Abstract: A bottle carrier is configured to carry plural crown-cap bottles having a collared neck by their neck. The bottle carrier comprises a plurality of bottle holders connected to each other for each holding a crown-cap bottle along an axis of extension, wherein the connection of the bottle holders may be formed as a frame or a backbone. Each bottle holder comprises at least three resilient arms defining a holding space and configured to engage and hold the neck of the bottle and to support the bottle by the collar. The arms are further arranged to provide the bottle neck access into the holding space in radial direction, and to provide an effectively radially inward holding force onto the bottle neck.

Abstract: In a picking mechanism for picking four or more columnar objects, when the plurality of objects have been picked, the objects are respectively held by holding member and supported by guide members while arranged on a base member in a plurality of rows, wherein a total sectional area of the guide members provided in regions of the base member that are each surrounded by circumferences of four circles serving as projections of four objects is smaller than a total sectional area of the guide members provided in regions of the base member that are each surrounded by one or two sides of a virtual rectangle, the virtual rectangle being formed so as to surround all of a plurality of circles serving as the projections of all of the plurality of objects while contacting the circumferences of the plurality of circles, and two or one of the projections.

Abstract: In a picking mechanism for picking four or more columnar objects, when the plurality of objects have been picked, the objects are respectively held by holding member and supported by guide members while arranged on a base member in a plurality of rows, wherein a total sectional area of the guide members provided in regions of the base member that are each surrounded by circumferences of four circles serving as projections of four objects is smaller than a total sectional area of the guide members provided in regions of the base member that are each surrounded by one or two sides of a virtual rectangle, the virtual rectangle being formed so as to surround all of a plurality of circles serving as the projections of all of the plurality of objects while contacting the circumferences of the plurality of circles, and two or one of the projections.

Abstract: An assembly for feeding/picking up containers for washing machines includes an external feeding station provided with a delivery area, an internal washing station, and an external output stations. The assembly further includes at least one support which can move by the action of respective actuators between at least one first configuration of alignment with a respective external station and at least one second configuration of alignment with the internal washing station. The support is provided with a plurality of grip clamps, each clamp is constituted by a pair of mutually opposite jaws, the internal faces of which are substantially concave and contoured.

Abstract: A clamping apparatus includes a frame adapted for mounting on a forklift so as to be raised and lowered along a mast of the forklift, a carriage supported by the frame for movement with respect to the frame in the widthwise direction of the forklift, two lifting arms supported by the carriage and extending in the widthwise direction of the frame, and a drive mechanism operatively connected to one of the lifting arms for producing relative movement of the lifting arms in the fore-and-aft direction of the frame to enable the lifting arms to grasp and release a load. The clamping apparatus can lift a portion of the objects in a closely-spaced layer and remove them from the layer without disturbing other objects in the layer. The clamping apparatus is particularly suitable for handling buckets.

Abstract: An article gripping device including a pair of jaws including at least one movable jaw. The jaws of the pair of jaws are movable relative to each other between a first position for gripping an article and a second position associated with release of the article. The at least one movable jaw has at least two forms of actuation to achieve the first position and the second position.

Abstract: The bottle carrier (10) grips and releases the necks (N) of a series of bottles (B) so that the bottles (B) can be conveniently carried and selectively released. The bottle carrier (10) includes a base plate (12) with a plurality of bottle clearance passages (24). In the first embodiment, bottle neck clamps (28a, 28b) automatically grip the necks (N) of the bottles (B) when the bottles (B) pass through the bottle clearance passages (24). The bottles (B) may be selectively released by an actuating a handle (60) that is separate from the carrying handle (50).

Abstract: A lifting device that simultaneously lifts a plurality of retaining wall blocks initially oriented in a triangular configuration on a pallet and allows them to be easily re-aligned in a linear configuration on a retaining wall. The lifting device comprises two pivoting lateral extending side arms with clamping units attached to their distal ends. Attached to the main planar frame is a central clamping unit. Each clamping unit includes an insert member that inserts into a large, vertically aligned hole formed in the block. When the clamping units are inserted into the hole and activated, three triangular aligned sets of blocks on a pallet may be lifted. The side arms are designed to pivot rearward so that the front surfaces of the blocks are longitudinally aligned and the blocks are positioned in a side-by-side manner. Once properly re-aligned, the lifting device is lowered so that the three blocks are simultaneously placed over the top row of the retaining wall.