Article manipulator apparatus

Claim 1

AUTOMATIC ARTICLE MANIPULATOR APPARATUS COMPRISING A SUPPORT BASE, A TRANSFER ARM PIVOTALLY SUPPORTED ADJACENT ONE END THEREBY BY A DRIVE SHAFT ON SAID BASE, SAID ARM BEING DISPOSED FOR MOVEMENT IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS OF ROTATION THROUGH AN ARCUATE PATH TO FORWARD AND REARWARD END POSITIONS OF TRAVEL, SAID ARCUATE PATH OF TRAVEL BEING LESS THAN 360* OF ROTATION, ENERGIZABLE MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID DRIVE SHAFT IN HARMONIC MOTION SO THAT THE ARM ROTATINAL VELOCITY APPROACHES ZERO AT SAID FORWARD AND REARWARD POSITIONS OF TRAVEL, ARTICLE GRASPING JAWS MOUNTED ON A ROTATABLE PLATE SUPPORTED BY SAID ARM AT A POINT REMOVED FROM SAID DRIVE SHAFT, SAID JAWS BEING ADAPTED FOR ACTUATION TO PICKUP ARTICLES TO BE TRANSFERRED IN POSITION, MEANS COUPLED BETWEEN SAID BASE AND SAID PLATE FOR MAINTAINING SAID GRASPING JAWS AT A PREDETERMINED FIXED ANGLE OF ORIENTATION WITH RESPECT TO SAID BASE THROUGHOUT THE ARM''S ARCUATE PATH OF TRAVEL, FIRST PULLEY MEANS PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON SAID PLATE AND ADAPTED TO CLOSE SAID JAWS WHEN DRIVEN IN ROTATION, SECOND PULLEY MEANS PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON SAID BASE, BELT MEANS COUPLING SAID FIRST AND SECOND PULLEYS, AND SELECTIVELY OPERABLE MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID BASE FOR ROTATING SAID SECOND PULLEY THROUGH A PREDETERMINED ANGLE OF ROTATION AT ANY POINT THROUGHOUT THE ARCUATE PATH OF TRAVEL FOR SAID ARM AND INDEPENDENTLY OF THE MOVEMENT OF SAID DRIVE SHAFT TO ACTUATE SAID GRASPING JAWS.