Engineering topics

Kerley, James J.

Publications and source records attributed to Kerley, James J..

12 records

NASA NTRS1994

Creative inventive design and research

This paper is a summary of a course given at the Goddard Space Flight Center for graduate engineers entitled 'Creative Inventive Design and Research.' This course strikes at the heart of the problem as it describes the thinking process itself before it goes deeper into the design process as a structured method for performing creative design. Many problem examples and figures are presented in a form that should make clear to all students what this process is and how it can be used.

Kerley, James J.↗

NASA NTRS1994

Bolt and nut evaluator

A device for testing fasteners such as nuts and bolts is described which consists of a fixed base plate having a number of threaded and unthreaded holes of varying size for receiving the fasteners to be tested, a torque marking paper taped on top the fixed base plate for marking torque-angle indicia, a torque wrench for applying torque to the fasteners being tested, and an indicator for showing the torque applied to the fastener. These elements provide a low cost, nondestructive device for verifying the strength of bolts and nuts.

Kerley, James J.↗

NASA NTRS1993

Climbing robot

A mobile robot for traversing any surface consisting of a number of interconnected segments, each interconnected segment having an upper 'U' frame member, a lower 'U' frame member, a compliant joint between the upper 'U' frame member and the lower 'U' frame member, a number of linear actuators between the two frame members acting to provide relative displacement between the frame members, a foot attached to the lower 'U' frame member for adherence of the segment to the surface, an inter-segment attachment attached to the upper 'U' frame member for interconnecting the segments, a power source connected to the linear actuator, and a computer/controller for independently controlling each linear actuator in each interconnected segment such that the mobile robot moves in a caterpillar like fashion.

Kerley, James J.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Compliant walker

A compliant walker is provided for humans having limited use of their legs and lower back. It includes an upright wheel frame which at least partially surrounds an upright user wearing a partial body harness. It is attached to the frame by means of cable compliant apparatus consisting of sets of cable segments and angle bracket members connected between opposite side members of the frame and adjacent side portions of the harness. Novelty is believed to exist in the combination of a wheeled frame including a side support structure, a body harness, and compliance means connecting the body harness to the side support structure for flexibility holding and supporting a person in a substantially upright position when the user sags in the frame when taking weight off the lower extremities.

Kerley, James J.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Page turning system

A device for holding reading materials for use by readers without arm mobility is presented. The device is adapted to hold the reading materials in position for reading with the pages displayed to enable turning by use of a rubber tipped stick that is held in the mouth and has a pair of rectangular frames. The frames are for holding and positioning the reading materials opened in reading posture with the pages displayed at a substantially unobstructed sighting position for reading. The pair of rectangular frames are connected to one another by a hinge so the angle between the frames may be varied thereby varying the inclination of the reading material. A pair of bent spring mounted wires for holding opposing pages of the reading material open for reading without substantial visual interference of the pages is mounted to the base. The wires are also adjustable to the thickness of the reading material and have a variable friction adjustment. This enables the force of the wires against the pages to be varied and permits the reader to manipulate the pages with the stick.

Kerley, James J.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Compliant Walker

Walker supports person with limited use of legs and back. Enables person to stand upright, move with minimum load, and rest at will taking weight off legs. Consists of wheeled frame with body harness connected compliantly to side structures. Harness supports wearer upright when wearer relaxes and takes weight off lower extremities. Assumes partial to full body weight at user's discretion.

Kerley, James J.↗

NASA NTRS1992

User friendly joystick

A joystick control device having a lower U-shaped bracket, an upper U-shaped bracket, a handle attached to the upper U-shaped bracket, with the upper U-shaped bracket connected to the lower U-shaped bracket by a compliant joint allowing six degrees of freedom for the joystick. The compliant joint consists of at least one cable segment affixed between the lower U-shaped bracket and the upper U-shaped bracket. At least one input device is located between the lower U-shaped bracket and the upper U-shaped bracket.

Eklund, Wayne D.↗

NASA NTRS1991

The climbing crawling robot (a unique cable robot for space and Earth)

Some of the greatest concerns in robotic designs have been the high center of gravity of the robot, the irregular or flat surface that the robot has to work on, the weight of the robot that has to handle heavy weights or use heavy forces, and the ability of the robot to climb straight up in the air. This climbing crawling robot handles these problems well with magnets, suction cups, or actuators. The cables give body to the robot and it performs very similar to a caterpillar. The computer program is simple and inexpensive as is the robot. One of the important features of this system is that the robot can work in pairs or triplets to handle jobs that would be extremely difficult for single robots. The light weight of the robot allows it to handle quite heavy weights. The number of feet give the robot many roots where a simple set of feet would give it trouble.

Kerley, James J.↗

NASA NTRS1990

Compliant joint

A compliant joint is provided for prosthetic and robotic devices which permits rotation in three different planes. The joint provides for the controlled use of cable under motion. Perpendicular outer mounting frames are joined by swaged cables that interlock at a center block. Ball bearings allow for the free rotation of the second mounting frame relative to the first mounting frame within a predetermined angular rotation that is controlled by two stop devices. The cables allow for compliance at the stops and the cables allow for compliance in six degrees of freedom enabling the duplication or simulation of the rotational movement and flexibility of a natural hip or knee joint, as well as the simulation of a joint designed for a specific robotic component for predetermined design parameters.

Eklund, Wayne D.↗

NASA NTRS1989

Compliant Prosthetic Or Robotic Joint

Rotation partly free and partly restrained by resilience and damping. Joint includes U-shaped x- and y-axis frames joined by cables that cross in at center piece. The y-axis frame rotates about y-axis on roller bearing within predetermined angular range. The y-axis frame rotates slightly farther when arm strikes stop, because cables can twist. This mimics compliant resistance of knee joint reaching limit of its forward or backward motion. Used in prosthetic device to replace diseased or damage human joint, or in robot linkage to limit movement and cushion overloads.

Kerley, James J.↗

NASA NTRS1987

An Application of Retroduction to Analyzing and Testing the Backing off of Nuts and Bolts During Dynamic Loading

The method of retroduction, adapted from the doctoral thesis of Dr. A. Croce, relies on a process of dialectic questioning that begins with the information sought, proceeds to Given items (either in the form of dimensions or limits of research). and to Known mathematical forms of analysis in design or to principles of study in research. Finally, analysis and synthesis are used to abstract the dielectic questions and to arrive at the information desired. This method is used to solve the engineering design problem of a beam and to determine why bolts and nuts vibrate apart. Both mathematical analysis and dialectic logical analysis are utilized. Results are provided of tests conducted to check the retroductive study of why and how nuts back off.

Kerley, James J.↗

NASA NTRS1987

Cable applications in robot compliant devices

Robotic systems need compliance to connect the robot to the work object. The cable system illustrated offers compliance for mating but can be changed in space to become quite stiff. Thus the same system can do both tasks, even in environments where the work object or robot are moving at different frequencies and different amplitudes. The adjustment can be made in all six degrees of freedom, translated in or rotated in any plane and still make a good contact and control.

Kerley, James J.↗