Abstract: A bottle gripper for handling a bottle when depositing powder paint on the bottle in an electrostatic powder coating process and the like, the gripper comprises a cylindrical arm in which a shaft is inserted coaxially for relative movement in an axial direction. Several swingable pieces are attached to and are linked between the arm's lower end and the lower portion of each of the pieces, which forms a short thin cylindrical shell when gripping a bottle and is wrapped in a hat-shaped cover made of resilient material such as rubber with the outer rim of the resilient cover being fixed to the lower end of the arm in order to protect against entry of powder particles into the swing mechanism. The resilient cover is closed or opened by the relative movement between the arm and the shaft when gripping or releasing the head of a bottle.

Abstract: Hydraulically activated, spaced apart, front end loader support arms extend from a tractor. A loader attachment includes a vertically extending frame pivotally attached to the support arms forwardly of the tractor. This vertical frame includes a main horizontal frame support bar pivotally mounted in outer ends of the support arms, and a pair of open vertical guides which extend downwardly from the frame support bar. A horizontal hook support bar extends through the vertical guides and pivotally supports central portions of the two jaw-forming hooks at each end thereof. Upper ends of each of these hooks are pivotally connected to links which are pivotally connected to the frame support bar. A vertical hook support bar lifting strap extends integrally up from the hook support bar and is in sliding relationship with respect to the frame support bar. To load, means is provided to raise the lifting strap with respect to the main frame, thus to cause the jaws to be opened.

Abstract: A fish claw for landing or boating a fish having an elongated shank body on a forward end of which are pivotally mounted a pair of opposed jaws. A pair of control rods, symmetrically disposed on opposite sides of the shank body, are operably connected at their forward ends to the pivotal jaws and are arranged at their rearward ends to support and guide an actuating hand grip. Means connecting the control rods and jaws is arranged to provide maximum gripping force when the jaws are in or near their open position and the jaws are arranged to overlap in their closed position.

Abstract: A cheliform fish grip having an over-all specific gravity of less than that of water is obtained by constructing the parts of a plastic having a specific gravity greater than 1., and constructing the handle with an air compartment of sufficient size to reduce the over-all specific gravity to less than 1. The jaws of the fish grip are pivotally mounted on a body, an actuator is slidably mounted in the body and spring biased levers are pivotally connected to the actuator and to a central portion of each jaw.

Abstract: An interchange arm to transfer tools between a tool storage mechanism and a spindle. A pair of the interchange arms are pivoted on rotating shafts of a tool changer mechanism which rotates the arms between the spindle and the tool storage mechanism so that the arms can securely hold and positively locate the tools which are interchanged during the interchange time, and the tool gripping member and locating members are automatically retracted from the tools when the tools are deposited in their respective holding receptacles. A unique gripping arrangement releasably connects the tools to the arm, using a minimal amount of space for getting on and off the tool, and the tool gripping finger mechanisms are self-locking about the tool under the influence of centrifugal force acting on the tool during the interchange interval, to assure a more positive grip on the tool.

Abstract: Apparatus for transporting work pieces by means of work piece pickups engageable with a chain type conveyor to a plurality of work stations located along the path of the conveyor. Work piece pickups located between parallel spaced guide rails which are disposed above two parallel spaced endless link type chains are provided with guide rolls which engage the undersides of the guide rails and with pivotally mounted carrier arms provided with toe portions adapted to engage the links in the conveyor chains. Means are provided at each work station to stop one, or a group, of work piece pickups while the conveyor chains continue to move and to actuate a gripping device for releasing the work piece so that it can be worked on.

Abstract: A bottle gripping apparatus having laterally spaced frame plates. The frame plates are pivotal and axially slidable on a mounting pin that may be secured to a supporting bar, or the like, on a conveyor means. A pair of first class lever arms are pivotal on a fulcrum extending between the frame plates in spaced relation below the mounting pin, and a first end of each lever arm presents a gripper jaw -- the two gripper jaws being movable toward and away from each other by pivotal movement of the lever arms. A spring means is operatively connected between said second ends of the two lever arms biasingly to urge the two gripper jaws toward each other. A pair of links connect the second ends of the lever arms to a common control member that is mounted on the frame plates to be axially translatable with respect thereto.

Abstract: A gripping device for use in an industrial robot or manipulator including a pair of clamp arms mounted on a base plate of the device and connected with a clamp arm operating rod through a pair of links and a cylinder-piston assembly having a misgrip detecting mechanism. One of the pair of clamp arms is shorter than the other clamp arm and is provided with an additional cramp arm swingable with respect to the short clamp arm. The misgrip detecting mechanism is operated by the action of a pressure switch provided in a hydraulic fluid conduit connected between the hydraulic fluid supplying source and a pressure chamber formed within the cylinder-piston assembly. Thus, the gripping device can positively and effectively grip a workpiece.

Abstract: A continuous belt conveyor for transporting bottles to be processed includes an inclined ramp portion for elevating bottles to a moving horizontal platform portion, screw means for selectively adjusting the height of the moving horizontal platform portion without varying the length or tension of the conveyor belt, a variable pitch horizontally disposed screw guide for uniformly spacing bottles as they enter upon the moving horizontal platform, and a plurality of uniformly spaced neck gripping overhead bottle carriers mounted on a continuous overhead chain moving in synchronism with the conveyor belt, with overhead cam means adjacent to the junction between the inclined ramp portion and the horizontal platform portion of the conveyor belt for causing the overhead bottle grippers to be successively elevated over, aligned with, and then lowered onto neck locking engagement with individual bottles passing therebeneath.

Abstract: An automatic loader for depositing parts in work holders mounted on a movable support for movement continuously and in succession relative to a station at which operations are to be performed on the parts while held by said work holders, comprising instrumentalities for receiving parts to be operated upon, move them in synchronism with the respective work holders and while so moving them deposit them in the work holders. Following deposit of each part the instrumentalities are returned to their initial positions for receiving a succeeding part. The loader is controlled by programming to operate cyclically once its operation at any stage of operation in a cycle of operation in the event that a part is not present, and there are safety releases operable under pressure or jamming of any parts during the operation to stop the loader.