Importance

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Abstract

A beam delivery system for delivering a laser beam from a stationary laser to a point in space under robot control has a universal or spherical shoulder joint which is free to rotate in any direction, a wrist joint which receives the beam from the shoulder joint and which allows the beam to be pointed in the required direction and a section of sliding tubes which couple the wrist joint directly to the shoulder joint in a straight line. The beam delivery system is constructed to be readily and effectively associated with a robot. The beam delivery system is mounted with the spherical or universal shoulder joint close to the vertical axis of the robot shoulder and with the spherical shoulder joint below the articulated arm mechanism of the robot so that the beam delivery system accesses a maximum volume beneath the articulated mechanism of the robot. The beam delivery system utilizes a minimum of internal mirrors to minimize power loss in the beam. The mirrors are close coupled and precision mounted in both the shoulder joint and the wrist joint to enable the beam to be transmitted in a long throw from the shoulder joint to the wrist joint through the telescoping tubes by a mechanism which minimizes the effect of inertial forces on the beam delivery system. The mirrors in the joints are front mounted and those in the shoulder joint may be adjustable so the mirrors can be easily positioned during initial set up and can also be readjusted or replaced, if necessary, during operation without the necessity to recalibrate the beam delivery system.

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First Claim