Emi, LLC

Manufacturing Joint Ventures International Limited

Anthony M Williams

Godfrey N Hounsfield

Peter E Walters

William Ellis Ingham

Samuel G Schiro

Jonathan Mortimer

A material processing cell comprises two controlled units (106, 110). The first is a main manipulator having an exchangeable end effector, for carrying out a wide range of operations. The second controlled unit is a power operations manipulator, having an exchangeable end effector for carrying out a range of operations requiring the application of high forces. Each of the controlled units includes a dedicated unit control device including a processor. Each unit control device is in communication with a system controller (122, 123), thus allowing the controlled units to carry out their operations simultaneously.

Material processing system

A compliant coupling mechaism has a first part (10) connectable to a robot arm (A) and a second part (20) connectable to a robot gripper (G). The mechanism is arranged to allow displacement of the second part relative to first part along a ZZ axis direction, and to allow further relative displacement along and/or about (XX) and (YY) axis directions. A locking device (40) prevents such further relative displacement unless a displacement along the (ZZ) axis direction exceeds a preset amount.

Compliant coupling mechanism

A gripper system for a programmable manipulator includes a gripper arm (10) and an assembly station for holding a finger element (2) releaseably for mounting on the arm. The finger element (2) is held by latches (21, 22) against a tray (20) of the station which can be displaced with respect to a rack plate (1) of the station. The arm is conditioned to move on a predetermined path with respect to the station so that cooperative parts (3, 11) of the arm and a finger element, held at the station, become inter-engaged. When the finger element and the arm are inter-engaged movement of the arm relative to the station causes the finger element to be released. The gripper comprises an arm and a finger element dedicated to a specific handling task. The arm and the finger element have cooperable parts which are inter-engageable to mount the finger element detachably on the arm.

Gripper for a programmable manipulator

A sensing apparatus has a probe displacement with respect to a support arm and to a reference position. The probe has a flat disc mounting three transducers which are spaced apart from one another at regular intervals. Each transducer has an elastomeric dielectric and is capable of producing an electrical output signal in response to displacement of the probe from the reference position. An electrical circuit compares output signals produced by the transducers and evaluates the direction and/or extent of probe displacement. Such evaluation may be used in the manipulator control system of an article-handling equipment.

Sensing apparatus

In gas detectors, such as may be used in computerized tomographic (CT) apparatus, it is necessary to provide electrical connections into the pressure vessel. Conventionally, these are by ceramic lead-throughs or similar. As gas detectors require an increasing number of individual detector elements, and therefore internal electrodes, the number of connections required increases and they are more closely spaced. This large number of connections can affect the integrity of the pressure vessel. This invention places a circuit board as a gasket between two parts of the pressure vessel, such as between a chamber and lid, so that conducting tracks on or in the circuit board provide the required connections. The invention is suitable for lead through for pressure vessels other than gas detectors of radiation.

Radiation detectors

In radiographic apparatus of the kind known as computerized tomographic (CT) apparatus, a source of radiation is moved around a patient to irradiate the patients body from a plurality of directions. In certain types of CT apparatus the motion includes a stepped rotation. During each rotational step reaction forces are transferred to the fixed part of the apparatus and for rapid movements the reaction forces can become excessive. To reduce the reaction forces a compensating means is provided to oppose the reaction forces. This may be a resilient member such as a spring and may react against a member, such as a cam, which is shaped to adjust the compensating force to a suitable value.

Rotary drive systems

In computerized tomographic apparatus, in which a radiation source orbits through several revolutions about a patient, handling of cables can present a problem. This invention provides an arrangement for cable handling in which two cable stores have relative rotation. The cable is transferred, during rotation, from one to the other by a transfer means which also moves around the rotation axis.

Cable storage assembly for scanning apparatus

A mechanical arrangement for use in computerized tomographic apparatus so as to permit the examination of volumetric body slices and body slices tilted with respect to the examination axis is described. The radiation source is mounted on an inner tilt frame which can rotate, by way of a lockable bearing, in an outer tilt frame which can be tilted relative to a sub frame which can be locked or free relative to the main frame of the apparatus. The outer tilt frame can also rotate, relative to the main frame, in a lockable bearing.

Radiography

In a computerized tomographic apparatus for radiographic apparatus it has been proposed to orbit a source of X-radiation through several revolutions of the body of the patient. It is desirable to provide cooling to remove generated heat from the X-ray source, this being usually achieved by a cooling fluid such as oil. It is now proposed to provide a closed circuit cooling arrangement, for the source, comprising a circulatory oil path mounted to share in the orbit of the source without external fluid connections. To assist in cooling, the circuit is provided with a radiator and arranged such that, during pauses in the orbit, the radiator is brought to rest in a forced draught from a non-orbiting cooling fan.

X-ray tube cooling arrangement

A driving and positioning arrangement for radiography includes a patient support which can be driven, in a direction longitudinally of the patient, through an aperture in a housing which contains the active elements of a computerised tomographic apparatus. A scale member comprises a part which is supported by the housing and a part which is supported by the patient support. Once the patient is correctly positioned for examination, one of the parts of the scale member is moved relative to its respective support so that the two parts can be caused to assume a selected relative position.

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Iver, United Kingdom

Anthony M Williams