Manipulator with a swivel jib

Claim 1

A manipulator comprising a jib adjustable about a vertical axis, an extensible elongate support unit carried on the jib, the support unit extending vertically downwards relative to the jib, and a load holding unit carried by the lower end of the support unit, the support unit including a housing, a guide, a screw-threaded spindle, means for selectively driving the spindle in rotation, a non-rotatable ball sleeve associated with the spindle, a support plunger operatively connected with the ball sleeve whereby the plunger is adjustable vertically in response to rotation of the spindle, a bearing element detachably mounted on the plunger at its lower end, said bearing element having at least one mounting face, a spacing element secured to said mounting face, the load holding unit connected to the spacing element, said spacing element being adapted to permit swivelling movement of the load holding unit relative to the bearing element and to clamp the same in position, wherein said support unit is secured against angular movement relative to the jib and the housing thereof is adjustable in the vertical sense relative to said jib.