RICHARD R MOORE
Real Estate Commission in Pittsburgh, PA

5761940, Jun 9, 1998

Feb 9, 1995

8/385829

Richard M. Moore - Pittsburgh PA
David Alan Bourne - Pittsburgh PA
Anne Marie Murray - Onalaska TX
Robert H. Sturges - Mt. Lebanon PA
Kensuke Hazama - Buena Park CA

Amada Company, Ltd. - Kanagawa
Amada America, Inc. - Buena Park CA

B21D 4311, B21J 1312

72 194

Several methods and subsystems are disclosed for aligning a workpiece as it is being loaded into a die space of a bending apparatus, and for performing sensor-based control of a robot as it moves a workpiece from one location to another within a bending apparatus environment. A backgaging mechanism is provided with finger gaging mechanisms having force sensors for sensing forces in directions perpendicular to and parallel to a die. In addition, a robot gripper sensor is provided for sensing either or both of shear forces and normal forces created by movement of a workpiece being held by the gripper. Several sensor-based control modules are disclosed, including a bend-following control module, a speed control module, a module for actively damping vibrations in a workpiece, a module for controlling active compliance/contact between a workpiece and an obstacle, a module for performing a guarded move to intentionally bring a workpiece into contact with an obstacle, and a module for detecting unintentional impacts between a workpiece and an obstacle. Several droop sensing methods and systems are also disclosed, including methods for performing droop sensing and compensation with the use of a vision-based droop sensor, a compound break-beam droop sensor, and a single break-beam droop sensor. In addition, an angle sensor is disclosed, along with a springback control method utilizing the disclosed angle sensor.

5987958, Nov 23, 1999

Nov 28, 1997

8/980301

Richard M. Moore - Pittsburgh PA
David Alan Bourne - Pittsburgh PA
Kerry L. Elkins - Uniontown OH
Anne Marie Murray - Onalaska TX
Kensuke Hazama - Buena Park CA

Amada Company, Ltd. - Kanagawa
Amada America, Inc. - Buena Park CA

B21D 4310

72422

Several methods and subsystems are disclosed for aligning a workpiece as it is being loaded into a die space of a bending apparatus, and for performing sensor-based control of a robot as it moves a workpiece from one location to another within a bending apparatus environment. A backgaging mechanism is provided with finger gaging mechanisms having force sensors for sensing forces in directions perpendicular to and parallel to a die. In addition, a robot gripper sensor is provided for sensing either or both of shear forces and normal forces created by movement of a workpiece being held by the gripper. Several sensor-based control modules are disclosed, including a bend-following control module, a speed control module, a module for actively damping vibrations in a workpiece, a module for controlling active compliance/contact between a workpiece and an obstacle, a module for performing a guarded move to intentionally bring a workpiece into contact with an obstacle, and a module for detecting unintentional impacts between a workpiece and an obstacle. Several droop sensing methods and systems are also disclosed, including methods for performing droop sensing and compensation with the use of a vision-based droop sensor, a compound break-beam droop sensor, and a single break-beam droop sensor. In addition, an angle sensor is disclosed, along with a springback control method utilizing the disclosed angle sensor.

6296317, Oct 2, 2001

Oct 29, 1999

9/430102

Mark Ollis - Pittsburgh PA
Christopher C. Fromme - Pittsburgh PA
Timothy Ennis Hegadorn - Pittsburgh PA
Alonzo James Kelly - Sewickley PA
John Bares - Wexford PA
Herman Herman - Pittsburgh PA
Anthony J. Stentz - Pittsburgh PA
Richard McCargo Moore - Pittsburgh PA
David K. Herdle - Cranberry Township PA
Frank Higgins - Cranberry Township PA
Bryan G. Campbell - Cranberry Township. PA

Carnegie Mellon University - Pittsburgh PA

E21C 3508

299 14

A mining machine having a position sensing and control apparatus is claimed. The mining machine has a vehicle body having forward and rearward ends and movable along a mine floor. A cutter head is mounted on the forward end of the mining machine for upward and downward movement relative to the vehicle body. A conveyor mounted on the vehicle body conveys material cut by the cutter head. The position sensing and control apparatus has at least one light source and at least one imaging device mounted on the machine. The position sensing and control apparatus captures images of natural features of an interior surface of a mine, digitizes the images and determines the distance between the imaging device and the natural feature to determine positional change of the machine.

5844146, Dec 1, 1998

Oct 31, 1996

8/741553

Anne Marie Murray - Onalaska TX
Richard M. Moore - Pittsburgh PA
David Alan Bourne - Pittsburgh PA
Melvin W. Siegel - Pittsburgh PA

Amada America, Inc. - Buana Park CA
Amada Company, Ltd. - Kanagawa

G01L 124

73862043

A fingerpad force sensor system is disclosed which is useful for detecting process variations during manufacturing processes in which a plurality of force sensors are applied to the gripper of a robot in order to monitor shear forces applied to the workpiece held by the robot during, for example, sheet-metal bending manufacturing processes. Each sensor is encapsulated in rubber pads which are secured to the gripper of the robot such that they monitor the status of the workpiece during all phases of automated bending: material acquisition, material handling, machine loading and unloading.

6067862, May 30, 2000

Nov 13, 1998

9/190211

Anne Marie Murray - Onalaska TX
Richard M. Moore - Pittsburgh PA
David Alan Bourne - Pittsburgh PA
Melvin W. Siegel - Buena Park CA

Amada Company, Ltd. - Kanagawa
Amada America, Inc. - Buena Park CA

G01F 174

73862043

A fingerpad force sensor system is disclosed which is useful for detecting process variations during manufacturing processes in which a plurality of force sensors are applied to the gripper of a robot in order to monitor shear forces applied to the workpiece held by the robot during, for example, sheet-metal bending manufacturing processes. Each sensor is encapsulated in rubber pads which are secured to the gripper of the robot such that they monitor the status of the workpiece during all phases of automated bending: material acquisition, material handling, machine loading and unloading.