Cincinnati Milacron Inc.

Walter Binder

David E Suica

Edward J Bailey

Frederick C Young

A bearing block for anchoring a self-contained bearing for a moving part of a robotic manipulator to such robotic manipulator is provided, wherein the self-contained bearing has a known outside diameter. In particular, the bearing block comprises a body portion having attachment means for attaching the bearing block to the robotic manipulator, with such body portion being split into a base piece and a clamp piece along a dividing axis. A bearing race or bore is formed through the body portion and centered therewithin on the dividing axis. The bore is formed after the body portion has been split along the dividing axis, and has an effective diameter slightly undersized relative the outside diameter of the self-contained bearing to be held therewithin. Means are provided to removably attach the clamp piece to the base piece and to thereby provide relatively uniform inward compressive forces about substantially the entire outer periphery of the bearing when the clamp piece is attached to the base piece thereabout.

Bearing block for robotic manipulator

Industrial robot

There is provided a counterbalance assembly for use in combination with a rotatable robotic arm and the like in a robotic manipulator, where the robotic arm is rotated about an axis by a torque-producing device having a relatively stationary base. The assembly further includes a torsional spring comprising a pair of concentric tubes connected to each other by rubber, with one tube connected to the arm and the other tube connected to the base. In general, any torque created by the influence of gravity acting on the robotic arm, as it is rotated, is counterpoised by torsional wind-up in the spring due to proportional resistance of the rubber to torsional shear. This spring/arm combination thereby reduces the load on the torque-producing device.

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Cincinnati, OH, United States of America

Walter Binder