Patent ID: 8005570

Claim:
A robotic tool changer comprising: a. a first unit; b. a second unit; c. a plurality of rolling members disposed in a retention area in one of the units; d. a piston movably mounted in one of the units of the robotic tool changer and movable between locked and unlocked positions; e. in the locked position, the piston is operative to engage the rolling members in one of the units and to urge the rolling members against a surface of the other unit to lock the two units together; f. the piston including a stem movable back and forth through an opening in the robotic tool changer; and g. wherein the stem of the piston includes a step for engaging a portion of the opening and wherein the engagement of the step of the piston with a portion of the opening tends to at least slightly restrain the movement of the piston during at least a portion of the piston's movement as the piston moves from the locked position to the unlocked position.