Abstract: A nut runner, an attachment unit, and a sliding member are provided in a second arm that is a leading arm of the robot and has a leading end shaft movable along the direction of an elevation axis. The nut runner includes a screw fastening driver, a drive shaft rotationally driven by the screw fastening driver, and an extension bar that is so connected to rotate together with the drive shaft in the circumferential direction and to move in the axial direction. The attachment unit fixedly connects the screw fastening driver to the second arm so that a screw fastening axis parallel to the elevation axis serves as a rotation axis of the screw fastening driver. The sliding member is connected to the leading end shaft and supports the extension bar so as to move together in the axial direction and are rotatable relatively in the circumferential direction.

Abstract: A gripping assembly for a robot includes a body and a pair of jaw supports supported for slidable movement on the body toward and away from each. Each jaw support has a pair of spaced apart apertures for receiving spaced apart securing posts of a jaw. Each jaw support includes a support body and a pair of locking slides. Each locking slide has a first end configured to engage a securing post when the securing post is disposed in a corresponding aperture. At least one actuator is configured to drive the locking slides away from each other to engage the securing posts. A jaw support actuator is configured to drive the jaw supports toward and away from each other.

Abstract: A toothbrush includes an anisotropic deformation portion (70) on a rear end side from the bristle tufting surface (11), and a bending strength in a first direction orthogonal to the bristle tufting surface that is smaller than a bending strength in a second direction orthogonal to the long axis direction and the first direction. The anisotropic deformation portion includes an elastic deformation portion (90) that connects a first region on the tip end side from the anisotropic deformation portion and a second region on the rear end side from the anisotropic deformation portion. The elastic deformation portion is elastically deformable in the first direction and the second direction, and bending load when the head portion is displaced in the first direction is lower than a bending load when the head portion is displaced in the second direction.

Abstract: The apparatus (1) for clamping workpieces on machine tools comprises: a basic frame (2) fixable to a machine tool (M) for machining a workpiece (P); a clamping unit (3); a hydraulic actuator (22, 23) comprising a first chamber (26) which can be supplied with a first pressurized hydraulic fluid and is connectable to a first sensing device (27) for sensing the pressure of the first hydraulic fluid; a sensing channel (15) which can be supplied with pressurized air and which is connectable to a sensing sensor (16) for sensing the pressure of the air; wherein the first sensing device (27) and the sensing sensor (16) are connectable to a control system adapted to authorize the machining of the workpiece (P) when the pressure of the first hydraulic fluid and the pressure of the air are simultaneously higher than their respective threshold values.

Abstract: A planarization apparatus comprising a superstrate chuck is provided. The superstrate includes a plurality of inner lands protruding from a surface of the superstrate chuck and a peripheral land protruding from the surface of the superstrate chuck along a periphery of the superstrate chuck and encircling the inner lands therein. The peripheral land has a height smaller than a height of each of the inner lands. The peripheral land has a width sufficiently larger than a width of each of the inner lands such that a pressure leakage through the peripheral land is controlled to be less than a threshold.

Abstract: The replacing tool includes a first beam, a connection mechanism, a second beam, a first hook, and a second hook. The first beam is connected to the second beam through the connection mechanism. The first hook is fixedly connected to the first beam, and a portion of the first hook is configured to be engaged into a concave end of the sponge brush. The second hook is fixedly connected to the second beam, and a portion of the second hook is arranged around a convex end of the sponge brush. The first beam and the second beam are movable relative to each other, so that the first hook is engaged with or detached from the concave end of the sponge brush and the second hook is engaged with or detached from the convex end of the sponge brush.

Abstract: A decoupled XY parallel micro-positioning stage, including a central moving platform, fixed mechanisms, bridge-type micro-displacement amplification mechanisms, a four-bar symmetrical flexible guide mechanism and a piezoelectric ceramic. Each fixed mechanism is arranged between adjacent amplification mechanisms and is symmetrical about X and Y axes centered on the moving platform. The amplification mechanism is symmetrically arranged with respect to the X and Y axes, and includes two first and second longitudinal beams and multiple crossbeams. The two first longitudinal beams are provided in parallel and spaced apart. The two second longitudinal beams are arranged spaced apart between the two first longitudinal beams, and are connected to the two first longitudinal beams via the crossbeams. The crossbeams are connected to the longitudinal beams via a flexible hinge. The piezoelectric ceramic is arranged between the two first longitudinal beams.

Abstract: Disclosed are an air circulation system and a final polishing apparatus including the same. The air circulation system improves the degree of contamination in a final polishing apparatus including a housing formed to accommodate a load unit, an unload unit, and a plurality of polishing units. The air circulation system includes air purification units mounted at positions corresponding to the positions of the load unit, the unload unit, and the plurality of polishing units. The air purification units discharge contaminated air in the housing to the outside of the housing, purify the discharged air, and supply the purified air again into the housing.

Abstract: An ice blasting system comprising a hopper to receive bulk ice and a rotary crusher disposed inside the hopper, the rotary crusher having rotary crusher arms that cooperate with anvils to produce crushed ice from the bulk ice. The system includes a rotary feeder mechanism disposed below the hopper, the rotary feeder mechanism having a rotor that includes ice-receiving pockets for receiving the crushed ice. The rotor rotates against an airtight seal block and delivers the crushed ice into a high-pressure airstream passing through the rotary feeder mechanism to thereby entrain the crushed ice into the high-pressure airstream whereby the ice-entrained airstream subsequently exits the ice blasting system through an outlet.

