The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 25, 1990
Filed:
Nov. 18, 1988
Jean-Luc Fihey, Ste. Julie, CA;
Bruce Hazel, Montreal, CA;
Antonio Di Vincenzo, Ville d'Anjou, CA;
Mark Tinkler, Toronto, CA;
Scott McNabb, Crescent Etobicoke, CA;
Hydro-Quebec, Quebec, CA;
Ontario Hydro, Ontario, CA;
Abstract
A method and apparatus for automatically sensing the configuration of a damaged surface area and wherein the apparatus is provided with an arc gouging tool, a welding tool, and a grinding tool to gouge damaged areas and fill them with weld material to at least the surface profile of the surface in the working environment and to grind the filled areas flush with the surface of the working environment. A track is bent to a profile enabling the apparatus to work without any collision with its environment while keeping full access to the work area. The geometry of the track is generally unknown to the control circuit of the robot. A motor-actuated robot member is connected to the track and is displaceable on the track by a motorized element. A working arm is displaceably coupled to the robot member and has one or more working tools connected thereto. A control circuit displaces the robot and operates the working arm and tool. The working arm has a sensor connected thereto with a probe to sense parameters and to feed information data of the X, Y and Z coordinates to the control circuit to determine the geometry of the surface of the working environment and contour of areas in the working environment requiring a work procedure to be effected by the one or more working tools.