Abstract: A grapple attachment for the boom of a hoisting machine having a pair of arms movable between open and closed positions, the arms supporting an endless chain which, when the arms are closed, embrace a pole to be placed so that the pole can be lifted and then rotated about its own axis by a drive motor engaging the chain so that the fittings and the like attached to the pole can be aligned in a selected direction while the pole is held by the grapple.

Abstract: A detachable undercarriage for use on adverse terrain vehicles comprises an elongate hollow load-bearing frame having three or four axles rotatably supported thereon. Sprockets are mounted on at least two of the axles, and chains are constrained around the sprockets to drivingly interconnect the axles. The center axle in the three axle embodiment and the center two axles in the four axle embodiment are positioned below a plane extending through the axes of rotation of the outermost two axles to facilitate skid steering of vehicles incorporating the undercarriage. Alternatively, all the axles can be aligned with larger wheels mounted on the center axle in the three axle embodiment or the center two axles in the four axle embodiment to facilitate skid steering. In certain applications of the nonaligned axle embodiments structure is provided for selectively aligning all the axles to increase vehicle stability.

Abstract: An automatic production machine having a headpiece that is adapted to hold a workpiece and/or a work tool and a support for carrying the headpiece. The headpiece and the support are self-contained units which are independent of each other. The support has a mount for supporting the headpiece for pivotal movement with respect to the support about a transverse pivot axis and a drive for pivoting the headpiece when the same is pivotably supported by the support. The headpiece has a mount capable of being pivotably received by the mount of the support and at least one extension which, when the headpiece is pivotably supported by the support, extends into the support and coacts with the drive such that upon actuation of the latter, the headpiece is pivoted about the transverse pivot axis.

Abstract: Apparatus for use with a tractor for lifting and transporting large cylindrical hay bales including a pair of lifting arms having the inner ends secured to the tractor frame, the arms being parallel to each other, a lifting plate affixed to the outer ends of the lift arms extending transversely of the arms and the tractor, a hydraulic lifting cylinder between the tractor frame and each lifting arm for raising the arms and thereby the lifting plate, a pair of side arms, the inner end of each being pivoted to the lifting arm, each side arm slidably resting on the lift plate adjacent the outer end, the lifting arms being pivoted towards and away from each other, the outer ends of the lifting arms being spread apart sufficient to receive a large bale of hay therebetween, and a hydraulic grasping cylinder pivotally connected at opposite ends to the side arms whereby the side arms may be retracted towards each other to grasp a large bale of hay and the lifting cylinders hydraulically actuated to lift the bale of ha

Abstract: A compact telemanipulator arm assembly with a rotatable gripping tool is disclosed that is watertight and has a sleek profile suitable for penetrating into narrow underwater passages of nuclear reactors. The assembly has a plurality of elongated arm elements jointed together end-to-end in series relationship. Bending of adjacent elements is achieved by an axially aligned motor housed within one of the adjacent elements, a screw-nut system that converts the motor shaft rotation to axial movement of a slider, and mechanical linkage that converts the slider movement to relative pivoting of the elements. The gripping tool is mounted on a tool support on an end element. Tool gripping members are operated by a first axially aligned motor housed within the end element and a screw-nut system that converts the first motor shaft rotation to axial movement of a slider.

Abstract: A tong head assembly used in glass molding equipment is disclosed which includes a pair of scissors assemblies and a pneumatic cylinder, piston and piston rod assembly directly interconnected to each of the scissors assemblies.

Abstract: A tree with a harvester head includes a frame having a cutting area defined thereon and an accumulator area adjacent the cutter area with accumulator arms on the frame for holding the trees in the accumulator area and grapple arms for gripping a growing tree between the accumulator arms and the grapple arms. The arms are arranged such that the growing tree can be gripped between the closed accumulator arms and grapple arms during the cutting operation and then the accumulator arms can be opened to allow the grapple arms to automatically move the severed tree into the accumulator area in which it is then retained by the accumulator arms.

Abstract: A device for picking up and placing articles on a moving conveyor or assembly line, comprising a conveyor including a support adapted to be moved in a first conveyor shaft, an article station adjacent the conveyor, an article handling device support assembly adjacent the conveyor, an arrangement mounting the article handling device support assembly for movement along an article handling path, and a reciprocating drive connected to the conveyor and to the article handling support assembly to move the article handling support assembly in timed relationship to the conveyor.

Abstract: A tool changer drum is rotatably mounted on a machine tool for rotation about an axis which is perpendicular to the spindle axis thereof. A plurality of tool changer arms are swingably mounted on the tool changer drum for swinging movement along radii of the drum between a storage position parallel to the central plane of the drum and a transfer position perpendicular to the central plane of the drum. A pneumatic cylinder is used to index the tool changer drum to place any selected tool changer arm in the ready position. Another pneumatic cylinder is used to swing the ready tool changer arm from its storage position to its transfer position to transfer a toolholder from storage to the spindle and later to swing the tool changer arm back to the storage position to return the toolholder to storage. Before the tool transfer operation, the spindle is moved to a tool transfer position in which the swinging movement of the tool changer arm either places a toolholder in the spindle or removes a toolholder therefrom.

Abstract: A transfer mechanism places one part in a fixture on a continuously rotating table and substantially simultaneously picks up another part from an adjacent fixture on the table. The transfer mechanism then places the picked-up part on one fixture of an intermittently rotatable table while substantially simultaneously picking up another part on the latter table preparatory to placing that part on the continuously rotating table. A turn over mechanism subsequently picks up the part placed on the intermittently rotatable table by the transfer mechanism, turns the part over, and replaces the part on the intermittently rotatable table preparatory to the part being picked up from the latter table and returned to the continuously rotating table by the transfer mechanism.