Patent ID: 6523875
Filing Date: 2003-02-25
Classification: B25J,B65G

Abstract:
Apparatus for grasping a load from above or from the side, in particular for use in a manipulator, comprising:a pair of fixed elongate beams disposed in parallel relationship and defining a longitudinal axis; a pair of carriers extending in a direction of the elongate beams, each of the carriers being supported by a corresponding one of the elongate beams and guided for displacement longitudinally in the direction of the elongate beams, whereby the carriers and the elongate beams are placed into one-to-one correspondence, said carriers being disposed in spaced-apart side-by-side relationship, when viewed in a direction of the longitudinal axis, and movable relative to one another so as to overlap at least along a portion thereof; a pair of confronting grippers, each of the carriers having an inner end and an outer end, when viewed in a direction transversely to the longitudinal axis, wherein one of the grippers is secured to the outer end of one of the carriers and the other one of the grippers is secured to the outer end of the other one of the carriers; and a primary fluid-operated system, including two fluid-operated mechanisms operatively connected to the carriers in one-to-one correspondence, for moving the carriers in opposition to one another.