Vacuum lifter

Claim 2

A vacuum lifter comprising a cup including a bottom wall and a lip, a sealing ring, means for holding an edge of the sealing ring hermetically against the lip, a plurality of radial segment means arranged free of restraint from one another, and spring means, independent of said radial segment means, for biasing said radial segment means individually in the direction from the bottom wall toward the lip against the sealing ring outside of said edge, the radial segment means distributing force exerted by the spring Means uniformly onto the sealing ring, the radial segment means being able to deflect in the direction from the lip toward the bottom wall against the spring means biasing.

Claim 3

A vacuum lifter as claimed in claim 1, said radial segment means being provided as tongues on a backup ring, the backup ring having a continuous edge held against said sealing ring edge in the means for holding, the tongues resulting from slots extending from the edge opposite the continuous edge radially toward the continuous edge.

Claim 4

A vacuum lifter as claimed in claim 2, said sealing ring having a 1/16-inch thickness and consisting essentially of rubber-bonded asbestos fibers, said backup ring being steel of 1/32-inch thickness, said sealing ring including solid lubricant on its side facing in the direction from the bottom wall toward the lip.

Claim 5

A vacuum lifter as claimed in claim 1, wherein the means for holding includes a plate, said spring means being secured to said plate and bearing against said segment means whereby upon disassembly of the means for holding from the ring assembly the spring means remains with said plate.

Claim 6

A vacuum lifter as claimed in claim 1, said sealing ring including solid lubricant on its side facing in the direction from the bottom wall toward the lip.

Claim 7

A vacuum lifter as claimed in claim 1, said sealing ring consisting essentially of rubber-bonded asbestos fibers.

Claim 8

A vacuum lifter as claimed in claim 6, wherein the sealing ring has a thickness greater than 1/32-inch and less than 1/8 -inch.

Claim 9

A vacuum lifter as claimed in claim 7, said sealing ring including solid lubricant on its side facing in the direction from the bottom wall toward the lip.

Claim 10

A vacuum lifter comprising a cup including a bottom wall and a lip, a sealing ring, means for holding an edge of the sealing ring hermetically against the lip, a plurality of radial segment means arranged free of restraint from one another, and spring means for biasing said radial segment means individually in the direction from the bottom wall toward the lip against the sealing ring outside of said edge, the radial segment means distributing force exerted by the spring means uniformly onto the sealing ring; said radial segment means being provided as tongues on a backup ring, the backup ring having a continuous edge held against said sealing ring edge in the means for holding, the tongues resulting from slots extending from the edge opposite the continuous edge radially toward the continuous edge; wherein the means for holding includes a plate, said spring means being secured to said plate and bearing against said segment means whereby upon disassembly of the means for holding from the ring assembly the spring means remains with said plate; wherein the spring means includes, bearing against each of said segment means, a rivet whose shank is slidingly lodged in a hole through said plate, the rivet shank end protruding from said hole means for preventing the shank end of said rivet from passing through said hole, and a helical spring coaxial with said shank and forcing the head of the rivet toward the segment means associated therewith.

Claim 11

A vacuum lifter comprising a cup including a bottom wall and a lip, a sealing ring, means for holding an edge of the sealing ring hermetically against the lip, a plurality of radial segment means arranged free of restraint from one another, and spring means for biasing said radial segment means individually in the direction from the bottom wall toward the lip against the sealing ring outside of said edge, the radial segment means distributing force exerted by the spring means uniformly onto the sealing ring; said radial segment means being provided as tongues on a backup ring, the backup ring having a continuous edge held against said sealing ring edge in the means for holding, the tongues resulting from slots extending from the edge opposite the continuous edge radially toward the continuous edge; wherein the means for holding includes a plate, said spring means being secured to said plate and bearing against said segment means whereby upon disassembly of the means for holding from the ring assembly the spring means remains with said plate; wherein the spring means includes, bearing against each of said segment means, a rivet whose shank is slidingly lodged in a hole through said plate, the rivet shank end protruding from said hole means for preventing the shank end of said rivet from passing through said hole, and a helical spring coaxial with said shank and forcing the head of the rivet toward the segment means associated therewith.