Abstract:
A grasping device can be provided on a conveyor which conveys works produced by a production facility or a work subjected to in-mold forming from a work-grasping position to a work-releasing position. The example of a grasping device can include a base at the side of the conveyors and a grasping part which is extended from the base and provided with a plurality of grasping heads. The example of a grasping part can include a group of braches having a plurality of diverged and extended branches, specific branches most apart from the base each being small in weight (being light) at utmost end side.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates to a grasping device, particularly, to a grasping device suitable for such grasping devices as that usable for grasping and taking out at a time many small molded articles or works which molded at a time by an injection molding machine, or that usable, in insert-molding technique integrally molding a thin work and synthetic resin, for grasping the thin work and inserting it into a mold in an injection molding machine. 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Prior Art 
         [0004]    Conventionally, in a synthetic resin molding technology, particularly, in a system of taking out molded works which system is called “a lot of articles take-out system” and grasps and takes out at a time many small molded articles molded at a time, a grasping device  50  shown in  FIGS. 9 ,  10  and  11  is employed. 
         [0005]    In  FIGS. 9 ,  10  and  11 , the grasping device  50  is provided for grasping and taking out at a time many small molded articles (not shown) molded (produced) at a time by an injection molding machine (a producing facility)  51 . The grasping device  50  is mounted at the tip of a rotating arm  52   a  of a molded article take-out machine (a conveying means)  52  which conveys many small molded articles from a work-grasping position (see the solid line in  FIG. 11 ) opposite to an opened mold  51   a  of an injection molding machine  51  to a work-releasing position (for example, see the two-dots chain line in  FIG. 11 ) outside the injection molding machine  51 . 
         [0006]    The grasping device  50  is in the form of a frame in a square shape in a front view and made of a metal plate or hard synthetic resin plate having a small thickness (t). The grasping device  50  comprises a base  53  mounted to an utmost end of a rotating arm  52   a,  and a grasping part  54  provided extending from the base  53 . The grasping part  54  consists of: an upper side part  54   a  and a lower side part  54   b  facing and being paralleled to each other; a longitudinal side part  54   c  which extends vertically to connect the ends at the base  53  side of the upper and the lower side parts  54   a  and  54   b;  another longitudinal side part  54   d  which extends vertically to connect the utmost ends of the upper and the lower side parts  54   a  and  54   b;  and a pair of longitudinal frame parts  54   e  each extending vertically to connect the upper and the lower side parts  54   a  and  54   b  between the longitudinal side parts  54   c  and  54   d.    
         [0007]    Mounted on the side parts  54   a  through  54   d  and the pair of longitudinal frame parts  54   e  (separately at specific predetermined positions corresponding to specific positions where many small molded articles are molded/produced by the injection molding machine  51  at a time) are many adsorbing pads  55  for grasping the many small molded articles at a time. The adsorbing pads  55  communicate with suction and air-feed pipes  57  through suction and air-feed passages  56  formed inside the side parts  54   a  through  54   d  and the pair of longitudinal frame parts  54   e.  And the suction and air-feed pipes  57  are connected to a suction and air-feed means (not shown) through a suction and air-feed switching valve (not shown). 
         [0008]    With the grasping device  50  having the foregoing structure being in the state of positioned at the work-release position illustrated by the two-dots chain line in  FIG. 11 , the rotating arm  52   a  of the molded article take-out machine  52  is rotated to move the grasping device  50  to a work grasping position (as illustrated by the solid line in  FIG. 11 ) opposing to the opened mold  51   a  of the injection molding machine  51 . The grasping device  50  is further caused to approach the mold  51   a,  particularly, a movable mold  51   a.  Then, the suction/air-feed switching valve is switched over to cause the suction means to communicate with the suction/air-feed pipe  57 , thereby causing the suction/air-feed pipe  57  and suction/air-feed passage  56  to be subject to negative pressure, so that the many small molded articles molded by the injection molding machine  51  at a time are grasped by the large number of adsorbing pads  55  at a time. 
         [0009]    When the grasping device  50  completes adsorbing and grasping the many small molded articles, the rotating arm  52   a  is revolved in a reverse direction to cause the grasping device  50  to be moved to the work-release position outside the injection molding machine  51  (that position illustrated by the two-dots chain line in  FIG. 11 ). Then, the suction/air-feed switching valve is switched over to cause the air-feed means to communicate with a plurality of the suction/air-feed pipes  57 , whereby causing the suction/air-feed pipes  57  and the suction/air-feed passage  56  to have positive pressure, so that the many small molded articles are released, followed by properly collecting/gathering them. 
