprocating said circular plate member from a first position against said tapered second section to a second position against said tapered fourth section with said circular plate member being a pivoting means for said force transmission means when in said first position.
- 13. A robotic hand as recited in claim 1, wherein said bobbin core-engaging means further comprises a tubular housing having an outside diameter less than the inside diameter of said bobbin core, a plurality of engagement members spaced away from a distal end of said housing and extending from the interior of said tubular housing through respective openings in the wall of said housing to exterior of said housing and extending radially outward therefrom, each of said plurality of engagement members being generally rectangular in shape and having a substantially flat first end disposed outside said housing and a substantially rounded second end disposed within said housing, said rounded ends of the plurality of engagement members being disposed near a longitudinal centerline of said housing, force transmission means longitudinally disposed in said housing, said force transmission means communicating between said plurality of engagement members and a first drive means.
- 14. A robotic hand as recited in claim 13, wherein said force transmission means is a continuous rod with a elongated first section having a first diameter and said first section is disposed from a first end said rod with said first end having a spherical opening defined therein for receiving a portion of said first drive means, an annular flange spaced away from said first end and fixed to said first section of said rod with said flange having an outside diameter slightly less than an inside diameter of said housing and being a pivoting means for said rod, and a second tapered section at a second end of said rod tapering from said first diameter to a point with a portion of said taper of said second section contacting said rounded ends of said plurality of engagement members.
Parent Case Info
This is a division of application Ser. No. 820,665, filed Jan. 21, 1986, entitled SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR USE IN HANDLING AND DELAMINATING BOBBINS OF PAPER MATERIAL, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,821,972.
US Referenced Citations (3)
Divisions (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
820665 |
Jan 1986 |
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