Patent ID: 8490955
Filing Date: 2013-07-23
Classification: B21J,B23B,B23Q,B25B,Y10T

Abstract:
1. An apparatus comprising: a housing; a permanent magnet attached to the housing via a spring configured to bias the permanent magnet towards the housing; a first lever having a first end and a second end, the first lever connected to the housing at a first pivot point and also connected to the permanent magnet at about the first end; a second lever having a third end and a fourth end, the second lever connected to the housing at a second pivot point and also connected to the permanent magnet at about the third end and further connected to the permanent magnet opposite the first lever; a first wheel connected to the second end of the first lever; a second wheel connected to the fourth end of the second lever; an end effector configured to perform workpiece operations, the end effector connected to the housing between the first wheel and the second wheel; and an electromagnet having an activated state and a deactivated state, the electromagnet configured to be disposed opposite the permanent magnet with a workpiece disposed between the permanent magnet and the electromagnetic device, the electromagnet being configured in the activated state to magnetically attract the permanent magnet towards the electromagnet while the spring is still attached to the housing, the first lever and the second lever are configured to correspondingly pivot about the first point and the second pivot point as the permanent magnet is drawn towards the electromagnet, and the first lever and the second lever being further configured to correspondingly lift the first wheel and the second wheel away from the workpiece and the electromagnet as the permanent magnet is drawn towards the electromagnet.