         [0010]    In the meantime, a grasping device employed in a system, which system grasps a thin work and inserts it into a mold in an injection molding machine, in the “insert molding” technique integrally molding the thin work and synthetic resin, is described in Japanese Patent No. 2958989 (Patent Document 1). 
         [0011]    As shown in  FIGS. 12 and 13 , the grasping device  60  described in the patent document 1 is in the shape of a rectangular frame in a front view substantially the same in form as of a thin work such as a label and is made of metal or hard synthetic resin. The grasping device  60  comprises a rectangular base  61  integrally mounted at the rear side, and a grasping part  62 , the rectangular base  61  being connected at its one end to an arm  64  of a right-angle coordinate system robot (a conveying means)  63 . 
         [0012]    The grasping part  62  consists of: an upper side part  62   a  and a lower side part  62   b  facing and being paralleled to each other; a longitudinal side part  62   c  which extends vertically to connect the ends at the arm  64  side, i.e., the base side, of the upper and the lower side parts  62   a  and  62   b;  another longitudinal side part  62   d  which extends vertically to connect the utmost ends of the upper and the lower side parts  62   a  and  62   b;  and a transverse frame part  62   e  extending horizontally to connect the two longitudinal side parts  62   c  and  62   d  between the upper and the lower side parts  62   a  and  62   b.    
         [0013]    The side parts  62   a  through  62   d  and the transverse frame part  62   e  are provided with many vacuum holes  65  each apart at a predetermined interval to one another. The vacuum holes  65  communicate with an air chamber  66  formed at the base  61  side at a mounting interface between the base  61  and the grasping device  62 . The air chamber  66  communicates with a suction/air-feed pipe  67  which is connected with a suction/air-feed means (not shown) through a suction/air-feed switching valve which not shown. An adsorbing pad  55  explained in  FIG. 9  may be mounted to the respective opening of the many vacuum holes  65 . 
         [0014]    In the grasping device  60  having the above structure, the grasping device  60  is moved, by the robot  63 , to an escape position of a work (label) magazine, so that the grasping part  62  is abutted against the work to be stopped. Then, the suction/air-feed switching valve is switched over to cause the suction means to communicate with the suction/air-feed pipe  67 , whereby causing the suction/air-feed pipe  67 , air chamber  66  and the many vacuum holes  65  to be subject to negative pressure, so that the work is adsorbed and grasped by the grasping part  62 . 
         [0015]    Next, the robot  63  causes the grasping part  62  of the grasping device  60  to approach (and stop there) a front mold (not shown) of an opened mold in an injection molding machine (not shown). Then, the suction/air-feed switching valve is switched over to cause the air-feed means to communicate with the plurality of the suction/air-feed pipes  67 , whereby causing the suction/air-feed pipes  67 , air chamber  66  and the many vacuum holes  65  to be subject to positive pressure, so that the work is released and inserted into the front mold. 
         [0016]    In the meantime, the grasping device  50 , which grasps at a time the many small molded articles as explained in  FIGS. 9 ,  10  and  11 , is moved from the work-release position illustrated by two-dots chain line in  FIG. 11  to the work-grasping position illustrated by solid line, so that due to inertia occurring there upon stoppage of the grasping device  50  the grasping part  54  of the grasping device  50  has vibration mainly in the direction of thickness (t). The vibration in the thickness (t) direction is concluded to be magnified due to a larger weight of the grasping part&#39;s utmost end side most away from the base  53  since the grasping part  54  is provided at its utmost end with the second longitudinal side part  54   d.    
         [0017]    When the grasping part  54  vibrates in the thickness (t) direction in this way, the precise adsorbing and grasping the many small molded articles by the many adsorbing pads  55 , in other words, an accurate adsorbing and grasping of the molded articles by the grasping part  54 , is spoiled, deteriorating precision of grasping of the molded articles by the grasping device  50 . Hence, it is necessary to refrain from grasping the small molded articles during the time interval from the stoppage of the grasping device  50  at the work-grasping position to decay and disappearance of the vibration in order to avoid lowering of precision in grasping the molded articles. As a result, a cycle time of grasping the molded articles by the grasping device  50  is inevitably longer, which causes lowering of an efficiency of molding by the injection molding machine. 
