Apparatus for gripping and releasing objects made of materials adapted to be pierced by needles

Claim 1

AN APPARATUS FOR GRIPPING AND RELEASING AN OBJECT HAVING AT LEAST ONE SURFACE CONSISTING OF A MATERIAL ADAPTED TO BE PIERCED BY NEEDLES, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING A HOLDING ELEMENT, A PLURALITY OF NEEDLE SUPPORTS MOVABLY MOUNTED ON SAID HOLDING ELEMENT AND EACH HAVING A WORK SURFACE, A PLURALITY OF NEEDLES FORMING TWO GROUPS ON SAID NEEDLE SUPPORTS AND PROJECTING AT A UNIFORM LENGTH FROM ALL OF SAID WORK SURFACES AND EACH NEEDLE GROUP BEING MOVABLE BY SAID NEEDLE SUPPORTS RELATIVE TO THE OTHER NEEDLE GROUP, THE PLANES OF SAID NEEDLES OF BOTH GROUPS AND THE PLANES OF MOVEMENT OF SAID NEEDLES OF BOTH GROUPS BEING SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO EACH OTHER, EACH OF SAID NEEDLE GROUPS COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF ROWS OF SAID NEEDLES, THE FIRST NEEDLE GROUP PROJECTING AT A SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORM OBLIQUE ANGLE FROM AT LEAST ONE FIRST OF SAID WORK SURFACES AND THE SECOND NEEDLE GROUP PROJECTING FROM AT LEAST ONE SECOND OF SAID WORK SURFACES AT A SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORM OBLIQUE ANGLE INVERSELY SYMMETRICAL TO THE ANGLE OF SAID FIRST NEEDLE GROUP, MEANS FOR RECIPROCATING THE ADJACENT NEEDLE SUPPORTS IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS TO EACH OTHER SO THAT, WHEN SAID ADJACENT NEEDLE SUPPORTS ARE MOVED AWAY FROM EACH OTHER, THE TWO NEEDLE GROUPS MOVE RELATIVE TO EACH OTHER FROM AN INACTIVE POSITION TO A GRIPPING POSITION, AND WHEN THE ADJACENT NEEDLE SUPPORTS ARE MOVED TOWARD EACH OTHER, THE TWO NEEDLE GROUPS MOVE RELATIVE TO EACH OTHER FROM THE GRIPPING POSITION TO THE INACTIVE POSITION.

Claim 2

AN APPARATUS FOR GRIPPING AND RELEASING AN OBJECT HAVING AT LEAST ONE SURFACE CONSISTING OF A MATERIAL ADAPTED TO BE PIERCED BY NEEDLES, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING A HOLDING ELEMENT, A PLURALITY OF NEEDLE SUPPORTS MOVABLY MOUNTED ON SAID HOLDING ELEMENT AND EACH HAVING A WORK SURFACE, A PLURALITY OF NEEDLES FORMING TWO GROUPS ON SAID NEEDLE SUPPORTS AND PROJECTING AT A UNIFORM LENGTH FROM ALL OF SAID WORK SURFACES AND EACH NEEDLE GROUP BEING MOVABLE BY SAID NEEDLE SUPPORTS RELATIVE TO THE OTHER NEEDLE GROUP, THE PLANES OF SAID NEEDLES OF BOTH GROUPS AND THE PLANES OF MOVEMENT OF SAID NEEDLES OF BOTH GROUPS BEING SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO EACH OTHER, EACH OF SAID NEEDLE GROUPS COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF ROWS OF SAID NEEDLES, THE FIRST NEEDLE GROUP PROJECTING AT A SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORM OBLIQUE ANGLE FROM AT LEAST ONE FIRST OF SAID WORK SURFACES AND THE SECOND NEEDLE GROUP PROJECTING FROM AT LEAST ONE SECOND OF SAID WORK SURFACES AT A SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORM OBLIQUE ANGLE INVERSELY SYMMETRICAL TO THE ANGLE OF SAID FIRST NEEDLE GROUP, MEANS FOR RECIPROCATING THE ADJACENT NEEDLE SUPPORTS IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS TO EACH OTHER SO THAT, WHEN SAID ADJACENT NEEDLE SUPPORTS ARE MOVED AWAY FROM EACH OTHER, THE TWO NEEDLE GROUPS MOVE RELATIVE TO EACH OTHER FROM AN INACTIVE POSITION TO A GRIPPING POSITION, AND WHEN THE ADJACENT NEEDLE SUPPORTS ARE MOVED TOWARD EACH OTHER, THE TWO NEEDLE GROUPS MOVE RELATIVE TO EACH OTHER FROM THE GRIPPING POSITION TO THE INACTIVE POSITION.