Odetics, Inc.

Gordon R Schulz

Each of a plurality of digits within a reconfigurable end effector is both rotated and maneuvered for grasping by a single small motor coupled to a drive shaft for the digit through a load-responsive two-speed drive arrangement. The drive arrangement couples the motor directly to the drive shaft through a slip clutch for rapid digit positioning for light load or no load conditions on the digit, then alternatively through an oscillating sprag clutch arrangement for incrementing the drive shaft at a substantially different gear ratio for low speed, high force movement of the digit when substantial loads are encountered. High breakaway friction prevents back drive of the drive shaft without the need for braking apparatus. The motor also rotatably drives a turret in which the digit is mounted through a second slip clutch until a desired rotational position is reached. The turret is locked in the selected rotational position by deenergizing a solenoid to allow a pivoting pawl to wedge a ball into one of a plurality of detents in the turret. An optical sensor responds to the presence of the detents to determine the rotational position of the turret. The drive shaft is axially movable in response to substantial loads on the digit against the resistance of a compressible sprain spring, and a Hall Effect sensor determines the load on the digit by measuring the axial movement. A pair of rotary optical position sensors are employed to determine the rotational positions of the drive shaft and the shaft of the motor.

End effector with load-sensitive digit actuation mechanisms

A gripper for grasping articles in an automatic or semi-automatic handling system includes spring-loaded jaws. No fasteners such as screws, pins, or the like are required to hold the jaws to the gripper assembly. The jaws are moved by way of motor-driven cams. During a grip mode, the cams do not contact the jaws, and the grip is achieved by way of the springs acting against rollers contacting the outside of the jaws. A worm on the motor shaft compresses a spring to buffer the deceleration of the motor. The spring applies a moment to worm gears which mate with the worm on the motor shaft. The gear shaft of each worm gear is operatively coupled to a respective camshaft. In this manner, the cams are locked.

Gripper mechanism having spring-loaded jaws

A magnetic tape tracking system for a magnetic recorder/player having a crown guide roller whose orientation can be controlled to effect lateral movement of the tape. This movement is utilized to correct for deviation of the tape from its desired tape path.

Active tape tracking system with crown guide rollers for magnetic

An automatic tape tracking system for magnetic recorder/players which samples tape position and adjusts a number of active guide rollers to maintain the tape along a predetermined track. The present system uses only perfectly cylindrical rollers and requires no edge guiding. The guide rollers are adjustable in height and to change the direction of their axes. Both adjustments are effected with the use of linear stepper motors. The tape position is monitored at various locations throughout the recorder/player by cameras which monitor the position of the edge of the tape. Output signals from the cameras are fed to a microprocessor which controls the stepper motors. Height adjustments are made to instantaneously correct tape position and tilt adjustments are made to allow the guide rollers to remain, in height, in a neutral zone.

Automatic tape tracking system for magnetic recorder/players

A mechanism for use with a video recorder/reproducer of the type which receives a standard video cassette for withdrawing the video tape from the cassette to prepare the tape for threading around a video scanner, for sensing tape position to provide inputs to the reel drive servo motors of independent, closed loop servo systems, and for adjusting the level of tension in the video tape during operation of the recorder/reproducer. The mechanism withdraws the tape in two diverging directions, equally from both reels. The tension level is controlled accurately and is selectively changed for different operating modes.

Tape withdrawal and tensioning mechanism for video cassette

A turntable assembly for helically threading tape from a video cassette around a video scanner, for simultaneously threading the tape past a plurality of longitudinal magnetic heads, and for engaging the tape to a capstan drive assembly. The turntable comprises an annular ring that surrounds the scanner and longitudinal heads and provides a platform for rigidly supporting a plurality of guide posts and a pinch roller, the guide posts threading the tape around the scanner and the pinch roller engaging the tape to the capstan drive assembly. The rotational axis of the scanner is tilted relative to the cassette so that the plane of the cassette is coplanar with the entry angle of the scanner and the rotational axis of the turntable ring is tilted relative to the rotational axis of the scanner so that the plane of the ring is coplanar with the exit angle of the scanner. The turntable rotates through an angle which is greater than 360.degree. and means are provided for decelerating the turntable as it reaches the ends of its rotational travel.

Turntable assembly for video cassette recorder/reproducer

A loading mechanism for delivering a standard video cassette onto a pair of reel drive hubs of a video recorder/reproducer including an open shelf having a bottom, opposed side walls, and opposed top sections, the shelf being horizontally translatable under control of the cassette itself between a forward, cassette receiving position and a rearward position; means for sensing that both rear corners of the cassette have reached the rearward position and that the operator has released the cassette; means for lowering the shelf and the video cassette therein onto the reel drive hubs, the hubs extending through a pair of holes in the shelf bottom; a plurality of posts extending through holes in the shelf bottom, adjacent the four corners thereof, for contacting the bottom of the cassette in the lowered position of the shelf; means including the top shelf sections for clamping the side edges of the cassette onto the posts; and means operative when the shelf reaches the lowered position for momentarily applying a force to the top of the cassette, directly above the reels therein, to force the reels onto the reel drive hubs.

Cassette loader for video recorder/reproducer

A dual reel drive system for a video recorder/reproducer comprising first and second identical reel drive assemblies, each of the assemblies including a drive shaft; a motor connected to the drive shaft; a first clamping ring connected to one end of the drive shaft; a push rod mounted coaxially with the drive shaft; a second clamping ring connected to one end of the push rod, adjacent the first clamping ring; an expandable gripping ring mounted between the first and second clamping rings, the gripping ring and the second clamping ring being adapted to extend into a reel for engaging same, movement of the first and second clamping rings towards each other longitudinally compressing and laterally expanding the gripping ring into engagement with a reel mounted thereon; a spring connected between the other ends of the drive shaft and the push rod for applying a force therebetween to maintain the gripping ring in the expanded condition; and an actuating shaft and a cam member for selectably separating the clamping rings to permit relaxation of the gripping ring and release of the reels. In a dual drive system, the actuating cams are mounted on a single actuating shaft for simultaneous operation of the two drive assemblies, the cams being located so as to rotate the push rods as the gripping rings are expanded in directions to increase the tension in the tape extending between the reels to take up any slack existing therein.

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Villa Park, CA, United States of America

Gordon R Schulz