         [0018]    Meanwhile, the grasping device  60  explained in  FIGS. 12 and 13 , which grasps a thin work and inserts it into the mold in the injection molding machine, does have vibration mainly in the direction of thickness due to inertia arising when the grasping device  60  is moved to an escape position of a work (label) magazine by means of the robot  63  to cause the grasping part  62  to abut against the work and stop there, and also due to inertia occurring when the grasping part  62  of the grasping device  60  is caused, by the robot  63 , to approach (and stop there) the front mold of the opened mold in the injection molding machine. The vibration in the thickness direction is concluded to be magnified due to a larger weight of the grasping part&#39;s utmost end side most away from the one longitudinal side part  62   c,  i.e., an end of the base side since the grasping part  62  is provided at its utmost end with the other longitudinal side part  62   d.    
         [0019]    When the grasping part  60  vibrates in the thickness direction in this way, the precise adsorbing and grasping of the work by the many vacuum holes  65  is spoiled, deteriorating precision of grasping of the work by the grasping device  60  and also lowering precision of inserting of the work. Hence, it is necessary to refrain from grasping the work during the time interval from the stoppage of the grasping device  60  at the escape position of the work (label) magazine to the decay and disappearance of the vibration in order to avoid lowering of precision in grasping the work. Besides, it is necessary to refrain from releasing the work during the time interval from the approaching and stoppage of the grasping part  62  of the grasping device  60  with respect to the front mold to the decay and disappearance of the vibration in order to avoid lowering of precision of inserting the work. As a result, a cycle time of inserting the work by the grasping device  60  is inevitably longer, which causes lowering of an efficiency of forming by an in-mold forming machine. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0020]    The present invention has been designed under those circumstances. 
         [0021]    An object of the present invention is to provide a grasping device wherein vibration of the grasping device due to inertia arising upon stoppage after being moved is restrained to shorten time to elapse until disappearance of the vibration, whereby contributing to improvement of production efficiency of a production facility. 
         [0022]    A grasping device according to a first invention to achieve the above-said object is a grasping device provided on a conveying means which conveys works produced by a producing facility from a work-grasping position to a work-releasing position, wherein the grasping device comprises a base at the side of the conveying means and a grasping part which is extended from the base and provided with a plurality of grasping heads, the grasping part consisting of a group of braches having a plurality of diverged and extended branches. 
         [0023]    According to the grasping device of the first invention structured as above, since the grasping part is structured with the group of branches having a plurality of branches diverged and extended from the base, the grasping part&#39;s utmost end side most away from the base is small in weight (i.e., to be light). Thus, vibration of the grasping device due to inertia arising upon stoppage of the grasping device after being moved is restrained to shorten time to elapse until disappearance of the vibration, whereby contributing to improvement of production efficiency of a production facility. 
         [0024]    The grasping device according to the present invention is so structured in the grasping device of the first invention that cross-sectional areas of each branch forming the group of branches become smaller sequentially from the base side to the extended ends. 
         [0025]    According to the grasping device, since the grasping part&#39;s utmost end side most away from the base is further smaller in weight (i.e., to be lighter), vibration of the grasping device due to inertia arising upon stoppage of the grasping device after being moved is further restrained to thereby more shorten the time to elapse until disappearance of the vibration. 
         [0026]    A grasping device of the second invention according to the present invention is a grasping device provided on a conveying means which conveys works produced by a producing facility from a work-grasping position to a work-releasing position, wherein the grasping device comprises a base at the side of the conveying means and a grasping part which is extended from the base and provided with a grasping head, and specific cross sectional areas of the grasping part become smaller sequentially from the side of the base to the extended end. 
         [0027]    According to the grasping device also, since the grasping part&#39;s utmost end side most away from the base is small in weight (i.e., to be light), vibration of the grasping device due to inertia arising upon stoppage of the grasping device after being moved is restrained to shorten time to elapse until disappearance of the vibration. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
         [0028]      FIG. 1  is a front view showing a grasping device according to the first invention of the present invention in a first Example. 
           [0029]      FIG. 2  is a side view taken from the arrowed line II-II in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0030]      FIG. 3  is a front view showing an example of use of the grasping device shown in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0031]      FIG. 4  is a front view showing a grasping device according to the first invention of the present invention in a second Example. 
           [0032]      FIG. 5  is a front view showing a grasping device according to the first invention of the present invention in a modified first Example. 
