Master-slave telescopic remote manipulator

Abstract

A telescopic remote manipulator includes a rotary passage block which passes through a partition, a telescopic master arm having upper and lower segments, and a telescopic slave arm having upper, intermediate and lower segments. The arms are articulated by their upper segments on the passage block by pins. A control handle and gripping member are respectively mounted on the free ends of the master and slave arms. Means are provided for transmitting to the gripping member movements of the handle and include cable means associated with the master arm and cable means associated with the slave arm, both coacting with a rotary shaft in the passage block to transmit the handle movements to the gripping member. The slave arm cable means pass over pulleys carried by a mobile carriage positioned externally of the slave arm and then on pulleys mounted on the slave arm in the vicinity of its shoulder pin. Means are provided for displacing the mobile carriage along the slave arm, when there is a variation in the length of the slave arm, in the opposite direction of movement of the slave arm and over a distance equal to half the length variation. The means for displacing the carriage include opposing cable means whose ends are fixed to the slave arm and pass over pulleys mounted on the carriage and the upper, intermediate and lower segments of the slave arm.