Method and apparatus suitable for gripping an annular workpiece

An annular workpiece is grasped by inserting into an annular portion of the annular workpiece the second end of a gripping member having a first end and an expandable second end and expanding the expandable end of the gripping member.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The invention relates to a method and apparatus for grasping an annular 
workpiece. In another aspect the invention relates to a method and 
apparatus suitable for grasping and repositioning packages of yarn. In 
another aspect the invention relates to a method and apparatus suitable 
for use by a workman for moving an annular workpiece wihout touching the 
workpiece with his hands. 
Frequently it is desirable to move a workpiece, such as a package of yarn, 
by a workman without his hands touching the workpiece. For example, some 
packages of yarn are easily damaged when a workman picks them up with his 
hands if he is not particularly careful. Further, if the workman does not 
use gloves, oil deposited on the yarn from the workman's hands can 
adversely affect the yarn, such as by impairing the processability of a 
freshly spun yarn. Thus it is desirable to handle an annular workpiece, 
such as a package of freshly spun yarn, without the necessity of the 
workman actually touching the workpiece with his hands. 
An object of the invention is to grasp an annular workpiece by a workman 
without the need for the workman to touch the workpiece with his hands. 
Another object of the invention is to provide an improved apparatus 
suitable for carrying out the above object. 
Other objects, aspects and advantages of the present invention will be 
apparent to those skilled in the art upon studying the specification, 
drawings and the appended claims. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
In accordance with the invention apparatus comprises a gripping member 
having a first portion, a second portion, a first end and a second end, 
the first portion and the second portion are hinged together so that the 
second end of the gripping member is expandable, and a first means and a 
second means for holding the apparatus wherein the first means is attached 
to the first end of the first portion of the gripping member and the 
second means is attached to the first end of the second portion of the 
gripping member so that when the first means and the second means are 
forced closer together the second end of the gripping member is expanded. 
Further according to the invention, an annular workpiece is grasped by 
inserting the second end of the gripping member having a first end and an 
expandable second end into an annular portion of an annular workpiece, the 
gripping member comprising at least a first portion and a second portion 
which are hinged together at the first end, and expanding the expandable 
end of the gripping member by forcing the first and second portions apart 
at the second end so that the annular workpiece is grasped. The 
above-described apparatus and method provide an efficient and readily 
acceptable alternative for repositioning an annular workpiece, such as a 
freshly spun package of yarn, without the necessity of a workman touching 
the workpiece with his hands.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
Referring to FIG. 1 the apparatus of the invention comprises gripping 
member indicated generally by reference numeral 10 having a first portion 
12, a second portion 14, a first end 16 and a second end 18. The first and 
second portions are attached at the first end by hinge 20. A handle is 
provided for holding the apparatus comprising a first means 22 and a 
second means 24. The first means comprises a first member 26 having a 
first end 28 attached to the first end 16 of the first portion 12 of the 
gripping member 10 and a second end 30 attached to a second member 32 as 
shown in the drawing. The second member has a first end 34 and a second 
end 36. The first end 34 is attached to cross member 35. The second end 36 
of the second member 32 extends a distance in a direction toward the 
second portion 14 of the gripping member 10. The second means 24 for 
holding the apparatus comprises an elongated member having a first end 38 
attached to the second end 16 of the second portion 14 of the gripping 
member 10 and a second end 40 extending a distance away from the first 
portion 12 of the gripping member 10 and essentially parallel to and under 
the second end 36 of the second member 32 of the first means 22. The first 
means 22 and the second means 24 are close enough together that a workman 
can grip first means 22 and second means 24 near ends 36 and 40, 
respectively, with one hand. 
Further the apparatus comprises a means for contracting the second end 18 
of the gripping member 10 when the second end is expanded which in this 
particular embodiment comprises a spring 42 shown more clearly in FIG. 2 
which has one end 44 attached to the first portion 12 of the gripping 
member 10 and another end 46 attached to the second portion 14 of gripping 
member 10. As indicated in FIG. 1 spring 42 is preferably positioned close 
to second end 18 of gripping member 10. Further gripping member 10 is 
cylindrical in shape and thus the first portion 12 and the second portion 
14 of gripping member 10 are semicylindrical; however, most any shape 
could be employed as long as one end can be inserted into an annular 
workpiece. Although it is not essential, it is desirable that the outside 
surfaces of the semicylindrical portions 12 and 14 be corrugated with the 
grooves lying in a plane parallel to the radius of gripping member 10. 