           [0033]      FIG. 6  is a front view showing a grasping device according to the first invention of the present invention in a modified second Example. 
           [0034]      FIG. 7  is a front view showing a grasping device according to a second invention of the present invention in an Example. 
           [0035]      FIG. 8  is a top view taken from the arrowed line VIII-VIII in  FIG. 7 . 
           [0036]      FIG. 9  is a front view showing an example of a conventional type of grasping device. 
           [0037]      FIG. 10  is a side view taken from the arrowed line X-X in  FIG. 9 . 
           [0038]      FIG. 11  is a front view showing an example of use of the grasping device shown in  FIG. 9 . 
           [0039]      FIG. 12  is a perspective view showing an example of use of other conventional type of grasping device. 
           [0040]      FIG. 13  is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of the conventional grasping device shown in  FIG. 12 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0041]      FIG. 1  is a front view showing a grasping device according to the first invention of the present invention in a first Example.  FIG. 2  is a side view taken from the arrowed line II-II in  FIG. 1 . And  FIG. 3  is a front view showing an example of use of the grasping device shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         [0042]    In  FIGS. 1 ,  2 , and  3 , a grasping device  1  is provided for grasping and taking out at a time sixteen (16) small molded articles (“work(s)” (not shown)) molded (produced) simultaneously by an injection molding machine (a production facility)  2 . The grasping device  1  is mounted to an utmost end of a rotating arm  3   a  of a molded article take-out machine (a conveying means)  3  which conveys the sixteen small molded articles from a “work grasping position” (see the solid line in  FIG. 3 ) facing an opened mold  2   a  in an injection molding machine  2  to a “work-release position” (two-dots chain line in  FIG. 3 ) outside the injection molding machine  2 . 
         [0043]    The grasping device  1  is made of a metal plate or a hard synthetic resin plate having a small thickness (t). The grasping device  1  comprises a base  10  mounted to an utmost end of a rotating arm  3   a,  and a grasping part  11  provided extending from the base  10 . The grasping part  11  is formed with a group of branches  20  consisting of: a first through third branches  12 ,  13 ,  14  diverged and extended into three routes from the base  10 ; a fourth through sixth branches  15 ,  16 ,  17  further diverged and extended from the third branch  14 ; and a seventh and eighth branches  18 ,  19  diverged and extended into two routes from the utmost end of the third branch  14 . Cross-sectional shapes of the branches  12 - 19  are set to be rectangular. 
         [0044]    Mounted to the first through eighth branches  12 - 19  forming the branches group  20  are sixteen (16) adsorbing pads  4  which are formed separately at predetermined positions corresponding to sixteen molding positions for sixteen small molded articles molded at a time by an injection molding machine  2 , and grasp the sixteen small molded articles at a time. The adsorbing pads  4  communicate, through a suction/air-feed passage  5  provided inside the first through eighth branches  12 - 19 , with a suction/air-feed pipe  6  which pipe  6  is connected to a suction/air-feed means (not shown) through a suction/air-feed switching valve not shown. 
         [0045]    In the state that the grasping device  1  structured as above-mentioned is positioned at the work-release position illustrated with the two-dots chain line in  FIG. 3 , the rotating arm  3   a  of the molded article take-out machine  3  is rotated to move the grasping device  1  to the position illustrated by the solid line in  FIG. 3 , namely, the work-grasping position facing the opened mold  2   a  in the injection molding machine  2 . Furthermore, the grasping device  1  is caused to approach the mold  2   a,  particularly, a movable half of mold  2   a,  and the suction/air-feed switching valve is then switched over to cause the suction means to communicate with the suction/air-feed pipe  6 , so that the suction/air-feed pipe  6  and the suction/air-feed passage  5  are subject to negative pressure, thereby enabling the sixteen small molded articles (molded at a time by the injection molding machine  2 ) to be grasped at a time by the sixteen adsorbing pads  4 . 
         [0046]    Upon completion of adsorbing and grasping of the sixteen small molded articles by the grasping device  1 , the rotating arm  3   a  is turned in the reverse direction to move the grasping device  1  to the position illustrated with the two-dots chain line in  FIG. 3 , minutely, to a work-release position outside the injection molding machine  2 . Then, the suction/air-feed switching valve is switched over to cause the air-feed means to communicate with the suction/air-feed pipe  6 , so that the suction/air-feed pipe  6  and suction/air-feed passage  5  is subject to positive pressure, thereby enabling the sixteen small molded articles to be released, followed by collecting them in a proper manner. 
