Patent ID: 6899509

Claim:
A method of providing both mechanical and fluid couplings between a tool-carrier frame of a handling machine and an interchangeable tool, said tool-carrier frame being fitted with a frame box having a set of male or female fluid connection members, while said tool is fitted with a tool box with having a set of complementary female or male fluid connection members, the tool-carrier frame and the tool being provided with mutual hooking and locking means for removably coupling the tool to the tool-carrier frame, each of said frame and tool boxes being provided with a respective moving and retractable protective cover which normally covers the connection members of the associated box, said covers being arranged and positioned in such a manner that positioning the tool-carrier correctly facing the tool for the purpose of coupling them mutually together automatically causes each of the covers to be retracted and ensures that the fluid connection members of the two boxes are put into correspondence, said method comprising the successive step of: i) moving the tool-carrier towards the tool in such a manner as to cause the two protective covers to be retracted and to position the boxes in alignment with each other in such a manner that each male or female fluid connection member is accurately facing and in alignment with the corresponding female or male member; ii) causing the tool to be locked mechanically on the tool-carrier frame; and iii) causing the set of male fluid connection members to engage associated set of female members so as to provide fluid connection between the tool-carrier frame and the tool.