Abstract: A gripper device is provided for picking up and releasing an article. The device includes a support (15, 16) and a pair of grippers (10, 11) pivotally mounted on the support for movement of their distal ends towards and away from each other. A belt (1) is belt arranged to extend across the gap defined between the distal ends of the grippers when they are spaced apart so that the belt is able to extend over the article to be picked up and to extend around the article when the grippers have been moved towards each other to pick up the article.

Abstract: A pick and place device for picking up and re-positioning an article (11) carried by a support surface, comprising a first part which includes a plate portion (8, 8?) which is movable parallel to the support surface so that a leading edge thereof penetrates below the article, between the article and the support surface, and a belt of flexible material (9, 9?) which is wrapped around at least the leading edge of the plate portion so that it is sandwiched between the plate and the article when the former penetrates therebelow and as the plate portion moves below the article there is substantially no relative sliding movement between the sandwiched portion of the belt and the article.

Abstract: Tooling is described for securing to the movable end of a computer-controlled robotic arm, by which articles can be picked up, optionally rotated and lowered into a new position. The tooling comprises two blades each having a leading edge and trailing edge, movable between a first position in which their leading edges are separated by a large gap and a second position in which the leading edges overlap, or are in contact or are separated by a smaller gap. A movement restraining mechanism is included which comprises at least one resiliency deformable member located above the plane containing the two blades and spaced therefrom by a distance which is less than the thickness of each article to be picked up by the tooling. In use, as the tooling is lowered onto an article. the underside of the deformable member engages the upper surface of the article and becomes deformed in order to accommodate the thickness of the article before the blades make contact with a surface on which the article rests.

Abstract: A gripper device is provided for picking up and releasing an article. The device includes a support (15, 16) and a pair of grippers (10, 11) pivotally mounted on the support for movement of their distal ends towards and away from each other. A belt (1) is belt arranged to extend across the gap defined between the distal ends of the grippers when they are spaced apart so that the belt is able to extend over the article to be picked up and to extend around the article when the grippers have been moved towards each other to pick up the article.

Abstract: A pick and place device for picking up and re-positioning an article (11) carried by a support surface, comprising a first part which includes a plate portion (8, 8?) which is movable parallel to the support surface so that a leading edge thereof penetrates below the article, between the article and the support surface, and a belt of flexible material (9, 9?) which is wrapped around at least the leading edge of the plate portion so that it is sandwiched between the plate and the article when the former penetrates therebelow and as the plate portion moves below the article there is substantially no relative sliding movement between the sandwiched portion of the belt and the article.

Abstract: Method of reducing waste in a process involving the cutting up of blocks of frozen foodstuff, especially blocks of plate frozen fish fillets are described in which at least the final cutting step is performed using a guillotine rather than a bandsaw. Additionally, methods and apparatus are described for adjusting the length of the frozen foodstuff which is advanced before the next cut is to be performed, so as to produce final cut pieces of substantially uniform weight. The methods allow for variations in density and variations in cross section to be accommodated.

Abstract: Apparatus is described for shaping similar sized rectilinear portions of frozen food stuff comprising: a magazine for receiving accurately dimensioned planks of frozen food stuff, a device for dispensing planks from the magazine one at a time, guillotine blades for severing portions of equal size from the leading end of each displaced plank, and a placement device adapted to transfer each portion onto a lower tooling part of relatively displaceable two-part tooling. A drive mechanism is provided for forcibly lowering an upper tooling part towards the lower part so as to trap the portion in the cavity formed when the two tooling parts come together, to cause the portion to spread out within the cavity and adopt the internal shape thereof. The drive mechanism also raises the upper tooling part to leave the shaped portion on the lower tooling part.