         [0047]    The grasping part  11  of the grasping device  1  is structured with the branches group  20  consisting of: a first through third branches  12 ,  13 ,  14  diverged and extended into three routes from the base  10 ; a fourth through sixth branches  15 ,  16 ,  17  further diverged and extended from the third branch  14 ; and a seventh and eighth branches  18 ,  19  diverged and extended into two routes from the utmost end of the third branch  14 . Thus, the grasping part&#39;s utmost end side most away from the base  10  (particularly, the utmost end side of each of the first through eighth branches  12 - 19 ) is small in weight (i.e., to be light). Hence, vibration of the grasping device  1  mainly in the thickness (t) direction due to inertia arising upon stoppage of the grasping device  1  after being moved from the work-release position (two-dots chain line in  FIG. 3 ) to the work-grasping position (solid line in  FIG. 3 ) is restrained to shorten time to elapse until disappearance of the vibration, whereby contributing to improvement of molding efficiency (production efficiency) for small molded articles by the injection molding machine  2 . 
         [0048]    In the grasping device  1  according to the present invention, the rectangular cross-sectional areas of the first through eighth branches  12 - 19  forming the branches group  20  are set to become smaller from the base  10  side to the utmost ends of the branches  12 - 19 , so that the utmost end side of each of the first through eighth branches  12 - 19  most away from the base  10  can be further smaller in weight (i.e., to be lighter). By this, vibration of the grasping device  1  due to inertia arising upon stoppage of the grasping device  1  after being moved is further restrained to further shorten time to elapse until disappearance of the vibration. Sequential lessening of the cross-sectional areas of each branch  12 - 19  from the base  10  side to the utmost ends side of the branches  12 - 19  can be realized by setting at least one between thickness (t) and width size of the branches  12 - 19  to be made smaller sequentially from the base  10  side to the utmost ends of branches  12 - 19 . 
         [0049]    In the grasping device  1 , specific routes and shapes of divergence of the branches diverged and extended from the base  10  to form the branches group  20  may be freely set correspondingly to the number of small molded articles molded at a time by the injection molding machine  2  and also to specific positions for molding the articles. Adsorbing pads  4  in the same number as of the number of the small molded articles molded at a time may be provided at predetermined positions on the branches which have the freely set routes and shapes of divergence. 
         [0050]      FIG. 4  shows the second Example of the grasping device  1 . In  FIG. 4 , the same reference numeral(s) are put for the same parts as of those shown in the first Example of the grasping device  1  in  FIG. 1 . In  FIG. 4 , the grasping part  11  of the grasping device  1  comprises a group of branches  20  in shape of a rake, consisting of a first through fifth branches  12 - 16  diverged and extended from the base  10  into five routes. According to the grasping device  1  provided in this manner also, the grasping part&#39;s utmost end side most away from the base  10  (particularly, the utmost end side of each of the first through fifth branches  12 - 16 ) is small in weight (i.e., to be light). Hence, vibration of the grasping device  1  mainly in the thickness direction due to inertia arising upon stoppage of the grasping device  1  after being moved from the work-release position (two-dots chain line in  FIG. 3 ) to the work-grasping position (solid line in  FIG. 3 ) is restrained to shorten time to elapse until disappearance of the vibration, whereby contributing to improvement of molding efficiency (production efficiency) for small molded articles by the injection molding machine  2 . 
         [0051]    The grasping device  1  of the first Example referred to in  FIG. 1  may be so modified that the utmost ends, for example, of the fifth branch  16  and the sixth branch  17  are connected by means of a transverse frame element  7  as shown in  FIG. 5 . And the grasping device  1  of the second Example referred to in  FIG. 4  may be so modified that the utmost ends of the second branch  13  and the third branch  14 , and those of the fourth branch  15  and the fifth branch  16  are respectively connected by means of a vertical frame element  8  as shown in  FIG. 6 . 
         [0052]    As foregoing, in the grasping device  1  in the first Example, the utmost ends, for example, of the fifth branch  16  and the sixth branch  17  are connected by means of the transverse frame element  7 . And in the grasping device  1  in the second Example, the utmost ends, for example, of the second branch  13  and the third branch  14  are connected by means of the vertical frame element  8 , and those of the fourth branch  15  and the fifth branch  16  being connected with the element  8 . Even using the frame elements  7  and  8  for the above-mentioned connecting, the transverse frame element  7  and the vertical frame element  8  themselves are small in weight. Thus, these frame elements  7  and  8  do not at all influence upon increment of weight of the extended ends of the grasping part  11 , whereby, the same functional effects as of the foregoing first and second Examples can be shown. Also, the grasping part  11  can be provided with high effect of reinforcement by the transverse and the vertical frame elements  7  and  8 . 
