Genesis Systems Group, LLC

Richard O Litt

Christopher J Schilb

Brian C Gorge

Joel E Lorentzen

A device for indicating the alignment of a tool held by the arm of a robot includes a frame mounted at a known coordinate, an electrical switch mounted on the frame and connected to the robot, a lever having opposite first and second end portions and a central portion therebetween pivotally connected to the frame such that the first end portion normally makes contact with the switch in the absence of outside forces on the lever. The second end portion of the lever has a target bore therein for receiving the tool with a given tolerance for misalignment of the tool. If the tolerance is exceeded, the tool engages the second end portion of the lever and forcibly pivots the first end portion out of contact with the switch to indicate misalignment of the tool. The method of checking alignment with this device includes positioning the tool in an expected position of alignment with the target bore, moving the tool into the bore, and sending an electrical signal to the robot indicating whether the tool strikes the lever and pivots it out of contact with the switch.

Method and device for aligning a tool held by a robot

Apparatus to prevent the formation of welding material about the outlet end of a welding nozzle comprising valve units activated upon contact by engagement thereby of the welding nozzle, a pneumatic system connected with the valve units, and reciprocal hammer device proximate the valve units and fluid connected to the pneumatic system, the hammer device operable by the pneumatic system upon activation of the valve units to repeatedly strike the welding nozzle, thereby dislodging any material build-up thereon. The apparatus further includes a spraying unit connected with the valve units and pneumatic system to spray an anti-welding spatter compound toward and into the outlet of the welding nozzle.

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Rapid City, IL, United States of America

Richard O Litt