Article gripping apparatus

Claim 1

IN ARTICLE GRIPPING APPARATUS FOR GRIPING AN ARTICLE AT A LOADING STATION AN FOR PRESENTING THE ARTICLE TO A PLURALITY OF OF SUCCESSIVE OPERATIONAL STATIONS IN AN ASSEMBLY MACHINE; A SUPPORT MEMBER; A PAIR OF MUTUALLY OPPOSED JAW MEMBERS PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON SAID SUPPORT MEMBER; FIRST MEANS MECHANICALLY COUPLED TO SAID JAW MEMBERS TO EFFECT AT LEASTA A PARTIAL CLOSURE THEREOF AND TO EXERT A POSITIVE GRIPPING ACTION AGAINST AN ARTICLE WHEN A POSITIONED AND HELD THEREBETWEEN; BIASING MEANS TO MAINTAIN SAID JAW MEMBERS IN A NORMALLY OPEN POSITION AND FOR OPENING SAID JAW MEMBERS SUBSEQUENT TO AT LEAST A PARTIAL CLOSURE THEREOF BY SAID FIRST MEANS IN THE ABSENCE OF AN ARTICLE HAVING BEEN POSITIONED BETWEEN SAID JAW MEMBERS; SECONDMEANS FOR MOVING SAID SUPPORT MEMBER SUCCESSIVELY TO THE PLURALITY OF OPERATIONAL STATIONS SUCH THAT SAID PAIR OF JAW MEMBERS PRESENTS SUCCESSIVE ARTICLES CARRIED THEREBY TO EACH STATION; AND THIRD MEANS RESPONSIVE TO SAID FIRST MEANS AND TO THE OPERABLE CONDITION OF SAID JAW MEMBERS TO DEACTUATE THE SUCCESSIVE STATIONS WHEREVER SAID SECOND MOVING MEANS PRESENTS SAID JAW MEMBERS TO A STATION WITHOUT AN ARTICLE GRIPPED THEREBETWEEN.