Fernhandhabe

876,736. Handling radioactive materials. CENTRAL RESEARCH LABORATORIES Inc. May 1, 1958 [May 3, 1957], No. 13917/58. Class 39(4). The range of usefulness of a remote controlled manipulator is disclosed in Specification 815,515 in which the movements of a master arm 11 having a handle 22 are reflected in a slave arm 12 having a claw 23, is increased by forming the support tube 10 in two parts 10A, 10B which are connected together at 35 by a ring bearing situated within the tube 10 (Fig. 3, not shown) whereby the part 10B may be rotated relatively to the part 10A, The arm 11 is pivoted at 18 to the part 10A and the -arm 12 is pivoted at 21 to the part 10B, whilst the operator stands in front of a window 15 in the radiation protection wall 13. Normally, the parts 10A, 10B are locked together by a bolt (Fig. 5, not shown) whereby a swinging movement of the arm 11 causes rotation of the tube 10 in a sleeve 14 and the arm 12 performs a similar swinging motion, the axes of the arms 11, 12 and the axis of the tube remaining in a common plane. However, if the arm 12 is brought up against a stationary object and the bolt withdrawn, the arm 11 maybe swung relatively to the arm 12 and the bolt inserted in another position to reestablish the connection between the parts 10A, 10B, such a condition being shown in Fig. 5B which views the operator O from above. In a modification (Figs. 6, 7, not shown) the connection 35 is provided at the opposite end of the tube 10. Specification 815,516 also is referred to.