Commissariat a L'energie Atomique

Michel Petit

Jean Vertut

Guy Debrie

Paul Marchal

Jean-Claude Germond

Claude Grenier

Theodore Le Mouee

Henri Rigaut

A reversible mechanical unit of the 'slave' type comprising a motor element and position detector is controlled by an assembly which delivers command signals relating to the positions of the motor element. Means are provided for delivering an error signal .epsilon. which is proportional to the difference between the signals delivered respectively by the detector and the control assembly. A signal delivered by a generator and having an amplitude which is proportional to the signal .epsilon. produces direct action on the torque of the motor element; the error signal and the torque are thus in one-to-one correspondence, the error signal being fed back into the control assembly.

Device for controlling a mechanical element with effort return

A reversible mechanical assembly is remote-controlled in displacements and in efforts by means of a device comprising a motion detector which delivers a pulse each time a driving shaft associated with a motor rotates by one step, the sign of the pulses being dependent on the direction of rotation of the motor. One input of a summing device is driven by the pulses delivered by the detector and the other input is driven by pulses delivered by an assembly for controlling the motor. The output signal of the summing device is fed back into the control assembly so as to constitute an effort return and also fed to the input of an amplifying circuit for controlling the torque produced by the motor.

Reversible mechanical remote-control device

The control arm for a remotely operated power manipulator comprises a system for carrying out a number of movements and position detectors for each movement. The number of possible movements of the arm is equal to the number of possible movements of the manipulator and motion-control operations can be interrupted at will. Means are provided on at least one portion of the control arm for interlockiing it with respect to another portion of the arm independently of the other movements as long as the position of the manipulator and of the arm have not been brought into complete concordance and for releasing the interlock when complete concordance is achieved.

Control arm for a power manipulator

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La Celle St. Cloud, France

Michel Petit