Patent ID: 8042626

Claim:
A gripping tool, comprising: at least one body including an associated load adaptor adapted to be connected to and interact with one of a drive head or reaction frame; a gripping assembly carried by the at least one body, having at least one grip surface adapted to move from a retracted position to an engaged position to radially engage the grip surface with at least one of an interior surface or an exterior surface of a work piece upon relative axial displacement of the at least one body relative to the grip surface in at least one axial direction; a linkage acting between the at least one body and the gripping assembly which translates at least one range of rotational movement in at least one rotational direction into axial movement that tends to urge the grip surface into the engaged position and upon engagement exerting an axial force which increases with increased rotation and correlatively activates radial tractional engagement of the grip surface with the work piece; and a fluid activated assembly to control operation of the linkage by inducing or limiting at least one of rotational movement or axial movement.