Abstract: An elastic membrane to be used for a polishing head includes a contact portion configured to come into contact with a wafer, an annular side wall provided to stand on an outer peripheral end of the contact portion, a first partition wall linearly extending inward in a radial direction in sectional view from the side wall, and a second partition wall linearly extending inward and upward in the radial direction in sectional view from an outer peripheral end portion of the contact portion, wherein the first partition wall, the second partition wall, and the side wall constitute an edge pressure chamber for pressing an edge of the wafer.

Abstract: A cleaning tool for cleaning accumulated charred food material on grill grates. The cleaning tool is of a two-prong tuning fork shape that has a handle and a cleaning head. A shaft extends between the two prongs of the cleaning head. Several cleaning discs are slidably provided between the two prongs over the shaft wherein two adjacent cleaning discs are separated by one or more spacer discs. the cleaning discs scrap the accumulated material from the grill bars.

Abstract: An anti-pinch device for use with an insulating apparatus and an insulating apparatus that includes the anti-pinch device are provided. The anti-pinch device includes a body configured to be at least partially disposed about an insulating apparatus. The body is configured to translate relative the insulating apparatus. The device further includes a pinch prevention mechanism attached to the body of the anti-pinch device. The pinch prevention mechanism is configured to prevent ingress of at least a portion of a user's finger into the insulating apparatus in an instance in which the user actuates an input element defined by the insulating apparatus.

Abstract: A tool for opening and/or closing rotatable joints, includes a slewing ring, a first grip member, and a second grip member. The first grip member is an annular plate. The second grip member includes two identical gripper arrangements, which include a gripper, an actuator, and bearing members of the actuator. The slewing ring includes an annular upper plate and an annular guide plate, between which plates grippers of the second grip member are arranged. The guide plate is arranged to slide in slots of slide pieces, which are in connection with the first grip member. The bearing members of the actuators are in connection with the first grip member, which actuators are arranged to move the grippers of the second grip member. The grippers are fastened to the slewing ring in a pivoted manner and arranged to grip the shaft of the joint.

Abstract: A particle blast apparatus includes a metering portion, a comminutor and a feeding portion. The metering portion and comminutor may each be configured to provide uniformity in the discharge of particles. The metering portion controls the particle feed rate, and may include a rotor, which may have V or chevron shaped pockets. The comminutor includes at least one roller which may be moved between and including a position at which the gap of the comminutor is at maximum and a position at which the gap is at minimum. The metering portion may particles direction into the feeding portion without a comminutor being present. The comminutor may receive particles directly from a source of blast media without a metering portion being present.

Abstract: Disclosed is a pin lifting device which includes a housing extending along an adjustment axis, a housing end at a first end region of the housing and has a housing opening, a drive part arranged at a second end region of the housing, an adjusting device having a part which can move in the housing in the direction of the adjustment axis, a guide section for the adjusting device formed on the inside of the housing between a first stop at the frontal housing end and a second stop remote therefrom, a tight connecting device formed inside the housing between the frontal housing end and the adjusting device, and a connecting channel extending from the first stop to the second stop at the guide section. A contiguous second inner region leads to minimal changes in the volume of the second inner region even during movements of the movable part.

Abstract: A plurality of detection valves (12 and 13) are provided to a housing (1), and at least one air passage (14 and 15), which communicatively connects the detection valves (12 and 13) to each other in series, are provided to the housing (1). One or some of the detection valves (12 and 13) are each configured as a throttle detection valve (13) including a throttle passage (56a).

Abstract: Method and apparatus for sharpening a cutting edge of a cutting tool, such as a kitchen knife. In some embodiments, an abrasive assembly has a frame, a handle, and a cartridge that supports a plurality of abrasive members each having an associated abrasive surface. A rod affixes the abrasive assembly to a base assembly to facilitate movement of the abrasive assembly along the cutting edge of the tool responsive to engagement, by a user, of the user handle. Each abrasive member is configured to be moved, by the user, with respect to the handle to present each abrasive surface in turn. In some cases, the cartridge is rotatable about a cartridge axis that may be parallel or non-parallel to a central axis of the rod.

Abstract: Embodiments described herein provide for devices and methods for retaining optical devices. The devices and methods described herein provide for retention of the substrate without contacting sensitive portions of the substrate. The devices and methods utilize retention pads or vacuum pins to contact the exclusion zones i.e., inactive areas of the substrate to retain the substrate and prevent the substrate from moving laterally. Additionally, a holding force retains the substrate in the vertical direction, without contacting the substrate. The methods provide for adjusting the devices to account for multiple geometries of the substrate. The methods further provide for adjusting the devices, such as adjusting a gap between the optical device and a suction pad, to alter the holding force of the devices on the optical devices.

Abstract: A pipe coupon extraction tool includes a rod defining a first end, a second end, and a central axis; and a spring bar defining a first end and a second end, the spring bar rotatably secured to the rod, a surface of the spring bar configured to be angled with respect to the central axis when the pipe coupon extraction tool is engaged with a pipe coupon.

Abstract: A system for grit blasting an annular junction portion of a pipeline extending along a longitudinal axis on board a laying vessel, comprises at least one carriage configured to advance along an annular path about the pipeline; at least one centrifugal turbine, which is configured to project grit towards the pipeline, rotates about a rotation axis lying on a plane orthogonal to the longitudinal axis and is supported by the carriage; at least one feed device configured to feed the grit to the centrifugal turbine and comprising a hopper which extends along a respective axis, defines a feed chamber and is coupled to the respective carriage and a guide device configured to act in conjunction with the hopper to feed the grit to the centrifugal turbine at all the operating positions of the carriage.