Boom for material transport

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11299894-B2
Application number	US-202017073760-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 19, 2020
Priority date	Jul 15, 2016
Publication date	Apr 12, 2022
Grant date	Apr 12, 2022

Abstract

A foldable boom for conveying an item, said foldable boom being foldable about at least one folding axis, said foldable boom being locatable in a folded stowed position, and moveable to unfolded extended positions; said foldable boom having a near end arranged for pivotal movement about a first horizontal axis located on a turret, said turret being rotatable about a vertical axis; said foldable boom having first conveying apparatus to convey an item therealong, internally within said foldable boom, to a remote end of the foldable boom; wherein said foldable boom is foldable about a folding axis, and a pivoting shuttle equipped with a clamp to releasably hold an item is provided at said folding axis to transfer said item between said first conveying apparatus in boom elements connected about said folding axis.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A boom assembly, the boom assembly including:
a. a boom including a plurality of telescopingly engageable tubular elements configured to convey a brick internally via shuttles associated with each element to a remote end of the boom;
b. a pivotal clamp that is pivotally mounted to the remote end of the boom, the pivotal clamp configured to:
i. receive and clamp a brick presented by a shuttle in a remote end tubular element of the boom; and,
ii. present the brick for further handling; and,

c. a brick laying and adhesive applying head mounted to the remote end of the boom, the brick laying and adhesive applying head including a spherical geometry robot having a brick laying clamp and moveable between a position to receive and clamp a brick presented by the pivotable clamp, to a position in which the brick is released and laid.

2. The boom assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the brick laying and adhesive applying head has a body with arms forming a first clevis which extends obliquely downward from the body.

3. The boom assembly according to claim 2 , wherein the arms have apertures to receive pins to pivotally mount the bricklaying and adhesive applying head to the remote end of the boom about a first horizontal axis.

4. The boom assembly according to claim 3 , wherein the pivotal clamp is pivotally mounted to the remote end of the boom about the first horizontal axis.

5. The boom assembly according to claim 3 , wherein the pivotal clamp has a gripper with jaws that can slide toward or away from the first horizontal axis.

6. The boom assembly according to claim 5 , wherein the pivotal clamp is configured to extend its gripper into the remote end tubular element of the boom in order to clamp a brick therein.

7. The boom assembly according to claim 6 , wherein the pivotal clamp is further configured to present the brick for application of adhesive by an adhesive applicator.

8. The boom assembly according to claim 7 , wherein the pivotal clamp is further configured to rotate a brick with adhesive applied through 180 degrees about the first horizontal axis so that the adhesive is on the bottom of the brick.

9. The boom assembly according to claim 8 , wherein the pivotal clamp is further configured to extend the gripper out to present the brick in a position where the robot arm can grasp the brick.

10. The boom assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the spherical geometry robot includes a linearly extendable robot arm with a brick laying clamp in the form of a gripper fitted at the lower end thereof.

11. The boom assembly according to claim 10 , wherein the spherical geometry robot has six degrees of freedom (6DOF) provided by the following arrangement of joints:
a. an arm mount roll joint;
b. an arm mount pitch joint;
c. an arm mount sliding joint;
d. a wrist pitch joint;
e. a wrist roll joint; and,
f. a gripper yaw joint.

12. The boom assembly according to claim 11 , wherein the joints are actuated by servo motors and drives.

13. The boom assembly according to claim 10 , wherein the robot arm is mounted to the brick laying and adhesive applying head via a second clevis having a base rotatably supported by the body of the bricklaying and adhesive applying head, the base being rotatable relative to the body about a second horizontal axis which runs normal to an axis through the second clevis in order to provide the arm mount roll joint adjustment.

14. The boom assembly according to claim 13 , wherein the second clevis includes a robot arm base rotatably mounted between second clevis arms which provides the arm mount pitch adjustment.

15. The boom assembly according to claim 14 , wherein the robot arm has linear guides which cooperate with bearing cars on the arm base to guide linear extension of the robot arm relative to the mount which allows the robot arm to be slidably adjusted.

16. The boom assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the boom is foldable about at least one folding axis.

17. The boom assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the boom assembly forms parts of a robotic bricklaying machine incorporated in a vehicle.

18. The boom assembly according to claim 17 , wherein the robotic bricklaying machine includes a tower and a near end of the boom is mounted to the tower and configured to slew thereabout.

Assignees

• Fastbrick Ip Pty Ltd

Inventors

• Pivac Mark

Classifications

• B25J5/007

  mounted on wheels · CPC title

• E04G21/22

  for setting building elements with mortar, e.g. bricklaying machines · CPC title

• E04G21/16 Primary

  Tools or apparatus (devices for erecting fences E04H17/26) · CPC title

• B66C23/42

  with jibs of adjustable configuration, e.g. foldable · CPC title

• B25J5/06 Primary

  Manipulators combined with a control cab for the operator · CPC title