         [0053]      FIG. 7  is a front view showing a grasping device according to a second invention of the present invention in an Example. And  FIG. 8  is a top view taken from the arrowed line VIII-VIII in  FIG. 7 . In the drawings, the same reference numeral(s) are put for the same parts as of or any corresponding parts to those shown in the grasping device  1  according to the foregoing first invention. 
         [0054]    In  FIGS. 7 and 8 , the grasping device  1  according to the second invention is provided for grasping and taking out at a time seventeen (17) small molded articles (“work(s)” (not shown)) molded (produced) at a time, for example, by an injection molding machine (a producing facility)  2  in  FIG. 3 . Similarly to the grasping device  1  according to the first invention, the grasping device  1  according to the second invention is mounted to the utmost end of the rotating arm  3   a  of the molded article take-out machine (a conveying means)  3  shown in  FIG. 3  which conveys the seventeen small molded articles from a “work grasping position” (see the solid line in  FIG. 3 ) facing an opened mold  2   a  in an injection molding machine  2  to a “work-release position” (two-dots chain line in  FIG. 3 ) outside the injection molding machine  2 . The grasping device  1  according to the second invention is provided with a suction/air-feed passage  5  and a suction/air-feed pipe  6  (see  FIG. 1  for these parts) similarly to the grasping device  1  according to the first invention but those parts are not shown. 
         [0055]    The grasping device  1  shown in  FIGS. 7 and 8  is made of a metal plate or a hard synthetic resin plate having a small thickness (t) and is in a shape of tapered knife in the front view (or in the form of a frame in a shape of tapered knife). The grasping device  1  comprises a base  10  mounted to an utmost end of the rotating arm  3   a  in  FIG. 3 , and a grasping part  11  provided extending from the base  10 . Since the grasping part  11  is in the shape of a tapered knife in the front view, in other words, the cross-sectional areas of the grasping part  11  become smaller sequentially from the base  10  side to the utmost end of the grasping part  11 , the utmost end side most away from the base  10  is small in weight (to be light). By this, vibration due to inertia arising upon stoppage of the grasping device  1  after being moved is restrained, so that time to elapse until disappearance of vibration is shortened. Lessening of the cross-sectional areas of the grasping part  11  from the base  10  side to the utmost end can be realized by providing the shape of tapered knife as shown in  FIG. 7 , or, by setting thickness (t) of the grasping part  11  to become smaller sequentially from the base  10  side to the utmost end. 
         [0056]    In the first and second Examples of the first invention, and the Example of the second invention, the grasping device  1  has been explained as that for grasping and taking out at a time the many small molded articles molded at a time by the injection molding machine  2 . Otherwise, the grasping device  1  is applicable to a grasping device  1  which grasps a thin work and inserts it into a mold in an injection molding machine  2  in the insert molding technique for integrally molding the thin work and synthetic resin. 
         [0057]    Explained in the foregoing Examples is the structure that the grasping device  1  is mounted to the molded articles take-out machine (a conveying means)  3  provided in the form of a rotating arm and with the rotating arm  3   a.  The grasping device  1  may be mounted to a side-entry type of the molded articles take-out machine (a conveying means)  3 . 
         [0058]    Moreover, in the first and second Examples of the first invention, the shape of the cross-section of the branches  12 - 19  is set to be rectangular. But, the shape of the cross-section of the branches  12 - 19  should not be limited to be rectangular and may employ to be circular, rectangular, elliptic, etc, freely. 
         [0059]    In the foregoing Examples, the structure that the adsorbing pads  4  are mounted to predetermined positions on the grasping part  11  is explained. Instead of the adsorbing pads  4 , such sandwiching heads may be mounted as being capable of sandwiching the molded articles molded by the injection molding machine. In the structure with the sandwiching heads being mounted, the suction/air-feed passage  5  and the suction/air-feed pipe  6  are connected to the suction/air-feed means (not shown) through the suction/air-feed switching valve so as to serve or function as a suction/air-feed route for air for actuating opening and closing of the sandwiching heads.