Patent ID: 6988865

Claim:
A barrel handling system comprising: a support platform; a support housing pivotably coupled to the support platform; a gripping claw pivotably coupled to the support housing for pivoting about a vertical axis, the gripping claw having an interior profile that grips and holds a barrel, an actuator arm portion and a support shaft portion, the support shaft portion extending into the support housing such that the gripping claw is supported by the shaft and the shaft is supported by the support housing; a first actuator coupled to the arm portion of the gripping claw for opening and closing the gripping claw; a second actuator coupled to the support shaft portion of the gripping claw for rotating the gripping claw relative to the support housing about a horizontal axis, thereby inverting the barrel; and a vibrator coupled to a third portion of the gripping claw, the vibrator, responsive to the inversion of the barrel, for vibrating the barrel to empty barrel contents, wherein the gripping claw further includes a base portion, a third actuator, and two sets of opposing arms, the shaft being fixed to base portion, the first actuator being coupled between the base portion and a first set of the opposing arms such that the first actuator is operable to the first set of opposing arms towards each other for gripping and holding a barrel, the third actuator being coupled between the base portion and a second set of the opposing arms such that the third actuator can drive the second set of opposing arms towards each other for gripping and holding a barrel.