Patent ID: 6123375
Filing Date: 2000-09-26
Classification: B25J

Abstract:
A gripper apparatus comprising:a housing having a central bore disposed therethrough, a yoke on one end thereof, and pin guides provided on facing surfaces of the yoke;an actuator, positioned inside the central bore of the housing, the actuator having a drive shaft rotatably attached thereto;a threaded driver attached to the drive shaft;a jaw coupler having a threaded bore extending therein, wherein the threaded driver cooperates with the threaded bore of the jaw coupler to effect reciprocal linear movement of the jaw coupler, the jaw coupler also having a pin attached thereto, and wherein the jaw coupler is received inside the yoke such that the pin is received in the pin guides which guides reciprocal movement of the pin when the jaw coupler is driven reciprocally by the actuator; anda pair of jaws, each having a stepped structure defined between a narrow-width portion and a thicker portion, the stepped structures being aligned to abut each other, the narrow-width portion of each of said jaws also having a through-slot disposed therethrough wherein the pin engages each of said jaws and moves along each through-slot such that the pair of jaws move between an open and closed position as the pin moves in a reciprocal manner by the actuator and within the through-slots.