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US3777902A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Workpiece-gripping reach and turnover attachment

Assignee: Rimrock Corp
•
Filing: 1972-06-05
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Granted: 1973-12-11
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Expires: 1992-06-05
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Abstract

Abstract Adapted to be mounted upon a vertically-movable and horizontally-rotatable support shaft is a head structure containing parallel horizontal lower and upper guide bores. Slidably mounted in the upper guide bores is an elongated guide rod from the rearward end of which depends a mounting plate carrying a fluid-operated rotary actuator with a hollow output shaft having a circumferentially-adjustable drive connection with an elongated hollow arm shaft slidably mounted in the lower guide bore and having a fixed workpiece-gripping jaw secured to its outer end. Mounted on the rearward end of the rotary actuator is a lower fluid-operated reciprocatory jaw-actuating motor, the lower piston rod of which is drivingly connected to a jaw-operating rod extending forward through the hollow output and hollow arm shaft to a movable workpiece-gripping jaw mounted thereon adacent the fixed workpiece-gripping jaw. Also mounted on the head structure is an upper fluid-operated reciprocatory reach motor, the upper piston rod of which is disposed parallel to the lower piston rod. Depending from the forward end of the upper piston rod is the upper end of a drag link, the lower end of which is operatively connected to the shaft arm to reciprocate the shaft arm while permitting relative rotation therebetween. In operation the reach motor moves the hollow shaft arm back and forth by means of the drag link, the rotary actuator rotates the shaft arm and workpiece-gripping jaws through a predetermined angle, and the jaw-operating motor moves the movable jaw toward and away from the fixed jaw to grip or release the workpiece respectively.

Inventors

  • 👤 R Potter

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-24 03:02
CPC Classifications
B; B25; B25J; B25J9/00; B25J9/10; B25J9/14; B23; B23Q; B23Q7/00; B23Q7/04

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim 217 words
A workpiece-gripping reach and turnover attachment for a vertically-movable rotatable support, said attachment comprising an upstanding head structure adapted to be mounted on said support for motion therewith and having horizontal lower and upper slide guide bearing means disposed in vertically-spaced parallel relationship, an elongated guide member having a first portion slidably mounted in said upper slide guide bearing means and a second portion projecting laterally therefrom, an elongated hollow arm slidably and rotatably mounted in said lower slide guide bearing means, a rotary power actuator mounted on said second portion of said guide member and having a rotary power output member, a coupling device drivingly connecting said rotary power output member to said arm, a jaw-operating reciprocatory motor mounted adjacent said rotary actuator and having a reciprocatory power output structure extending therefrom through said hollow arm to the outer end thereof, a first workpiece-gripping jaw mounted on said arm adjacent said outer end, a second workpiece-gripping jaw mounted on said reciprocatory power output structure adjacent said first jaw, an arm-shifting reciprocatory motor mounted on said head structure and having a reciprocatory power output element extending therefrom parallel to said guide member, and means operatively connecting said power output element to said arm for reciprocating said arm in response to the reciprocation of said power output element.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 217 words
A workpiece-gripping reach and turnover attachment for a vertically-movable rotatable support, said attachment comprising an upstanding head structure adapted to be mounted on said support for motion therewith and having horizontal lower and upper slide guide bearing means disposed in vertically-spaced parallel relationship, an elongated guide member having a first portion slidably mounted in said upper slide guide bearing means and a second portion projecting laterally therefrom, an elongated hollow arm slidably and rotatably mounted in said lower slide guide bearing means, a rotary power actuator mounted on said second portion of said guide member and having a rotary power output member, a coupling device drivingly connecting said rotary power output member to said arm, a jaw-operating reciprocatory motor mounted adjacent said rotary actuator and having a reciprocatory power output structure extending therefrom through said hollow arm to the outer end thereof, a first workpiece-gripping jaw mounted on said arm adjacent said outer end, a second workpiece-gripping jaw mounted on said reciprocatory power output structure adjacent said first jaw, an arm-shifting reciprocatory motor mounted on said head structure and having a reciprocatory power output element extending therefrom parallel to said guide member, and means operatively connecting said power output element to said arm for reciprocating said arm in response to the reciprocation of said power output element.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 67 words
A workpiece-gripping reach and turnover attachment, according to claim 1, wherein said head structure includes a head having a horizontal tubular member and wherein said upper slide bearing means includes a pair of spaced parallel upstanding bracket members mounted thereon with aligned bearing bores therethrough disposed on an axis parallel to the axis of said tubular member, said guide member being slidably mounted in said bearing bores.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 53 words
A workpiece-gripping reach and turnover attachment, according to claim 1, wherein said rotary power output member is hollow, wherein said jaw-operating reciprocatory motor is mounted rearwardly of said rotary actuator, and wherein said power output structure includes a power output member extending from said jaw-operating motor through said hollow rotary power output member.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 52 words
A workpiece-gripping reach and turnover attachment, according to claim 1, wherein said operatively connected means for reciprocating said arm includes a drag link secured to said power output element and extending into proximity to said arm and also includes axially-spaced stops disposed on saiD arm on opposite sides of said drag link.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 22 words
A workpiece-gripping reach and turnover attachment, according to claim 4, wherein thrust bearings are disposed between said stops and said drag link.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 25 words
A workpiece-gripping reach and turnover attachment, according to claim 2, wherein said arm-shifting reciprocatory motor is mounted on at least one of said bracket members.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 17 words
A workpiece-gripping reach and turnover attachment, according to claim 1, wherein said reciprocatory motors are fluid-operated motors.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 28 words
A workpiece-gripping reach and turnover attachment, according to claim 1, wherein said coupling device includes a circumferentially-adjustable connection disposed between said rotary power output member and said arm.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 38 words
A workpiece-gripping reach and turnover attachment, according to claim 8, wherein said circumferentially-adjustable connection includes a radial stop element connected to said arm and a circumferentially-spaced cooperating stop element connected to said second portion of said guide member.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 36 words
A workpiece-gripping reach and turnover attachment, according to claim 9, wherein said circumferentially-spaced stop element includes a fine adjustment stop screw device disposed between said second portion of said guide member and said radial stop element.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US3648854A Cited
US3682327A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1976-12-10 1977-06-11 1977-12-11 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1980-12-10 1981-06-11 1981-12-11 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1984-12-10 1985-06-11 1985-12-11 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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