In the operation of the apparatus a workman grasps with one hand first 
means 22 and second means 24 near ends 36 and 40. By forcing ends 36 and 
40 closer together second end 18 of gripping member 10 is expanded which 
then grasps an annular workpiece through which the second end 18 of 
gripping member 10 has been inserted into prior to expanding the second 
end. If desirable or necessary, the workman can place his other hand on 
the cross member 35 attached to first end 34 of holding means 22 to 
provide better stability and enable the workman to use greater force in 
repositioning the annular workpiece. Spring 42 is in the stretched 
position when second end 18 of gripping member 10 is expanded, thus when 
the workman releases ends 36 and 40, the second end 18 of gripping member 
10 is contracted by the action of spring 42, releasing the annular 
workpiece. 
EXAMPLE 
In a specific example, an apparatus was constructed according to the 
invention essentially as shown in the drawings using 304 stainless steel 
as the construction material. The first and second portions of the 
gripping member, which combined to make the gripping surface, had an 
inside diameter of 2.0" (4.08 cm), an outside major diameter of 2.50" 
(6.35 cm), a corrugated outside surface having five gripping ridges. A 
split flange 2.875" diameter (7.30 cm) by 0.125" thick (0.317 cm) was 
welded to the top of the gripping member. A coil spring was attached to 
the inside surface of the gripper portions at about 0.375" (0.949 cm) from 
the bottom end to urge the two halves together as shown in the drawings. A 
U-shaped clevis was welded to the top of one-half of the flange and 
extended outward over the center line 0.3750" (0.952 cm) and had a 0.250" 
(0.635 cm) diameter hole drilled in each wall and in alignment with the 
center line of the apparatus. The walls of the U-shaped clevis were 0.510" 
(1.295 cm) apart. A handle having a 0.50" (1.27 cm) square cross section 
was welded to the top of the U-shaped clevis with its center line 
extending 0.625" (1.587 cm) from one edge of the flange and positioned on 
the center line of the apparatus in the other direction. The handle 
extended upward so that its center line was 1.50" (3.810 cm) from the face 
of the split flange, then 90.degree. outward along the center line of the 
apparatus away from the other half of the gripping member. The handle 
extended outward 5.625" (14.287 cm) from its center line. The matching 
portion of the clevis was welded to the top of the flange on the opposite 
half of the gripper portion along the center line and was 0.500" (1.27 cm) 
wide with a matching hole along the center line of the apparatus to 
accommodate a 0.250" (0.635 cm) diameter shoulder bolt for holding the two 
portions together. The matching clevis was 0.50" (1.27 cm) high and had a 
handle having a square cross-section of 0.50" (1.27 cm) welded to the top 
of the clevis so that its center line was 0.562" (1.427 cm) from the edge 
of the flange. The handle extended upward from the top of the flange 3.0" 
(7.62 cm) to its center line and had a second bar of the same 
cross-section welded to its top surface and extending 7.250" (18.415 cm) 
from the center line of the handle in a direction placing it directly over 
the bent portion of the handle of the gripper portion described above. The 
handle also extended in the opposite direction 2.250" (5.715 cm) from its 
center line to the center line of a round member welded at right angles 
and in a plane parallel with the flange. The round member was 0.500" (1.27 
cm) in diameter and 4.0" (10.160 cm) long. The apparatus was used to grasp 
annular workpieces, specifically yarn packages having a package support 
with an inside diameter of 2.52" (6.4 cm). The apparatus easily grasped 
the packages and easily released them by operating the two handles without 
the necessity of the operator's hands touching the yarn. Further the 
operators were quick to accept the invention for handling the packages of 
yarn which evidences the invention's simplicity of operation.